If you were in  Jesus’ shoes and you were about to grab the world’s  attention with your first miracle, what might that first miracle be? Might you reverse global warming or end third world poverty? Jesus’ first miracle was to turn water into wine at the Wedding of Cana. To many it seems a  frivolous kind of miracle something akin to a party trick, but John relates the miracle with good reason. John’s gospel is quite different in character from the other three. It’s written in a very symbolic style, and it doesn’t follow the same order, or record the same stories as the others. St. John is concerned in showing us signs, which gradually reveal the glory of God through Jesus. The author seems to be mainly interested in the significance of the deeds of Jesus. So what is the significance of this miracle? John writes, “This is written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.” Suddenly confronted with enough wine to swim in, the disciples had no choice but to begin to believe in who Jesus really was. Neither would the symbolism have been lost on the people of the time. It was the people’s belief that at the time of salvation God would provide a table for feasting for his servants and a cup that would never run dry. In short, the substance of the sign was of no consequence at all; it was the message the sign conveyed that was all-important.

The symbolism we read in this first miracle speaks of an old religion bogged down with oppressive rules and laws liberated by a new faith governed by love,  compassion, joy, generosity, and abundance. Being a Christian is a very serious business, and as Christians we are asked to address life and death issues, but that doesn’t mean we should trudge around with long pious faces. Jesus frequently likens the Kingdom of God to a feast, so smile…. the changing of water to wine is a sign of better things to come.