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The Wedding at Cana

The Wedding at Cana: From Purification to Glory 🍷

A Presentation on the Transformation of the Law from John 2:1-11

The first miracle performed by Jesus, changing water into wine at a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee, is often celebrated simply as an act of compassionate provision. However, its most profound theological lesson lies in the specific vessels Jesus used—six waterpots of stone—and their connection to Jewish ceremonial law.

The miracle demonstrates Jesus’s authority to transform the old system of ritualistic purification into the new reality of the New Covenant and the glory of the Kingdom.

The Prophetic Hotspot: The Six Pots of Stone

The key to understanding the miracle is the detail provided in John 2:6 (KJV):

“And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.” (John 2:6, KJV)

1. The Function: Purification

These were not just any containers; they were required for the ceremonial purification (katharismos) rituals essential to Jewish life. Before and after meals, hands were washed using this water to ensure ritual cleanness.

  • The number six symbolizes incompleteness or humanity’s work (falling short of the divine perfection of seven). The six stone pots represent the inability of the Old Covenant system—the external, ritual Law—to truly cleanse the heart.

2. The Transformation: From Law to Glory

Jesus did not create new water or bring in new vessels. He commanded the servants to fill the old containers of the incomplete ceremonial law with water, then transformed that very water into the wine of the New Covenant.

“Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.” (John 2:7, KJV)

  • The Wine: In Scripture, wine is often a symbol of joy, abundance, and the coming of the Messianic age (Amos 9:13, KJV). By transforming the water of purification into the wine of glory, Jesus declared that the Messianic age had arrived. He took the external, incomplete ritual (purification water) and replaced it with the internal, perfect reality (the fullness and joy of the Kingdom).

The Return Question: The King’s Authority

The miracle at Cana is a foundational moment that establishes Christ’s authority to supersede the ceremonial requirements of the Law.

  • Finality of the Law: This miracle foreshadows Jesus’s greater work: He came not only to fulfill the moral Law (as discussed in the Transfiguration article) but also to replace the ceremonial Law by becoming the ultimate source of purification and joy. No further rituals are needed because He perfectly completed the work.
  • The Glory: The Evangelist John concludes the account by stating: “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” (John 2:11, KJV).

The “glory” manifested was not just the power to create wine, but the authority to inaugurate the New Covenant, turning the incomplete system of the six stone pots into a demonstration of the boundless, joyous provision that defines the King and His everlasting dominion.