The First Sign: Water

October 4, 2023

John 2:1-12 | Genesis 2:6-10

There’s something really neat going on in the gospel of John.

You may have noticed that the first verse of the gospel uses the same language as the first book of the Bible - “In the beginning…”. Much of what we’ll go on to read throughout this gospel will show that this is an intentional move by John’s writer(s).¹

We’ll cover more of this as we go along in the coming days, but for now, in general, John is alluding to the book of Genesis and does so throughout the gospel. Images of water and light and more will surface time and again.

Additionally, while the other gospels tell of Jesus performing many miracles, John’s gospel does not. We will read of only seven. And John does not call them miracles, but rather signs.

And today we’re reading the first of the seven. For this sign, Jesus tells water what to do, just like the Creator in Genesis on the first and second days.

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John 2:1-12

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They don’t have any wine.”

Jesus replied, “Woman, what does that have to do with me? My time hasn’t come yet.”

His mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby were six stone water jars used for the Jewish cleansing ritual, each able to hold about twenty or thirty gallons.

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some from them and take it to the headwaiter,” and they did. The headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine. He didn’t know where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.

The headwaiter called the groom and said, “Everyone serves the good wine first. They bring out the second-rate wine only when the guests are drinking freely. You kept the good wine until now.” This was the first miraculous sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

After this, Jesus and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there for a few days.

Genesis 1:6-10

God said, “Let there be a dome in the middle of the waters to separate the waters from each other.” God made the dome and separated the waters under the dome from the waters above the dome. And it happened in that way. God named the dome Sky.

There was evening and there was morning: the second day.

God said, “Let the waters under the sky come together into one place so that the dry land can appear.” And that’s what happened. God named the dry land Earth, and he named the gathered waters Seas. God saw how good it was.

Prayer

God,

Thank you for today. Thank you for new beginnings. Thank you for establishing that which is good in the very first place.

Help me today to enter into all situations and conversations presuming goodness and working toward hope.

By your spirit and in Christ,

Amen

1. The gospel of John is widely believed to have been collected and written by a community led by John, and not completely or explicitly by the person of John himself. Nonetheless, I will most often use “John” in a singular, personal format.