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The Gospel of John, The Wedding at Cana, John 2:1-11, Part I - Lesson 10
This is how the world may have seen the Wedding of Cana
Wedding of the Season in Cana from the Society Page of the Cana Gazette
22 Sebat 3788
Seven days of celebration were recently enjoyed in Cana where Zadok the son of Ezra and Sarah the daughter of Zebadiah were united in marriage.
Sara had been espoused to Zadok by her father Zebadiah since she was a small child.
Vows were pronounced at the bridegroom's house in the presence of Rabbi Obadiah of Cana and many guests from the surrounding towns and villages.
The groom met the bride for the first time as she left her father's house and entered the ceremony carrying white roses and valley lilies and clothed in a white woven lace total veil covering, a gilded chaplet for her head, with her face covered by an illusion veil.
Her necklace was a single pearl inset in gold and bracelets were prominent.
Perfumes from the bride and flowers, filled the air as the young couple were joined in marriage.
Guests were given white robes to wear for the duration of the celebration.
The bride's mother wore a silk flowered robe especially made for the joyous celebration and the grooms mother was also arrayed in the most fashionable attire.
All present were lavish in their praise of the Governor of the Wedding who provided the finest of wine this town has known.
Mary, the wife of the late Joseph of Nazareth was responsible for the catering of this fine celebration.
Out of town guests included Jesus, the son of Joseph of Nazareth, Philip, Andrew and Peter of Bethsaida, and John of Capernaum.
Following the seven days of joyous celebration the happy couple journeyed by camel to the temple in Jerusalem for sacrifice, dedication and thanksgiving to God.
After returning from their month long travels to varied places in Israel the happy pair have taken up residence in Cana where Zadok has joined his father in the family business.
Read John 2:1-11
John in this passage shows how Jesus, by a significant sign, and in answer to a specific need, showed the nature of the new order of things that he brought to displace the old; grace to replace the law.
The pots were empty, the old wine was gone, there was a need for new wine and the only one to satisfy the thirsty wedding guests was the Christ, the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Symbolically this is a picture of change from law to grace.
The early wine was gone and had supplied the guests for only a portion of the wedding.
The wedding was not concluded and could not be counted a success.
The guests remained thirsty and were not satisfied.
Something was needed to finish the wedding. Jesus had that something.
Law had served its purpose but now grace (the better wine) was needed to brings God's plan to fruition.
In the first chapter Jesus Christ has been announced, and followed and in this passage we see him believed in.
The scene finds him among family and friends and not among the "people" or in the "world".
John in this passage describes the time and scene, the occasion, the manner, the result, and the effect of Christ's first sign.
Jesus Christ, not only used the occasion of this wedding to perform his first miracle, but he also sanctifies the marriage relationship.
Marriage was God's idea in the first place and entering into it should be within the confines of his purpose for it.
It was ordained by God in the Garden of Eden and in this passage, the Savior, for all time, set his stamp of approval upon it.
In the book of Genesis, the Lord institutes marriage, and in the book of John he honors it with His presence.
By attending this gathering our Lord approved and glorified this sacred institution.
We see that Christ was invited there.
We do not know in whose honor the wedding was held. Their names are not important. But Christ's presence is essential to any happy marriage so this could be representative of any marriage.
So many marriage ceremonies are conducted in a church but few marriages are in Christ.
There would be more spiritual marriages if every couple recognized the divine significance of a wedding and actively sought the Lord's blessing and experienced his power and endorsement of their union and then lived in that blessing and power.
Customs of Weddings in Jesus' day: (from various passages in the Bible)
The Bride was chosen by the parent, or by a friend.
Espousal was confirmed by an oath and the giving of presents to the bride.
A parent often received a dowry for his daughter.
Removal of the bride from her father's house was the ceremony of the marriage
A bath was a formal proceeding in ancient marriages.
A veil was the characteristic attire of the bride, covering her whole person along with a girdle, a gilded chaplet for her head and her hair would be flowing.
In oriental lands the bridegroom seldom saw the features of the bride before the wedding.
Her robes would be white, she was covered with jewels, and she would be highly perfumed.
At the bridegrooms house a feast was prepared lasting from one to fourteen days.
Guests were given robes.
Newly married men were exempt from military service for one year.
Let us then look at each verse to see how this applies to us. What is God wanting us to learn from this passage?
Verse 2:1,2, And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
Cana, Nathaniel's home town, is thought to have been about 4 and 1/2 miles from Nazareth and Nazareth is about 60 miles, three days journey, from the place where John the Baptist was baptizing.
The third day mentioned here probably means the third day from the last mention of the day when Jesus found Phillip in verse 1:43.
It took them three days to come to Cana to the wedding.
They knew how to enjoy a wedding and when one went to a wedding they expected to stay for many days and celebrate the joyous occasion in a style that is unknown to us today in our culture.
John mentions Mary by referring to her as the mother of Jesus, he does not use her name Mary in his gospel but uses the phrase "mother of Jesus."
He does use the name Joseph but not Mary, always preferring, "mother of Jesus."
Perhaps John used this term in order to avoid confusion with other Marys that are mentioned in his gospel. |