The Baptistry is Empty, Let’s Refill It
Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.
When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
Have you ever been in a church that had a giant built-in baptistry? If it was ancient and beautiful, you might have had a sense of awe around it. Think of how many people publicly professed their faith in Christ in this spot!
Jesus and His disciples are at a wedding and the wine has run out. The party needs to go on for another few days (!) but it won’t if there isn’t any wine. Wine isn’t just a party drink and a symbol of joy throughout the Old Testament, it was a staple of a drink. You had various fermented juices, milk, and water. Carbonated drinks wouldn’t be invented for 1730 years or so. Solo cups wouldn’t join the party for another 250 years after that.
There are a lot of things that we need to consider in this event. Slow down and ponder some of these things.
- For a wedding to run out of wine the people would be drinking a lot
- Somebody didn’t plan well, unexpected guests showed up, or something else went way wrong
- The stone jars were for the rites of purification, so once that water is turned into wine, nobody can ritually purify themselves anymore…until the wine is all gone!
- We know it was real alcohol wine or the master of the feast wouldn’t have made the comment about everyone being drunk when you bring out the cheap wine.
- That servant had to either see with his own eyes that the water was now wine or have a lot of boldness to believe Jesus and serve a cup of water to the master like it was wine. That would have been scary.
At the end of it all, John says this was the way Jesus manifested His glory. They had enough guests and enough ceremonial cleansing until the jars were empty and they still didn’t have any joy.
This would be a picture of everything Jesus did. Taking the practice of the Law and making peace and joy out of it. The Law was intended to bring joy and peace between God’s people and God, but it was turned into a burdened structure of judgment. Jesus shows up full of grace and truth and brings joy in abundance. It would take them DAYS to get through all of the wine in those jars, and there is no hope of any ceremonial cleansing until it’s all gone.
With Jesus there, there was no longer any need for it.
Surprise! That baptistry is full of ice and Budweiser!*
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* I’m sure there are other amazing and wonderful beers that should be mentioned here instead, but this teetotaler doesn’t know what they are.