Amazing, John begins with the Glory of Christ. 1:14 & 2:11. Who does God reveal His Glory to? His own. The book of John is the Gospel to Christians. That's what stood out to me.
I have read that modern scholars estimate the quantity of win as about 700 standard modern wine bottles. That's a lot of wine! May's concern for what we imagine is someone else's wedding seem odd. In the series "The Chosen" they present the wedding as that of Mary's very good friend, and Mary is in effect co-hosting the event. This is why she in concerned when they run out of wine. A more radical theory is that it is Jesus's own wedding. What do you think?
Well I definitely know it wasn’t Jesus’ wedding LOL Hospitality was a very important thing to them and seeing that someone would be embarrassed in that way she felt compassion for them, especially knowing He could help. The Bible doesn’t tell us the relationship to the couple but I imagine it was family or close friends. But I dont want to speculate on what is not in the Word.
Thanks for the fast response! I love your articles. And yes, The Chosen picked the "close friend" explanation. On the other hand, the New Testament seems to downplay the role of women in his ministry.
I so love this. From Genesis 1:11 where, on the third day, God created life - living plants and sees-bearing trees, to Genesis 22:4 where, on the third day Abraham is about to sacrifice his only son but God stays his hand, to the spitting out of Jonah from the belly of the great sea creature after three days and nights, the significance in embedded in the Old Testament. Then right after the first sign at Cana, the Jews demanded a miraculous sign and Jesus said, Destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days." John 2:19. From the beginning of life to the resurrection, God's glory is being revealed.
Ok I see the hands raised in the back of class LOL
So John's Gospel uses the phrase "my hour" in a very specific way. It's not just talking about timing. It's eschatological... pointing to the climactic moment of Yeshua's death, resurrection, and glorification.
So when He tells Mary, "My hour has not yet come," He's saying that the full public revelation of who He is still lies ahead. Yet He performs the miracle anyway because Cana is the beginning of that revelation. The hour hasn't fully arrived, but it's beginning to unfold. This first sign low key reveals His glory to the disciples and the servants, and it is a foreshadowing of the muxh greater revelation of His glory that will come through the cross and resurrection. I hope that makes sensw.
Oh my goodness. I just read that and saw my typos LOL Sorry... my pinky is in a splint that is like 4 times the size of my finger and it gets in the way. I just had to retype the word 'that" 5 times LOL
The history of God's glory on behalf of His people begins with a marriage in Eden, ends with the wedding east of the Lamb, and is filled with marriage themes throughout the Bible. So when that theme is picked up afresh by Jesus at Cana, along with the implication that now really is His "time," I read this as "hold on to your hat! It is starting for keeps right now!"
I heard a Young Life talk many years ago where the speaker said that the servants were probably laughing inside as they took bottles (flasks? cups?) of the water to the banquet master, and then imagine their shock when it is now the highest quality wine. We don't know exactly when the water became wine - perhaps right before it was tasted? The passage from Isaiah 25 is one of my favorites - v. 9 says "In that day, they will say, 'Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.' "
I've been drawn to this passage many times because of the 'wine' aspect that keeps many believers perplexed. (aka - but didn't Jesus drink wine?...) and found that the miracle didn't point to wine, but to God's heart and to God's glory. This is where the disciples first believed.
Now this reveal? YES YES YES. Jesus is God's tangible, weighty presence among His people.
I've always been confused why he rebuffs Mary at first. "It's not my time" but then she says "Do whatever he tells you" to the servants, and then he turns and acts.
My hand is up in the back of the room to ask this same question! I have always wondered about it. We always hear teaching about the miracle itself and its meaning, but I have always felt since I was a young girl reading this that it's like he did it against his will. What does that part mean? "Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come."
In my 7th decade of life, I love that God will take a well known passage and highlight an aspect of it for me. A learning, a reminder, a renewal of things once learned, thank you for being the voice of that reminder today. Once again the purification jars, turned to wine sparing a family from shame, the best of wines no less… Thank you.
I have the poem my Grandmother wrote The Wedding at Cana. Over time I’ve learned about the water jars but have not heard the third day correlation to Mt Sinai. I learn in a visit to Israel the third day of the week was the most chosen day for a wedding. Now I understand why!
I thought that the beginning of Jesus' ministry at a wedding is a prophecy about how Jesus will return. The ancient Middle East wedding lasts seven days. The wedding of Jacob and Leah hints at the standard week long wedding celebration. There are seven years more in Daniel's prophecy.
Wine speaks of the Holy Spirit.
Certainly, the Holy Spirit will fill the hearts of the Jews as God gives them sight. John 9 is a prophecy about the resurrection which will include a "new heart" which means that they will see.
Thanks for your insight. I knew that there was a lot buried in a first few verses of John. Please check my posts about the language of God... "In the beginning was the Word ..." And another about John 3:16.
Thank you so much for this. I think „Glory” is one of the words we struggle to understand. Knowing that it is „kawod” will help me to remember that is not something that I give to God but rather something that it is being revealed to me. Interesting to note that the wedding in Cana of Galilee was the moment that His disciples believed in Him. Other people just did not notice. We may also be blind to God’s presence in our life even when He makes a sign.
Loved this article and all the connections pointed out here! It’s always amazing to me how much deeper we can always go in scripture, God is so intentional. What always has struck me about John starting his gospel this way is also the connection of the entire gospel starting and ending with a wedding (the first sign revealing God’s glory through Jesus at Cana and then at the end of Revelation where we are finally fully united with our Bridegroom King). God truly has written the best love story to us and these details you shared were awesome 🤍.
Amazing, John begins with the Glory of Christ. 1:14 & 2:11. Who does God reveal His Glory to? His own. The book of John is the Gospel to Christians. That's what stood out to me.
On the third day He arose....
Jomah three days in the belly of the whale
Abraham traveled three days to offer Isaac as a sacrifice
Three: The Trinity: Completeness: Deliverance: Glory!!
I have read that modern scholars estimate the quantity of win as about 700 standard modern wine bottles. That's a lot of wine! May's concern for what we imagine is someone else's wedding seem odd. In the series "The Chosen" they present the wedding as that of Mary's very good friend, and Mary is in effect co-hosting the event. This is why she in concerned when they run out of wine. A more radical theory is that it is Jesus's own wedding. What do you think?
Well I definitely know it wasn’t Jesus’ wedding LOL Hospitality was a very important thing to them and seeing that someone would be embarrassed in that way she felt compassion for them, especially knowing He could help. The Bible doesn’t tell us the relationship to the couple but I imagine it was family or close friends. But I dont want to speculate on what is not in the Word.
Thanks for the fast response! I love your articles. And yes, The Chosen picked the "close friend" explanation. On the other hand, the New Testament seems to downplay the role of women in his ministry.
“Miss Patty, whose bangs had enough Aqua Net in them to survive the Great Tribulation…” ??!!!!! 😂😆 Dead.
🤣
I so love this. From Genesis 1:11 where, on the third day, God created life - living plants and sees-bearing trees, to Genesis 22:4 where, on the third day Abraham is about to sacrifice his only son but God stays his hand, to the spitting out of Jonah from the belly of the great sea creature after three days and nights, the significance in embedded in the Old Testament. Then right after the first sign at Cana, the Jews demanded a miraculous sign and Jesus said, Destroy this temple and I will raise it in three days." John 2:19. From the beginning of life to the resurrection, God's glory is being revealed.
Yes there is such revelation in the typology of the 3 days.
Ok I see the hands raised in the back of class LOL
So John's Gospel uses the phrase "my hour" in a very specific way. It's not just talking about timing. It's eschatological... pointing to the climactic moment of Yeshua's death, resurrection, and glorification.
So when He tells Mary, "My hour has not yet come," He's saying that the full public revelation of who He is still lies ahead. Yet He performs the miracle anyway because Cana is the beginning of that revelation. The hour hasn't fully arrived, but it's beginning to unfold. This first sign low key reveals His glory to the disciples and the servants, and it is a foreshadowing of the muxh greater revelation of His glory that will come through the cross and resurrection. I hope that makes sensw.
Oh my goodness. I just read that and saw my typos LOL Sorry... my pinky is in a splint that is like 4 times the size of my finger and it gets in the way. I just had to retype the word 'that" 5 times LOL
You WITH typos are far superior to most other Bible teachers without typos!!! Just glad you are healing up! 🙂❤️
You’re so sweet! Thank you!!
The history of God's glory on behalf of His people begins with a marriage in Eden, ends with the wedding east of the Lamb, and is filled with marriage themes throughout the Bible. So when that theme is picked up afresh by Jesus at Cana, along with the implication that now really is His "time," I read this as "hold on to your hat! It is starting for keeps right now!"
I heard a Young Life talk many years ago where the speaker said that the servants were probably laughing inside as they took bottles (flasks? cups?) of the water to the banquet master, and then imagine their shock when it is now the highest quality wine. We don't know exactly when the water became wine - perhaps right before it was tasted? The passage from Isaiah 25 is one of my favorites - v. 9 says "In that day, they will say, 'Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the Lord, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.' "
Love love love.
I've been drawn to this passage many times because of the 'wine' aspect that keeps many believers perplexed. (aka - but didn't Jesus drink wine?...) and found that the miracle didn't point to wine, but to God's heart and to God's glory. This is where the disciples first believed.
Now this reveal? YES YES YES. Jesus is God's tangible, weighty presence among His people.
Oh, let us behold Him. Wow.
I've always been confused why he rebuffs Mary at first. "It's not my time" but then she says "Do whatever he tells you" to the servants, and then he turns and acts.
My hand is up in the back of the room to ask this same question! I have always wondered about it. We always hear teaching about the miracle itself and its meaning, but I have always felt since I was a young girl reading this that it's like he did it against his will. What does that part mean? "Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come."
In my 7th decade of life, I love that God will take a well known passage and highlight an aspect of it for me. A learning, a reminder, a renewal of things once learned, thank you for being the voice of that reminder today. Once again the purification jars, turned to wine sparing a family from shame, the best of wines no less… Thank you.
Hebrew matters because YHVH deserves all the Kavod.
Well written, toda! ❤️
I have the poem my Grandmother wrote The Wedding at Cana. Over time I’ve learned about the water jars but have not heard the third day correlation to Mt Sinai. I learn in a visit to Israel the third day of the week was the most chosen day for a wedding. Now I understand why!
I thought that the beginning of Jesus' ministry at a wedding is a prophecy about how Jesus will return. The ancient Middle East wedding lasts seven days. The wedding of Jacob and Leah hints at the standard week long wedding celebration. There are seven years more in Daniel's prophecy.
Wine speaks of the Holy Spirit.
Certainly, the Holy Spirit will fill the hearts of the Jews as God gives them sight. John 9 is a prophecy about the resurrection which will include a "new heart" which means that they will see.
Thanks for your insight. I knew that there was a lot buried in a first few verses of John. Please check my posts about the language of God... "In the beginning was the Word ..." And another about John 3:16.
Thank you so much for this. I think „Glory” is one of the words we struggle to understand. Knowing that it is „kawod” will help me to remember that is not something that I give to God but rather something that it is being revealed to me. Interesting to note that the wedding in Cana of Galilee was the moment that His disciples believed in Him. Other people just did not notice. We may also be blind to God’s presence in our life even when He makes a sign.
Loved this article and all the connections pointed out here! It’s always amazing to me how much deeper we can always go in scripture, God is so intentional. What always has struck me about John starting his gospel this way is also the connection of the entire gospel starting and ending with a wedding (the first sign revealing God’s glory through Jesus at Cana and then at the end of Revelation where we are finally fully united with our Bridegroom King). God truly has written the best love story to us and these details you shared were awesome 🤍.