“Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.” —John 2:11
“Firsts” are special are they not? The first tooth, the first step, the first day of school, the first date, the first time to drive a car, the first child, the first grandchild. “Firsts” make quite an impact on our lives perhaps because they generally come as the fruition to what most of us disdain–waiting. Indeed, “firsts” carry with them a sense of wonder, awe, and amazement as waiting turns into reality.
Our verse for today speaks of the performance of Jesus’ first miracle, revealing His glory to the disciples, opening their eyes to the finger-marks of God, prompting them to put their faith in Him. Transforming water into wine, Jesus sets forth a taste of what is to come for man–the transformation of the heart. There is nothing like experiencing a miracle to build faith and point us to the truth!
The Jews had been waiting for their promised Messiah just as God had waited on the “fullness of time” for His Son to be born. God’s timing is perfect–never late or early and rarely when we expect it. Everything was ready when Jesus arrived on the scene. God’s Son, in whom all the fullness of the deity dwelt in bodily form, came to make God the Father known to man. Glory and splendor are shown to His disciples as Jesus turns the water into wine without a word. When things too hard for mere man to do are accomplished–things beyond the bounds of human powers–our attention is grabbed.
Jesus was a “first” in Scripture. We find in Romans:
“Because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” —Romans 8:29
Paul states in Colossians:
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created in him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers – all things were created through him and for him.
He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him.
He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things.
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross – through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” —Colossians 1:15-20
Take It to Heart
Christ both preceded the whole Creation and is Sovereign over all Creation. He is exalted as the firstborn among many, demonstrating to us a great pattern we are to follow: He came to do His Father’s will and to make His Father known; in like fashion, we too are to manifest Jesus.
Paul tells us:
“But we have this treasure in clay jars, so that the extraordinary power belongs to God and does not come from us. We are experiencing trouble on every side, but are not crushed; we are perplexed, but not driven to despair; we are persecuted, but not abandoned; we are knocked down, but not destroyed, always carrying around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be made visible in our body.” —2 Corinthians 4:7-10
The message of salvation and the results which the gospel produces are both divine and glorious. “To preach the gospel is really to unfold the heart of God, the person and work of Christ; and all this by the present energy of the Holy Ghost, from the exhaustless treasury of Holy Scripture.” —C. H. McIntosh, Notes on Numbers, 1869
Further Reflections
“God alone knows the depth and riches of His Godhead, and divine wisdom alone can declare His secrets.” —Thomas Aquinas
“Christ became what we are that He might make us what He is.” —Athanasius of Alexandria