The First Miracle of Jesus And Its Eschatological
Significance
The significance of
the first miracle of seven found in John’s Gospel is all the more shocking when
one realizes that this first miracle was Jesus’ first declarative sign of His
Deity. In all reality John could
have chosen many great miracles and signs that Jesus performed to declare His
deity but he chose this. Why leave
out the transfiguration on the mountain that John himself saw with his own
eyes. For whatever reason this
event did not make the cut but the wedding miracle at Cana of Galilee did. No other reference to Cana of Galilee
is found outside of John’s Gospel.
This is significant geographically, though there is much debate on where
exactly this spot is. Wherever is was it was the place Jesus chose to announce
His Deity.
What does turning
water into wine signify? Phrased
this way it would seem the miracle itself is in a vacuum but it is not. It is not just the miracle but its
symbolism and placement in Jewish society that gives it even more
significance. After even a cursory
study of this miracle it becomes apparent that this is a rich subject waiting
to yield many golden nuggets.
According to the
Tyndale Bible Dictonary:
When the Israelites
settled in Canaan, many of them married Canaanite women, much to the
consternation of those who desired to maintain the purity of the Hebrew
religion (1 Kgs 11:4). Such intermarriage was prohibited under Mosaic law (Ex
34:15–16; Dt 7:3–4), although many Israelites ignored these regulations and
continued to indulge in mixed marriages.[1]
Right away the geography of
this miracle reminds one of the many Jewish weddings of the past in this region
where the Jews disobeyed God in their marriage practices. Thus the place of this wedding and
Jesus’ involvement is significant almost as a sign of contrast. God in the flesh using an area
historically significant in its rejection of Godly marriage practices is much
like God in the flesh choosing the Cesearea Phillippi a land with many idols to
declare Himself the one true representative of God (Matt. 16:18). Both the wedding at Cana and the
Peter’s confession at Ceserea Phillippi contain an element of irony. More than anything though, it is a note
of contrast, perfectly fitting into the purpose for which Christ came to this
earth namely to be a light in the darkness. Declaration in this way is by definition one of contrast
bringing light in the midst of darkness.
To
the first century Jew the wedding carried great eschatological
significance. This was in contrast
to other culture in the orient at that time. Kittle’s Theological Dictionary of the New Testament is quite revealing in this regard. In a section entitled, “The Messianic
Wedding and Christian Marriage,” Kittle writes.
γάμος acquires its greatest religious significance where it
is used of the union or close connection between God and man. The thought of a
divine being having sexual intercourse with a human woman is common in the
ancient Orient. It is the presupposition of the ruler ideology of Egypt, of the
fertility rites of the Near East and of the Greek Mysteries both in classical
and Hellenistic times. The δρώμενον of Eleusis
represented the ἱερὸς γάμος between Zeus and Demeter,
between the lord of heaven and mother earth.32 The climax of the
Feast of Flowers consisted in the γάμος of Dionysus,
who came in human form to his earthly bride.33 Again, the heavenly
wedding is a sign set over the marriage of the earthly couple. Thus in the
“bridal chamber” of the Villa Item the wedding of Dionysus and Ariadne is
perhaps represented as a model for the future marriage of devotees.34
In Plato (Resp., V. 459 ff.), where the mythical and cultic realism is less
evident, the idea of the heavenly ἱερὸς γάμος gives both form and meaning to earthly marriage.
In the world of Israel and Judah, too, there is reference to the
marriage between God and the land or people of Israel. The OT, however, has no
hint of any actualisation of this relationship in mysteries, or of any
sensually perceptible union with the deity.35 On the contrary,
marriage is simply a symbol for the covenant between God and the people as this
is to be kept in all fidelity and renewed with all passion36 (Hos.
2:19; Is. 54:4 ff.; 62:4 f.; Ez. 16:7 ff.).
With the same strictness with which prophecy fought the ancient
fertility cults, Hellenistic Judaism damps the erotic impulse of the Mysteries,
e.g., in Wis. 14:23 ff.: ἢ γὰρ τεκνοφόνους τελετὰς ἢ κρύφια μυστήρια ἢ ἐμμανεῖς ἐξάλλων θεσμῶν κώμους ἄγοντες … οὔτε γάμους καθαροὺς ἔτι φυλάσσουσιν … γάμων ἀταξία, μοιχεία καὶ ἀσέλγεια.37 Philo uses the imagery of the
Hellenistic Mysteries together with the OT stories of Sarah and Leah to depict
in a varied allegory the truth that the ἀγέννητος θεὸς καὶ τὰ σύμπαντα γεννῶν is the πατήρ who in the ἀρεταί gives birth to beautiful and perfect works.38
Wholly along the lines of the OT the Rabbis extolled the conclusion of
the covenant at Sinai as the marriage of Yahweh with Israel. The Torah is the
marriage contract, Moses is the friend of the bridegroom and Yahweh comes to
Israel as a bridegroom to his bride.39 Acc. to Akiba the bride of
the Song of Songs is Israel as the bride of God. “I belong to my friend, and my
friend belongs to me. You have no part in him (God).” Thus speaks the people of
God in a great dialogue between Israel and the Gentiles composed by Akiba on
the basis of this text (M. Ex. on 15:2). But the final renewal of the covenant
between God and the people, intimated by the prophets, was expected by the
Rabbis in the days of the Messiah. Thus we often find the view that in these
days there will take place the true marriage feast.40 In this
connection the present age is that of engagement, the seven years of Gog will
be the period immediately prior to the marriage, the marriage itself will dawn
with the resurrection and the great marriage feast will be eaten in the future
world.41[2]
The great covenantal
quality of the Jewish wedding combined with the eschatological significance it
carried allows one to understand the great significance of this first
miracle. The ceremony of the
wedding itself will shed further light.
Weddings
lasted seven days and were well-attended affairs where distinguished guests and
prominent teachers were invited.[3] An initial observer immediately notices
the appropriateness of Jesus at this wedding. In western culture weddings tend to be a bit more private
making the Biblical wedding seem initially less public than perhaps it
was. To run out of wine at a
public wedding was definitely a social faux pas that would be remembered to the
shame of the host for years to come. Being that Mary was at the wedding she
being a woman would have noticed first that there was a shortage of wine. It seems that at this time it was
typical for wine to be stored near the women’s quarters.
Speaking of women, it is
important at this point to recognize the role of women in a marriage. With the Bible using language of
marriage to describe Jesus’ union to the church, it seems important to
understand the role the woman had in that is reflects the church. A.B. du Toit has this to say:
Like most other
nations in ancient Europe and the Near East, the Greeks and Romans originally
had a strong patriarchal family system. The family was a miniature state under
the absolute authority of the pater
familias (= father of the family),
whose rule over it was similar to the imperium
of the early Roman consul. He could
sell his own children, pack them off, or even put them to death. The sole
restriction on him was the unwritten law that he had to summon a family council
whenever serious breaches of the family code occurred. When the pater familias died, all male members of the family received their personal liberty,
and when they married, they in turn were vested with the authority of the pater familias. A woman could never escape tutelage. As long as she remained
unmarried, she was under the authority of her father or of another male blood
relation, while a married woman came under her husband’s authority. The
marriage was arranged without her by her father or guardian and the
bridegroom’s father; with the payment of a sum of money as compensation for the
loss of her services, she was transferred from one household to the other. She
possessed no property apart from her own personal wardrobe; if she had a dowry,
it went to her husband. Should she not satisfy him, she would be sent back to
her own family or given to another man.[6]
Keeping this in mind here
is the general layout of the Jewsh wedding:
The typical Jewish wedding took place at
night. As soon as any members of the wedding spotted the moving torches
signaling the groom's approach, their cry echoed through the streets, "The
bridegroom is coming." The Wycliffe Bible Encyclopedia tells us, "Mirth
and gladness announced their approach to townspeople waiting in houses along
the route to the bride's house." Upon hearing the announcement, the
excited bride would drop everything in order to slip into her wedding dress and
complete her final personal preparations for marriage. Rather than the groom entering the
bride's house, the bride came out to meet him. The two, accompanied by their
wedding party, returned together to the groom's home for the marriage
ceremony. Following the public ceremony, the newlyweds entered their
bridal chamber to be intimate with each other for the first time. After
this union, the groom came out and announced to the wedding guests, "Our
marriage is consummated." Upon receiving the glad news, the wedding party
began a "festive" seven-day celebration. The celebration lasted
seven days only if this was the first marriage of a virgin girl. During
this time the bride and the groom stayed with each other in seclusion. At
the end of this time of privacy, the groom would present his unveiled bride to
everyone in attendance. The newlyweds then joined in the wedding feast
with the guests.
Biblically this
is a perfect fit for what is to happen.
Below is a breakdown conveniently laid out on the web.
We know that
God calls the church "The Bride" or "Bride of Christ"
(Ephesians 5:22-33, 2 Corinthians 11:2-3, Jeremiah 2:1, Hosea 2:16). It is in
this context that we look at the Jewish wedding customs of that day and analyze
any likenesses with the church bride.
...In my
Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I
go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there ye may be also.
(John 14:1-3)
ANALOGY OF
THE JEWISH WEDDING CUSTOM
The first
major step in a Jewish marriage was Betrothal. This established the marriage
covenant.
Jesus
established an eternal covenant through His blood. His Holy Spirit is the
"ring" (if you will) - sealing the bride with a guarantee that He
will return for her. (Hebrews 13:20, Luke 22:20, *Ephesians 1:13)
The Jewish
bridegroom took the initiative in marriage by leaving his father's house and
traveling to the home of the prospective bride.
So Jesus left
His Father's house in heaven and traveled to the earth; the home of His
prospective Church (bride) [John 6:32-33;51]. Jesus came to earth to obtain the
church (bride) through the establishment of a covenant.
On the same
night Jesus made His promise in John 14, He instituted communion. In this
communion, he passed the cup of wine to the disciples saying: "This cup is
the new covenant in My blood." (1 Corinthians 1:25)
At the home
of the prospective bride, the Jewish bridegroom would negotiate with her father
to determine the price (mohar) that he must pay to purchase his bride.
Jesus paid a
price to purchase the church (bride). The price He paid was His life
blood. (Acts 20:28, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Once the
bridegroom paid the purchase price, the marriage covenant was established, and
the young man and woman were regarded as husband and wife. From that moment on,
the bride was declared to be consecrated or sanctified; set apart exclusively
for her bridegroom.
So the church
is said to be sanctified and set apart exclusively for Christ. (Ephesians
5:25-27, 1 Corinthians1:2; 6:11, Hebrews 10:10;13:12)
As a symbol
of the covenant relationship, the groom and bride would drink from a cup of
wine over which a betrothal benediction had been pronounced.
The cup of
communion serves as the symbol of the covenant through which Christ has
obtained the church (bride). (1 Corinthians11:25)
After the
marriage covenant was established, the groom would leave the bride's home and
return to his father's house. There he would remain separate from his bride for
a period of 12 months.
Just as the
Jewish groom left the home of his bride and returned to his father's house, so
Jesus left the earth, the home of the church (bride) and returned to His
Father's house in heaven after He'd established the new covenant and risen from
the dead. The church is currently living in this this period of separation
awaiting Christ's return. (John 6:62; 20:17)
During this
period of separation between the Jewish bride and groom, the bride would use
this time to gather her trousseau and prepare for her married life. The groom
occupied himself with the preparation of living accommodations in his father's
house where he would bring his bride.
Parallel to the
custom of the Jewish groom preparing living accommodations for his bride in his
father's house, Christ as been preparing living accommodations for the church
in His Father's house in heaven. (John 14:2)
At the end of
the period of separation, the groom would come to take his bride to live with
him. The taking of the bride usually took place at night.
So Christ
will come to take the church (bride) to live with Him at the end of the
separation period. (John 14:3)
The groom,
best man and other male escorts would leave the Jewish groom's father's house
and conduct a torch light procession to the home of the bride.
Just as the
taking of the Jewish bride was accomplished by a procession of the groom and
male escorts from the father's house to the bride's house, so the taking of the
church (bride) will be accomplished by a procession of Christ and an angelic
escort from heaven to the home of the church. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
Although the
Jewish bride was expecting her groom to come for her, she did not know the
exact time of his coming.
So the church
(bride) does not know the exact time of Christ's coming for her. (Matthew
25:1-13, Revelation 3:2-3;11)
As a result of the bride not knowing the
exact time the groom would come for her, the groom's arrival would be preceded
by a shout. This shout would forewarn the bride to be prepared for the coming
of the groom.
So Christ's arrival will be preceded by a
shout. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
After the Jewish groom received his bride
together with her female attendants, the enlarged wedding party would return
from the bride's home to the groom's father's house.
Similarly,
the church (bride) will return with Christ to His Father's house in heaven
after she is taken from the earth to meet Him. (1 Thessalonians 4:17,
John 14:2-3)
Upon arrival there, the wedding party
would find that the wedding guests had assembled already.
In the same
manner, Christ and the church (bride) will find the soul of Old Testament
saints assembled in heaven when they arrive. These souls serve as the wedding
guests.
Shortly after arrival, the bride
(remaining veiled) and groom would be escorted by the other members of the
wedding party to the bridal chamber (huppah)
While the
groomsmen and bridesmaids would wait outside, the bride and groom would enter
the bridal chamber alone. There in the privacy of that place they would enter
into physical union for the first time ~ consummating the marriage that was
covenanted earlier.
Parallel to
the custom of the Jewish groom and bride entering into physical union after
their arrival and thereby consummating the marriage that was covenanted
earlier, Christ and the church (bride) will experience spiritual union after
their arrival in heaven; thereby consummating their relationship covenanted earlier.
After the marriage was consummated, the
groom would announce the consummation to the other members of the wedding party
waiting outside the chamber. These people would in turn pass this news on to
the wedding guests. Upon hearing this good news, the wedding guests would begin
the feast and make merry for the next 7 days.
During those 7 days of the wedding
festivities (sometimes called "the 7 days of huppah"), the bride
remained hidden in the bridal chamber.
In
correspondence with the Jewish bride remaining hidden in the bridal chamber for
7 days after arrival at the groom's father's house, the church (bride) will
remain hidden for a period of 7 years after arrival in heaven.
While the 7 year tribulation period is
taking place on earth, the church will be hidden from the sight of those living
on the earth.
At the conclusion of the 7 days, the
groom would bring his bride out of the bridal chamber, now with her veil
removed, so that all could see who his bride was.
So Christ
will bring the Church (Bride) out of heaven in His second coming at the
conclusion of the 7-year tribulation period in full view of all who are alive,
so that all can see who the true Church (Bride) is. (Colossians 3:4, Jude
14)
In light of all
of the above details the final detail of the wine becomes the most simple. Rather than describe the many
references to wine in the Tanakh it is more powerful to simply quote Isaiah 25:
On this mountain the LORD of hosts will make for all
peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of
marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the
covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all
nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears
from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the
earth, for the LORD has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is
our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we
have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isaiah
25:6-9)
[1]Walter
A. Elwell and Philip Wesley. Comfort, Tyndale Bible Dictionary, Tyndale
reference library (Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2001), 862.
[2]Theological
Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey William Bromiley
and Gerhard Friedrich, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1964-c1976),
1:653-654.
[3]Craig
S. Keener and InterVarsity Press., The IVP Bible Background Commentary : New
Testament (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Jn 2:2-3.
[6]A.B.
du Toit, The New Testament Milieu (Halfway House: Orion, 1998).
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