Wine

Summer is over. The lazy days are gone, replaced by the flurry of fall sports and school activities. Ironically, though, I have more time for reading and writing now that we are back in the swing of things. I have been reading the book of John lately. In the 2nd chapter, Jesus performs his first miracle- water to wine. I always wonder why this as his first? It seems so insignificant and trivial- almost like a parlor trick a magician would do, not the Messiah coming to redeem His people. So I asked Him today as I read- why this? He led me to do a little research.
In the Jewish custom, wine is used to signify the sanctity and purity of the event. It was no accident that Jesus used wine at a wedding for His first miracle considering the great significance wine plays in Jewish life. Wine is used still today in traditional Jewish weddings and the Passover Seder. The Jewish marriage is called "Kiddushin" meaning betrothal or consecration. The Kaddesh is a blessing spoken over the wine at a Passover Seder. Kaddesh means "sanctification" and comes from the Hebrew root "Qof-Dalet-Shin"meaning "holy". Holy sanctification- starting to sound less trivial, isn't it?You probably noticed the similarity between Kiddushin and Kaddesh-this shows the holy and meaningful relationship between wine and marriage to the Jewish people.
I probably don't need to connect the dots but here is one more thing He showed me as I reread the passage. He took the water jars used for ceremonial washing and told the servants to fill them with water. This is so amazing to me! Verses I have read a million times but His Word is so rich we can never exhaust all there is to learn about who He is. He sets the stage with this first miracle for all He came to do! The ceremonial washing that represented the Law and man's futile attempts at making himself clean are taken and filled with His holy sanctification that represented not only His life consecrated and laid down for our salvation but His betrothal to us as His bride. He didn't just come to save us and make us holy but to enter into a meaningful, intimate relationship with us. It wasn't just any wine- it was the BEST wine! He brings us the very best- His very self!