CHRIST'S SEVEN SIGN MIRACLES OF HIS PERSON AND MISSION

I. Turning The Water Into Wine: The Manifestation Christ's Glory

(John 2:1-11)

 

I.               Introduction

A.    John's Gospel presents only seven miracles of Jesus in His earthly ministry, each of them sign-miracles that reveal His Person and mission for readers to believe that He is the Messiah, the Son of God, and thus to receive eternal life, John 20:31; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, "Intro. to the Gospel Acc. to John," p. 1492.

B.    Viewing these sign-miracles both strengthens our faith in Christ and offer us talking points in witnessing to the unsaved, so we view the first sign-miracle, Christ's turning the water into wine, for our edification:

II.            Turning The Water Into Wine: The Manifestation Of Christ's Glory, John 2:1-11.

A.    John 2:11 ESV asserts that Jesus' turning the water into wine at Cana of Galilee "manifested His glory."

B.    That glory of Christ according to John himself was clarified for us in John 1:14b,c,d and 17 (as follows):

1.      Christ is the unique Son of God the Father, John 1:14b.

2.      Christ is full of grace, full of unmerited favor toward man, John 1:14c.

3.      Christ is full of truth, John 1:14d.

4.      Though the law of God's judgment was given by Moses, God's grace and truth came by Christ, John 1:17.

C.    We thus view Jesus' miracle of turning the water into wine to see the demonstration of these facts (as follows):

1.      Christ is the unique Son of God the Father seen in His interaction with His earthly mother Mary, Jn. 2:3-5:

                         a.        When Jesus' earthly mother Mary told Him about the crisis of running out of wine at the feast, expecting Him to address the matter as if He were subject to her as Her earthly son, Jesus replied that the matter was not His to address, but hers, John 2:4a; Ibid., ftn. to John 2:4.

                         b.        Also, it would take a miracle to resolve the crisis, but in God the Father's plan, the time for Jesus to begin His miraculous works to reveal His Person and mission had not yet arrived.  Jesus clarified this fact to His mother that she might cease trying to exert her authority over Him, for He was God's Son, Jn. 2:4b.

                         c.        Mary rightly told the servants to obey Jesus, trusting Him to resolve the crisis in God's way, John 2:5.

2.      Christ is full of grace, full of unmerited favor toward men as seen in several ways in this sign-miracle:

                         a.        First, Jesus in grace performed the miracle of turning the water into wine though it was not yet time for Him to demonstrate His Person by such a miracle so as to help His mother out of her crisis, John 2:3-11.

                         b.        Second, the six water pots contained a total of about 150 gallons of water (J. Dwight Pentecost, The Words and Works of Jesus Christ, 1991, p. 115, so turning all of that water into wine signified the gracious abundance of Christ's salvation work, John 2:6; Ibid., ftn. to John 2:6.

                         c.        Third, the water was turned into the highest quality of wine used at the feast (John 2:8-10), signifying the perfection of God's salvation and discipling in Christ for sinners.

                         d.        Fourth, the water in the water pots was ceremonially unclean as people used them to wash their hands, purifying them before eating at a meal (John 2:6; Ibid.), so Christ's turning unclean wash water into the highest quality wine signified the great transformation that Christ's salvation produces in the lives of men!

                         e.        Fifth, this miracle occurred in Cana of Galilee in accord with Isaiah 8:19-9:2 that predicted Christ as the Great Light would shine, revealing God's glory to those in Galilee who walked in great spiritual darkness.

3.      Christ is full of truth seen in the testimonies of the servants who drew the water and the ruler of the feast:

                         a.        The servants knew they had filled the unclean purification pots with water they had drawn from a well or stream and the ruler of the feast volunteered testimony that the result was high quality wine, Jn. 2:9-10.

                         b.        These testimonies prove Jesus performed a creative act, validating His claim to Mary to be God's Son.

4.      Christ's grace and truth exceeded the ministry of the law of Moses seen in several ways in this miracle:

                         a.        Moses had turned the water of the Nile into putrefying blood in judgment (Exodus 7:14-18) where Jesus in grace had turned unclean water into high quality wine, John 2:7-10; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 278.

                         b.        The Jews had developed the spiritually dead practice of washing hands in legalistic purification pots before meals that was not taught in the law, but Jesus graciously used these very pots to reveal His grace!

 

Lesson: When Jesus turned the water into wine, He manifested the glory of His unique Sonship of God the Father, the fullness of His grace and truth and His superiority in ministering God's grace versus Moses' law of judgment.

 

Application: In witnessing to the lost, may we tell of Christ's unique Sonship with God the Father, of the fullness of His grace and truth and His superiority in ministering grace versus Moses' ministry of the judgment of the law.