I gained a new appreciation for John 2:1-12 when reading my Bible the other day. Having coordinated my own wedding ceremony months ago, I could sympathize with the situation. In short, if I had been the bride at Cana, I would have been a frazzled mess!
Our first hint that Jesus cares about weddings is that He attended one. I’m sure the bride and groom had no idea what an asset they were gaining when inviting Him to their ceremony. Up until that point, Jesus hadn’t done any miracles or accumulated any fame through His teachings. But who would think of any of that being necessary at a wedding? A wedding coordinator had been planning for weeks, maybe months, to ensure the party’s success. No miracles were necessary. They had it all under control . . . or so they thought.
Everything seemed to be going fine until he unthinkable happened. The wine ran out. I could just imagine the wedding coordinator panicking. How could this happen? They had planned everything out to the smallest detail! Made a list, checked it twice, and followed up with a confirmation email! This was not supposed to happen, especially since the wine was such a huge part of the party.
Gratefully, one person in the crowd knew who to consult. Mary, mother of Jesus, went straight to her Son. She knew Him too well to let this need pass Him by.
“And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus, said to Him, ‘They have no wine.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.’” (v. 3, 4)
If we didn’t know Jesus’ love for people, it would sound like He was being callous and uncaring toward the situation. His season for doing miracles hadn’t started yet, and that was that. But Mary wasn’t about to give up so easy.
“His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says too you, do it.’” (v. 5)
Mom’s don’t take “no” for an answer. This was a wedding and the situation was dire. It appeared Jesus was the only one who could fix the problem in a decent amount of time. Mary’s faith drew on Jesus’ miracle-working power, sending Jesus into action.
“Jesus said to them, ‘Fill the water pots with water.’ And they filled them up to the brim. And He said unto them, ‘Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.’ And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, ‘Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now.’” (v. 7-10)
Jesus’ saving the day by providing wine would have been good enough. But true to His nature, He did “exceedingly, abundantly” above the call of duty. (Ephesians 3:20, 21) He did His best . . . and all because He was asked.
I had no major glitches at my wedding. All went smoothly, and I loved every minute. Each detail I desired was in place, and the presence of God was there. I wonder, though, what could have taken place if I had not prayed and included my Savior in the planning? What if I had leaned on my own abilities to make it happen? I had wonderful help, but even they did it out of a heart of love that the Author of Marriage put in them.
I hate to think of all the other events or special occasions in my life where I have excluded Jesus in my planning. How much better they could have been if I had included Him in every part! He is the Master Coordinator, whether it is a wedding or a birthday party for two. He is privy to details and needs that my little brain couldn’t possible foresee.
I believe Jesus performed this miracle because he cared, and because His mother believed in Him. She was confident that a miracle would happen the moment Jesus’ commands were obeyed. What more could happen for we who are born-again Christians, should we choose to make Jesus our Master Coordinator.
Christa Madrid 