One beloved story about Jesus in John 2 is about the miracle of him turning water to wine. In the village of Cana, Jesus attended a wedding which ended up running out of wine. They asked Jesus for help. He instructed them to draw 5 jars of water. Upon serving it, the water had turned to wine. John says this was his first miraculous sign.
I recently visited Cana. Situated on a sizable hill (over 250 feet above the base), the top offers a commanding view of the Beth Netophah Valley. Several miles south, across the valley and up and back down the next ridge sits the village of Nazareth. While Nazareth was tucked away out of sight in a bowl on a hill, Cana has a great view and is attached to great farmland. Since Jesus attended a wedding there, he probably had friends or family there and had made that trek often. The walk probably took a few hours.
Turning water into wine is actually a strange miracle when you think of it. This isn’t some great healing, nor some power over nature like walking on water. What’s the significance of this? And why is it important that this is his first miracle?
One of the images the prophets use of the world to come is a great banquet, which will include an abundance of wine. Could it be that Jesus’ first miracle was a statement of what he was ushering in? Is it a foretaste of what is to come?
On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare
Isaiah 25:6
a feast of rich food for all peoples,
a banquet of aged wine—
the best of meats and the finest of wines.
