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The Beginning of Signs
The Beginning of Signs
JASON MARTIN
Jesus in the Gospels / John 2
Jesus at Cana: The King Reveals His Glory
Jesus at Cana: The King Reveals His Glory
Context: Where are we in the timeline?
After explaining the Word becoming flesh then Jesus' baptism and temptation:
• John identifies Jesus as the Lamb of God (John 1:29)
• First disciples begin following Him (John 1:35–51)
• Jesus goes to a wedding in Cana (John 2:1)
Cana was:
• A small village in Galilee
• Likely near Nazareth and the hometown of Nathaniel / Bartholomew
• About 9 miles north of Nazareth
Jesus is beginning His public ministry, but He doesn’t begin with a sermon or even in Jerusalem. He starts at a wedding.
TEXT: John 2:1-12
• John has paid careful attention to let us know the order of days and events surrounding this wedding. Many scholars believe John intentionally structures Jesus' opening ministry to mirror the seven days of creation.
1. In the beginning and the testimony of John - John 1:1-19
2. the next day - John 1:29
3. the next day - John 1:35
4. the next day - John 1:43
5. travel
6. travel
7. the third day after is John 2:1 at the wedding
• This is almost certainly intentional - but why end with a wedding?
• John opens his book with a mirror to Genesis 1:1 in the beginning...
• In Genesis, the last thing God does in the creation week before resting is institute marriage (Genesis 2:18-25)
• man and woman are united and humanity begins life in God’s blessing
• Scripture continuously compares God’s relationship with His people as a marriage
• The Bible ends with a wedding and new creation
• God’s plan has always been to have a covenant relationship with His people
Along with a lot of Divine Names, something else we will notice in John’s Gospel is the phrase “My hour is not yet come”. This reminds us that Jesus was working from The Divine Timetable. He knows what needs to take place, and also when it needs to take place. When His hour finally does come, it will mean Salvation for us, but suffering for Him.
We will notice Jesus slowly start to reveal Who He is, to only His disciples at first, and eventually to large crowds. As His hour gets closer and closer, His Miracles become greater and greater until, as though the Greatest Miracle that could ever take place, He rose from the dead.
John 2:3–4 ESV
3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
• Jesus is not being rude or disrespectful by referring to Mary as ‘woman’ - which was like saying ma’am
• It is widely agreed that Joseph had already died at this point. As Mary’s eldest son, Jesus would be the provider for her. Whenever she would have needed anything, she would rely on Him. But those requests would have been normal, everyday things. But now Jesus is working from the Divine timeline.
• Some traditions use this passage that to put Mary in a position of co-mediator and we go through her to get to Him
• Scripture says there is One Meditator between God and man and it’s Jesus. Him only
• John appears to be ready to combat their Mariolatry because the very next verse after Jesus rebukes Mary, John records her pointing to Him
John 2:5 ESV
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
• The last recorded words of Mary in the New Testament are pointing to Jesus
• she puts her faith in Him
• she trusts Him
John 2:6 ESV
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
• Then we read about these 6 stones jars.
• not random
• not drinking jars
• purification jars
• The Old Testament is full of these ceremonial washings and purifications. (Exodus 30, Leviticus 11-15, Numbers 19)
• These taught an important lesson to Israel;
• sin separates
• purity matters
• but the rituals couldn’t cleanse the heart
• Jesus is using the vessels that represented the old ceremonial system and filling them with something new and better.
John 2:7 ESV
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
• The jars would probably be about half full (10-15 gallons of water each)
• It would have been a fair amount of work to fill these up. They would have had to go out to wherever the well was and bring the water back to the jars
• Based on the miracle about to take place, Jesus could have just willed the jars to be full of water but He didn’t. He tested their faith and obedience by having them do it.
• They passed the test and filled the jars to the brim with water
John 2:8 ESV
8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.
• again, they are obedient
• At some point unknown to us, Jesus changes the purification water and transforms it into wine.
• Jesus didn’t come to improve the old system. He came to fulfill it and bring something greater
• Nobody creates except God
• He speaks and it happens
• All things are made through Him and created by Him
• Now Jesus just wills that the water becomes wine
• even the water obeys
• no prayer
• no ritual
• No prophet ever did that
• Moses prayed
• Elijah prayed
• Elisha prayed
• Jesus wills and commands
• Jesus can create all things new - including us
John 2:9–10 ESV
9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
• Again, the wording is not an accident
1. Only the servants and those with Jesus knew where the wine came from. Everybody else thinks the bridegroom solved the problem.
Isaiah 54:5 ESV
5 For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.
Hosea 2:19–20 ESV
19 And I will betroth you to me forever. I will betroth you to me in righteousness and in justice, in steadfast love and in mercy. 20 I will betroth you to me in faithfulness. And you shall know the Lord.
John 3:29 ESV
29 The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete.
• In Ephesians 5, Paul says that marriage itself is meant to be symbolic of Christ and the Church.
2. Jesus isn’t just attending a wedding. He’s quietly revealing Himself as the True Bridegroom;
3. The O.T. prophets repeatedly described Messiah's kingdom with overflowing wine and abundance;
• Amos 9:13 says the mountains will be dripping with wine
• Joel 3:18 says the mountains will flow with sweet wine
Isaiah 25:6–9 ESV
6 On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. 7 And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. 9 It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
• The mountain is Zion - Jerusalem is where these things would take place
• Death is always the thing that swallows up everything else, showing it’s power over this world.
• This turn of phrase has the LORD swallowing up death, proving His power over even that enemy.
• What is the veil that is spread over the nations and how was it swallowed up?
• Vs. 9 is specifically about Jesus
John 10:10 ESV
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
• 120-180 gallons of the best wine ever tasted
• not just enough
• overflowing
• God’s goodness isn’t measured in small amounts, but abundance
1. God spoke at many times and many ways, all pointing to this One final Messenger - He saved the Best for last.
John 2:11 ESV
11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
• Why does John call this a sign instead of a miracle? Because signs point to things;
• Jesus is Creator and can transform creation
• Jesus is Messiah bringing His Kingdom
• Jesus is the Bridegroom coming to restore His people
• Who saw the sign?
• Servants
• Mary
• Disciples
John 20:30–31 ESV
30 Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
• Signs lead to belief
• Many people experience Jesus’ blessings
• Only some recognize His glory
John 1:14 ESV
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
1. Jesus wouldn’t use His divine power for His own comfort in the wilderness.
a. He did use it to bless others and start revealing Himself at Cana.
b. He is already teaching us to serve others.
2. The wedding won’t bring shame
3. Mary’s last recorded words are pointing us to Jesus
4. The old purification is replaced with the new wine
a. Next, Jesus will introduce the new Temple
b. Then, He will explain to Nicodemus the New birth
5. Jesus isn’t just a teacher, He is the beginning of the promised renewal of all things
Why did Jesus only show this sign to His disciples and the table servants? It was not yet His time to fully manifest His Identity to the crowd.
He strengthened the faith of those that did see, which would prepare them for service.
We have a much fuller revelation now and are expected to believe by faith and spread the Gospel even without witnessing these signs first hand.
The easiest way to find Him is in His Word, and that’s why we study it.
Exported from Logos Bible Study, 2:21 PM July 15, 2026.
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