SOAP Reading: John 2

“This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory.” – John 2:11

At a wedding in Cana, Jesus turned water into wine, demonstrating His power and care for life’s small joys. He transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary, just as He can transform our lives when we surrender to Him. Through this “first sign” of Jesus’ glory, according to John, we are given a glimpse into Jesus’ ultimate purpose: inaugurating God’s promised kingdom and the rule of His Messiah over all the nations. According to Isaiah 25, God would swallow up death forever, save His people, and turn their tears into gladness, all at a celebration “banquet of refined and aged wine,” (Is. 25:6-9).

If we’re careful, we might notice that the first sign is given on the “third day,” (John 2:1). At the end of the chapter, Jesus’ response to the religious elites’ angry demand for a “sign,” is a the destruction and “raising up” of the temple on the “third day,” (John 2:19). The fulfillment of this very prediction will be the seventh of Jesus’ “signs” later in the book of John. At the beginning of John’s story, he has revealed to us both the beginning and the end–a glimpse of the “joy set before” Jesus1, and the cruciform cost. And both are miracles to be realized on the “third day.”
Perhaps most baffling of all, Jesus’ mother seems to change Jesus’ timeline with her request, boldly asking, and then releasing control with her confident instructions: “Whatever He tells you, do it,” (John 2:5). May we also be “pushy” for heaven to “marry” earth in our own time and space, simultaneously releasing the outcomes to our compassionate and generous Heavenly Father.

Reflection:

  • What “ordinary” part of your life could God transform if surrendered to Him?
  • How do you see His care for your daily needs and joys?
  • How can this story inspire greater trust in His timing?
  1. Hebrews 12:2 ↩︎