Truly this wedding in Cana was a momentous occasion for many people (the couple, the disciples, Jesus), but its primary significance is that Jesus began to reveal His glory at this wedding. At this wedding, there were hints and indications of the purpose and plan of Jesus’ ministry.
Jesus rescued the wedding couple from their failure to provide adequate wine for their guests. By this, He indicated that He was on a mission of rescue to save us from failure and shame. Jesus lived a perfect life and then died the death we deserved to give us His righteousness.
Just as the wedding couple enjoyed the compliments of the Master of Ceremonies for something that Jesus did, we enjoy eternal life and acceptance because of Christ’s perfect life attributed to us and His atoning death on the cross in our place. Jesus did the miraculous, transforming work, the wedding couple got the credit for it, “you have saved the best ‘til now.”
Jesus repurposed the stone jars that were for ceremonial washing. By this, He indicated that He would be the One who would cleanse us by washing us with His own blood (1 John 1:7, Revelation 7:14). He was initiating a new covenant with His people sealed with His body broken for us and His blood shed for us.
Jesus did the work of transforming water into wine, which brought joy to the wedding feast. By this, He indicated that He came to do a work of transformation in us (2 Corinthians 5:17) and that He would fill us with inexpressible and glorious joy (Isaiah 25:6, Zechariah 9:16, 1 Peter 1:8 NIV). Jesus would drink the cup of death so that we could drink the cup of joy!
Jesus had the miraculous new wine presented to the master of ceremonies who declared it to be the best wine. After Jesus’ death and resurrection, He presented His blood to His Father, who gladly accepts it and declares it to be perfect atoning blood. Jesus’ blood is miraculous, transforming us into Jesus’ image, making us who were formerly dead and defiled in sin now to be a living and “a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless” (Ephesians 5:27).
Just as this wedding couple came up short in providing the necessary wine for their wedding feast so too the sacrifices and ceremonies of the Jews could never bring the eternal forgiveness of sins and lasting joy in the heart we all want and need. Hebrews 9:9-10 explains that the system of worship Israel followed was, “an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper. They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.”
Oh, friend, pause and consider! At the cross, Jesus gave up His life to make us eternally clean. He emptied Himself to "fill us to the brim." Through the sacrifice of His own body, He has made us blameless and free from accusation before the Father (Colossians 1:22). And, at His cross, we are being transformed and prepared to be His eternal bride. "And we all, with unveiled faces, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another" (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Just as Jesus saved the wedding feast and provided wine to those in attendance at the marriage in Cana, He has saved us for our eternal wedding to Him and given us the cup of the New Covenant, which is salvation, sanctification, and freedom through His blood, shed on the cross.
"And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me." 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you." Luke 22:19-20 (NIV)
Jesus' body was broken on the cross for us, and in "breaking the bread" during communion, we remember that this was His "body given for you..." and in "drinking the cup" His blood "...is the new covenant poured out for you." While Jesus was under the judgment and condemnation of sin, He was crushed under sin's weight and penalty. His body torn to pieces and pressed down to death on the cross. His blood trampled under the feet of those "who tread in the winepress" (Isaiah 63:2), "this cup is the new covenant in my blood."
Question 6: What are we to remember when Jesus states, "do this in remembrance of me"?