Explore The New TestamentSample

SAY WHAT? (What is the passage saying?)

• Jesus turned water into wine for his first miracle. John says this was when the disciples first put their faith in Jesus.
• Jesus made a ton of wine for the party. Also, notice the master of the banquet says this wine is far better than what they had before without Jesus.
• In the second story we see Jesus "clear the temple." There were vendors who were taking advantage of the people who had come to worship God. Jesus does not tolerate this, forcefully removing them from the temple.
• In verse 18 the Jewish leaders question Jesus about his authority to do this. Jesus answers with a somewhat cryptic statement, which John explains (in verses 21-22) is about his resurrection. The answer is hard for the Jews to hear because it expressed Jesus as superior to their religious worship.

SO WHAT? (What are the underlying principles?)

• Jesus' first miracle was to turn something religious (the water for ceremonial washing) into something alive (wine is actually alive) and festive. This was probably no coincidence. Jesus came to take stale religion and make it come alive by making it about a relationship with God rather than just ceremonial practices and traditions.

NOW WHAT? (How will you personally apply this passage?)

• Where is your faith right now? Is it waning? Is it about religion? About the "ceremonies" of showing up at church and maybe giving a little money to the offering and reading your Bible once in awhile? OR is it about a living relationship with God? Does having Jesus make your life way better than what it was without him? Ask Jesus to "clear you" of anything that needs to be removed from your life, anything that is holding you back from a life-giving relationship with God, and to turn the "ceremonial" water of your life into life-filled "wine".