Weddings, Wine and Saving the Best for Last

It was Jesus' first miracle. Turning water into wine.

And a party host's worst nightmare: to run out of food or drink for their guests.

Jesus' mother must have been friends of the Mother of the Bride or close to the wedding coordinator, head waiter or front room manager.

Like most women, she was a fixer and knew who was up for the job: her son, Jesus.

They had both been invited to the wedding. Was Joseph invited? Where was dad, I wonder?

Son was reluctant to fulfill his mother's request at first; to do something about the wine shortage.

"It's not my time, yet," he said. Not his time to show proof of his deity; to encourage his followers of his Lord-ship; to reveal to the world that He was Messiah - long awaited One.

 But none-the-less, it was His premier miracle, made at a first-class party - a wedding - the institution He as part of the God-head had thought up at the dawn of creation. His relational initiative: marriage. He was enhancing the week-long reception.

He, if you will,  brought the life of the party. 

He was the Life of the party....The Way, the Truth, the Life.

"The father of the groom said, most hosts serve the best wine first. Then, when the guests' taste buds are sufficiently altered by alcohol, the inferior wine is brought out.

Hence, Bourgogne Chardonnay first, Beringer later.

"But you have saved the best for last."  

Jesus did it right. Nothing but high quality, haute vin, for the debut evidence of His deity.

Do you think it was noticed by the masses? John's account reads that only the servers knew the real story.

I wonder if Jesus performed a wedding miracle anticipating that great Wedding Feast to come when we, His beloved church, finally wed the Lover of our Souls and dine at that long heavenly banquet table.

His first wonder was a foreshadow of that celebration of his prized divine union: marriage - specifically between the Church and Christ. He and us, finally united in a perfect world - the longing of this existence finally fulfilled.


Maybe that's why He turned water into to wine. It appeared to be kind of spontaneous, not on his list of acts, to perform. Because it was not yet time for His public ministry to begin as he explained to his mother.

Perhaps it was for Himself, a few servants, a future wedding feast.

The first act fore-shadows the First Heavenly activity, our reception party, where the best food and wine will be presented.

Or perhaps the wine miracle symbolized the future pouring out of His blood for the lives of many. The water, rivers of living water, the icon for the life he would infuse to His followers.

His very first miracle.

We remembered His last miracle this past month on Easter. The day when He showed His ultimate divine power through resurrection.

He went on throughout the 3 short years of His official ministry to prove his power over

Blindness
Blood disorders
The weather
The fishery markets
The tax system
Lameness
The demonic world
Satan's temptation
Multiplication of food stuffs (feeding the five thousand)
Religiosity of the clergy (whitewashed sepulchres)
Hypocrisy
Fatal sickness (Lazarus)

And finally He conquered, our dreaded inevitable end.

Death.

He defied death when he left the cave empty. He made that substitutional defeat of death and eternal separation available to those who believe He is God, by His spilled blood.

We drink the wine to remember at communion. That which enables us to commune, to have intimate relationship with Him, our bridegroom.

And Revelations 19:9  says, "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.”

He is saving the best for last.