What follows is the manuscript from a sermon that I preached at our beloved Bethany Anglican Church on Sunday, September 27, 2026. The title of this sermon was taken from the chorus of a popular song released in 1971 entitled, “Signs” by Five Man Electric Band.1
You may also give a listen.
Introduction
At the beginning of her marvelous book titled The Spirituality of Wine Gisela Kreglinger writes:
All things have spiritual meaning in the Christian faith precisely because of our belief that God created the world in such a way that the spiritual and the material are profoundly intertwined. This fundamental character of Christian spirituality finds its climax in the incarnation of Jesus Christ, when God took on human flesh and lived among his people … In the Lord’s Supper [for instance] we embrace, cherish, and practice the God-given interconnectedness between spiritual and material realities; we learn to see the extraordinary in the ordinary. (p 2)
A literal reading of Jesus turning water into wine is important at one level, but insufficient on so many others. Although I don’t doubt this event is true, I do wonder: is there more going on here? My findings suggest that John 2 is rich with meaning and pregnant with possibilities. This passage really does connect the spiritual and the material.
Before we engage the text this morning, I want to briefly mention two parameters for our approach to Scripture.
First, in our eagerness to answer the “So what?” question, sometimes we focus on the application of the Bible at the expense of its meaning. It is my belief that only after we have discovered what God means that we enter into the beauty and power of experiencing how he wants us to live. As I share this morning, it is my desire to show the significance of this text that is derived from the meaning in the text.
Second, I really want us to be fed from scripture’s content and not merely from how it is presented. After all, the nutrients of a garden are found in its produce, not in the handiwork of the gardener. And so, we will pay careful attention to some of the details in John’s account with a view to savoring its ingredients.
With these considerations in place, I invite us to remove the “film of familiarity” (Coleridge, Biographica Literaria), engage our imagination, and find the “extraordinary in the ordinary.”
Here’s how we will go about this: I’ll begin with some questions about what John records, make some observations, then connect the passage to our own lives. Of course, Christianity is never just about Jesus and me; it’s about Jesus and we. Since our faith is communal as well as personal, my focus will especially be on God’s Word to Bethany Anglican Church as the bride of Christ.
I invite you now to open up or tap into John’s Gospel, chapter 2, as we learn together.
Questions about the Text
Who was at this wedding? At least Jesus and 5 disciples (Philip, Andrew, Peter, Nathaniel, and the unnamed disciple of 1:35 – likely John), Mary the mother of Jesus, some servants, a head waiter, and of course the newlyweds. Family and friends from nearby towns were probably present, which may explain Mary’s attendance (Nazareth was ~9km south). Since John is explicit on the number of stone water jars (6), how much each held, and what they were used for, the number of guests at this wedding must have been quite large. We know from Mark’s Gospel that ritual washings were required before eating, along with the washing of vessels used in Jewish rituals (see Mark 7:3). And, since Jewish weddings lasted up to 7 days, a lot of water for repeated cleansings was needed over the course of this celebration (~150+ gallons). There is little doubt, therefore, that many were present.
Why was Mary so concerned about them running out of wine? Was she responsible or just looking out for everyone? At an event that included most of the locals, this would be devastating for the hosts and for the bride and groom. In a shame/honor culture it would bring significant social disgrace and not soon be forgotten. Running out of wine at such an important occasion was worse than having several families over for dinner only to learn your fridge and cupboards are empty once they arrive!
Since Jesus seemed hesitant to get involved, was Mary’s command to the servants presumptuous? The natural flow of the narrative in verses 4 and 5 seems a bit awkward. It’s certainly possible that between these verses more discussion occurred between Mary and Jesus, they worked something out, and John simply does not include those details. Regardless, Mary commanding the servants suggests she was in some way responsible for the catering.
Why did Mary turn to Jesus for a solution? The obvious answer is that she believed her son could fix this potential embarrassment. After all, Mary knew things about Jesus that others did not. Angels spoke of Jesus before his birth and — if that were not enough — she conceived him as a virgin! Remember too that when the shepherds shared the news of Jesus’s birth, Mary “treasured all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:19). Moreover, Simeon and Anna’s recognition that baby Jesus was the Messiah surely got Mary’s attention (Luke 2:25–38). So, she knew Jesus was special and, without doubt, believed her son was the Messiah, Israel’s hope, and certainly capable of handling the depletion of wine at a wedding! Even though there’s nothing in the text to suggest Mary knew what Jesus would do; she certainly believed he could fix it.
Why did Jesus address his mother as “woman/γύναι”? To us this might seem abrupt and frankly a bit rude. But there are a few ways to understand his response. First, Jesus began his public ministry at around age 30, so his bond with Mary naturally shifted (John 1:29). He wouldn’t continue calling her “Mom.” Second, some translations (NLT) reasonably insert “dear” woman suggesting ‘woman’ as a term of affection. Third, if Jesus knew Mary was responsible for some of the catering and, with servants in earshot, perhaps Jesus was reading the room and addressing his mother in her official role, as if to say “Madame.” Finally, lest we make too much of this, it is especially noteworthy that in John 19:26 (the only other time Mary is mentioned in John’s Gospel) Jesus addresses his mother from the cross using the same term, “woman,” in making provision for her upon his death. Clearly no disrespect was intended at that time! In these circumstances at this wedding, no longer was Jesus just the ‘son of Mary;’ he is the ’Son of Man.’
What did Jesus mean by “Why do you involve me?” The NIV and ESV rendering is unfortunate, since it only shows part of Jesus’s response. The Greek literally reads, “what to me and to you?” (Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί;) The NLT captures this better, “that’s not our problem!” The NRSV is best, “what concern is that to me and to you?” Perhaps, since his “hour had not yet come,” he was trying to redirect and keep a low profile. Perhaps Mary was ahead of herself and eager to see him revealed as the Messiah, despite her being unaware of the timetable for Jesus launching his ministry and mission.
More importantly, however, what did Jesus mean by his “hour” had not yet arrived? In John’s Gospel, this expression is used 6 times and refers to him being lifted up unto death (John 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 17:1). It highlights the goal of his life’s mission and ministry, which is centered on the cross.
I find it curious that while Mary is asking Jesus to provide more wine, Jesus responds with a nod toward his crucifixion! What’s up with that!? Talk about a cryptic response! Mary just wants the wedding celebration to go smoothly and Jesus is bringing up his death by crucifixion?! How do we connect those dots?
What I see going on here is Jesus, in true form, changing course, taking advantage of a teaching moment, and hijacking the circumstances to show us something more about himself and his mission (think John 4 and the woman at the well). By recording this first sign, John invites us to see the extraordinary in the ordinary.
What Jesus means by “his hour had not yet arrived” is this: the messianic age is now being ushered in where wine flows freely and the bride and bridegroom celebrate the consummation of God’s kingdom realized (Jeremiah 31:12; Hosea 14:7; Amos 9:13-14; Matthew 22:1-14; 25:1-13; cf., Carson, p 172). What looks like Jesus acquiescing to his mother’s concerns (Klink, p 165), is really him stepping into the role of bridegroom, providing the best of the best, as an indicator or “sign” pointing to that day when we all feast at the wedding supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9).
It wasn’t until much later, after his triumphal entry into Jerusalem, that Jesus declares, “the hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified” (John 12:23; also 17:1). With a beautiful twist of inexplicable irony, the brightest display of the Father’s glory is the Son being lifted up unto death so that we might live! It is through death that victory over death is secured. This is the good news of the gospel!
Meaning and Relevance from the Text
Does the miracle of changing water into wine carry even more significance? Does John want us to see beyond this event? Honestly, this first sign seems rather insignificant. After all, when compared to raising the dead or feeding thousands of people from one boy’s lunchbox, this miracle hardly rates! So, let’s explore how signs work.
In John’s Gospel signs are never just a raw display of power; they serve as a means to some other end. Signs are indicators; they are subtle adumbrations of God’s glory; hints of his presence pulsating through our ordinary lives and everyday routines. Signs are “signals of transcendence” as Peter Berger once put it (A Rumor of Angels), used by God to get our attention that something beyond the material, tangible, touchable world really does exist.
When signs do occur, it’s crucial we recognize the distinction between the sign and the thing signified. To be sure, there is a connection between, say, a flag and the country it represents. But we all agree that the flag is not the country; it points to the country. I’m reminded of the popular Chinese proverb that goes something like this: “Only a fool continues looking at the finger that points to the moon.” In other words, remaining fixed on a sign is to risk not seeing the reality to which it points.
In the same way, the water changed into wine may be a spectacular display of Christ’s power over nature, but we must look past the prima facia. The main idea here “does not lie in the conversion of water into wine. That is merely the mechanism of the miracle. The point lies in the fact that the wine that Jesus provides is better wine than what preceded” (Gospel of Glory, Bauckham, p 181). This sign shows that better wine rather than ordinary wine portrays the glory of Jesus in his sacrifice.2
What’s more, the same jars used for ceremonial washings as a means of cleansing became sacramental vehicles carrying the better wine. In fact, “everything about those jars of water for Jewish purification speaks of Judaism and the old covenant. Yet their value was entirely changed in the presence of Jesus” (Klink, p 171). The cup from which we drink is itself entirely changed to a sacred vessel carrying the glory of Jesus being lifted up in his sacrificial offering for our renewal, our cleansing, our life eternal. The ordinary points to the extraordinary wherever Jesus is present.
The head waiter assumed the good wine had come from the bridegroom at the wedding. Though unaware of its true source, this head waiter clearly recognized its quality and credited the bridegroom for it. Truth is he was not far off — he just had the wrong bridegroom!
If we pause to see the biblical and cultural background of how wine is used throughout scripture — in wedding celebrations and the Passover meal — our picture grows even richer and we discover more possibilities why Jesus chose to provide a top-shelf, exceptional wine at this wedding. It’s no coincidence that Hosea 2:16-20; Matthew 22:1-14; and Revelation 19:6-7 all paint the picture of a marriage between God and his people in celebration of God’s kingdom realized. Are we not also the bride of Christ and he our bridegroom? Is he not also providing the best wine for us to drink as a foretaste of our consummate celebration? This choice wine represents a coming kingdom that is full of lavish and joyous feasting borne out of deep gratitude for all that God has done for us in Christ (Kreglinger, pp 85ff).
Similarly, our Eucharist meal points ahead to our glorious end. Jesus says as much when he reinterprets the Passover Meal with his disciples saying, “I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom” (Matthew 26:29-30). The kingdom of God is a party and the celebration has begun!
And let’s not miss that when the glory of Jesus is revealed in the transformation of water to wine, John notes it is the faith of the disciples that emerges. This links directly to the point and purpose of John’s Gospel, “that [we] may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing [we] may have life in his name” John 20:31). All the signs of John’s Gospel point to the glory of Jesus, which is intended to ignite belief in Jesus.
Speaking of belief, I want to zero in on John 2:11 for just a moment and offer some insights about belief. While your Bibles say, “And his disciples believed in him,” it’s important to observe that John does not use ‘in’ but ‘into’ him. In fact, 37 times John uses the preposition ‘into’ (εἰς) rather than ‘in’ (ἐν) when joined with the word for faith or belief in Christ (εἰς + πίστις; Gorman, Paul and John in Harmony, pp 145ff).
Why is this relevant? Because today “belief in Christ” is most often about what’s in my head. Belief into Christ identifies not only what I believe but where I stand and whose I am. As one commentator put it, “this is more than mere credence. It is not believing that what He says is true but trusting Him as a person…when we believe we yield ourselves up to be possessed by Him” (Leon Morris, pp 99-110). While believing in Jesus is largely a mental act, believing into him shifts our whole lives to a new place — a new calling. It’s a full-on transformation, not just a tweak in my thinking.
At the most fundamental level, something is changed when I believe into Jesus. Something altogether new, altogether different occurs. Water is no longer just H2O — it is changed to a fine wine! Could this be a parable of what God does in us and to us when we believe? “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
When we believe into Jesus something truly transforms inside us. The Bible calls this regeneration, which is a unique work of the Holy Spirit. The change is so large and so sweeping that it’s likened to a new birth. Value systems are wholly renovated, not just modified. Old impulses and habits are replaced with new ones. Because a death has taken place of our old nature, we are given a new nature that radically and truly changes who we are from the inside out.
Consider an illustration from chemistry: a mixture consists of two or more elements, each of which can be distinguished and separated from the other when combined in the same container; the elements are not chemically bound to one another. A compound, on the other hand, is the combination of two or more elements that are chemically bound to each other such that they cannot be extracted individually. A new substance altogether obtains from the compound.
Similarly, when the Spirit of Christ enters our lives, we are united with Christ and we become a new creation altogether (Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 5:17). We do not merely add a religious element to our lives, like a mixture. When, through belief into Christ, God’s Spirit unites with ours, we become a new person; a compound as it were. This union forms one new substance (Gal 2:20). Though each part remains distinct (God’s Spirit and ours), the predominating expression for those born from above is “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27). We’re set on a new course to be formed into the new Adam who is Christ, the image of God. This is what it means to be a Christian.
One more thought about change: We are in our season of Ordinary Time, which is a season for growth (think green!). It was Aristotle who observed that “Nothing grows that has not first changed” (Metaphysics). Change, in other words, is necessary for growth. In John’s Gospel, we see water turning into wine (John 2), healing for the sick (John 4), the lame walking (John 5), the hungry fed (John 6), the blind seeing (John 9), the dead rising (John 11), and Jesus’s life being lifted up unto death to redeem us from our sin and reconcile us to God. In every case these seven signs reveal God’s glory in Jesus and it is faith into the Son that is both the catalyst for and result of change. We cannot long for growth while opposing change. Why? Because ‘nothing grows that has not first changed.’ Growth and change are inseparable. And, when change is fueled by faith into Jesus the Son of God, then growth is guaranteed.
What Might We Conclude?
This first sign in John’s Gospel symbolizes the beginning of the messianic age and Jesus’s role as the bridegroom. It foreshadows the ultimate wedding feast of the Lamb that, someday, we are sure to enjoy. We may not have the benefit of seeing a miracle, but thankfully scripture indicates signs are not required for faith to emerge from us. Jesus tells doubting Thomas, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). Similarly, Peter reminds us, “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him” (1 Peter 1:8-9). Our faith does not require first-hand experiences, tangible evidence, or eyewitness accounts because faith into Jesus is itself a way of seeing, a way of experiencing, a way of living. What’s more, we already have the substance of what all the signs point to, and that substance is Jesus who takes up residence in our lives through his Spirit!
What was once used in the old order of things (water) is changed into the drink of the new order (wine).3 What was once a partial message under the heavy burden of first century Judaism, Jesus transformed into the new wine of the gospel message. “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).
Change and growth on a personal level are necessary but not sufficient. This is because as members of Christ’s body we are profoundly connected to one another. No image for the church occurs more often in the New Testament than the metaphor of family. “The early church viewed family as their dominant relational identifier, and family is how Jesus refers to his disciples … (Matthew 23:8). The New Testament writers pick up on this metaphor and adopt it in their own teachings”3. In fact, in the first century it’s inconceivable that anyone would dare ask “Where do you go to church?” Why? Because the term “church” was not a place to go, it’s an identity to hold. Church is not an event to attend, but a family to embrace. We don’t go to family; we are family! When we believe into Christ, we are also grafted into the Body of Christ that is composed of “saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; [who are] a kingdom [of] priests [and who will one day] reign on earth” with Christ (Revelation 5)! This is why marriage is so often used to portray Christ as Bridegroom and the Church as bride. We are wedded to Christ and we are members of one another.
If we are going to flourish as Christian community and lean into all that God wants for us as a church, then we must reflect the values of the first church who were “devoted to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). As the bride of Christ, Bethany Anglican Church is called by God to bring glory to God in COS and beyond. Will we move toward our intended end, which according to Ephesians 4:15, is to “grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ?” Will we live into our shared calling? Will we become the fine wine that Jesus produces so others can behold his glory?
By believing into Jesus, I’m certain that we can.
Notes
- Although the backstory to this song was renouncing signs with their printed rules, regulations, and restrictions on highways and in public spaces, along with denouncing their visual obstruction to nature, my purpose in choosing this line from the song’s chorus is to suggest that, with the eyes of faith, signs of God’s presence are ubiquitous. ↩︎
- Similarly, the writer of Hebrews contrasts the old covenant with the new. It is Jesus who “came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.” (Hebrews 9:11-12) ↩︎
- Jesus “changes the water of Judaism into the wine of Christianity” (Leon Morris, p 176). The temple of Judaism was replaced with the temple of the body of Christ (2:18-21). Contrasting his message of God’s kingdom with the message of the Judaism in his day Jesus says, “And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.” (Luke 5:37-38) ↩︎
- “We Need Better Questions for the Church“, Matt McKirland ↩︎
References Consulted
John by Edward W Klink III
Paul and John in Harmony, Michael Gorman
John for Everyone, N. T. Wright
The Spirituality of Wine, Gisela Kreglinger
Gospel of John, Merrill C. Tenney
The Gospel According to St. John, B. F. Westcott
The Gospel According to John by D. A. Carson
The Gospel of John by F. F. Bruce
The Gospel According to John, by Leon Morris