Why a Wedding?

The Wedding at Cana
John 2:1-11

Among the many messages that I have heard, many focus on the miracle of turning water into wine.  Others focus on the interaction between Jesus and Mary, His mother.   The question before us today is neither of these.  My question is not what happened at the wedding, but why did it happen? Why did the Lord Jesus choose a wedding for the setting of his first sign? 

Signs

This is called the “beginning of miracles” (2:11) and is only recorded by John. John uses the word “sign” here because John always uses the word σημεῖον (sēmeion) or sign. He uses it seventeen times, the KJV translates it Miracle thirteen times.  The other term for miracle is δύναμις (dynamis) which refers to the power of a miracle and is found in Mathew, Mark, and Luke. Matthew uses the latter thirteen times, but it is always translated as “mighty works” or “power”.

Signs include “miracles and wonders” by which God authenticates the men sent by him, or the message that they bring is from Him.  The result of this sign is found in John 2:11 – “His disciples believed on Him.”

Marriage or Wedding

Some people are legally married by a “justice of the peace” or notary without a formal wedding ceremony.  I have a friend that has been married for several years, but only recently had a wedding ceremony. 

Depending on your Bible, you may have a heading that says “Wedding at Cana” then  you read in John 2:1 that it is a “marriage.”  The words Marriage and Wedding are both the same word in the Greek New Testament. Our English word “wedding generally refers to the ceremony” and “marriage refers to the long-term, ongoing legal and social partnership that continues after the ceremony”.  The translators of our Bible use the words interchangeably.

Background / Setting

John introduces the Lord Jesus as the voice of creation in the first chapter.  It is the Lord Jesus, the WORD that was made flesh, that spoke the worlds into being.  His ministry begins with the baptism of John. The temptation narrative recorded in Matthew 4 is not included by John.  Following the temptation of Jesus is the selection of the first six of twelve disciples.  Chapter one begins with the declaration the Jesus is the Son of God and ends with the testimony of Nathanael, “thou are the Son of God.”

In chapter two the scene moves the a wedding ceremony.  We know that Jesus, His disciples, and His mother Mary have been invited.  We learn that the celebration is far from over when they run out of wine.  The man in charge of the feast tells us in John 2:9 that it is apparently the groom who is responsible for providing the wine.  Mary learns that there is no wine and John records her words to Jesus, simply, “They have no wine.”  That takes us to the miracle or sign of water being turned to wine.

Why a Wedding?

From here we return to our original question.  Why a wedding?  When John is imprisoned and about to die, his disciples approach Jesus and ask “Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?” (Luke 7:20 / Matthew 11:2)  Jesus responds with six signs: The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them.  Why didn’t Jesus begin His ministry by performing one of these signs?  Why not raise the dead, cleanse a leper, or give sight to the blind?  Again, why a wedding?

We have a friend. Many of you probably have one like her.  She began planning her wedding as a child. By her teen years she had a book with all the things that she dreamed about.  She knew what kind of ring she wanted, the type of dress, and many more details.  The one missing detail was the groom.  She did not even have a boyfriend. She is now happily married.

We also may have a friend that knows who they want to marry, but do not have a plan as to when or where or how.  Kitty and I were at a funeral of a dear friend.  A couple stood behind us as the graveside.  They had been a couple since their early teen years. As far as I know, neither had ever dated anybody else.  They only had eyes for one another.  I casually asked, “So, when is the wedding?”  She said, “he hasn’t asked!”  Not wanting to embarrass anyone or invade the privacy of others, I said, “She is a pretty girl. Any man would be honored to marry her. Don’t expect her to wait around forever for you to pop the question.”

A few months later at Christmas, I got a call from the young lady.  She wanted Kitty and me to know that she got her ring! We were happy to be invited to the wedding.  They never doubted that they would one day marry each other one day. They just did not know when. 

There are people that have written that Jesus had an affair or secret marriage, or even that there was a relationship with one of His disciples.  There is no evidence of either of these being true.  In fact, Jesus was already engaged and very much in love!

Kitty and I recently celebrated a day we call “impatience day.”  The short story is that I purchased a ring and planned to ask her to marry me on Valentines day.  I must have been like Bilbo the Hobbit, taking that ring out and admiring it. No longer able to wait, on February 1980 I asked Kitty to be my wife and put the ring on her finger.  The anticipation was just to much for me.

What if I told you that Jesus had already picked out His bride and planned his wedding banquet long before that wedding at Cana?

The Bride

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. Isaiah 61:10 

John who baptized provides the first New Testament reference to Christ as the Bridegroom.

“Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 

He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. He must increase, but I must decrease.” John 3:28-30

Ephesians 5:25-32

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 

That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 

That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.  Ephesians 5:25-27

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.  This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:31-32

The Wedding Supper

Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. {see Ephesians 5:27}

And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. Revelation 19:7-9 

Anticipation

The night before we went to the fair with two of our grandchildren, the youngest had seen the large Ferris Wheel, all lit up and spinning.  She saw it again when we arrived and it was right in front of us as we entered the fairgrounds.  Of course, you know what we did first.  Yes, we went into one of the buildings with rows of cubicles filled with mostly handcrafted items for display and sale.  By the time we reached the end of the first row, the five year old could no longer stand the wait.  Her mom and I went to the big wheel and left her sister with her grandma and aunt.  It is so hard to wait when you are so very close in time or distance to what you desire the most.

The anticipation of Christ for His bride

We are a part of the eternal plan of God.  His desire was to create people, with attributes like Himself, to dwell with Him. “Let us make man in our own image”.  Angels worship God, but they are not created in His image.  He seeks people to worship him, as Jesus told the woman at the well, “in spirit and in truth.” John 4:23-24

Man is flesh and blood and needed a place to live.  This Earth was created for man, and first God dwelled with man. Genesis 3:8 records that God walked in the Garden, apparently His common practice, and spoke with man face to face.

Adam sinned, God could no longer dwell with him, and the Garden was lost. 

The entire message of the Bible is to return to the Garden.
A place where man can live with God. 

It is not until the time of Moses and the Exodus that God has a place to dwell among men. That was the Tabernacle of God in the Wilderness.  That too was lost.

Then there was the Temple at Jerusalem, designed like the Tabernacle. That was lost.

Now, instead of God dwelling among men, God anticipates a time when man will live with God.  The Tabernacle and the Temple were temporary and symbolic of what Hebrews 9:11 calls a “greater and more perfect tabernacle,” built by without hands, in Heaven.

That is the place that Jesus went to prepare, so that where He is we may dwell also! John 14:3.

The Lord Jesus was at an earthly wedding, thinking about a Heavenly wedding yet to come as described in Ephesians 5:27 and Revelation 19.

For Jesus, His bride had been chosen before He spoke the worlds into being. 

Ephesians 1:4-14 (Marriage on Earth is symbolic of a Heavenly Marriage)

• We are “chosen in Him before the foundation of the world.” (Ephesians 1:4)
• He made us accepted in the beloved (1:6)
• He made known to us the mystery of His will (1:9)
• That He might gather all things (1:10)
• That we should be the praise of His glory (12)
• We who trusted have been sealed with a promise (1:13 & 14)
• We have been given a pledge!
  

The anticipation of the bride for her Bridegroom.

In order to get back to the Garden relationship with man, God had to restore fallen man.  God was able to dwell among men in the Garden because man was innocent.  He can dwell with man once more, but only if mankind is righteous.

The promise to Eve was that a man would give His life to defeat Satan. Genesis 3:15

THE GOSPEL

Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 1 Corinthians 15:1

For He had made Him sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21

For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:  1 Corinthians 15:3-5

So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.  Hebrews 9:28

Before God could dwell with man, or man with God, the problem of sin had to be resolved. This was the purpose of the coming of Christ (Messiah) the first time. He came to prepare his bride.

For He (God), made Him (Christ), Sin FOR us (in our place and for our benefit), that we, might be made the righteousness of God (fit to appear in His presence), in Him (Christ). 2 Corinthians 5:21

So the illustration of the gospel is this.

• Place a Bible in one hand. In it is all that God has revealed to us about Himself and about ourselves. So let that Bible Represent Sin.
• Let the other hand represent Christ. He has no sin.
• Notice that when you try to place your hands together, they are separated (by sin). Sin separates us from God and prevents us from being in His presence.
• Read the first seven words of 2 Corinthians 5:21. For HE (God) made HIM (Christ), Sin FOR us.
• Place the Bible in the other hand. This represents Christ taking our sin upon Himself.
• Now, look at the hand that represents you. The sin is gone!
• Read the rest of the verse. That we might be made the righteousness of God in Him!
• Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:3
• Jesus rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures. 1 Corinthians 15:4
• Jesus was seen alive (proof that His sacrifice was accepted by the Father) 15:5
• Jesus is coming again, without sin. Hebrews 9:28

Now it is our turn to anticipate being with our bridegroom. 
We have the promise that “He will come again.” Acts 1:9-11

We have the promise that where He is there we may be also. John 14:3

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing. 2 Timothy 4:8

Robertson explains the force of the participle “to love” as being “to love, who loved and still love his second coming.” Are we lovers of His Coming?

For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. Philippians 3:20-21

Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Titus 2:13-14 

Do we anticipate His Coming Again with the same passion that He looks for His bride?

Amen