Sometimes we read Scripture expecting to find out what Jesus said and did. But the writers of the gospels were not historians but preachers.
The Marriage at Cana
By Jeff Bagnall
Sometimes we read Scripture expecting to find out what Jesus said and did. But the writers of the gospels were not historians but preachers. Their aim was to encourage readers to think of Jesus both as showing us the deeper truths and the purpose of life and how to think and try to live as followers of him − as Christians. In the fourth Gospel there is a very careful plan outlined in the preface to show Jesus as a dramatic life-changing character in the plan of God for the world and for how people should fit into this. So the gospel tells of signs in Jesus' life that teach us something of this. In the first chapter the author links what he has to say with the poetic plan of God at the beginning of the Bible, he tells of just selected incidents and expositions that lead to a climax and conclusion − the conclusion of Jesus' life on earth shown in the Resurrection.
After this preface to John's Gospel Chapter 2 starts on the third day, with Jesus' first sign - which we think of as a miracle - at a marriage feast in Cana. His mother and He with His disciples are guests at this celebration. The wine runs out and Mary draws Jesus attention to this (as though saying "do something about it, it's embarrassing"). He seems to rebuff her, adding that His time isn't yet, but all the same she tells the servants to do what He wants. And He tells them to refill the six stone water containers (probably used for hand washing and holding about 20 gallons each) and from this they present a sample to the "steward" of the feast to test, and he declares this to be the best wine yet.
Questions that arise
John writes that this is the first sign of Jesus revealing His glory. Various questions arise from this account. What is meant by this being the third day; does Mary expect a miracle from Jesus; what is His hour which hasn't yet come; is it only the servants who know the source of this newly-produced wine; how would this have revealed His glory, and indeed what is meant by His glory; and how come this convinced the disciples to believe in Him? In addition it might be wondered why none of the other gospels seem to know of this miracle despite the presence of the disciples at the wedding.
There are some key concepts and incidents that need explaining and some questions that arise. After what precedes this story in the Gospel it could be the 7th day like the day for the completion of creation in Genesis Chapter One. Or it could allude to the Resurrection as the climax of Christ's human life on the third day after death. John's gospel relates several events that are called signs − signifying the situation and effects of the reality of Jesus as God incarnate. The marriage feast at Cana is the first such sign. It is likely that there are six other signs culminating in the Resurrection; though some commentators treat the cleansing of the Temple as a sign and the raising of Lazarus as the climatic seventh.
This Gospel also refers to the climax of Jesus' human life as His hour − the time when his incarnation is completed with His passing from this world. This is a process that begins once His life becomes public and begins to manifest His special status as God incarnate, and completes with His death and resurrection. When Mary brings to His attention the lack of further wine, it might just show a natural concern for her friend's potential embarrassment, and being a widow she draws this to the attention of her grown-up son, who with his friends may have swelled the expected number of guests and caused the deficiency.
Jesus' seeming rebuke of His mother might not be as blunt as it appears in translation, but might well indicate that He did not see His life's purpose to include doing anything about it − yet Mary seems to assume He will. If this miracle was as discreet as it might well have been with only the servants knowing the source of the new wine, how would this instigate the disciples' belief in Jesus is definitely a question. And finally, if this story is not just fiction but a real miracle (even the first) of Jesus, then how is it that none of the earlier gospels refer to this miracle which is supposed to have initiated the disciples' belief in Him?
Rather than trying to establish what historically happened (which cannot be achieved) we should hope to grasp what it is that the author of the Gospel is trying to tell us; in this we have a better chance of success but even then it is the words of someone from a different era than ours and a different culture and language. So the "story" of the wedding feast at Cana opens as a symbol of heaven and the end − the completion − of this life.
But something is seriously missing in the way the world is (chiefly its sinfulness) like the wine running out. So Mary, who brought this ideal life of Jesus into the world, points out this "embarrassment", and His response is so very understandable for a human being in this world with all its deficiencies − saying "so what". But we must learn from the story to "do whatever he tells you" as Mary says to the servants; our obedience to what God wants is like that of the servants and its results can exceed even our normal expectations. And this series of events should enable us "followers" of Jesus to become believers – that is, Christians − who try to live the way humans should and Jesus did. And that is the purpose of the reading of the Good News (the Gospel).