I love spring! The winter and cold finally relent and give up their sting. The smell of newness and optimism, the sights of baby animals, and freshly blooming flowers all provide fantastic imagery of coming out of the death of winter into a new life of spring! Nothing captures the moment of death yielding to life better than the annual celebration of Easter. It’s through Christ only and His resurrection that provides such a dramatic transformation of life arising from death. But even this story had to start somewhere. Granted Christ had no beginning, but His mission or passion had an earthly origin. It’s at that wedding feast in Cana I want to focus on. I want to look at it for several reasons. First, it’s a story that is usually glanced over. Most people, I would bet, know Jesus turned water into wine but don’t consider much about that miracle other than to say that’s when His earthly mission began. I believe this story is so much more than a beginning of a ministry as it points to Easter in ways even the best minds in theology may miss. You can find this story in John chapter 2.

On the third day, a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding as well. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother told Him, “They don’t have any wine.”

“What has this concern of yours to do with Me,, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”

“Do whatever He tells you,” His mother told the servants. Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained 20 or 30 gallons.

“Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then He said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the chief servant.” And they did.

When the chief servant tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from — though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people have drunk freely, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.” Jesus performed this first sign in Cana of Galilee. He displayed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

Just a minor point; John wrote his biography of Jesus to show how Jesus was the promised Messiah written about in the Old Testament. So everything written in John is to prove how Jesus is the Messiah. This is why, one reason, John writes “He displayed His glory…” The glory Jesus displayed was one that shows how Jesus is the Messiah. But how does turning water into wine show this? In fact, why does he seem to distance himself from his mother, in such a way that sounds as if he will not do what was requested, but then do something about the wine running out? Finally, in what way does this story have anything to do with Easter?

Not that this has anything to do with the purpose of the story, but Mary and Jesus appear to be guests at this wedding. However, why would Mary be concerned about a wedding running out of wine if she were not one of the ones who helped organize it? Why would a guest have any concern about wine running out at a wedding they had no part in planning? Maybe this is why Jesus said what concern of yours has to do with me? But I don’t think so, I think they were more than guests and running out of wine would have looked very poorly on the family. So this would be a concern to her and Jesus’ as well since he was part of the family. Which makes me believe it was probably the marriage of his sister. But this is just speculation and has nothing to do with the importance of what Jesus did.

One phrase Jesus says to Mary is “My hour has not yet come” what hour could he be talking about? There is no doubt that it was referring to his death on the cross. Think about this, everytime Christ mentions his hour it is ALWAYS in reference to His hour on the cross. Consider just a handful of times this is mentioned in John: 4:21, 5:25, 7:6, 7:30, 8:20, 12:23, 12:27, I could go on but the theme throughout John’s biography of Christ is that Jesus was acutely aware from beginning to end about “his hour”. We read how everything in the book of John refers ahead to his coming hour. Therefore when looking at this miracle in John 2 we are drawn to the phrase “My hour has not yet come”. So when we ask “why did it seem that Jesus rebuked his mother (respectfully of course) but yet did what she wanted anyway”? We may believe that He regretted speaking to her in this manner. Or Was it out of reluctant obedience? No, His compliance has nothing to do with what He said to His mother. He was telling his mother and his disciples that my hour has not yet come, but instead, I will give you a sign that points to my hour. If we read a bit further in chapter 2, we see this very thing playing out before the people in the temple. They wanted a sign to prove that Jesus had the authority to drive them out of the temple during Passover and he replied with tear down this temple, and I will raise it again in three days. This theme of providing signs and wonders to Him being the Messiah is evident throughout the entire gospel of John.

When we look what John wrote he makes a point to add that the containers that were being filled were ones used for ceremonial cleansing. These were mentioned because they represented the purification process one must go through to be considered clean. Jesus playing out a parable in real circumstances seems to be saying “the old Jewish purification rituals will be replaced with a new way of purification. This will be through my blood represented in this wine.” When we consider the importance of purification to the Jews during the time of Jesus, we might ask “why was there such a focus of cleansing”? (Mt 15:1-20)

Look at 2nd Sam 6:6-8. Uzzah went to steady The Ark of The Covenant because the oxen that were pulling the cart it was on toppled. Uzzah thinking quickly rushed over to keep it on the cart. But when he touched it, he was killed instantly. David became angry because the wrath of God lashed out against Uzzah (2nd Sam 6:1-7; 1 Chr 13:9-12).

It seems that David felt the same way many people reading this story would feel. I can just see David crying out to God why? Why would God kill someone on the spot for ensuring the safety of God’s footstool (1Chr 28:2)? It is because the ground where the oxen and other livestock do their business is CLEANER than the hands of sinful man. God would have much rather the ark hit the ground (possibly landing in some dung) than become defiled by Uzzah’s sin-soaked hands. This is what we do not understand today. We forget that the God we serve DEMANDS holiness. The simple fact that Uzzah was not Holy demanded that God kill him long before he ever had the chance to touch the Ark. Yet in Gods kindness and mercy He allowed Uzzah to live his life. But once he dared to touch The LORD’s footstool, he sealed his fate. He did not respect God if he did how could Uzzah even dare to think he was clean enough to touch something so holy without fear or trembling.

So the Jews made sure that not only would their food be clean but also the hands that would touch the food so that way nothing that was impure would enter their bodies. They believed they were filthy based on what they touched or ate. In fact, the higher up one got in the Jewish caste system, the more pious they seemed to become. The problem is their knowledge of God, being chosen by Him, and their upper-class mentality gave them the idea that they were blessed by God. This was a problem because they would see themselves as needing only outward cleansing such as the ones done before meals especially during a wedding. These Jews kept the rules, they gave their 1/10 to God, they sang the songs, they fasted, they anointed each other with oil, they get along with their neighbors, they went to services every week, they love their spouses, they have a comfy home, overall they are good people. But Christ tears this down, you are not clean! He declares you hypocrite it is NOT what a person puts in their mouth that makes them unclean but what comes out of their heart (Mt 15:1-20)!

It does not matter how much we give, how often we attend church, how great a home life we have. Since what comes out of our hearts is unclean there is nothing we can do that will purify our hearts. Yet every day we tell ourselves we are not that bad. Jesus asks have you ever said, “I want that”? Since that thought came out of your heart and it was your desire, you are unclean for desiring something that was not yours. Have you ever said, “life would be so much easier if _______ wasn’t a part of it”? Jesus said you have just committed murder in your heart. When we look at what holiness is, how in the world can we ever believe we are clean enough to stand before a holy and just God and think we DON’T deserve death? How can we ever come to the footstool of God and believe we have any hope of not being crushed under the immense weight of His holy throne. Do we dare to be like Uzzah coming before a Holy God and expect anything other than death? Just like the Jews in Jesus’ time, we make sure we adhere to the ceremonies that we think make us clean. We may not wash our hands in giant pots but we believe the things we do is why God favors us and believe there is no way Christ would ever send me to Hell because of all the good I’ve done.

Do we know who it is we are dealing with? Do we fully grasp how incredibly depraved we are? John Newton writes how he was a wretch, Martin Luther called himself a miserable little pigmy, Paul states he was chief among sinners, Peter, tradition says, was crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy to be crucified in the same way Jesus did. Over and over we see this self-defacement in Gods elect. Why? Because they knew where they stood before God. Do not forget this. God is too Holy for us to assume we are good enough to stand before Him. He is too just to allow that kind of arrogance to not be punished. Please do not forget this or take it lightly. You of unclean hands and unclean lips how will you stand before God? How will you demand justice and not receive anything other than eternal punishment? Please take a look at your own unholiness and see how far you fall of God’s perfection.

When we get that it makes all the more glorious, Jesus’ eternal cleansing. We can clean food, we can clean our hands, but it is not these that defile us. It is our hearts but how do we clean that? This is what Christ was demonstrating at the wedding in Cana. First other than obeying Christ’s commands was there anything anyone added to this miracle? The point is we can not make ourselves clean any more than the guests at the wedding could provide more wine once they ran out. The only one who can do any cleansing, in this manner, is Christ only.

So what does Jesus do? How is He able to cleanse us so that we never have to worry about our defilement? He did this by becoming sin. That is right, the one who lived a clean life, who kept the rules, who never defiled Himself, was the one who actually BECAME sin! Everyone who hangs on a tree is cursed (Deut 21:23). Christ hung from a tree! Every Jew nearby would look at Him and say “see He can’t be the chosen one He is cursed” to which we say “YES! Yes, He is! How glorious that He is cursed, so I do not have to be”! He is the one who became sin, He is the one who was cursed by God, He was the one who felt the full weight of God’s judgment, He is the one who was able to drink dry the cup that was meant for us. Our punishment for our wretchedness was poured entirely out on Christ so that not even one drop remained. His blood cleansed the clay pots (2Cor 4:1-13 focus on v7), Filled them with His own life, and made us acceptable at the wedding (Rev 19: 6-9). If you ever need reminding how genuinely horrific sin is look at Christ dying on a cross. Look at His ripped flesh, his bloodied forehead, the hole in His side. Listen to the mocking words and tone hurled His way, taste the wine-soaked sponge and feel the humiliation of being displayed naked (Mt 27:35; Mk 15:24) for everyone to see in His most desperate moment. Share this experience with Him, do not gloss over Easter without imagining yourself on the cross instead of Him. Why? Because the punishment for us is so much worse than that cross if we remain bullheaded and believe that one sarcastic comment is no big deal. One small lie, or only one piece of gossip, being insincere, do we still think sin isn’t a big deal? Say that to Christ!

Easter shows us what happened to Christ but do you fully realize what happens to those who have faith in Him? We fully and truly are given the righteousness of Christ Himself. You are able to stand before this wrathful but gracious God if you had NEVER once in your life even told a white lie. You are viewed as having the Holiness of Christ. Christ who is God become flesh, the man who created everything you see, the one who loved us more than we could ever love ourselves. THAT IS YOU!!!!! You may not feel that way, but if you have ever given your life to Christ, your robes have been drenched in the blood of the lamb and have come out as white as fresh snow. I hope you don’t let the gravity of this slip by. In one hour you went from being the as Luther described “a miserable little pigmy” to the holiness of God Himself (pause here and meditate on that)! Seriously consider all the negative things you thought or have done. Consider all the life you still have left to live and all the things still to come that you will not be proud of. Pile all of that up and tell yourself “I am HOLY”! None of that crap (what else should we call sin?) matters because of Jesus Christ! You will make mistakes, but God says “You ARE my Son.” Don’t get caught up in the gender issue here. Do you know what is meant when God says “you are my son”? He says “You are like Christ”! Yes, we all have our own individual characteristics, but for the sense of your morality, you are God’s Son (Gal 3:21-29 focus on v26)! How in the world would God ever allow someone like me into His Kingdom knowing everything I have done against Him? Its only because of the Cross and His victory over death that I can stand before a Holy God who clothes me in the very same righteousness as His Son.

Christ is able to take a life that is unsuitable for a Holy wedding and turn it into one that contains the very essence of Christ through His blood (represented by wine). Just as the wine was poured out to all those wedding guests Christ’s blood has been poured out for all who come to Him. The shadow of the cross present in the midst of a wedding.