Nowadays, a man can make little progress without credentials of some sort. It may be a door pass bearing thumb print and photograph—it may be a certificate of merit or papers of membership in in some association or other, but whatever form it takes, identification and qualification are necessary. He has to prove himself to those around and convince them of his authenticity.
One claiming to be a mechanic must be able to fix cars or he is soon out of a job. A man claiming to be a salesman must “produce” or change his profession—and long ago a man claiming to be the Son of God was obliged to substantiate his claim in many ways.
Any child in Sunday school, told of the miracles which Jesus performed, remembers them or at least part of them throughout his life. They are remembered in much the same way as other stories of unusual occurrence are remembered—like the story of “Little Red Riding Hood”—they are stimulating, colorful, action-packed, and on the fresh, clear mind of a child they burn an indelible impression. How wise the propagators of other beliefs who say—”Give us a child until he is 10 and you will not change his mind after that.” The background of stories in Sunday school is important because it is here that we learn of the power of Jesus. But it is important that as time progresses and we reach manhood we look a little beyond the spectacular aspect of the miracles and see them as lessons in truth.
John in his Gospel describes the eight miracles he records as “Signs” and so our minds are directed, by this very word, to search out the signs contained in his Gospel and consider their meanings. The first such sign recorded (for John tells us that certain others were not recorded) was in the town of Cana. The miracle performed is well known to us all—the miracle of the water changed to wine.
It always strikes me as being a little out of character with Christ’s life and teaching as a whole for him to be found at a wedding feast such as the Jews held. The marriage feasts, we are told, sometimes lasted two weeks and always 4 or 5 days even in the poorest families. It was a time for feasting and gluttony, for drinking and drunkenness, and yet Jesus apparently has no quarrel with such activities. In fact, by performing this miracle he subscribes to it.
The wine ran short—a miscalculation of the capacity of the guests on the part of the host or there were more guests than expected. However, the wine ran short. We do not even know at what point of the proceedings it failed, but for the flow of heavy wine to be staunched before the end of the feast meant disgrace to the host regardless of cause.
Mary had always depended on her son in times of trouble and problems and now she realized that one of her close relatives was near disgrace, so she turned to Jesus saying — They have no wine.” Christ’s answer prompts many questions in our minds and at the same time answers others.
The words translated from the original as “Woman, what hast thou to do with me ?” are misleading and can be rendered more misleading depending on the way they are read. By accentuating different words, the apparent attitude in which they were said can be changed considerably. Try it for yourself with this particular passage.
For one who has known the commandment of “Honour thy father and thy mother” for as long as He must have, the modern English rendition of his answer seems to be in direct defiance of this command, for there is apparently little respect shown—but in any authoritative literature we choose to read we find that, as is often the case in life, the “apparent” is not the fact.”
The term “0 woman” as used by Jesus was used only when ad-. dressing the queenliest of women and the most loved. The same word was to be used again under much different circumstances some 4 years later—as Jesus, hanging in agony on the cross, says “Woman, behold thy son.”
“0 woman, what have I to do with thee!” The phrasing of the sentence waives all further discussion. It is gentle, mannerly but firm. Christ is saving in a few words that the natural mother-son relationship is over. He has ceased to be Jesus the son of Mary and become Christ the Son of God. His thoughts were no longer her thoughts ; any wishes she had were to take last place in his consideration. He was in fact saying that he must be about his Father’s business.
Evidently, Mary accepted what Christ said without question (though we feel she must have felt a stab of pain at the loss of her son) for she told the servants to do as Jesus commanded them.
Moses had commanded those who would be faithful to God to break all earthly ties and natural relationships, if necessary, in order to consecrate themselves to God. Exodus 32 v. 26-29.
Mary had made an appeal—but Jesus made sure she realized that, whatever his decision, it was not made through sentiment. He knew his hour was near—but had it already come ? Should he convert water to wine with the power newly vested in him or was this another temptation to be resisted?
The decision was made — and some 120 gallons of water filling 6 pots became wine—wine of such excellence that the master of ceremonies remarked on it !
One modern school of thought suggests that no miracle was actually done, that the water was merely served as wine and because of the somewhat blurred state of mind being enjoyed by the guests the difference was not noticed.
Another attitude is that of a man preaching in London’s Hyde Park. Telling of this same miracle, he was asked by one of the crowd —”Do you really believe Christ could change water to wine ?” The preacher said—”Sir, until 5 years ago I was a confirmed wine bibber. I couldn’t hold a job—what money I had went on wine—my house was a shambles. We used fruit boxes for chairs and the floor for a bed. Then Christ came into my life and changed my ways. My job is now secure, my home happy and full of furniture. Christ changed wine into furniture for me ; surely he could change water to wine!”
Both previous thoughts are interesting, but we believe the story in John 2 just the way it is told without attempting to interpret it in any clever way. It is well, too, to remember that such magical doings were not unusual in the age of wizardry and sorcery in which Christ lived. Paul meets up with one—in Acts 13 v. 6. Rabbis also did miracles we are told—some sorcerers even succeeded in raising the dead. No doubt we all remember the occasion when one of the disciples told Jesus of “one casting out devils” in his name. Jesus registered no surprise but said—”Let him alone!” So it would seem obvious that the miracles were not intended to be the means of converting the people to whom Christ preached the Gospel, but simply a way of getting across a message to them. Indeed, it must have been a source of great concern to Jesus that he be mistaken for, or classed as one of these sorcerers with nothing else to offer other than a spectacular display of miracles. Again we see the wisdom of John in specifically pointing out these miracles to be signs.
The old wine failed at the feast —just as the old wine of the Law given by Moses was not sufficient to fulfil God’s purpose. But, unlike the master of the feast who had no difficulty in getting those around him to drink of the new wine they recognized as being better, Jesus found few who were willing to accept him as the true wine from which springs a new life-giving wine of Salvation.
Jesus was not slow to realize this tendency in man, for did he not say in Luke 5 v. 39—”No man having drunk old wine desireth new, for he saith—the old is better.”
Let us be sure then that we, in the time that remains to us, do not follow the example of the majority and spurn the new wine—but assimilate in unto ourselves continually, trusting that when the Lord Jesus does eventually return to this earth we will be ready to meet him and be granted the blessings of life Eternal.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One