Have you ever read a portion of Scripture that you are very familiar with only to have something new jump off the page at you?
That happened to me this week when I reread the account of Jesus’ first recorded miracle at the wedding in Cana.
John shared the incident where they were three days into the 7 day celebration only to have their supply of wine run out.
This was a disaster for the host family.
Jesus’ mother, Mary, came to Him and basically said, “Do something!” Jesus told her His time had not yet come, but He did something anyway.
He subtly pointed to the whole end game of His ministry.
Here’s what I suddenly noticed the other day:
Of all the things Jesus could have told them to fill with water, He chose the ceremonial water pots that the Jews used for cleansing and purification.
Everyone who used the ceremonial water for cleaning their hands that day was clean only temporarily.
He then miraculously turned the water, which was insufficient to cleanse, into wine, which he would later use as a symbol of His cleansing blood shed for the sin of mankind.
So, from the very beginning, Jesus was pointing to His mission.
He would shed His blood to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Wow! I wonder if any of His disciples put two and two together and saw His point, even in hindsight.
When I’ve heard this passage preached on, I’ve only heard it emphasized that He didn’t deny Mary’s request and He made superior wine.
Look at how He bookended His time with the disciples:
Here, at a wedding in Cana, water was changed into wine in ceremonial cleansing pots; at the last supper, He lifted the cup of redemption, pointed to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb and declared that the wine represented the new covenant in His blood.
So, from the very start, Jesus was pointing His disciples to the new covenant of grace that His shed blood would usher in as they placed their faith in His blood to truly, once and for all, cleanse them of sin.
Beloved, have you allowed Jesus’ blood to cleanse you from all of your sins?
You’re only a prayer offered in faith away from receiving His gift of eternal life.
His blood paid for sin, once for all.
How you respond to His offer of forgiveness and cleansing will determine where you spend eternity.
There is no sin that His blood cannot cleanse.
I pray you choose to turn away from sin and run into the arms of Jesus.
Blessings!
Robyn Henning