A Better Wine
It was around this time last year that I wrote a post on John 2:1-12. In that post, we discussed the importance of the act of Jesus turning the water into wine and how it shows through Him believers are all made into new creations. You may be wondering why I am bringing up a post a year after it has been written, and that is to discuss two very important topics.
The first, God’s word is alive. The more you study His word, the more you learn. Even passages that you might have read a year or more ago can show new and deeper meanings. This is why it is so important to take God’s word and our Bible study time seriously, we do not want to miss out on any lesson that we can learn.
The second topic is based off of my experience recently in rereading John chapter 2. When I wrote the post regarding how Jesus purifies those who believe in Him, I thought that was the end of the matter. I had learned the deeper meaning to the passage. However, like so much of God’s word, there is more than one lesson to be learned.
“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; 2 and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus *said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus *said to her, “What business do you have with Me, woman? My hour has not yet come.”5 His mother *said to the servants, “Whatever He tells you, do it.”6 Now there were six stone waterpots standing there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing two or three measures each.7 Jesus *said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He *said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” And they took it to him. 9 Now when the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter *called the groom, 10 and *said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the guests are drunk, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”11 This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. 12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother, and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days.”
Luke 2:1-12
At first glance, we see Jesus performing His first miracle an act that began to show those who were around Him that He was the Son of God and not just any other man. At a second glance, we see the act of Jesus using the water pots meant for purification to turn the water into wine. This is a symbolism of Jesus purifying those who accept Him as Lord and Savior, they become new creations. Now one a third glance, we find that there is actually a lesson in hope for those who have become new creations through Jesus Christ.
Last year, I focused in on verses seven through nine. This year I want to look deeper into the comment the headwaiter makes to the bridegroom in verse ten. “and *said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the guests are drunk, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” How strange this comment must have seen to the bridegroom. What could the headwaiter possibly mean that this last wine was better than all the rest? This bridegroom had no idea that Jesus was going to use his wedding to perform His first miracle, and so he would have stuck with tradition. That is to serve the best wine first and end with the poorer wine. I can only imagine his confusion at being told that the wine being served at the end of the night is the best of all.
Now you may be wondering where I am going with this. Imagine instead that the wine is the earth. At the beginning, the earth was good in fact after every day of creation God announced it good; ending with the sixth day in which He announced all of creation as very good (Genesis 1:31). However, the fall of mankind comes and sin enters the world. This would be the poorer wine that was served after the good. God did not intend for mankind to be separated from Him, but do to the actions of Satan that caused Adam and Eve’s fall, the world became corrupt. “To the woman He said, “I will greatly multiply Your pain in childbirth, In pain you shall deliver children; Yet your desire will be for your husband, And he shall rule over you.” 17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’; Cursed is the ground because of you; With hard labor you shall eat from it All the days of your life. 18 Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you; Yet you shall eat the plants of the field; 19 By the sweat of your face You shall eat bread, Until you return to the ground, Because from it you were taken; For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” Genesis 3:16-19.
We are certainly experiencing this “poor wine” now. The world has grown dark and it will grow darker still but when we look to John chapter 2 we see that there is hope, there is a wine coming that even outshines the first. “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among the people, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He *said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.” Revelation 21:1-5. How amazing will it be to experience this better wine, this new earth! How wonderful will it be that not only will God dwell among His children, but He will wipe away every tear!
How amazing is it to realize that God was already telling His children that there was something better coming way in the beginning of His ministry! How wonderful is it to realize that God is in complete control. How reassuring to know that He has always shad the end goal in mind!
Seek the truth and encourage one another,
Alex