Should we be surprised that Jesus could turn water into wine at the Cana wedding feast, when they ran out of beverage? No. Of course not. Given all we know about our Savior today, we shouldn't be surprised if He made water into diet Coke if He wanted to, (albeit that may have been as ridiculous as riding into Jerusalem on the hood of a Corvette). What purpose would that serve to teach the people of that time? Idiocy aside, we must recognize that the guests at that Cana wedding questioned the contents of those water pots as much as many theologians do today. The freshly created beverage was far superior to anything they'd been drinking thus far. Why was the best saved for the last? How did he do that? To be honest, with all the thoughts I've read on that event through my 30-plus years as a Christian, I've never wondered how, but I have wondered why Jesus chose a wedding for His first miracle? Why not at a funeral? Why not raise someone from the dead? Instead, He chooses to make wine.
Throughout Scripture, God makes so much sense with all His symbolism. He provides the unlikely to reveal a part of Himself and His character: an ark closed from the outside by the hand of God to save a remnant of the world, a raised rod to part the sea and save all those who look upon it from the poisonous consequence of serpent bites, a little boy's lunch to feed thousands with twelve baskets of leftovers, a bursting net to manifest His provision to wearied fishermen, a resurrection of a friend who'd been dead for days to prove time nor circumstance has any limitation on Christ, gifts of gold, frankincense and myhrr to a baby for a death of a king to come, The Vine, the branches, the fruit, the harvest.
But water into wine? Why?
In light of all the destruction that comes from drinking alcoholic beverages today, shouldn't we question why He would do this? It seems to contradict all that is pure and holy about our Lord.
It wasn't until I read Peter Lumpkins' book, ALCOHOL TODAY, Abstinence In An Age Of Indulgence, that I discovered a greater significance to the miracle of so long ago. Finally, "what" Jesus made is as significant as the Who and why. The case for abstinence that Peter Lumpkins offers as a result of this first recorded miracle of Christ our Lord is soundly in keeping with all I have come to treasure about God and how He works out details as well as generalities in life to preach His message of salvation. Indeed, I think I've just tasted fresh wine, sufficient to meet all my needs. selahV
