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JESUS THE WINE OF LIFE
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23
John 2:1-12

Proverbs 23:29-35

 

“…Jesus was called

…to the marriage.”

 

JESUS THE WINE OF LIFE
 
In Cana of Galilee, a neighbouring city of Nazareth, Jesus performed His first miracle. It was at a wedding. When the host ran out of wine, Mary requested Jesus for help. But Jesus answered, “Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.” What did Jesus mean when He said, “mine hour is not yet come?” What is this “hour”? Out of the twenty-six times the word “hour” is used in the Gospel of John, nine of them refer to the hour of Jesus (2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 16:32; 17:1). The “hour” is described variously as “mine” (2:4), “the” (5:28; 12:23; 16:32; 17:1), “his” (7:30; 8:20), and “this” (12:27).
 
When Jesus said, “mine hour is not yet come,” He was clearly referring to the future. Jesus said His hour had arrived for the first time in John 12:23, “The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.” From then onwards, Jesus consistently referred to the hour as having arrived. It is significant to note that these words were spoken at the beginning of the week of Suffering prior to His Crucifixion. Clearly, Jesus saw His hour to be His time of suffering leading up to His death on the cross, His burial, and subsequent resurrection. It was only at the beginning of the passion week that Jesus began to fully reveal His identity as the Messiah in very clear terms. So when Jesus told Mary that His hour had not come, He was saying that the public revelation of His Messiahship was not decided by man (cf. Mark 1:44), nor by demons (cf. Mark 1:24-25, 34; Luke 4:34-35), but by God alone (cf. Matt 16:16-17). Mary at the wedding dinner, thus overstepped her prerogative by telling Jesus to perform a sign. But Jesus, according to the will of God and in filial piety, honoured Mary’s request.
 
In making wine, Jesus was not advocating drinking. Rev Dr Timothy Tow rightly observed that Jesus is “the Wine of life, not the whisky of death.” The wine that Jesus made was safe. There is a vast difference in alcoholic content between biblical wine and modern liquor. The Bible clearly warns against drinking and drunkenness (Prov 23:31-33; Eph 5:18). Be teetotalers!
 
THOUGHT: (Read Ephesians 5:18.)
PRAYER: Father, help me to bear a good Christian testimony by not drinking.

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