IT will be noticed that John, in his history of the Saviour, pursues a line altogether different from the other evangelists. The reason of this is that while Matthew, Mark and Luke present the Lord to us in various human characters―as Messiah, Servant, and Son of Man, John sets forth His essential Deity. In the course of his exposition of this marvelous theme, he gives us a set of seven miracles, rightly called in the Revised Version “Signs.” Four of them were performed in Galilee and three in Judea.
The first of these signs was wrought in Cana, soon after the Saviour emerged from the retirement of Nazareth, and before His first visit to Jerusalem as a Prophet. He had been invited with His disciples to a wedding feast, His mother being there also (John 2:1-11). Unlike His herald, John the Baptist, our Lord was no ascetic (Luke 7:33-34). He was the most accessible and gracious of men. Marriage is a divine institution; He would signify His respect for it by His presence at its celebration when called. In a world of evil, marriage is an immense moral safeguard for men, and is “honorable in all” (Heb. 13:4). “Forbidding to marry” is one of the predicted marks of the apostasy (1 Tim. 4:3). Amongst the notable first preachers of Christianity Paul seems to have been the only unmarried man. Peter and the other apostles took their wives with them on their missionary journeys (1 Cor. 9:5).
The wine ran out at Cana. Mary drew the Lord’s attention to the fact, evidently prompting Him to perform a miracle. It is noteworthy that He immediately rebuffed her. Only on two occasions do we find Mary intruding herself into the Lord’s matters of service, and on each occasion He set her aside. (Compare Matthew 12:46-50; John 2:3-4). Intensely devoted to her though He was as son to mother, He would not stiffer a merely natural relationship to influence the course of sacred things. All who reverence the Scriptures will see in these records a warning given beforehand against the superstitious blunder, now widely prevalent, of attributing intercessory and mediatorial powers to Mary.
The feast-chamber at Cana was furnished with water-pots, but even they were empty, sadly suggestive of the emptiness of all earthly joy and delight. At the Saviour’s word the pots were filled with water, which became instantly transformed into wine of such excellent quality as to draw forth high praise from the master of the feast. “Every man at the beginning loth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.” What Christ gives is necessarily superior to anything this world can afford. We are hereby reminded in a typical way of the pure joy with which even earth will be filled in the day of Christ’s Kingdom. When He who now sits upon the Father’s throne is established upon His own throne in Zion, all earth’s woes will be brought to an end. He will fill the whole scene with peace and blessing.
Meanwhile the wine is suggestive of the profound truth that all blessing for men, whether now or in “the world to come” is founded upon redeeming blood. For the Saviour ere He went on high appointed a cup of wine as the abiding memorial of His own most precious blood (Matt. 26:27).