OUTLINEI. The Wedding That Almost Wasn’t

A small-town celebration teeters on the edge of disaster as the wine runs dry. In a culture where hospitality defined honor, this wasn’t an inconvenience — it was social ruin.

II. A Mother’s Quiet Plea and a Son’s Pointed Reply

Mary brings the crisis to Jesus, expecting him to act. His response — “Woman, what does your concern have to do with me?” — gently signals that the mother-child bond must yield to a deeper relationship: sinner and Savior.

III. “My Hour Has Not Yet Come”

Jesus is not a miracle worker on demand; his eyes are fixed on the cross. Every act of his ministry bends toward that one decisive hour when redemption will be accomplished.

IV. Stone Pots and a Fading Old Order

The six water pots of purification embody an old covenant burdened with endless washings and reminders of uncleanness. Jesus is about to fill the old vessels with something the law could never give.

V. The Servants’ Terrifying Obedience

Told to carry plain water to the master of the feast, the servants risk humiliation and worse to obey. Faith often looks foolish until the moment Christ vindicates it.

VI. Water Into Wine — A Miracle of Substance, Not Speed

This was no accelerated fermentation; it was a total transformation of one substance into another. So too the gospel: not improvement of the old self, but the making of a new creation.

VII. The Best Wine Saved for Last

The master marvels that the finest has been kept until now — a quiet parable of the kingdom. What Christ brings is not a lesser version of the old, but the richer, fuller joy the old could only foreshadow.

VIII. Glory Glimpsed by a Chosen Few

The bride, groom, and guests drank the wine but missed the miracle. Then as now, the glory of Christ is seen only by those given eyes of faith — a sovereign, particular grace.

IX. Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen

We were not at Cana, but we are not shortchanged. Faith itself is the evidence of things not seen, and through the gospel our eyes are opened to a glory the wedding guests walked right past.

Bottom line:At an obscure village wedding, Jesus quietly cracked open the door on his glory — and the same Savior who turned water into wine still turns sinners into new creations for all who believe.

Scripture Reading

John chapter 2, and this morning we’re going to be looking at verses 1 through 11. John chapter 2, beginning at verse 1. Listen now to the reading of God’s holy word.

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now, both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to him, they have no wine. And Jesus said to her, woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servants, whatever he says to you, do it. Now there were set there six water pots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing 20 or 30 gallons a piece. And Jesus said to them, fill the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, draw some out now and take it to the master of the feast. And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and did not know where it came from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew, the master of the feast called the bridegroom, and he said to him, every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior, you have kept the good wine until now. This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory and his disciples believed in him.

Opening Prayer

Let’s seek the Lord’s blessing on this, his word.

Oh, gracious God and heavenly Father, we do rejoice and give thanks for your word. It is our only infallible rule for faith and life. And as we come to this passage this morning, we do pray that your Spirit would be active in our midst, ready to give us understanding and insight to see the truth that is here and how we might be able to apply it and how it reveals the truth of the glory of the Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And so we pray, Father, that your word would truly go forth in the power of the Spirit, finding within each and every one of our hearts that rich, fertile soil that brings about great and abundant fruit for your glory. We pray for your blessing now, in Jesus’ name we pray, amen.

Introduction: Everybody Loves a Wedding

Well, everybody loves a wedding. A commitment of love, an atmosphere of joy and gladness and celebration, there’s displays of beauty in the attire and people are wearing, and of course in the decorations, and of course an abundance of good food. And these are all reasons why weddings are often greatly anticipated and enjoyed.

But as I’ve often told couples in premarital counseling, there’s no such thing as a perfect wedding. Sometimes something is bound to go wrong. So just relax and try to enjoy the day because something will go wrong. Sometimes it can be a minor detail. Maybe there’s a miscue about walking down the aisle or maybe they start playing the wrong music or maybe it could be something more noticeable like one of the bridal party passes out in the middle of the ceremony or the air conditioning goes out at the venue in a very warm spring or summer day. Whether it’s small or great, something typically goes wrong.

On our passage this morning, we find Jesus and his disciples at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. And the Apostle John, once again, gives us a time marker as an eyewitness to these events. It was now the third day, the third day after Jesus had met Philip and Nathanael. And, of course, these three days would be more than enough time for Jesus and his disciples to walk the 20 or so miles from where John was baptizing in the wilderness of the Jordan Valley to the region of Galilee and this little town of Cana. Now, the precise location of Cana is unknown, but the most probable location is just about nine miles from Nazareth, which was Jesus’ hometown.

But it’s in this small town that the Lord was pleased to begin to reveal to the world the true glory of who Jesus was and what he came to accomplish. And this revelation was sparked by what could have been a wedding disaster of magnitude proportions. But through a miracle, Jesus not only demonstrates his power as the only begotten Son of God, but he also saves the day and reveals his glory which up to this point had been hidden. Yet, as we’ll see, this short account of this miracle of turning water into wine has many other significant implications for Jesus, the disciples, and even for us here today.

Overview of the Events

The Guests

And so we begin with just a quick overview of the events recorded here in connection to the wedding. And the first thing we want to mention is the guests that were invited. Now, we don’t know whose wedding it was. In fact, there are no names mentioned in this account except for Jesus. And it’s almost as if right from the start, the Apostle John, with this small detail, is already prompting us to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. He is the main character. Yes, there’s a couple getting married, or they got married. There’s many guests. But Jesus is the focus of this account. So we see that right from the start. Because no other names are mentioned but his.

But the very first guest that we meet is the mother of Jesus in verse 1. And so Mary was there. And from what follows, it appears as though Mary maybe had some role in either hosting or perhaps at least catering this wedding. And some speculate that this may have been the wedding of one of Mary’s relatives, perhaps even one of her other children, one of the brothers and sisters of Jesus. But we don’t know for certain as, again, those details haven’t been revealed.

Well, if Mary was invited, well then it wouldn’t be unusual for Jesus to also be invited. And this we’re told in verse two. But the disciples of Jesus were invited as well. Now again, we’re not sure if they were invited because of their connection to Jesus, which really at this point had only been just about a week, a week’s time, or whether they also had some connection to the couple getting married. And the latter here is quite possible. We know that Nathanael was from Cana of Galilee. And Nathanael was friends with Philip. Philip was from Bethsaida. We’ve already been told that. Bethsaida was the city of Andrew, James, Peter, and John. And so it’s quite possible that all these men knew one another even before they started following Jesus. And the area is not that, you know, those towns aren’t very far from one another. So it’s likely that they all knew this couple that were getting married. But whatever the connection to the bride and groom, Mary, Jesus, Jesus’ disciples, and a whole host of other people had been invited to the wedding.

The Crisis: They Ran Out of Wine

And perhaps the large crowd of celebrants is what now led to the pivotal crisis of this wedding feast. In verse 3, they ran out of wine.

Now to us, this may not seem like a big deal. So you run out of wine, or you run out of food, or even worse, you run out of cake. No one wants these things to happen. And of course, much planning takes place to avoid these things from happening, but sometimes it just happens. You run out. But usually, in our day, by the time you run out of something, the reception has already been going on for quite some time. It’s going to soon end, and so it’s not a big deal.

But in Jesus’ day, it was a huge deal. The wedding feast wasn’t just a jam-packed one-day event. It was up to a week-long celebration. Weddings were these big social events, and especially if you’re in a small-town community, because the whole community is going to be involved.

And on top of this, hospitality in the ancient Middle East was held to the highest standard. Whether it was hosting a wedding or entertaining a stranger passing through town, you always went all out. Even in great abundance, you provided the best when you had the opportunity to be hospitable to someone. You needed to make sure that your guests left fully and completely satisfied. That was the goal. They didn’t have Google reviews back then, but if they did, you know that they were certainly striving for those five stars. Looking for that honor to be acknowledged as hospitable folks.

So running out of wine at a wedding feast was truly a great horror and it was unthinkable. It would have been a great social embarrassment that wouldn’t soon be forgotten. You would be marked as a disappointment and as a failure in the community. And whether it was just simply a failure to plan, or maybe there was some kind of miscommunication, maybe there were more guests coming than you thought would come, or even if it was, again, something outside of your control, it didn’t matter. There would be no excuse for running out of wine. It would have been a great disaster.

Mary Brings the Problem to Jesus

Now Mary, whether she was involved in hosting or not, was very keen to this problem, and she immediately informs Jesus in verse three that they have no wine. And we’re gonna come back to her conversation with Jesus in just a little bit, but here we just wanna note that she simply just raised the issue with Jesus. She didn’t command him. She didn’t order him to do anything. She simply said, here’s the problem. But clearly, you could tell, even in those words, that she was expecting him and knowing that he could do something about it. And he did.

After Mary gives instructions to the servants, whatever he says to you, do it. And again, we think about this charge, and this is what makes us think that Mary had some responsibility here, that she is giving this charge to the servants, clearly with some authority.

The Six Stone Water Pots

And then Jesus responds to the crisis. And the Apostle John tells us that there were six water pots of stone. And these water pots would typically be near the entryway of the house and were used for various purification rituals as we read, for example, in Mark 7, where we’re told that

the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

So there were a lot of things that needed to be cleaned regularly. So they would have these water pots dedicated for that very purpose. And each of these water pots could hold up to 20 or 30 gallons of water. So anywhere between 120 and 180 gallons of water. Now, that seems like a lot. And it’s very possible that for the typical household that maybe it was much less than that. But if, hey, you’re having a wedding, you’re going to need more. So maybe you’re borrowing some of these water pots from your neighbor. Well, these details show us, they begin to show us just how great of a miracle was about to take place.

In verse seven, Jesus then instructs his servants to fill the pots and they fill them up to the brim. Again, the Apostle John giving us this little detail to let us know that there was no room in those pots for anything else to be added. These pots were completely filled with water and water alone.

The Servants’ Terrifying Obedience

But then comes a great challenge, at least you would think for the servants. Jesus instructs them in verse eight, draw some out now and take it to the master of the feast. Now imagine for a moment being one of these waiters. And your job at this wedding feast is to see that the guests are served the wine and the food for the feast, that they’re well taken care of, that they don’t lack anything. And you’re here instructed by this man to fill these pots with water, which you do. And you know it’s water and there’s nothing else in those jugs because you were the one who filled each of these 20 to 30 gallon pots.

But then you’re instructed to draw some out and take it to the master of the feast and serve it to him. Now the master of the feast was really the chief superintendent. He was, he was your boss, but you’re told to go and serve him some water as if you were serving him wine. Because there’d be no reason for you to serve him water. He didn’t ask for it. And he certainly wasn’t expected at this kind of event. But this is the instruction that you receive. And so you likely proceed with great fear and trepidation, knowing that your job, perhaps even your life, would be on the line. What is this master going to think if I serve him this water? So you think I’m making a joke, poking fun of him? Surely I will pay and suffer for it.

And yet these servants heeded Mary’s charge and they did exactly what Jesus told them to do. And there is a great lesson even there for each and every one of us to do exactly what Jesus tells us to do in his word. Even if we think it’s ridiculous, even if we think it’s gonna get us in trouble, we need to heed the word and the command of our Lord and Savior.

The Master Praises the Best Wine

Well, imagine their great surprise and certainly even greater relief when the master had taken a drink. Maybe they at first were a little apprehensive and he’s immediately summoning the groom. Okay, now we’re really going to be in trouble. But instead of accusing the groom and causing a scene, the master praises the groom. He praises him for preserving the best wine for last instead of serving it first as was the custom, right? At the beginning of the wedding, they would serve the good stuff, and then as the celebration went on for a couple of days, they would transition to the cheaper stuff, and likely it was the watered-down wine that was very common for the time.

Well, the groom, he was certainly just as likely shocked and surprised. He thought they had already served the best wine. And so now, to be told, no, this is the best wine, when they were expecting something much less.

Well, at some point, and we don’t know the details of when, but we know Jesus was the one who did this great miracle. But at some point between the pots being filled to the brim with water and the master then taking a drink, that water had miraculously turned into wine. And so the day is saved. The reputations of the couple and the people there remain intact. No social embarrassment and the joy and the gladness of the festivities continue on. And no one really knew anything about it. No one knows what happened except for a small handful of people. Mary, the disciples, the servants, and of course, Jesus.

This is the first miracle or sign that Jesus performs in this obscure little town in the midst of a busy festive occasion with lots of people around, yet there’s only a small handful of them who know that a most dramatic miracle has occurred. How common is this so far as we know the story of Jesus, right? Similar with his birth. A small group of people knew that a Savior was born, the Son of David, in the little town of Bethlehem. We’ll hear when his first miracle is performed. Just a small group of people know what happened.

Implications and Applications

Well, as we now go back over this account, we want to note and draw attention to some of these details that were given that have varied implications and applications, not only for those in first century Galilee, but even for us here today.

1. Jesus Affirms the Institution of Marriage

And the first implication that we want to draw from this miracle is the affirmation that Jesus gives to the institution of marriage. Marriage, we know, is an institution which God established at the time of creation, the union of one man and one woman in a covenant bond, committing themselves to love, support, and cherish one another until death do they part. In Genesis 2, we read,

Adam said, this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh. She shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. Therefore, a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

And from this marriage relationship, we know that the rest of society and its various spheres, including the family, the state, and the church, all came forth from this one initial marriage. The institution of marriage then is the foundation, is foundational to all of human society, which is why Jesus’ presence at this wedding here, not to mention his support and involvement in it through this great miracle, why it’s so significant.

So what does this mean for us? Well, it means that marriage is a good thing. Marriage is a great blessing to those who get married, and it’s even a great blessing to the whole of society, including those who remain single. Marriage is a blessing. And because marriage was instituted by God and approved by Jesus, we then ought to be diligent to uphold and honor this great institution. One man and one woman united together in a bond of marriage, again, is the foundation of human society, which is precisely why Satan, the evil one, so often seeks to attack this institution with a whole variety of corruptions and perversions that we see all around us even in the world today. And so we should then be diligent to preserve this one flesh union instituted by God. Jesus affirms the institution of marriage and so should we.

2. The Shifting Relationship Between Jesus and Mary

A second implication we see drawn out in this miracle is the shifting relationship between Jesus and his mother Mary. The Apostle John introduces Mary again without saying her name, simply as the mother of Jesus. Now we know that the mother-child relationship is a very important one and it greatly impacts our functioning as adults. And this in part is why the Lord gives us the fifth commandment to honor our father and our mother. We owe due respect to our parents at any age we or they may be. We’re called to respect and honor them.

And so we may be surprised though here when Jesus initially responds to his mother in verse four by saying, woman, what does your concern have to do with me? Now to us, I admit, reading and hearing this in English, it sounds kind of short and rude. Certainly Jesus alone, who alone perfectly kept the law of God, was never short or rude with his mother, not at all. But in the first century, the way Jesus addresses his mother was actually one of respect and honor. And so a better translation might be, Madam, or My Lady, or Dear Woman. And this would make sense because Jesus addresses his mother the very same way when he’s there hanging on the cross and entrusting her into the Apostle John’s care. Certainly there was no disrespect on that occasion. Neither is it to be found here.

We also note how Jesus is purposeful in his words. Because addressing her as woman, even if it’s respectful, is far less personal than referring to her as mother or mom. And so in this we begin to see the change in relationship that’s taking place between Jesus and Mary. Yes, Mary is greatly blessed and honored as the mother of our Lord. She’s the one who gave birth to him. But that relationship begins to fade into the background. And the mother-child relationship must change to one of servant and Lord, and perhaps more starkly, sinner and Savior. So Jesus isn’t disrespecting his mother with this response. He’s indicating that their relationship is now changing. Though she may be honored, she isn’t to be held above her son, and her son no longer follows the guidance she once gave since childhood, because the focus of his heart and mind is not on his mother, but is on his Father and the mission and purpose the Father has set before him.

3. Jesus’ Focus on the Father’s Mission — “My Hour Has Not Yet Come”

And this leads to the next implication of this miracle, and that’s Jesus’ focus on that mission given to him by the Heavenly Father. Jesus responds in verse 4, saying to Mary, my hour has not yet come. That hour he’s talking about is the very focus of Jesus’ mission and ministry. He came not to be a miracle worker or a winemaker. He came to be a Savior for the sins of his people.

Now, throughout John’s gospel, we see, we’ll see Jesus referring to my hour. And it becomes a reference to the time of Christ’s suffering, humiliation, and ultimately his death on the cross. And so when he responds to Mary here, my hour has not yet come, well, he’s right. It hasn’t. It was still three years off, but it was coming. And each time we see in John’s gospel that Jesus says, my hour has not yet come, he’s getting closer. Because then suddenly the switch is made. And after Jesus enters Jerusalem during the triumphal entry in John chapter 12, he declares, the hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. And he’ll refer to that thing, the hour has now come, four times leading up to the high priestly prayer the night before his crucifixion. Jesus acknowledges that the hour has now come. The hour that he would accomplish his mission and purpose that the Father had given him from before the foundation of the world has come. But that time here in John 2 is still a way off.

Now we know, contrary to a certain popular seasonal song, that Mary did indeed know who Jesus truly was and what he would accomplish. She had the angel Gabriel, the announcement made by the angel Gabriel, then she had the prophetic utterances through the likes of Simeon and Anna at the temple. And so she was well informed of these things and we’re told, I think in Luke’s gospel, that she distinctly remembered and kept note of all these things and hid them and kept them in her heart.

So she knew exactly what Jesus was all about, which is why she asked him to do something, or she brought it to his attention. But there may be a sense here where Mary is simply, though, being impatient. See, Jesus is now about 30 years old. And she may be thinking, well, look, isn’t it about time you start showing the world who you are? I know who you are. I’ve known for 30 years. From before you were born, don’t you think it’s time? Here’s an opportunity. Now we know Jesus’ own brothers had the same complaint. Later in John 7, they said to him, show yourself to the world. You’re doing all these things. Look, if you’re truly who you say are, show yourself to the world. But we know that the words of the brothers at that point were out of doubt and unbelief. But Mary, we know, was a woman of great faith. And yet she still prompts him on this. And so it’s likely that her focus wasn’t so much on the revelation of the glory of God in and through her son, but she was merely focused on the crisis at hand, the lack of wine. And again, if there was some kind of responsibility or family connection, she was concerned that this couple might be preserved from great embarrassment.

Jesus, however, is always focused on the cross and the mission the Heavenly Father gave to him to accomplish. But we know when Jesus is presented with a need, as he is here, he doesn’t fail to respond. And so he gives the instructions to the servants and performs this great miracle. His full glory wasn’t revealed yet. The hour for that had not yet come. But here it begins to break through the cracks of the wall behind which it had been hidden. And it was hidden for 30 years.

4. Out With the Old, In With the New

Well, fourth implication we see in this account is a beginning of a changing of time, kind of out with the old and in with the new, out with the old covenant ceremonial laws and traditions and in with something new and better. The apostle John had indicated this coming shift back in his prologue in chapter one, verse 17, when he said,

For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

So something new is coming with Christ. And it’s no mere coincidence then that these pots that were used for ritual cleansing, which echoed the ceremonial laws of the old covenant, which were passing away, and which were for the people really, when they were doing these daily and regularly, sometimes more than daily washings, it was a constant reminder to the people of their sin, of their uncleanness, and of their falling short. We gotta wash, we gotta be clean, we gotta wash. And it became an obsession. But these are now going to be replaced with something new and better.

Now we know at the time wine was really a staple at feasts and banquets in the ancient world. And though for God’s people there were, and there remain even today, strict warnings against the sin of drunkenness and the abuse and the excess of wine and other intoxicating drink, but wine has often stood as a symbol of joy and gladness and was a key part of celebrations. And so this miracle points us then to the fullness of the new covenant blessings, demonstrated not just in the wine, but even in the marriage feast itself, which Jesus will use this picture of a marriage feast in several parables to reveal the glory of the coming kingdom. A glory that we get a sample of, even Lord willing, this afternoon when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, which points us to what? It points us to the heavenly, eternal marriage supper of the Lamb, sitting at the Lord’s banqueting table for all eternity. And so here we’re seeing the beginning of this transition, now with the old, and then with the new.

5. A Miracle of Substance, Not Speed

This leads us to yet another implication as the miracle of water being turned into wine. Again, it was a true miracle that actually happened. We can’t explain it. It just was a miracle, we believe, because it’s in the scripture that this happened. Yet it also provides a very spiritual picture of the dramatic change and transformation that Jesus is going to bring, not just to the old covenant law and traditions, but even to the hearts of rebellious sinners.

See, Jesus didn’t tell the servants to fill the water pots with an abundance of grapes, either whole or pressed. You see, now that would then suddenly change from non-fermented to fermented, and this certainly would have been a great miracle on its own, as the same substance would then follow its natural course of fermentation, yet certainly the miracle would be with great accelerated speed. That which takes months here would happen in a moment.

But there were no grapes or juice in those pots. No, it wasn’t just a miracle of time. It was a complete transformation. A miracle of substance, of one substance, being changed and dramatically transformed into a totally different substance. Now it’s true, we know that fermented wine does contain water. But in this miracle, there was only water in the pots. And it wasn’t that somehow grapes, juice, or wine were then added in. No, again, John gives that specific detail that they filled those pots to the brim. Nothing could be added in. No, the very substance was changed from simple water to wine, from a non-fermented substance to fermented. The very nature of the contents of the pot was dramatically changed.

Well, from a spiritual perspective, and if we view this miracle from a spiritual perspective, this demonstrates to us the dramatic transformation that the gospel will bring, the gospel that Jesus proclaims and that he will accomplish. And we’ll see this throughout his ministry:

• As the lame and sick, those for whom there was no healing, will be healed.
• The leper will be completely cleansed.
• The demon-possessed will be restored to their right mind.
• The dead will rise and live.
• The rebellious sinner will be forgiven and called a beloved son.
• The old man of sin and death will become a new creation in Christ Jesus.

This miracle shows us that Jesus brings real transformation.

6. The Revelation of the Glory of God in Christ

Well, final implication of this first miracle of Jesus is really the chief prevailing implication and lesson that we find here and what this miracle is truly all about. It’s all about the revelation of the glory of God in and through Jesus Christ. Verse 11,

This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested his glory and his disciples believed in him.

The Apostle John has already set us up for the expectation of this revelation back in chapter 1 verse 14 when he said,

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. The glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Where did they behold His glory? Here is the very first example of them beholding the glory of God in Jesus Christ.

John indicates here that the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine, that was just a sign. And there would be other signs. And these signs, what do signs do? Signs point to something. They’re not the thing itself, they point to something. And so the sign is not the greatness of the miracle. The sign is not focused on the water becoming wine. The sign points to the greatness and the glory of the miracle worker, Jesus. And this was just the beginning. And there certainly would be greater signs to come.

But note also the result, that those who witnessed this miracle and who beheld the glory revealed by this sign, they believed in him. Now, we already know that, at least at this point, Jesus has had six disciples that he accumulated already, and they had already committed themselves to following him, and so obviously they already believed. But now, now their faith becomes fixed and anchored. It becomes rooted and grounded in what they’ve now have actually seen with their own eyes. And so any questions or doubts that they may have had are now cast aside. Jesus is truly who John the Baptist and Andrew and Philip acclaimed him to be the Messiah. He is the Son of God. His glory was revealed to them through this miracle. They saw it and beheld it.

Glory Glimpsed by a Chosen Few

But not everyone saw this revelation of glory. Not even the master of the feast, nor not the bridegroom, or even the bride, and certainly the vast majority of guests didn’t see it. It was only seen by Jesus, by Mary, the disciples, and of course those servants. The glory of God in and through Jesus Christ has been revealed only to some, but not to others. And this will continue to be the case with the other glory signs Jesus will perform, demonstrating to us God’s sovereign plan and purpose in salvation. The glory is seen only by those whom God has purposed. His elect, His called-out people. Only those given the eyes of faith will see and believe.

But friends, a day is coming, and soon coming. The last great day when it will be revealed, when the glory of God in Christ Jesus will be revealed to all, to all people of every nation, tribe, and tongue. They will see the glory of Christ, and they will be compelled to acknowledge Him.

As every knee should bow of those in heaven and of those on earth and of those under the heaven and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

This day is coming soon. And friends, it’s best to make this confession now in sincerity and truth than to be compelled to confess it on that great and terrible day.

Conclusion: Blessed Are Those Who Have Not Seen

But there is one final word of great encouragement for us as believers in Christ today. You see, because we’ve not been privileged to see the glorious miracle of water changing into wine, we haven’t been able to see that with our own eyes. We’ve read about it and we believe it, but we haven’t been able to see it. We haven’t been able to walk and talk with Jesus as the first disciples did.

Yet we don’t have to doubt or fear that we’re somehow going to miss out on beholding the glory of the Lord Jesus. No, for consider what Jesus will say after his resurrection to Thomas. He says,

Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

And you are blessed because we haven’t seen with our eyes the glory of the Lord as these disciples have. But we are blessed because we believe.

Indeed, the very essence and great blessing of faith isn’t seeing with our eyes. And the writer of the Hebrews reminds us of this, that

true faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

And in Hebrews 11, you have, as we read earlier, that great chapter of the heroes of the faith who anticipated the promises to fulfillment, but did not see those promises fulfilled. And so when we humble ourselves before the Lord and believe the gospel and what Jesus has done for us, our eyes of faith are opened. And we can see, yes, we can even now see the glory of God in and through Jesus Christ because of the gift of salvation that is granted to us for our everlasting good and to the glory of God alone.

Closing Prayer

Let’s pray.

O gracious God in heaven, we praise you and thank you, Father, for your word, for this encouragement, for these reminders, for these many lessons that we draw from this great miracle. That those who first beheld your glory, we rejoice and give thanks that through your Spirit they bore witness to these things, testify to these things, and wrote them down so that we can now read and by your Spirit working in us, we can understand, believe, and yes, even behold your glory. And when we consider the salvation that you have accomplished for us, what a glorious thing it is that we have been redeemed by the Son of God, redeemed by your grace, redeemed by a mighty work, forgiven of our sins and placed in a right relationship with you. Father, that is glorious. And we rejoice and give thanks that you give us these opportunities to just get a sample of that glory. Even our time of worship here and, Lord willing, our time with celebrating the Lord’s Supper are just small tastes of greater glory yet to behold. And we eagerly yearn for that day. The return of Christ, and the ushering in the fullness of your kingdom, where we will stand in your glorious presence forever and ever, where there’s fullness and complete fullness of joy for all eternity. Father, we just pray that you would just bless us in these things, that your Spirit would apply these great truths to each of our hearts, drawing us all closer to yourself, all to the praise of your glorious name. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray, amen.