The Water Turned into Wine
INTRODUCTORY WORDS
In this Scripture the first miracle which Christ wrought is recorded, and it is a miracle full of marvelous significance. Our opening verse reads, "And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee."
1. We wish you to consider with us the first marriage which took place in the Garden of Eden. It was there that God put Adam to sleep, and opened his side from which He took a rib. The rib God made a woman. When Adam beheld the woman, he called her "woman" because she was taken out of the man, and he said, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh." The whole story of the first marriage is typical and prophetical. Adam's side opened is suggestive of Christ's sword-thrust side. The woman taken out of the man is suggestion of the fact that we are taken out of Christ. We are flesh of His flesh, and bone of His bone. When the Holy Spirit wanted to speak of Christ and His Church He referred back to the Garden scene, and quoting from the words which Adam used, He said, "This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the Church."
2. All through the Bible marriage is used as an emblem of Christ and His people. In the Old Testament, of course, it is Christ and Israel; in the New Testament it is Christ and the Church. Our Lord was not ashamed to speak of the marriage bond as a bond endeared and indissoluble between Him and His own. We are married unto Christ. In the opening verse of our study we read, "And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there."
3. The marriage in the skies will take place on the third day. The third day in the Bible stands for resurrection. In Genesis 1:1-31 we see that on the third day the waters were gathered, together, and the dry land appeared. It was on that day that the earth brought forth its grass, and its herbs, and its fruit trees. Thus the third day stood for new life and light.
In Hosea 6:2 we read, "After two days will He revive us: in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight." With God, a thousand years is as a day. Two thousand years have almost passed since the days of Christ. The third day will be the Millennial Day. It is on the third day, therefore, that the marriage in the skies will take place.
4. The marriage in the skies will take place on the seventh day. The third day in John 2:1 was the third day after the fourth day. What we mean is this. In John 1:1-51 we have four days, set forth with marvelous exactment. In John 1:19-28 is one day in which John is proclaiming Christ at Bethabara beyond Jordan. In John 1:29 we read, "The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him." John 1:29 is the second day. In John 1:35 we read, "Again the next day after John stood, and two of His disciples." John 1:35 therefore is the third day. In John 1:43 we read, "The day following." This is the fourth day thus specified.
Now, in John 2:1 comes the expression, "And the third day." This was the third day after the fourth day, or it was the seventh day after six days.
There have been six thousand years, the number of man, since Adam was created, and the seven thousandth year will be the year of Jubilee when the second Man and the last Adam is married, and takes His throne.
I. JESUS CALLED TO THE MARRIAGE (John 2:2)
Our key verse says, "And both Jesus was called, and His disciples, to the marriage."
1. Christ rejected of men. The 1st chapter of John gives us the sad story of Him coming unto His own and His own receiving Him not. He was in the world, and the world knew Him not. The story of Christ rejected is the story of the four Gospels His coming to be hated, despised, set aside not only by the Gentiles, but also by the Jews. Over the city of Jerusalem Jesus wept, saying, "If thou hadst known, * * in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace." Matthew puts it this way: "How often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!"
2. The marriage prophesied. It was at midnight the cry was made, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; Go ye out to meet him." It is at this very moment that the call is going forth from many of the pulpits of our land. Orthodox Christendom has its face turned toward the sunrising. We believe that the marriage of the Lamb is at hand, and will soon be consummated. It was after two days, and on the third day that Jesus was called, and it certainly seems that the day of the marriage was about to dawn.
3. Christ received. Christ and His disciples were called to the marriage. When Christ comes again, He will be thrice welcome. Even now we hear the voice of the Spirit as He bears testimony: "The marriage of the Lamb is come, and His Wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." Then comes the remarkable word. "And he saith unto me, Write, blessed are they which are called unto the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, and he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God."
II. JESUS AND HIS MOTHER (John 2:3-4)
"And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto Him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come."
1. The longings of Mary, the mother of Jesus. It does not seem difficult to us to discover why Mary turned to Christ. Her heart was longing for Him to manifest Himself unto Israel. She had, perhaps, more or less of the spirit of pride in this matter. She felt that whatever happened to Him would certainly accrue to her honor, and to her glory. Therefore, in more or less of a commanding spirit she seemed to say to Jesus, "This is your opportunity." She knew that Christ could work miracles, and she desired one to be wrought.
In confirmation of her ambitions in this, let me quote for you from John 7:1-53, the words spoken to Christ by His brethren, the sons of Mary. They said: "Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that Thy disciples also may see the works that Thou doest." They continued with, "For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If Thou do these things, shew Thyself to the world. For neither did His brethren believe in Him. Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready."
Almost the very same words Christ used to His mother. He used to His brethren. To His brethren He said, "My time is not yet come." To His mother He said, "Mine hour is not yet come." Mary had not yet learned the fact that Jesus had come to die, and to be rejected instead of to reign and to be accepted.
2. The rebuke of Christ to His mother. "Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee?" In Luke 2:51 we read how Christ went down to Nazareth and was subject to His parents. Christ now, with patience, makes it known to Mary that He is no longer subject to her. He does not speak to her as "mother," placing Himself under her as son; but as "woman," because He is the Son of God.
III. JESUS, THE SUPREME LORD (John 2:5)
When Jesus had rebuked His mother, she did not resent His statements, but quickly acquiesced, and acknowledged the supreme authority of Christ, as the Son of God. She did this when she turned to the servants and said, "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."
There are many wonderful lessons in this verse.
1. Christ holds supreme authority over all. His word is final. His commands are to be obeyed. When He speaks, it must be the end of all argument and cavil.
2. We should be obedient in all things. The word, "whatsoever," is a big word. It means obedient in everything. It not only means obedience, but it means an unquestioned obedience. Would that all of us would take this attitude toward the Son of God.
IV. THE EMPTY WATERPOTS (John 2:6)
"And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews."
1. The waterpots. These waterpots were used in religious ceremonies. In our Scripture they stand for Judaistic religious life. Waterpots, of course, were cold, dead thing's, and represented formalism.
2. The waterpots were empty. That was the exact condition of the Judaism of Christ's day; it possessed a form, but no power. At the feast there was no wine. In the waterpots there was no water. It does not take long for the wine of human religion to run out, and to fail.
3. The waterpots numbered six. Six is the number of man. Six hundred and sixty-six is the number of the beast. The number, six, stands for everything that is of the flesh, and the flesh is altogether weak. In Romans 8:1-39 we read, "What the Law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh." How cold, how formal, how lifeless is a religion which knows nothing of the Holy Ghost.
Oh, God, grant unto us that we may receive power with the Holy Ghost coming upon us, and that our message may be one that grips! May the pews be filled with people who pray, who walk with God, and who have hearts opened; people whose vision is keyed to spiritual things.
V. THE POTS FILLED WITH WATER (John 2:7)
"Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim."
1. Water in the Bible stands for the Word of God. We read, "Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God." Again, "He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost."
2. The water was turned to wine. There is a double significance to the word "wine." First of all it stands for joy. In Psalms 104:15 is this expression: "Wine that maketh glad the heart of man." In Ephesians we read, "Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." In this verse the analogy between the wine which makes drunk, and the Holy Ghost which makes drunk is described. The passage continues, "But be filled with the Spirit;. * * singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord." When the wine of the Spirit fills the life, there are psalms and spiritual songs. Wine also stands in the Bible for the Blood of Christ.
In 1 Corinthians 11:1-34 we read of the Lord's Supper and of the wine. Of the cup Christ said, "This cup is the New Testament in My blood." The Apostle added in the Spirit, "For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till He come." The water turned to wine is thus suggestive of the Word of God implanted in the heart. It carries us to the Cross, and from the Cross to the joy of salvation.
Let us sum up what we have sought to set forth: the water is the Word. The wine is the Blood of Christ, the Blood which leads to the joy of the Holy Ghost. Putting it in other words: we are saved through the washing of the water: this is our regeneration, and is wrought by the Holy Ghost by virtue of the Blood of Christ. Our regeneration through His Blood turns our lives from sorrow to song, from weeping to rejoicing.
VI. A REVERSAL IN THE ORDER OF EVENTS (John 2:9-10)
"When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now." Here are several lessons for us.
1. The part played by the servants. As we think of this miracle Jesus Christ seems to have nothing to do with it, with the exception of His command, when He said, "Fill the waterpots * * Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast." Everything was done by the servants. How precious is this lesson.
Salvation itself is remarkable because the Lord seemingly has so little to do with it. To the human eye the servants of Christ do all. We tell the story; we preach the Word; we accept the confession of the believer; we baptize the converts. What the Lord does is unseen. Somewhere as the water was poured forth, it suddenly became wine. Somewhere as we preach the Gospel, the regenerating power of the Holy Ghost takes place. There is no sounding of trumpets. Here is the mystery of redemption.
2. The governor knew it not, but the servants knew it. God hath not revealed His deep things unto the wise and the prudent, but He has told them unto babes. The world may not know the depths of the glories of grace, or the power of a regenerated life, but the servants know it.
3. The reversal of order. When the governor of the feast tasted the water made wine, he immediately approached the bridegroom saying, "Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine, * * but thou hast kept the good wine until now." What are the methods of manys? Even this: to give the best first, and the worst last. What is the method of Christ? To give the sorrow, pain and suffering first, and to give the glory, and the joy, and the hallelujahs last. Let us explain by reading from Luke 6:20-25. Thank God that the Lord saves the best until the last! When the things of this life are all gone the joys of Heaven, which never fail, will be ours.
VII. CHRIST MANIFESTING HIS GLORY (John 2:11)
"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him."
1. The beginning of miracles. What is the first great miracle? Typically, it is the miracle of regeneration. That miracle stands unique among all the miracles of Christ. It is the saving of a soul from sin. With God the day of miracles is not past, because the day of regeneration is not passed.
2. What this miracle meant to Christ. We remember how Jesus turned to His mother and said in Luke 6:4, "Mine hour is not yet come." This expression, "Mine hour," anticipated His Calvary sufferings. In John 7:30, we read, "They sought to take Him: but no man laid hands on Him, because His hour had not yet come." John 8:20 : "No man laid hands on Him; for His hour was not yet come." John 12:23. "The hour is come, that the Son of Man should be glorified." These last words were spoken as Christ approached the Cross. In John 12:27 Christ added, "For this cause came I unto this hour." In John 16:32, Christ said, "The hour * * is now come." In John 17:1, He said, "The hour is come."
3. What the first miracle meant to His disciples. The last statement is that His disciples believed on Him. We see the mighty workings of the Lord in salvation, and we, who love the Lord, love Him the more. We, who believe, believe the stronger. The world may mock and cry, "Away with Him," but we open our hearts to receive Him.
AN ILLUSTRATION
Wine stands in the Bible for the Spirit-filled life, with its joys and songs. The men of the world, who live "under the sun," know nothing of the sunlight of God's Presence.
Dr. W. G. Moorehead said:
Let me repeat to you a little fable that was written by a naturalist in this country, of which I am very fond. Do not forget that it is simply a fable, but it illustrates exactly the book of Ecclesiastes. This naturalist writes as follows: One beautiful spring morning there came a songster, and perched himself on the branch of a tree, and swung himself backward and forward, and poured out his heart in a glad song.
There was a mole working under the sod just below, and he heard the song of this bird, and, pushing his nose up through the turf, he called out, "O bird, why are you making such a noise?"
And the bird made answer, "O Mr. Mole, the sunlight is so beautiful, and the air is so refreshing, and the world is so lovely, that my heart is filled with gladness, and I cannot but sing."
"The world full of beauty!" said the mole. "There is no beauty in it at all. Everything in the earth is absolutely worthless. I have lived under its sod all my life; I have dug holes in it every direction, and I know the earth thoroughly, and know there are only two things in the entire earth, grass-roots and fishworms; nothing more."
Said the bird, "Come up, Mr. Mole, out from under the sod into the light, into the presence of the sun, and you will find that you must sing; you cannot do otherwise."
That is Ecclesiastes live under the sun, with the face always towards the earth; live beneath the sod, like that mole, and there is nothing in it. It is vanity and vexation of spirit. Come up above the sun into the light and the presence of God, and all will be well, and your mouth will be filled with a song.