2. Turning Water into Wine

Question 1

1. What Happened?

Answer 1

• Wedding took place at Cana, in the presence of Jesus, his mother and disciples
- Weddings in 1st century Palestine would last several days with the hose being expected to entertain guests. When wine runs out, guests are disappointed.

• Jesus’ mother (never called ‘Mary’ in John) asks JC to act

• Why did she do this? Some believe Mary was involved in organising…
• Bishop John Spong: proposes it was JC’s own wedding (mother’s responsibility to prepare food and drink). However, most teach that JC never married

• Jesus refers to her as ‘woman’: respectful but distant
- This fits John’s belief that he is the Word made Flesh and not an ordinary son

Question 2

2. Genesis

Answer 2

• Links to Genesis story of the Garden of Eden where Christ is the ‘new Adam’
• Sign takes place “on the third day” (which is when God created plants and fertility)
• Addressing Mary as “woman” links her to Eve.
• As mother of Christ, Mary is mother to a new perfect Creation just as Eve was mother to an old Fallen Creation .
• Wedding at Cana is a symbol of God’s new Creation or the joys of heaven.

Question 3

3. Crucifixion

Answer 3

• Scene links to crucifixion and resurrection
• The ‘hour’ that JC refers to is his hour of Glory on the cross where JC drinks bitter wine, declares “it is finished” and dies.
• This is the only other scene in John where Jesus’ mother is present and Jesus once again addresses her as “woman”
• On “the third day”, JC is raised from the dead
• This makes Wedding at Cana a symbol for JC’s passion and glorious resurrection (where disappointment turns into rejoicing)

Question 4

4. Symbolism of Water

Answer 4

• Jesus directs servants to serve water, which miraculously becomes wine
• Water was used for ceremonial washing by Jewish guests, so that they would be pure at the wedding.
• Water represents Jewish religion, which cleanses the body and does not touch the mind or soul.
• JC turn this into intoxicating wine (provides life-changing religious experience)

Question 5

5. “Fill the Jars”

Answer 5

• Tastes the wine and is amazed at its quality.
• He represents the spiritually blind Jews and Gentiles who are in darkness
• “the servants knew” because they represent the Christians who share the wine of Christian faith.

Question 6

6. Master of the Banquet

Answer 6

• Traditionally, good wine is served first and later on, inferior wine.
• However, JC says this quote to the groom.
• The wedding party symbolises the covenant between God and the Jewish People. Previous wine is the Law of Moses and earlier prophets
• The best wine that has been serves last is Jesus himself.

Question 7

7. “You have saved the best till now”

Answer 7

• Some would argue that the disciples had the wine hidden in the house and substitutes it for the water before it was served.
• Sign is a ‘spiritual theatre’ rather than a miracle.
• However, Jesus does not follow sign with a Discourse
• Jesus seems unwilling to perform the sign. (Messianic Secret)

Question 8

8. Implications

Answer 8

• Sign enacts the teaching “I am the True Vine”
• Jesus is the source of celebration and joy (Word of God is source of light)
• This is what Brown calls the Sapiental Theme.
• There is also a sacramental theme: there is no Last Supper in John so this scene establishes the concepts behind the Eucharist.

• This scene also shows Jesus enjoying himself at the wedding (God’s approval of marriage, sex and pleasure) (Important because Essenes were Celibate)
- Paul: Paul argues celibacy is preferable to married life.

Question 9

Summary

Answer 9

1. What Happened?
2. Genesis
3. Crucifixion
4. Symbolism of Water
5. “Fill the Jars”
6. Masters of the Banquet
   7 “You have saved the best till now”
7. Implications