Thoughts on the Wedding at Canaan

John chapter two marks the beginning of the Lord Jesus’ ministry of work, word, and signs. D.A. Carson sees the early ministry of our Lord spanning from 2:1 through the end of chapter four. 2:1 also marks the first of several somewhat successive events where John displays how the Lord fulfills and surpasses Judaism. Chapter two is also part of the ‘sign chapters’ in John in which Jesus’ glory is displayed through his works. John’s purpose here fits his overall purpose of evangelizing Jews and Proselytes.

The first event that John appropriates to display Jesus’ superiority over OC Judaism is the wedding at Canaan where Jesus performed his first public ministry. This is a bit of a mysterious scene. Jesus, his mother and some of his disciples are taking part in a several day wedding celebration. The groom was financially responsible for the wedding and he is in the grave danger of running out of provision and shaming himself and his family. Jesus’ mother tries to step in, perhaps she was coordinating the celebration for the family. She tries to enlist Jesus to fix the situation. As a, likely, now single woman she has gotten used to relying on her oldest son. I suspect that even at this point she has some idea that he is a powerful man of God, perhaps a prophet. Jesus, however, protests the enlistment. His time or hour has not come. In John’s gospel this phrase is almost always a reference to the Jesus’ passion. The Lord knew that his exaltation would only come through suffering and was careful to protect himself from too much public or political notoriety (See Mark’s gospel).

Though Jesus at first protests, his mother prevails over him. He turns the ceremonial washing water into wine, the best wine. Though wine in that day was not as strong as it is today, it certainly contained alcohol, probably slightly less than the modern beer, this passage alone should silence those Christians who prohibit alcohol consumption outright.

The result of the Lord’s sign was that his glory was displayed before all, but only those who had eyes to see believed.

A complete understanding of this passage is predicated upon recognizing the OT background. The water was used for ceremonial washing, but Jesus does away with this water and turns it into wine, which John will later use a symbol of the New Covenant in Jesus’ blood. Below the surface of events the Lord Jesus is pointing toward the cross where he will die as a ransom for sin and inaugurate a New Covenant where ceremonial washing is no longer necessary because we can be cleansed by the Savior. Who else is worthy of worship than this one who is greater than Abraham and Moses? Who else is worthy of the devotion of our lives than this one whose exaltation came through suffering on our behalf?