Water into Wine
Jesus's first sign, at a wedding
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Jesus: The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God. He has only begun his public work.
- Mary: Jesus's mother. John never uses her name. He calls her "Jesus's mother." The other Gospels tell us her name is Mary (Luke 1:27).
- Jesus's disciples: His first followers. He called them only a few days before.
- The servants: Workers at the wedding who serve the food and drink.
- The master of the banquet: The man in charge of the wedding feast.
- The bridegroom: The man getting married.
Setting
- A wedding feast in Cana, a village in Galilee, the northern part of Israel.
When
- About 2,000 years ago, at the very start of Jesus's work.
Before the Story
Jesus had recently called his first disciples. Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael began to follow him (1:35-51).
John the Baptist pointed people to Jesus. He called Jesus "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!" (1:29).
Jesus had not done any signs yet. John says this was the first of his signs (2:11).
Here's what you know that almost nobody in this story knows: Jesus is God's Word who became a human being. John says this at the start of his Gospel. He writes, "We have seen His glory" (1:14). At this wedding, almost no one knows who Jesus is yet.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. The wedding | 2:1-2 | Jesus, his mother, and his disciples are guests |
| 2. No more wine | 2:3-5 | The wine runs out. Mary tells Jesus |
| 3. Six stone jars | 2:6-7 | Jesus has the servants fill the jars with water |
| 4. A taste | 2:8-9 | The water has become wine |
| 5. The best for last | 2:9-10 | The master of the banquet praises the wine |
| 6. The first sign | 2:11 | Jesus shows his glory. His disciples believe |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 6The Wedding
On the third day, there was a wedding in Cana. This most likely counts from when Jesus called Philip and Nathanael (1:43-51). Cana was a small village in Galilee.
Jesus's mother, Mary, was there.
Jesus and his disciples had been invited too.
Scene 2 of 6No More Wine
Then the wine ran out.
This was a real problem. A wedding feast back then could last many days. Running out of wine could embarrass the family who hosted it.
Mary went to Jesus. She said, "They have no more wine" (2:3).
"Woman, why does this concern us?" Jesus replied. "My hour has not yet come" (2:4).
To us, "Woman" can sound rude. Back then, it was a polite way to speak to a woman. Jesus's "hour" means the time of his death and rising. There is more about this below.
Mary did not argue. She spoke to the servants. "Do whatever He tells you" (2:5).
The Bible doesn't say what Mary expected Jesus to do. But her words show that she trusted him.
Scene 3 of 6Six Stone Jars
Six big stone water jars stood nearby.
The jars held water for Jewish washing rites, such as washing hands before meals. The washing was a sign of being clean before God.
Each jar held about 20 to 30 gallons. All six together held about 120 to 180 gallons.
Jesus told the servants, "Fill the jars with water" (2:7).
So they filled them to the very top.
Scene 4 of 6A Taste
Then Jesus said, "Now draw some out... and take it to the master of the banquet" (2:8). The master of the banquet was the man in charge of the feast.
The servants took some to the master of the banquet.
The master tasted it. The water had turned into wine.
The master did not know where the wine came from. But the servants knew. They had drawn it out themselves.
Scene 5 of 6The Best for Last
The master called the bridegroom aside. The bridegroom is the man getting married.
The master said that people usually serve the fine wine first. Later, after the guests have had a lot to drink, they bring out the cheap wine.
Then he said, "But you have saved the fine wine until now!" (2:10).
The master praised the bridegroom. Here's what you know that the master doesn't: the wine came from Jesus.
Scene 6 of 6The First Sign
This was the first of Jesus's signs. A sign is a miracle that points to something bigger. John calls Jesus's miracles signs because they show who Jesus is.
In this way, Jesus showed his glory. Glory is the shining greatness of God.
And his disciples believed in him.
The wine at the party had run out. Jesus gave far more than enough. And the best wine came last.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "They have no more wine" (2:3) | Mary brought a real, everyday problem to Jesus. It was not a big emergency. Jesus cared about it anyway. |
| "My hour has not yet come" (2:4) | Jesus's "hour" is the time of his death and rising. His whole life was moving toward it. |
| "Do whatever He tells you" (2:5) | Mary pointed away from herself and toward Jesus. |
| "Six stone water jars" (2:6) | These jars held water for Jewish washing rites. Jesus used what was already there, plain jars and plain water, to give a gift. |
| "You have saved the fine wine until now" (2:10) | The master was talking about wine. Many readers see a second meaning too: with Jesus, the best comes last. |
| "The first of His signs" (2:11) | A sign points past itself. This one points to who Jesus is. |
| "He thus revealed His glory" (2:11) | Glory is God's shining greatness. In Jesus, people could see it up close. |
Back Then
Wedding feasts were long. A Jewish wedding feast could last seven days or even longer (Smith's Bible Dictionary, "Marriage"). The family who hosted it was expected to provide food and wine for all the guests.
Running out was a problem. Welcoming guests well mattered. One likely reason Mary spoke up: running out of wine could embarrass the bridegroom and his family in front of their guests.
The jars were for washing rites. Many Jewish people washed their hands in a special way before eating, as a sign of being clean before God (Mark 7:3-4). Stone jars were often used to hold water for these washings (Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Book 3, Chapter 4).
About 20 to 30 gallons each. The Greek says each jar held "two or three measures." One measure was a little under 9 gallons (Easton's Bible Dictionary, "Firkin"). That makes about 18 to 27 gallons per jar. The BSB rounds this to 20 to 30 gallons. All six held about 120 to 180 gallons.
Literal Reader Alert
Was Jesus being rude to his mother? No. "Woman" sounds rude in English today. But back then, it was a respectful way to speak to a woman. Jesus used the same word for his mother while he was dying on the cross. He was making sure she would be cared for. He said, "Woman, here is your son" (John 19:26). His question means something like, "Why is this our concern?" Mary still told the servants to do whatever he said. And Jesus did act.
What is Jesus's "hour"? In John's Gospel, Jesus's "hour" is the time of his death, rising, and return to the Father. A few days before his death, Jesus said, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified" (John 12:23). At Cana, that hour was still ahead. But Jesus gave people a first look at his glory.
Was it real wine? Yes. The master of the banquet tasted it and called it fine wine. Wine was a normal part of meals and parties then. The Bible calls wine a gift "that gladdens the heart of man" (Psalm 104:15). That means wine can make people glad. The Bible also warns, "Do not get drunk on wine" (Ephesians 5:18). Many people choose not to drink. Many churches offer grape juice at the Lord's Supper. This story is not about drinking. It is about Jesus giving joy.
Did the water change before or after it was poured? The Bible doesn't say when it changed. It says the master "tasted the water that had been turned into wine" (2:9). It's okay to notice things like this. Careful readers have asked about it for centuries.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Mary | Concerned | The wine had run out at the wedding (2:3). One likely reason: she did not want the family to be embarrassed |
| Mary | Trusting | She told the servants to do whatever Jesus said (2:5) |
| The master of the banquet | Surprised and pleased | The best wine came at the end, not the start (2:10) |
| Jesus's disciples | Believing | They saw Jesus's glory in this sign (2:11) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What do you feel after reading this story? Tap one.
I feel thankful
That fits this story. Jesus gave more than anyone asked for. You can thank him for the good things, big and small.
I'm not enough
The wine at the party was gone. Jesus did not scold them. He filled six jars. He does not wait for you to be enough.
My problem seems too small
Running out of wine was not life or death. Jesus still cared. You can bring him small things too.
I'm unsure about Jesus
The disciples were new and unsure too. After this sign, they believed. You can keep reading about what Jesus does.
You Might Have Heard
"Do whatever Jesus tells you, and he will bless you."
What's true: Mary's words are good words. The servants listened to Jesus, and they got to see the sign up close.
What the story is mainly about: What Jesus gives. The servants only carried water. They did not earn the wine. The family did nothing to deserve it. Jesus gave far more than they needed, and the best came last.
Where Jesus is: Jesus is at the center of the party. John says this sign "revealed His glory" (2:11). Jesus is God with us, and he came to a wedding.
Good News
The wine ran out at Cana. Our lives can feel like that too. We run out of energy, patience, hope, and love. We are not enough.
Jesus does not wait for us to fill ourselves back up. He gives, and he gives more than enough. Through the prophet Isaiah, God promised a banquet for all peoples. It would be a feast "of finely aged wine" (Isaiah 25:6). At Cana, Jesus gave a first taste of that joy.
Jesus's "hour" did come. He gave his life on the cross and rose again. At his last supper, he gave his disciples a cup of wine and said, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood" (1 Corinthians 11:25). In the Lord's Supper, Jesus still gives himself to us, for us. The Holy Spirit gives us faith to receive him.
Jesus fills what is empty. With him, the best is still to come.
Big Idea
At Cana, Jesus turned water into wine and showed his glory. He fills what is empty and gives the best for last.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Martin Luther preached on this story in his Church Postil (sermon for the 2nd Sunday after Epiphany). He said it was "a high honor paid to married life" that Christ himself came to this wedding. He said that by this miracle Christ "confirms marriage as the work and institution of God." Married life has hard days, Luther said, but God loves it. Everyday life at home can be lived with faith in God and love for others.
In Church
Many churches follow a reading plan called the Revised Common Lectionary. It reads John 2:1-11 on the Second Sunday after Epiphany in Year C, in January.
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
How did that feel?