THE FIRST MIRACLE OF JESUS CHRIST.

THE FIRST MIRACLE OF JESUS CHRIST.

EXPOSITOR'S WORD FOR EVERY DAY  FRIDAY

When they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said unto Him, They have no wine. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His Glory; and His Disciples believed on Him (Jn. 2:3,11).

The First Miracle that Jesus performed in His earthly Ministry was the changing of water to wine in the little village of Cana of Galilee. Why did the Holy Spirit want this, the changing of the water to wine, to be His very First Miracle?

From the description, this family evidently was poor. If they had not been poor, they would not have run out of wine. Incidentally, this was not an intoxicating beverage, but rather grape juice. The Greek word used here for wine is “oinos,” which means either fermented or unfermented wine. This was the unfermented variety.

The Holy Spirit desired this to be the First Miracle of Christ in order that all may know and understand that Jesus can change things. He can change sorrow to happiness, sickness to health, sin to Salvation, death to life. That is His Business, to change things, and, above all, to change men, which He Alone can do!

Four hundred and fifty years had now elapsed since the last public miracle of the Old Testament. It was that of Daniel, Chapter 6. As an aside, many point to this incident in support of the doctrine of the value of the intercession of the Virgin, for Mary went to Christ and told Him of the depletion of the wine. But the answer of Christ given to her, “What have I to do with you,” destroys that hypothesis. The answer to His question is “Nothing.”

In every instance, the contrast is between the carnal nature, which is sinful, and the Holy Spirit. The Spiritual Kingdom has no contact with the carnal. There is an impassable abyss between them. There could, therefore, be no union between the sinless nature of Christ and the sinfulnature of Mary. Nor could He admit her authority. This is declared in the words, “My hour is not yet come.” That is, “the moment for Me to act will be revealed by My Father, and His Voice is the only one to which I hearken.”

Mary, to her credit, recognized her error, stepped at once aside from between these needy people and the Almighty Giver of every good and perfect gift, telling the servants to turn from her to Him. When she was out of the way, He spoke directly to them, and, in a moment, the water was wine!

We learn from this First Miracle that Jesus can change things—anything! We also learn that we are to appeal directly to Him, and not to an intermediary.