In John 2, Jesus turns water into wine, the first of his signs recorded in the Gospel of John. But why this miracle? Of all the things he could have done, why produce such an abundance of wine at a wedding feast?
To answer that, we have to go back to the Old Testament. The prophets often describe the coming Messianic age as a time overflowing with wine.
- In Genesis 49, when Jacob blesses Judah, he says his garments will be washed in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. There’s so much wine it’s as common as water.
- In Joel 3:18, the mountains “shall drip sweet wine.”
- In Isaiah 25:6, the feast of salvation is pictured with “well-aged wine…wine well refined.”
- In Amos 9:13, the mountains will drip with sweet wine and the hills will flow with it.
Throughout the prophetic literature, abundant wine is the symbol of the Messianic age when God comes to bless his people. So when Jesus turns water into wine, he’s not just saving a wedding party from embarrassment or showcasing his power. He’s declaring that the long-awaited Messianic age has arrived. The Bridegroom is here.
