One of the most misconstrued stories in the Bible is the one where Jesus turned water into wine in the wedding at Cana. Many Christians have attempted to squeeze out truth from this scripture. Some are spot on while there are those who completely miss the point.
A common misinterpretation of that story is one that says it is completely fine to get drunk on wine because Jesus provided barrels of it. As funny as that interpretation sounds, it's out there and people are being mislead.
The miracle at the wedding at Cana where Jesus turned water into wine was the first recorded miracle, which made it a memorable one. And indeed it's a miracle worth noting not just because it's truly a work of the supernatural but because it carries for us messages that go beyond the apparent phenomenon that people witnessed that day. Here are three lessons we can learn from this account.
1. Jesus can provide all we need
God won't provide all you ask for, most especially if He knows it's going to destroy you. That being said, I doubt God will turn water into wine for alcoholics today. But God can and will provide miraculously for needs He knows must be met to empower you to pursue Him and His purposes.
1 John 5:14 says, "And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us."
The key is to ask according to His will and through Christ Jesus.
2. Stop focusing on the 'wine'
When asked by His mother to do something about the shortage of wine, Jesus responded saying, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? (John 2:5)
This statement almost seemed rhetorical. Why? Because the miracle had everything to do with God.
One sad aspect of the story was that the bride and groom (and many of the attendees of the wedding) never got to know the "wine maker" because they were too focused on the wine.
What is your wine today? Maybe it's a job you want, finances you're praying for or a house you want to buy. Whatever it is, don't let it take your eyes of the Person of Christ.
3. Believe in the messenger, not just the message
The purpose of this miracle is made clear in John 2:11: "This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him."
The goal was to make people believe in Jesus first and foremost before anything else.
When God causes miracles, He doesn't want us to just believe in miracles, signs, and wonders. He wants us to believe in Him and to cause others to believe in Him. The purpose of signs and wonders is to point to the power, person, and reality of God. Not for us to have our fill of wine, bread, money, glory, fame or whatever we get out of a miracle. The point is not the message, but the messenger.
