It has been said that the episode at the marriage in Cana if the frontispiece to the Gospel. In it is set forth vividly what is to come: how our Lord enters into our troubles: how unbelievably He suffices in every difficulty; and above all, how He enriches things for us.
The second chapter of the Gospel of John begins thus : "And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilea; and the mother of Jesus was there " (Vs. 1). The "third day" has been understood in different ways: it is simplest to understand it as the third day from the first call (first day 1:35-42; second day 1:43-51 ; third day 2:1-11). Cana, memorable as the scene of Christ's first miracle(John2:l-11).as well as of the second one (John 4:54), was the native place of the Apostle Nathanael. None of these passages affords a clue to its situation. All that we can gather is that it was not far from Capernaum (John 2:12). Recent investigations tend to identify it with Khurbet Kana, some nine miles north of Nazareth, rather than Kefr Kenna, only some three miles north-east.
LEFT approaching the thriving town of Kafr Kana, traditional site of biblical Cana on the road from Nazareth to Tiberia
There was a wedding feast at Cana, "and both Jesus was called, and his disciples to the marriage " (Vs. 2). The use of the singular verb implies that the disciples were invited for His sake, not He for theirs. Among the guests was Mary, the mother of Jesus. The presence of Mary, who must have left Nazareth on purpose to be present at the wedding, seems to show that one of the bridal pair was in all probability some members of the Holy family. The fact that Mary took a leading position in the house, and commanded the servants in a tone of authority shows that she was in some way vitally connected with the arrangements at the feast. In the story Mary alone is mentioned. That Joseph himself was dead by this time is evident from the complete silence of the Evangelists, who, after Christ's visit to Jerusalem as a boy, make no further mention of his name.
LEFT The "Wedding church" in Kafr Kanna, Israel, a pilgrimage site believed by many Christian to be the site of the Biblical wedding
In Palestine a wedding was really a noteable occasion. It was a Jewish law that the wedding of a virgin should take place on a Wednesday. The ceremonies began at twilight. It was a custom " to bear away the bride from home at blushing shut of day" or even later, far on into the night, covered from head to foot in her loose and flowing veil, garlanded with flowers, and dressed in her fairest robes. She was heralded by torch-light, with songs and dances, and the music of the drum and the flute, to the bridegroom's home. She was attended by the maidens of her village, and the bridegroom came to meet her with his youthful friends. A marriage feast sometimes lasted seven days, with fresh guests arriving each day. Wine flowed freely at these festivals. Whether the marriage festival in this case lasted for seven days, as was usual among those who could afford it, or only for one or two, as was the case among the poorer classes, we do not know. But at some period of the entertainment the wine ran short. It was about this time that Jesus arrived with His friends.
The ministry of the Lord thus opened amidst scenes of human happiness. We have to note the fact that Christ was there at the marriage; that they wanted Him to be there; had no fear that He would be out of element, or fail to fit in, or make others uncomfortable as John the Baptist with his asceticism would have done. Two facts emerge from the incident: (1) Jesus approved, sanctified, and adorned marriage by attending the feast. The Bible from the beginning to the end puts high honour on marriage. God Himself ordained it in Eden. (ii) Christ is no severe, austere killjoy. He does not frown upon pure, innocent pleasures. We need not, therefore, be afraid to invite Christ to our social functions; indeed, if we cannot invite Him, something must be wrong with the pleasures themselves.
For a Jewish feast wine was essential. It was not that people were drunken. Drunkenness was in fact a great disgrace. They actually drank the wine in a mixture composed of two parts of wine to three parts of water. Hospitality in Palestine was a sacred duty, but for the provisions to fail at a wedding would be a terrible shame for the bride and the bridegroom.
Mary noticing the whispering and growing embarrassment, understood at once that the wine had run short, that probably there had been a miscalculation and that the hospitality of the host was likely to be shamed. She knew her Son. It was not till He was thirty years old that Jesus had left home, and all these years Mary had lived with Him. Instinctively she turned to Jesus whenever anything went wrong. " They have no wine " (Vs. 3), she told Him.
This incident is a fitting illustration of the failure of all earthly joys. The wine gave out at the wedding feast: there was not enough of it to last through to the end of the feast. It is just so with all worldly pleasures. It comes in cups, not in fountains, and the supply is limited and soon exhausted. Even the sweetness of human life is but a cupful which will not last for ever. The joy which so fills us today, is tomorrow changed to sorrow. The best wine of life and love will fail. It is here that we see the glory of Christ's Gospel. Jesus comes when earth's wine fails, and gives heaven’s wine to supply the deficiency. He takes lives which have drained their last drops of earthly gladness and He satisfies them with spiritual goodness and blessing, so that they want nothing more. How sad it is for those who have not taken Christ into their lives, and who have nothing but the empty cup when earth's wine gives out !
Jesus said to Mary: "Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come '’ (Vs. 4). Jesus’ answer to His mother seems harsh, not because of the form of address for that is used with utmost tenderness, when on the cross He addressed Mary as He left her to the care of John, the Apostle (John 19:26)but because of the words What have I do with thee? The expression "what have I to do with thee ?" was a common conversational expression, when it was uttered angrily and sharply, it did indicate complete disagreement and reproach; but when it was spoken gently, it indicated, not so much reproach, but misunderstanding. It means, "Never mind; don't be worried; you do not quite understand what is going on; leave things to me and I will set them in my own way " Mine hour is not yet come. He meant that the time for beginning to work miracles had not yet come. With all Divine power slumbering in His hands, He would do nothing at the bidding of anybody but His Father's. Even His human mother's request He could not in this matter regard. Jesus always waited for His "hour". He had no plans of His own, but followed the Divine purpose in all His actions. All through the Gospel Jesus talks about His "hour". In John 7:6-8 it is the hour of His emergence as the Messiah. In John 12:23 and 17:1, and Matt. 26:18,45; and Mark 14:41 it is the hour of crucifixion and death. The practical lesson for us here is devotion to God's will. We should always wait for God. Too many of us run before we are sent. In our zeal for God's cause and kingdom we do not wait for Divine direction. We speak words out of season which despite their earnestness and sincerity, do harm rather than good. With all warm love for Christ we must learn to wait for Him, to wait till our hour is come.
With undiminished faith and with no trace of any pained-feeling, Mary said to the servants-over whom she was clearly exercising some authority" Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it " (Vs. 5). In effect this meant, "Don't worry: He will find some way ". This confidence of Mary in Him could have come only out of long experience of One who was always unselfish and thoughtful and dependable, unfailing and ingenious in helplessness Whatsoever he saith unto you do it. That is the word for all Christ's servants. That is the motto of true consecration at all times and in all places. We are not to do the pleasant things He bids us do, and leave undone the things that are not according to our own taste and feeling. We are to do things that cost us pain and personal sacrifice. It was thus that He did the will of His Father. That took him to the cross; but He did not shrink from accepting it. But how can we know what He says? We may not hear His voice as the servants at the wedding heard. He speaks now in His word, and the reverent heart may always hear what He says, as the sacred pages of the Holy Bible are prayerfully pondered.
Now, near the entrance of the house, there were six large stone water-jars. Jesus commanded the servants to fill them with water to the brim. He then told them to draw out the water and then take it to the governor of the feast, who, according to the festive custom, had been elected from among the guests. When the governor of the feast had tasted the water which had become wine, he was astonished. Knowing nothing of what had taken place, he called the bridegroom-it was the bridegroom's parents who were responsible for the feast-and spoke jestingly: "Everyman 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 " (Vs. 10).
"The ruler of the feast ...... knew not whence it was " (Vs. 9). Christ wrought this miracle without noise or ostentation. The people about Him did not know of the wonderful work He had done. So He works even today. His kingdom comes into man's hearts, not with observation and show, but silently without any parade. The bad life is changed by His word into moral purity, and yet no one saw the change made or the hand that wrought it. Silently help comes in the hour of need; silently prayers' answers glide down. The ruler of the feast knew not whence it was. Is it not often so with us? People do not know whence the blessings come which glide so softly into their hearts. Many a troubled Christian kneels in prayer in great fear, oppressed by a sense of need, and rises with new, rich joy in his heart, yet knowing not whence the strange, sweet blessing came. We receive the gifts which are brought down to us from the very throne of God, and yet we do not know whence these things came, nor recognise the Divine presence that works so close beside us.
" But the servants which drew the water knew " (Vs. 9). Those who work with Christ are admitted into the inner chamber where omnipotence is unveiled. Christ takes into His confidence those who serve Him; calls them no more servants, but friends. Those who do Christ's will know of His doctrine, and see His ways of working.
"Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine......but thou has kept the good wine until now " (Vs. 10). The world gives its best first, and the worst comes afterwards. It is so in all sinful pleasures-first exhilaration, and then bitter remorse. In grace, this is reversed; the good wine is kept to the last. Christ Himself had humiliation, darkness, and the shame of the cross; and then exaltation, power and glory. In Christian life the same law holds. First there comes bitterness, but out of the bitterness sweetness flows. There is the deep sorrow of penitence, but this gives way to the blessed joy of forgiveness. First there are self-denials and cross-bearings, but out of these experiences comes a holy peace that fills all the heart, sorrows are to be endured, but the good wine of comfort is poured into the emptied cup.
There is something heartening in the fact that Jesus brought in the servants as His fellow-workers, and still, to this day, He does not keep the healing and saving of the world in His own hands, but offers a share in them to all who will accept them from Him.
"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee; and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him " (Vs. 11). This simple story closes with a three-fold climax: (a) It was the first miracle wrought by Jesus; (b) it was the manifestation of His glory; (c) it awakened or confirmed His disciples' faith in Him. It was at a village girl's wedding, in a Galilean village that Jesus first showed His glory. His glory was there before; it had been slumbering in His lowly, human life all along those quiet years of toil and service at Nazareth; but it was now manifested for the first time. It was here that His disciples caught another dazzling glimpse of what He was. The glory of Christ was the radiance of love. As we study His life-story we find the same glory burning more and more brightly, until at last He goes to the cross, manifesting forth in one great act the amazing splendour of the love of God for the world. The main lesson of the story is the glory that Christ brings with Him to any one who will accept it from Him-a life that is an abundant life, a peace that passes understanding, a fulness of joy that only He can give, and that which produces an astonishment in its recipient, like the bewilderment of the ruler of the feast.
The second chapter of the Gospel of John begins thus : "And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilea; and the mother of Jesus was there " (Vs. 1). The "third day" has been understood in different ways: it is simplest to understand it as the third day from the first call (first day 1:35-42; second day 1:43-51 ; third day 2:1-11). Cana, memorable as the scene of Christ's first miracle(John2:l-11).as well as of the second one (John 4:54), was the native place of the Apostle Nathanael. None of these passages affords a clue to its situation. All that we can gather is that it was not far from Capernaum (John 2:12). Recent investigations tend to identify it with Khurbet Kana, some nine miles north of Nazareth, rather than Kefr Kenna, only some three miles north-east.
LEFT approaching the thriving town of Kafr Kana, traditional site of biblical Cana on the road from Nazareth to TiberiaThere was a wedding feast at Cana, "and both Jesus was called, and his disciples to the marriage " (Vs. 2). The use of the singular verb implies that the disciples were invited for His sake, not He for theirs. Among the guests was Mary, the mother of Jesus. The presence of Mary, who must have left Nazareth on purpose to be present at the wedding, seems to show that one of the bridal pair was in all probability some members of the Holy family. The fact that Mary took a leading position in the house, and commanded the servants in a tone of authority shows that she was in some way vitally connected with the arrangements at the feast. In the story Mary alone is mentioned. That Joseph himself was dead by this time is evident from the complete silence of the Evangelists, who, after Christ's visit to Jerusalem as a boy, make no further mention of his name.
LEFT The "Wedding church" in Kafr Kanna, Israel, a pilgrimage site believed by many Christian to be the site of the Biblical wedding
In Palestine a wedding was really a noteable occasion. It was a Jewish law that the wedding of a virgin should take place on a Wednesday. The ceremonies began at twilight. It was a custom " to bear away the bride from home at blushing shut of day" or even later, far on into the night, covered from head to foot in her loose and flowing veil, garlanded with flowers, and dressed in her fairest robes. She was heralded by torch-light, with songs and dances, and the music of the drum and the flute, to the bridegroom's home. She was attended by the maidens of her village, and the bridegroom came to meet her with his youthful friends. A marriage feast sometimes lasted seven days, with fresh guests arriving each day. Wine flowed freely at these festivals. Whether the marriage festival in this case lasted for seven days, as was usual among those who could afford it, or only for one or two, as was the case among the poorer classes, we do not know. But at some period of the entertainment the wine ran short. It was about this time that Jesus arrived with His friends.
The ministry of the Lord thus opened amidst scenes of human happiness. We have to note the fact that Christ was there at the marriage; that they wanted Him to be there; had no fear that He would be out of element, or fail to fit in, or make others uncomfortable as John the Baptist with his asceticism would have done. Two facts emerge from the incident: (1) Jesus approved, sanctified, and adorned marriage by attending the feast. The Bible from the beginning to the end puts high honour on marriage. God Himself ordained it in Eden. (ii) Christ is no severe, austere killjoy. He does not frown upon pure, innocent pleasures. We need not, therefore, be afraid to invite Christ to our social functions; indeed, if we cannot invite Him, something must be wrong with the pleasures themselves.
For a Jewish feast wine was essential. It was not that people were drunken. Drunkenness was in fact a great disgrace. They actually drank the wine in a mixture composed of two parts of wine to three parts of water. Hospitality in Palestine was a sacred duty, but for the provisions to fail at a wedding would be a terrible shame for the bride and the bridegroom.
Mary noticing the whispering and growing embarrassment, understood at once that the wine had run short, that probably there had been a miscalculation and that the hospitality of the host was likely to be shamed. She knew her Son. It was not till He was thirty years old that Jesus had left home, and all these years Mary had lived with Him. Instinctively she turned to Jesus whenever anything went wrong. " They have no wine " (Vs. 3), she told Him.
This incident is a fitting illustration of the failure of all earthly joys. The wine gave out at the wedding feast: there was not enough of it to last through to the end of the feast. It is just so with all worldly pleasures. It comes in cups, not in fountains, and the supply is limited and soon exhausted. Even the sweetness of human life is but a cupful which will not last for ever. The joy which so fills us today, is tomorrow changed to sorrow. The best wine of life and love will fail. It is here that we see the glory of Christ's Gospel. Jesus comes when earth's wine fails, and gives heaven’s wine to supply the deficiency. He takes lives which have drained their last drops of earthly gladness and He satisfies them with spiritual goodness and blessing, so that they want nothing more. How sad it is for those who have not taken Christ into their lives, and who have nothing but the empty cup when earth's wine gives out !
Jesus said to Mary: "Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come '’ (Vs. 4). Jesus’ answer to His mother seems harsh, not because of the form of address for that is used with utmost tenderness, when on the cross He addressed Mary as He left her to the care of John, the Apostle (John 19:26)but because of the words What have I do with thee? The expression "what have I to do with thee ?" was a common conversational expression, when it was uttered angrily and sharply, it did indicate complete disagreement and reproach; but when it was spoken gently, it indicated, not so much reproach, but misunderstanding. It means, "Never mind; don't be worried; you do not quite understand what is going on; leave things to me and I will set them in my own way " Mine hour is not yet come. He meant that the time for beginning to work miracles had not yet come. With all Divine power slumbering in His hands, He would do nothing at the bidding of anybody but His Father's. Even His human mother's request He could not in this matter regard. Jesus always waited for His "hour". He had no plans of His own, but followed the Divine purpose in all His actions. All through the Gospel Jesus talks about His "hour". In John 7:6-8 it is the hour of His emergence as the Messiah. In John 12:23 and 17:1, and Matt. 26:18,45; and Mark 14:41 it is the hour of crucifixion and death. The practical lesson for us here is devotion to God's will. We should always wait for God. Too many of us run before we are sent. In our zeal for God's cause and kingdom we do not wait for Divine direction. We speak words out of season which despite their earnestness and sincerity, do harm rather than good. With all warm love for Christ we must learn to wait for Him, to wait till our hour is come.
With undiminished faith and with no trace of any pained-feeling, Mary said to the servants-over whom she was clearly exercising some authority" Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it " (Vs. 5). In effect this meant, "Don't worry: He will find some way ". This confidence of Mary in Him could have come only out of long experience of One who was always unselfish and thoughtful and dependable, unfailing and ingenious in helplessness Whatsoever he saith unto you do it. That is the word for all Christ's servants. That is the motto of true consecration at all times and in all places. We are not to do the pleasant things He bids us do, and leave undone the things that are not according to our own taste and feeling. We are to do things that cost us pain and personal sacrifice. It was thus that He did the will of His Father. That took him to the cross; but He did not shrink from accepting it. But how can we know what He says? We may not hear His voice as the servants at the wedding heard. He speaks now in His word, and the reverent heart may always hear what He says, as the sacred pages of the Holy Bible are prayerfully pondered.
Now, near the entrance of the house, there were six large stone water-jars. Jesus commanded the servants to fill them with water to the brim. He then told them to draw out the water and then take it to the governor of the feast, who, according to the festive custom, had been elected from among the guests. When the governor of the feast had tasted the water which had become wine, he was astonished. Knowing nothing of what had taken place, he called the bridegroom-it was the bridegroom's parents who were responsible for the feast-and spoke jestingly: "Everyman 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 " (Vs. 10).
"The ruler of the feast ...... knew not whence it was " (Vs. 9). Christ wrought this miracle without noise or ostentation. The people about Him did not know of the wonderful work He had done. So He works even today. His kingdom comes into man's hearts, not with observation and show, but silently without any parade. The bad life is changed by His word into moral purity, and yet no one saw the change made or the hand that wrought it. Silently help comes in the hour of need; silently prayers' answers glide down. The ruler of the feast knew not whence it was. Is it not often so with us? People do not know whence the blessings come which glide so softly into their hearts. Many a troubled Christian kneels in prayer in great fear, oppressed by a sense of need, and rises with new, rich joy in his heart, yet knowing not whence the strange, sweet blessing came. We receive the gifts which are brought down to us from the very throne of God, and yet we do not know whence these things came, nor recognise the Divine presence that works so close beside us.
" But the servants which drew the water knew " (Vs. 9). Those who work with Christ are admitted into the inner chamber where omnipotence is unveiled. Christ takes into His confidence those who serve Him; calls them no more servants, but friends. Those who do Christ's will know of His doctrine, and see His ways of working.
"Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine......but thou has kept the good wine until now " (Vs. 10). The world gives its best first, and the worst comes afterwards. It is so in all sinful pleasures-first exhilaration, and then bitter remorse. In grace, this is reversed; the good wine is kept to the last. Christ Himself had humiliation, darkness, and the shame of the cross; and then exaltation, power and glory. In Christian life the same law holds. First there comes bitterness, but out of the bitterness sweetness flows. There is the deep sorrow of penitence, but this gives way to the blessed joy of forgiveness. First there are self-denials and cross-bearings, but out of these experiences comes a holy peace that fills all the heart, sorrows are to be endured, but the good wine of comfort is poured into the emptied cup.
There is something heartening in the fact that Jesus brought in the servants as His fellow-workers, and still, to this day, He does not keep the healing and saving of the world in His own hands, but offers a share in them to all who will accept them from Him.
"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee; and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him " (Vs. 11). This simple story closes with a three-fold climax: (a) It was the first miracle wrought by Jesus; (b) it was the manifestation of His glory; (c) it awakened or confirmed His disciples' faith in Him. It was at a village girl's wedding, in a Galilean village that Jesus first showed His glory. His glory was there before; it had been slumbering in His lowly, human life all along those quiet years of toil and service at Nazareth; but it was now manifested for the first time. It was here that His disciples caught another dazzling glimpse of what He was. The glory of Christ was the radiance of love. As we study His life-story we find the same glory burning more and more brightly, until at last He goes to the cross, manifesting forth in one great act the amazing splendour of the love of God for the world. The main lesson of the story is the glory that Christ brings with Him to any one who will accept it from Him-a life that is an abundant life, a peace that passes understanding, a fulness of joy that only He can give, and that which produces an astonishment in its recipient, like the bewilderment of the ruler of the feast.
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