Ranui Sermons
Hear the word of the lord
The Gospel of John – The First Miracle
Grahame Walker
This is the first miracle that Jesus ever performed and it comes with lots of questions. Like, why did he do his first miracle at a wedding? Why was running out of wine such a big deal? What was up between Jesus and His mother? What time hadn’t come? Was there anything special about the six jars? Out of all the “first” miracles he could have performed, why this one? Finally, 120 gallons of wine is a lot of wine!
Let’s start off with the wedding. In the village culture of Palestine, weddings were important events, announced well in advance and recognized by the entire village. A ceremony could go on for an entire week. Gift giving was carefully considered not simply as a gesture of goodwill but as a means of bringing honour on the couple and their families. Also, legal ramifications followed when customs were not followed because it implied shame on the couple and dishonour for the host.