THE BRIDE OF CANA.

THE BRIDE OF CANA.

Reading: John 2:1-11.

During Jewish wedding celebrations the bride was queen, and the groom king. Festivities might last several days or even a week. Her wedding was truly the highlight of many a woman’s life.

It is no wonder that Mary, a sensitive and caring person, was upset when she became aware that the wine had run out at the wedding feast. This bride’s wedding might not be remembered as a joyous occasion but recalled as the wedding at which the hosts scrimped on the wine.

(BIBLE BACKGROUND: WINE).

In Bible times fermented wine contained from 7 to 10 percent alcohol. Rabbinic literature prescribes the strength of wine with three to five parts of water for every part of wine. The drink served at Cana was far from modern wine, which often contains 10 to 13.5 percent alcohol and is drunk with no added water

Fermented wines were drunk at feasts, given as gifts (1 Samuel 25:18; 2 Samuel 16:1), and used in offerings to God (Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:13; Numbers 15:7). Yet the Old Testament calls for moderation and rejects both drunkenness and a love for drink (Proverbs 20:1; 21:17; 23:20).

The two sides of the use of wine, abuse and proper use are seen in Amos. God’s people were condemned for sins associated with wine (Amos 2:8, 12; 5:11; 6:6) and, in the later chapters which are filled with promise of restoration, they were promised “the mountain shall drip with sweet wine” Amos 9:13 and that they would “plant vineyards and drink wine” Amos 9:14.

We have no idea whether the bride was aware that the wine had run out. Likely, she did not know, for that was a matter for the master of the feast. We do know that Jesus, in turning water into wine, saved the young bride and her groom from social disaster.

The story reminds us that Christ is at work behind the scenes for us as well. Only when we arrive in heaven will we know how often His intervention saved us from disasters of which we were totally unaware.

CONCLUSION:

I do hope we have learnt something in looking at the bride of Cana.