Water into Wine

"Do whatever he tells you." John 2:5

These short sentence can change your life in a profound way. The first miracle Jesus performed was, as you know, at the marriage feast of Cana. He changed the water into wine. He did so as a result of his mother, Mary's, gentle request. Mary was not frustrated with Jesus' initial reaction, "Woman, how does this concern affect me? My hour has not yet come."

Jesus uses the common water jugs which had held water for the Jewish ceremonial washings. The guests and all present had seen that the water in these jus had been for cleansing. A cleansing that was required before they could partake of the food.

In the time of Jesus the Jewish people had hundreds of rules. The process of “carefully washing their hands” involved washing the hands before and after eating. The process required a person to take at least half an “egg-shell” of clear water and pour on both hands. The hands had to be free of gravel, dirt, mortar or any other contaminant. The hands had to lifted up so that the water would run down to the wrist in order to ensure that the whole hand was washed and the “dirty” water did not re-flow across the fingers. Then the hands were rubbed against one another. If the water did not flow down to the wrist, the Jewish rabbis said that the hands were not clean and the process had to be repeated. If the hands had gravel, dirt, mortar or other contaminants when the washing started, the process was repeated twice. However, the second time, the water had to flow from the wrist down over the fingers.

So all present knew the purpose of the water in the jugs. Jesus came to show us a new way and this is a good example. By using these specific water jugs for his first miracle he changes the meaning of not only the jugs, but more imporantly the water. Water, without which ther is no life!

The water becomes wine which will come to be his own blood poured out for us on the cross. And this wine could not be just plain ordinary wine it had to be the finest wine because it was a representation of his very being...it represented his very essence.

That day all present noticed and commented about the best wine being reserved for the end of the party. At the end of parties many people, having had too much to alcohol, would not even notice a change in the quality of the wine.

The ritual cleansing was going to be taken to a higher level as Jesus would offer himself for our salvation on the cross. Jesus would become the Living Water. 

I chose a photo of water to create this kaleidoscope image.

The marriage feast of Cana is the reference point for doing whatever God tells you. When you do God's will amazing things will happen in your life. Believe it!