Epiphany Part 3.5

Epiphany Part 3.5 -- Jesus' First Miracle

John 2:1-11

The wedding part is important, but it is Christ that is shown forth through this passage. He didn't just confirm the wedding, He confirmed himself. 

"On the third day" is an important phrase. Throughout the book of John, he tries to parallel and you almost get a sense that he is making a new creation story. Both books begin with "In the beginning" and both speak of light coming forth. In Genesis it is a real light and in John it is a salvation light. Christ is the new creation. You get a sense of a day after day account in both books. On the real seventh day of this new creation in the book of John, we see the pinochle of creation. We see a woman enter the story, this woman who leads the creation, not hinders it. The seventh day is Genesis is the greatest day and so it is here in John. 

This is seen as a new wedding for a new covenant between God and His people. Hosea speaks of a marriage between God and His people and this is a great image of it. The old covenant was seen to bring condemnation with the first plague of bloody water but this new and better covenant is seen by a miracle of wine and joy. 

An underlying meaning to the passage of the master speaking of the best wine is that saving the best for last, in relation to redemption. You find the first miracle being one of joy and merriment and great mirth. That is supposed to mean something to Christians. We are to be a people of joy and laughter. 

The stone water jars that he used for the wine. In 3:25 there is an argument that arose about tradition. Now the stone jars may be a symbol of the old covenant. Christ uses that to say that everything spoken in the old covenant has come to be fulfilled with Me. It speaks of the new being past and the new covenant has come to be fulfilled. 

In John, Christ speaks to his mother here, the woman at the well, the woman accused of prostitution, and his mother at the cross, as "woman". It sounds cross and/or crude to us, but it was customary to them. The fact that Mary was so concerned about the wedding hints that it might have been a family wedding and if so it was fitting to have done His first miracle around His family. 

This wedding was symbolic of His death. He takes wine and uses it to symbolize His body. Just as that water was turned to wine, so our sin nature must use the hand of God to become anything like our Christ Lord. 

This new creation is this whole idea of the passage. He is our return to the beautiful Eden, our celebration of wine with joy. Paul speaks of joy unspeakable and that is what Christ has brought us. His first miracle circles around great joy and merriment, not just with the wine, but also with the wedding. The fulfillment has come to fruition with Christ.