John 2:6, commentary and pictures

At a marriage feast in Cana at the opening of His ministry stood six large stone jars by the doorway, kept for Jewish purification and holding two or three firkins apiece. At His word the servants filled them to the brim with water and drew out to the ruler of the feast, and the water had become wine of the finest quality, better than that served before. That wine was pure unfermented juice of the grape, wholesome and refreshing, for He never made nor endorsed intoxicating drink and the miracle gives no sanction to the use of fermented wine. By His presence and first miracle at a household gathering He sanctioned marriage as a divine and sacred institution, to exalt and restore it to its original sanctity. The water represents baptism into His death and the wine His blood shed to cleanse the world from sin, with ample supply for forgiveness, turning the common things of life into something heavenly.

Setting and Waterpots

John 2:6 belongs to the opening of the ministry, to the first work and first miracle of Jesus. It was done not as a great public work before the Sanhedrim at Jerusalem but at a household gathering and marriage festival in Cana. Cana was a little Galilean village and small town near Nazareth.

The wedding involved relatives of Joseph and Mary, and many influential persons were gathered there. Jesus came with His newly made disciples. After arrival He and His friends received a special invitation and graced the feast with His presence.

He came soon after separation from His mother, His baptism by John, and temptation and long fast in the wilderness. He had been absent two months, during which His widowed mother mourned His sufferings with sorrow and with joy over His Messiahship. He met her as the same tender, dutiful son, yet changed in countenance with marks of conflict, holy expression, and gentle dignity. He was accompanied by young men who called Him Master and declared Him Jesus of Nazareth of whom Moses and the prophets wrote.

There were set there six large waterpots or jars of stone. They stood at the entrance and beside the doorway. They were kept after the manner of Jewish purification and marriage customs. Each contained two or three firkins apiece.

The required washing for purification had been burdened with extreme, tedious forms and procedures beyond what God commanded. Cleansing and refreshment had thus been turned into excess.

Miracle Act and Result

At His word the servants were told to fill the six stone purification pots to the brim with water. He did not touch the water nor approach the jars, but simply looked upon it, and the water became the finest wine. The filling was of the jars identified as holding two or three firkins apiece for the Jewish manner of purifying.

He then told the servants to draw out now and bear it to the governor or ruler of the feast. When drawn, the water had been made wine of the purest flavor and finest quality. It was better than the wine served earlier and the best the guests had tasted.

The ruler tasted it with glad surprise and commended it to the bridegroom as good wine kept until now. The bridegroom made no reply and did not know whence it had come. The servants who drew it knew and told how water had been changed to wine, and the quality prompted questions that revealed a miracle had been performed.

After the miracle Jesus withdrew so quietly that even His disciples did not notice.

Symbolic Meaning Explained

The water held in the six stone vessels set for Jewish purification represented baptism into Christ's death. The wine made from that water represented His blood shed to cleanse and purify the world from sin. The largeness of the supply, filling all six pots to the brim, illustrated abundant provision for forgiveness.

The change itself shows how Christ takes the common water of life and the common things of life and turns them into something heavenly, into the wine of heaven. He does this work together with a mother closely connected with Him, so that a God-fearing mother's ministry of love makes home life and the Christian home a Bethel.

Pure Wine and Temperance

The wine drawn from the six stone pots was the best the guests had tasted, yet it was unfermented, pure juice of the grape, clarified and refined, a wholesome and refreshing drink rather than an intoxicant. Christ never made or endorsed intoxicating or fermented wine, for to do so would have been contrary to all His teachings and example. The changing of water into wine therefore gives no support for the moderate use of fermented wine.

He is the same One who led Israel in the wilderness and spoke the law from Sinai. He forbade those in holy office to use wine so they might have clear judgment to distinguish between the common and the sacred, do justice, teach His statutes, and refuse bribes. He told the wife of Manoah to drink no wine or strong drink because her son would be a Nazarite from birth, and He told Zacharias that the unborn John should drink no wine or strong drink, so He would not then make intoxicating wine for a wedding feast.

The charge that He was a Sabbath-breaker and wine-bibber is false, refuted by His character and teachings and by His declaration that He kept His Father's commandments. Had He been a wine-bibber He could not have been a perfect offering, and the virtue of His blood would have been of no avail. The drink He provided was the same kind later given at the first communion, pure juice in its natural state being the only proper symbol of Christ's blood established by Himself. Just as no leaven was allowed in the bread, no fermentation was allowed in the wine, and fermented wine should never be placed on the Lord's table.

The standard for the home is to have no wine nor liquor except fresh grape juice, with not one particle of fermentation in it. Its object and effect was to bring the taste into harmony with a healthful appetite, and to bring the perverted taste of the governor of the feast to a healthy condition by leading him to acknowledge that this wine was superior in quality to any he had tasted. This followed His long fast in the wilderness, suffered to break the power of appetite over man, which had led among other evils to the free use of intoxicating liquor.

His provision teaches bringing the lower nature into subjection and shows His whole life of self-denial to break the power of appetite. By making this safe, pure drink He set an example of temperance for all people and showed He did not endorse intoxicating wine. He would never place before anyone what would tempt to evil or minister to evil.

Marriage Honored and Blessed

The six stone waterpots stand in the account of Jesus' first miracle at a marriage festival in Cana, and His presence there sanctioned marriage as a divine, sacred institution and ordinance which He Himself had formed and blessed. That presence gave high endorsement to marriage as a sacred ordinance and treated the marriage covenant with respect, honoring the marriage relation. Marriage thus joined with purity, holiness, truth, and righteousness is a great blessing to the human family. His attendance showed that He would not refuse His presence at marriage occasions.

Marriage is not forbidden by God. He enforces celibacy upon no class of men, and He came not to destroy marriage but to exalt it and restore it to its original sanctity. He came to restore, elevate, purify, and ennoble pure affection, so that the earthly family might symbolize the family in heaven. It was His design that men and women should form families whose members would be honored as part of the family above. Upon the family relationship where sacred and unselfish love bears sway He looks with pleasure.

The power put forth among those waterpots was put forth to add to the joy of a wedding feast, showing sympathy with men and desire to minister to their happiness. Having drunk the cup of woe in the wilderness of temptation, He came forth to give men the cup of blessing, hallowing the relations of human life by His benediction. The miracle showed His care for people's needs and confirmed the disciples' faith in Him.

He came in full sympathy with pure joy and would put no cloud over the happiness of family and guests. The feast was a solemn occasion whose innocent joy and happiness pleased Him. Innocent happiness was pleasing to Him, and His presence at the celebration sanctioned a gathering marked by innocent happiness. He gives His sanction to every gathering that is pure and lovely and of good report.

Social Ministry Example

The six stone jars for Jewish purification mark the wedding at Cana as the place where public ministry began, and attending that household feast was a deliberate step in reform. There He began to break down Jewish exclusiveness and prejudice and to break down religious and social separation and social barriers, mingling with people to bring them together as one family and to reach all classes. That same work at the feast helped break down Jewish prejudices and taught the disciples sympathy and humanity.

He met people in ordinary social settings and festal gatherings instead of withdrawing from them, taking part in social life, gracing the celebration with His presence, and refusing to shun ordinary social life or His own countrymen. The wedding He attended shows He did not shun ordinary social gatherings but shared in the social life of His countrymen. His presence there at the opening of ministry belonged to a festal gathering He chose to attend.

Unlike the austere and secluded Pharisees and dignitaries, He lived a genial and beneficent life among men to bless them. In contrast to their self-righteous bigotry, rigid and condemning ways, narrow rules of religious propriety, icy chilliness, reserve and exclusiveness, His conduct showed liberal mercy and generous conduct with no shadow of worldly levity. He joined the mixed festal assembly and sanctioned the social gathering with His presence while remaining free from worldly conformity. His gracious, generous conduct and precious teaching revealed how unlike Pharisaic restrictive self-righteousness He was.

He used presence and teaching on that occasion to bless those around Him, to enshrine Himself in their hearts, to reveal His character, and to give them opportunity to become acquainted with Him. That acquaintance let guests see the marked contrast between His life and teachings and those of the Pharisees. The example rebukes icy chilliness, reserve and exclusiveness in His followers, who should seek the society of fellow men to bestow heavenly benefits rather than remain withdrawn or bound by narrow religious propriety. The miracle itself taught the disciples sympathy and humanity while helping break down their prejudices.

Faith Witness and Application

The changing of the water in the six stone purification jars showed power beyond ordinary human healing, and the servants' account of it amazed the guests, gave the disciples opportunity to acknowledge Jesus as Saviour of the world, confirmed their faith, and testified that He was the world's Redeemer.
That same display of power showed the nobleman that Jesus could do what no ordinary healer could do, and encouraged him to believe and to seek Jesus for his dying son.
The report spread through all that region even to Jerusalem, causing priests and elders to search with new interest the prophecies pointing to Christ's coming, with intense anxiety to know the aim and mission of the new Teacher who came unassumingly yet did what no other man had done.
It prepared the way for a warm and cordial reception in Galilee, for people returning from the Passover carried news of it along with reports of His other works.
Those reports included His cleansing of the desecrated temple and His healings of the sick, blind, and deaf, so that many hoped He was the looked-for Deliverer who had power against the rulers and priests.

Together with the feeding of the multitude, the providing of wine and food at the feast teaches that God provides for human needs and gives guidance and knowledge for preparing suitable, wholesome foods and health foods for different times and occasions.
The business of supplying food to meet human necessity is one of God's own instrumentalities, and God as the heavenly Provider of all foods will not leave His people in ignorance but will teach them how to prepare the best foods for all times and occasions.
Turning the common water of life into heavenly wine illustrates how Christ works together with a God-fearing mother closely connected with Him.
Her ministry of love makes home life and the Christian home a Bethel.

The passage calls for living in harmony with the laws of health and teaching others the better way, line upon line and precept upon precept, keeping the subject fresh because it is essential.
It arouses conscience to the duty of practicing true health reform and being temperate in all things, without which there is no susceptibility to the sanctifying influence of truth.
Ministers must become intelligent upon true health reform and temperance, not ignore nor dismiss it as extremism, but teach it by precept and by quiet, consistent example, with instruction at large gatherings to arouse intellect and conscience, using all talent at command and following up with publications.
Those who would follow Christ must be grounded upon the principles of truth, understand what the Bible teaches in regard to faith and sanctification through the truth, remain unmoved from the true doctrine of holiness, illustrate in life the practical workings of this heaven-given principle, and be able to distinguish between the genuine and the spurious.