Jesus' first miracle was his water into wine miracle. John 2:1-11 is the scripture about turning the water into wine that so many know about. Jesus' first miracle is absolutely loaded with relevant truths, which can nourish the soul and help safeguard from various false doctrines. Unfortunately, the water into wine miracle has been misused as the basis for many errant doctrinal beliefs. To carefully study this water into wine sermon will better arm you to refute error and spread God's truth to others. BTW, this is only one of the various 37 recorded miracles of Jesus:
● On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. (John 2:1,2)
The marriage at Cana has no mention of Joseph there or anywhere thereafter! The evidence suggests that Joseph had died leaving Mary a widow. Also, Jesus and his disciples went to the marriage at Cana, which allows a Christian to do the same (by their example). It must be noted, however, that the Lord and the disciples were there for evangelistic reasons, not for fellowship, etc. There is no fellowship between light and darkness (2 Cor. 6:14-18). NOTE: There is also no mention that Jesus or his disciples ever drank any of the wine there!
Moreover, unlike the Mormons, who wrongly say Jesus had multiple wives and got married at the marriage at Cana, the truth is Jesus was never married to anyone, including Mary Magdalene. At this wedding he was invited to come. Since no one is invited to his own wedding it is strange to think Jesus got married there.
The opposite of the Latter Day Saints on Jesus having multiple wives would be the Unification Church, which strangely teaches Jesus failed because he didn't get married and produce the perfect family! According to them, their leader, Sun Moon, who is supposed to be the Lord of the Second Advent, was able to accomplish what Jesus couldn't, which is ridiculously false. Moon is a prime example of a false teacher and false christ -- one of many.
● When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." (John 2:3)
It was there at the wedding at Cana where the first miracle occurred. Jesus turns water into wine in front of all present. There is no proof that anyone went to Mary to get to Jesus, unlike how the Catholic church sometimes presents the first miracle of Jesus. They usually cite it to show Mary as a mediator between people in need and Jesus, which is very unbiblical. The truth is, Mary discovered they were low on wine and mentioned this to the Lord Jesus. Apparently, Jesus and his disciples were unaware they had run out of wine. Maybe because they were not drinking the wine. Hence, it had to be brought to their attention, which Mary did.
● "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." (John 2:4,5)
The translation in certain Bibles of dear woman in reference to Mary, is inconsistent and misleading. The Greek word means woman and nothing more. Furthermore, the same Greek word translated here dear woman is used elsewhere, such as in John 8:10 in reference to the woman caught in adultery. Again, Jesus called Mary by the same term as the woman caught in adultery. Verse 5 is one of the few times we have the words of Mary in the bible. Her words here are very important: "Do whatever he tells you.
She correctly pointed people away from herself and to Jesus, magnifying his instructions and commands.
● Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. (John 2:6,7)
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor. 6:9-11, NASB)
If you are a drunkard, Jesus' blood will set you free from your sin addictions, at the point of Biblical salvation. You will become a new creation in Christ and alcoholism will not control you as it has been.
● Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. (John 2:8,9a)
● The master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." (John 2:9,10)
Jesus' water into wine tasted better than the wine they previously had. It was not the same or equal, but better.
● This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. (John 2:11)
There are 18 years of Jesus' earthly life, which we know nothing about in the Scriptures—from when he was age 12 at the temple (Luke 2:42-51) to age 30. One source about those eighteen silent years claims to have the details, but is falsified by the fact that this miracle at Cana was Jesus' first miracle. The details about Jesus' eighteen silent years claims Jesus performed miracles before this one—his first miracle, which is impossible. Also, the answer to Why did Jesus turn water into wine is: to reveal his glory (v. 11).
After all that transpired at the Cana wedding event, Jesus' disciples put their faith in Jesus (and not Mary too)! Mary is mentioned, but no one understood that her going to Jesus for him to perform this miracle made her to be an intercessor, mediator, advocate or the like, as Catholicism misuses this passage to teach. Jesus was the object of the disciples' faith, as must be the case with us today, if we likewise claim to be his disciple.
● Christians are allowed to go to a wedding.
● There is no evidence here that the Lord Jesus or his disciples drank wine there. To cite this passage to justify ingesting alcoholic wine is to misuse Scripture.
● There is no evidence that anyone went to Mary to get her to present this need to Jesus. That alone is very significant. Why? Because the Catholic church presents this event to wrongly elevate Mary into a type of mediator, intercessor or advocate. If another person wasn't involved then those things cannot be.
Furthermore, other people in great need went directly to Jesus and he performed a miracle for them too, with no mention of Mary anywhere, such as Jairus (Mk. 5:22-43); a centurion (Mat 8:5-13); the woman subject to bleeding (Mat 9:20-22); etc.
● The real Mary of the Bible says, Do whatever he tells you. What sound and important advice for all to heed. Let's all find out what Jesus says and do it. We need to all agree with the real Mary of the Bible on that point.
● What Jesus called Mary in v.4 -- woman -- is not a unique special term of endearment for her as you might have been told, for others were called the same term. Woman should be one of the Mary titles known among Catholics, but for obvious reasons it will never be!
● Though Jesus turned the water into wine, that doesn't excuse getting drunk. Drunkards will not inherit God's kingdom.
● A real transubstantiation from God has the finished product tasting different than it initially was, which contradicts the alleged Catholic communion transubstantiation. This is a vital point for Catholics to know.
● The water into wine miracle was Jesus' first miracle, showing the alleged eighteen silent years account is false because they have Jesus performing miracles before the wedding at Cana.
● The water into wine miracle had the disciples put their faith in Jesus and not Mary too, even though she was there. That is key in understanding the water into wine meaning. The mother of Jesus is never cited in the Bible as having any role in salvation, unlike the way the Catholic church has presented her.
Pass these spiritual truths about Jesus' water into wine miracle to your friends and family. The miracle at Cana, Jesus' first miracle, will help many get freed from various spiritual deceptions, if properly understood.
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