When Jesus Went to a Party

By Mike Benson

    Non-canonical myth would have us believe that Jesus as a boy performed various miraculous feats. The inspired John tells us otherwise. This was his very first “sign” (John 2:11).

    We don’t know the identity of the bride and groom. It is likely that they were friends of the family. Jesus, his mother and the twelve disciples were among the invited guests (v. 2).

    Something potentially embarrassing happened during this important occasion.1 The drink ran out. Mary told her son, “They have no wine” (v. 3). First century wedding feasts often lasted for as long as a week. This situation was wrought with problems. Imagine hosting a modern reception and running out of wedding cake and punch. Then imagine being taken to court for such a blunder!2

    Jesus told the servants to fill the six stone water pots with water to the brim (v. 7). (Each container held between twenty and thirty gallons a piece (v. 6). He then instructed them to dip some of the “liquid” out and offer it to the “head waiter.” The man, not aware of the miracle that had occurred, assumed that the best wine had been saved for the latter part of the feast (v. 10).

    Virtually every time this passage is considered, folks want to know what kind of wine Jesus made. That question ought to be addressed, but other important points also need to be considered. Note:

    I. Jesus went to a party. Some people are of the opinion that Christianity must be dominated by that which is somber and serious. Children of God must never pursue any sort of activity that lends itself toward merriment or lightheartedness. Jesus certainly never subscribed to that way thinking. On a contrary, he not only attended this joyous social function, the Lord even “helped” with the refreshments. By his very presence, Jesus illustrates that we can participate in the gladsome affairs of this life (Ecclesiastes 10:19; Proverbs 17:22).

    II. Jesus went to a party, but he didn’t engage in any sinful activity. Today it is virtually impossible to attend a group affair without some sort of alcohol being served. Yes, Jesus made drink at a wedding feast, but he did not make intoxicating drink. Scripture is clear about inebriant spirits. “Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink” (Isaiah 5:22; cf. Proverbs 20:1). Someone objects, “But Mike, Jesus made wine and wine is an intoxicant!” Actually, the word “wine” as it is employed in Scripture is used in two senses. First, it is used in reference to fresh grape juice in an unfermented state (Isaiah 16:10; Joel 2:24; cf. Isaiah 65:8). Second, it is used as an intoxicant (Proverbs 23:29-34). Study the text in John 2 closely. The guests had “well drunk” (v. 10), then Jesus made somewhere in upwards of 180 gallons of new wine. Think about that for a moment. Would the Lord provide such a quantity of liquor to a group that had well drunk (Galatians 5:19-21; cf. Habakkuk 2:15)?

1 One thing that seems strange to us is that there was a strong element of reciprocity. If one gave a feast of such and such a quality (and quantity!) when his son was married, he was entitled to an equivalent when his neighbor’s son was married. If the neighbor did not provide it, he could be taken to court and sued; a wedding feast was not simply a social occasion, but involved a legal obligation. …It is quite possible that the bridegroom of John 2 and his family were financially unable to provide all that was necessary for the wedding feast. It is often said that it is unlikely that Jesus would have performed a miracle like this simply to rescue people from a minor social embarrassment. Quite so. But it may well have been much more than that. It may be that Jesus rescued a young couple from a financial liability that would have crippled them economically for years (Leon Morris, “A Wedding in Cana,” Reflections on the Gospel of John 70).

2 …It is likely that the family responsible was in a difficult financial situation. That the wine ran out is itself evidence of the fact that they were poor. Had they not been in straitened circumstances, they would never have allowed such an occurrence. It is almost certain that some of the guests were people who had previously entertained the present hosts and were thus entitled to demand an equivalent hospitality. There may even have been the prospect of a lawsuit. We must not think of the situation as a very minor affair, with nothing much hinging on the outcome (Morris 72).