Why Did Jesus Change Water to Wine?

A miracle is an extraordinary event inexplicable by natural or scientific laws and considered a work of a divine agency. I love a good miracle story. Nothing gets me more pumped than reading a Bible story or hearing a testimony about God showing up and showing off!

Miracles are moments when the power of Heaven pierces earth.

Miracles are the fingerprints of God on the pages of history.

Miracles reveal who is in charge and the “divine agency” of the One who truly calls the shots.

Miracles provide evidence that there is another dimension beyond what we see with our eyes.

Jesus stepped into human history to redeem us from sin and to restore our fellowship with God the Father. As Randy Alcorn rightly observes, “Jesus’ miracles provide us with a sample of the meaning of redemption: a freeing of creation from the shackles of sin and evil and a reinstatement of creaturely living as intended by God.” He came announcing the arrival of the Kingdom of God and that access to it was available through faith in Him.

Now it’s one thing for Jesus to announce the Kingdom, but quite another thing for Him to reveal it (see Luke 17:21). Pastor Tim Keller explains how Christ’s supernatural acts reveal His Kingdom and pointed toward a return to Eden:

Jesus has come to redeem where it is wrong and heal the world where it is broken. His miracles are not just proofs that He has power, but also wonderful foretastes of what He is going to do with that power. Jesus’ miracles are … a promise to our hearts.

Whether it was giving sight to a blind man, walking on water, multiplying food to feed thousands, healing a leper, or raising the dead—His miracles were supernatural acts that signified His identity and mission.

The first miracle occurred at a wedding in Cana (see John 2). The details are sparse, but during biblical times, Jewish weddings were a big deal. At some point in this particular wedding feast, the groom’s family ran out of wine, which would have brought tremendous shame upon them. The text infers that she [Mary the mother of Jesus] wanted Him to solve the social blunder.

Jesus responded by saying, “My time has not come” (John 2:4 NLT). Jesus grasped the prophetic significance of performing a miracle. He knew the minute He revealed His glory that the national spotlight would turn on Him and bring Israel’s messianic hopes with it.

Here’s the question we must ask ourselves: Of all the thousands of miracles that John witnessed Jesus perform, why did he share this one? Each of the miracles in John’s Gospel is a sign that validates Jesus’ identity. But this specific miracle powerfully visualized the new covenant.

This miracle symbolizes the transformation that occurs in the human heart. Under the old covenant, the water jars were used for purification rituals, during which the people continually washed their hands and eating utensils in an attempt to achieve purity. But as we’ve seen, cleaning the outside didn’t change the nature of the human heart. The human heart needs a miracle—a touch of grace!

In Christ, we are transformed. God takes away our hearts of stone and gives us new hearts filled with His love, joy, and peace.

The Bible begins with a wedding in the Garden of Eden and concludes with a wedding at the end of Revelation. How fitting then that Jesus, the One sent from Heaven to earth as our Redeemer, launched His public ministry with a miraculous sign at a wedding.

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Excerpt from Garden to Garden by Marian Jordan Ellis, copyright 2024 by Faithwords, Hachette Book Groups. Printed by permission. Available at Amazon.com.

This article originally appeared in the monthly Inspiration Magazine. Find out how you can receive your free annual subscription here.