The first miracle Jesus performs is to keep a party going. It is a wedding in Cana. The wine is about to run out. In that culture wine was a symbol of joy; running out would be a cultural catastrophe for a wedding celebration. Jesus miraculously saves the day by turning water into barrels full of the very best quality wine!
Did Jesus just like doing show-stopper party tricks?
No, He was thinking about His own wedding day. “But Jesus doesn’t get married!” Yes, He does! Jesus and His friends were once picked on for having too much fun, and not mournfully fasting and praying. Jesus answered, “how can the wedding guests fast when the Bridegroom is still with them?” (Mt 9:15)
Jesus is the Bridegroom, we, the people who love Him, are His Bride, and we are to be married to Him in the feast to end all feasts, that will last forever. We are the Woman He loves, and we have been made spotless for Him by His purifying, forgiving grace. Every human marriage is an image, a living parable, of this Great Eternal Marriage.
The miracle at Cana was a “sign” (Jn 2:11). It pointed to His whole purpose for coming into the world, suffering and dying (when the “wine” of His blood flowed), rising from the dead to eternal life, and promising to come again – i.e., to bring about the eternal marriage between Himself and the people who love Him.
This means that our relationship with Jesus Christ should be deep, close, warm, passionate, faithful and joy filled. As an image of this, our marriages also should be deep, close, warm, passionate, faithful and joy filled. Are they? They can be.
Grace & blessing in Christ, Jonathan.