Water into Wine

Use these materials to go deeper into this message on your own, or with your small group. 
Passage Breakdowns, SOAPS Format & Instructions (Weeks 1-12)
Passage Breakdowns, SOAPS Format & Instructions (Weeks 13-26)

If you’d like to follow along with us using the Gospel of John Scripture Journal, you’re welcome to purchase a copy here

Online Service | Sermon Audio

I know you just saw the video, but I wanted to pause and say how amazing those baptisms were last Sunday. It was really a God moment because they were totally unscripted. As we planned for this, we had no idea if anyone would come forward, let alone 17 people.  It was snowy outside, we had less than half of our normal attendees—and God really moved. Everyone in the room felt it. For me, it was one of those God moments I'll never forget. I'm thankful we all got to experience that together. It was amazing. 

We're taking some time this year to walk through the Gospel of John. John wrote his gospel to emphasize and show that Jesus was the son of God. So when we read about Jesus, we get a real-time glimpse into exactly who God is and what God is concerned about.  Today we're looking at John chapter 2, where Jesus attends a wedding. That wedding encounters a major problem, and in response to that problem, Jesus performs his first public sign, showing people that he is the son of God. 

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. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."  "Woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."  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. 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. 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."  What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.  After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.  Before we dive in, there are a couple of things in these verses that can cause us to get sidetracked:  As someone who likes neither water nor wine, this passage doesn't tempt me here. But for some, it seems to give license to drink. Let me say two things about this:  First, in our culture, we have about 800 different options to drink water—bottles, boxes, filters, life straws, filtration systems, volcanic water, water from Fiji, water from Poland Spring, and even water that we dump hydration powders into. Back then, because of the time and place where they lived, wine was sometimes safer to drink than water.  Second, the Bible doesn't outlaw drinking but always pushes for moderation and being careful not to cause the person next to you to stumble if they struggle in this area.  Tomorrow, if your wife says, "Hey, the baby needs a diaper change and I need some help," please don't quote Jesus here and say, "Woman, why do you involve me?" You might get beat up. We'll see what Jesus actually meant in a few minutes.  To break these verses down, we'll look at three movements: how Jesus shows up in our shame, how Jesus heals our shame, and how Jesus turns our shame into joy.  We have a wedding taking place at Cana in Galilee. Because it was close to where Jesus was doing ministry, there were some family connections there. Jesus, his mother, and his disciples are all invited and attend this wedding.  This is where cultural context is really important.  This was an honor-shame culture—a society where an individual's worth and identity were tied to their family, group, or community. Their life goal was gaining honor and avoiding public shame. In this culture, status was earned by upholding social expectations and bringing honor to the community. Shame was the result of failing these standards, leading to isolation.  This is very different from our individualistic culture today.  So a wedding was much bigger than simply a bride and groom coming together. It was the ultimate event in an honor-shame based society. Let me paint the picture:  • Weddings were some of the biggest communal celebrations of the year, planned well in advance  • They had religious implications—Jewish people associated weddings with the arrival of the Messiah and what heaven would look like  • They could last a week  • The couple didn't go to Pottery Barn and create a registry. Instead, guests would carefully and thoughtfully give gifts that would bring honor to the family  So based on their honor-shame culture, when this family runs out of wine, it's a huge deal. It would have heaped shame on the family and ruined the wedding.  Now for us, we might think, "This guy just ran out of wine at a wedding. What's the big deal?"  But what about us? What's your experience with shame been like?  Shame is not necessarily feeling bad about what we've done—like cheating on a test. That's guilt. Shame is much more sinister. It's about feeling bad about who we are. Shame says, "I am fundamentally flawed." And just like in that culture, it leads to isolation. Shame is social.  Maybe you've had a difficult childhood, or been through trauma, or you haven't lived up to personal, family, or cultural expectations, and you just feel there is something wrong with who you are.  If that's you, then think about this:  If I were establishing a brand-new way of relating to God and a whole new religious system, you would think Jesus would go to a funeral and raise someone from the dead, or heal someone from a crippling disease, right?  Yet Jesus chooses to go to a wedding and celebrate and help some people—whose names we don't even know—avoid shame during a wedding feast.  Jesus is not turned off by our shame. It's not bigger than he is. He actually walks towards us in it. He doesn't push us away.  Jesus shows up in our shame.  I think about Night to Shine, our annual prom for people with special needs. We see Jesus show up in places where our culture often overlooks or marginalizes people. He moves toward those experiencing shame, not away from them.  Not only does Jesus simply show up in our shame, he actually does something about it. He heals our shame.  Let's continue in the story, because this part is really important. This is the shift in Jesus' life where he begins his public ministry.  When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."  "Woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My hour has not yet come."  His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."  Now, what's happening here?  Mary approaches Jesus and tells him the issue, and his response sounds harsh to us today, but it isn't. "Woman" was a term of endearment and Jesus always elevated women in a culture that didn't.  What he's telling her is: I know I am your son (lowercase), but I am the Son of God (uppercase—remember John's theme), and I need to follow the course that God has set out for me, not simply the course you have set out for me.  And he does this in the most respectful way possible. He reiterates his Son of God status when he says, "My hour has not yet come"—because when Jesus uses the word "hour," it always points to his work on the cross.  Then Mary hears this, turns to the servants, and tells them, "Do whatever he tells you to do."  Anyone have a mom like that? You say, "Mom, I need to lose some weight," and she's like, "Okay, here's another piece of pizza." She kinda ignores you and does her mom thing.  And here is where it gets really interesting and deeply symbolic—with the stone water jars.  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. 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.  Let's talk about these jars. What were they used for? And why were they stone and so big?  First, the stone jars held water so that the Jewish people could continually make themselves clean. They were always washing themselves before meals and throughout the day in order to be pure and clean—washing away the shame that comes from disobeying God.  Second, they were made out of stone because stone isn't porous. If you had a clay pot and it got dirty, the dirt could potentially taint the whole pot. Think of planting in a clay pot—water goes in and can seep through. Plant in a stone pot—nothing is getting into that stone.  Third, they were big—because they were used so much! The whole Old Testament is filled with sacrifices and laws that Jewish people used to constantly and continually make themselves clean. It was exhausting!  Think about it like this: Today, after you listen to this message, every time you're short with your kids, every time you argue with your spouse, are mean to your brother or sister, every time you say something a little harsh, and every time you eat a little more than you should—go to the sink and wash your hands. And oh, by the way, even if you don't do anything wrong, you still need to wash your hands because you thought it.  What's your day going to look like? A line at the sink.  When Jesus changes the water into wine in these jars, it marks the official end to the old covenant way of daily physical cleansing and ushers us into the new covenant way of perfect cleansing, which we receive through Jesus once and for all. A cleansing which is not about the dirt on our hands but about the deep dirt within us that no soap could ever remove.  So instead of going to the sink a hundred times a day, we turn to Jesus once and receive a full and final cleansing for the impurities within our hearts!  Jesus is publicly declaring that the old has gone and the new has come!  So the question for me and for you is: Are we trying to make ourselves clean from the shame that we feel?  We try to clean ourselves by making big donations, by volunteering tons of hours, by trying to make ourselves look good, by being an overstretched and overinvolved person who justifies themselves by keeping way too busy.  We tire ourselves out trying to make ourselves right with God, and it just isn't necessary. The miracle isn't just water into wine—it's the cleansing of our sin by Jesus. And as quick as the water became wine, he does the same for us.  Are you cleansing and purifying yourself to death, or have you let the death of Jesus cleanse and purify you?  Jesus heals our shame.  So not only does Jesus show up in our shame and offer to heal our shame—he actually takes it and does something more with it- its not just that the shame is gone- but he gives us something even better- he turns our shame into joy.  Listen as the story continues:  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."  What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.  Picture it like this:  The wine is getting low. People are being served half glasses, and some murmuring starts. Then all of a sudden, that murmuring picks up, and instead of complaints, there are exclamations of joy as people taste this new wine. Instead of having their taste and senses dulled, this new wine opens their eyes for the first time. All of their senses are engaged. They're tasting something they've never had before. While they don't fully understand what's happening, all they know something different is happening here! 

Just like the wedding and the stone basins, there is significance in wine.  Throughout Scripture, wine is symbolic of joy, blessing, prosperity, and life. It indicates God's provision. It marks celebration, signifies spiritual nourishment, and represents hope.  So, wine at this wedding meant so much more than a drink!  What happens here completely breaks tradition on so many levels. Not only did the wedding and the master of the ceremony come to the verge of massive shame, they are now experiencing the joy that has come with this new and better wine!   2 things I think we can learn here:  1. Its never too late to experience the new wine that Jesus offers. For the people at the wedding it looked as though all hope had been lost. Yet, even when things looked really bleak- the new wine was there.  Maybe for you, you may feel as though it is too late for you to experience what Jesus has to offer you. Its never too late – 

And the 2nd thing- which comes right from the passage is that – God often saves the best till last—  SO many times throughout scripture, those who follow God experience difficult circumstances all throughout their lives. And for us, we experience difficult relationships, sickness, loss, grief, shame, and yet-   The bible is clear that – good things are coming and the best is ahead of us and never simply behind us- because of the new wine that jesus offers us and because of what he did for us on the cross. 

This last month I was involved in a number of funerals and celebrations of life here at the chapel.  And one woman really stands out, her name was Pam. And as I new Pam and heard more and more about her life from her friends and family, one thing was very clear-   Her life was not easy and she had been through a lot. But she trusted in Christ at a young age and he was faithful to her throughout her whole life.  And the most remarkable thing that stood out to me was how at the end of her life, even when her health was declining, and people would call to check on her, the only thing she would ask about was how they were doing- she made it all about them.  And every person that I spoke with about her shared the same story- She was filled with Joy because she had tasted the new wine that Jesus gave her, and that joy spread out to all the people around her.    Jesus entered into her story  He healed her shame-  And he gave her joy even in the midst of really difficult life situations- and it changed everyone around her. 

When Jesus changes that water into wine, it is the signal that something new and better has come. It is my prayer that all of us can taste and experience the new wine that Jesus offers us.  Let's pray.