The Cross at the Beginning

As I've been reading and studying about the first miracle, I've found that this is so much more than Jesus simply saving a young couple from the embarrassment of running out of wine.

The water into wine is an incredible miracle. Initially I thought it was simple gesture of grace to save a young couple from the embarrassment of failing to plan for a wedding celebration. But this is Jesus we are talking about, when does His life ever stop at a simple gesture of grace? This miracle goes so much deeper, and it points to Him as the Lord and Savior of mankind.

The six ceremonial jars were there for cleansing, according to Jewish law. The water in them was to fulfill the Old Covenant. The Jews had to wash their hands before eating, and to be really clean, in between each course of the meal. The water was there to keep the law. Jesus takes that water that would be used in repetitive washing for continuous cleansing, and He transforms it into the wine that satisfies and allows the celebration to continue.

"Old covenant water became new covenant wine. Jesus came to exchange the Mosaic law for the higher law of love. He takes the ceremonial water that enslaved the people to the legalism of the law, and turns it to wine allowing them to celebrate the grace and power of God. Jesus’ cleansing blood is the wine that satisfies forever. Christ fulfills the requirements of the law, He shed His blood to free us from the law, so that we may live lives not concerned with following the rules, but lives focused on glorifying God. 'Christ transformed temple-cleansing water into eternal-saving wine.'” (Holman New Testament Commentary)

This miracle, this simple act of grace, points to the greatest act of grace that has ever been demonstrated. As Jesus stood in the corner watching the trusting servant hand a glass of water, (remember the text tells us the servant drew out some of the water and handed it to the head waiter, and then it became the wine) He probably reflected on the purpose of His presence on earth. There at the very beginning of His ministry He is confronted with His mission. Here at the beginning He is reminded of the death that He will die in three years. He has come not go abolish the law, but to fulfill it so that the people could be freed from the condemnation of the law. The only way to do this was the cross. There at the very beginning, He saw it, and He continues knowing that this path lead to Jerusalem, and in Jerusalem, to Calvary. The cross was there at the beginning.

This is the mindset He goes into His earthly ministry with, knowing that He would face death. But at the same time He sees the joy of the celebration that the wine has provided by allowing the celebration to continue. And in this I think there was encouragement, His death, His shed blood, the wine of the New Covenant, would bring about the greatest celebration that the universe has ever known.

Peace be with you