Water Into Wine: Transforming the Ordinary
Water into Wine: Transforming the Ordinary
John 2:1-11
January 11, 2026
Rev. Cynthia Cochran-Carney, First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael, CA
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
Opening
Wedding traditions and practices certainly vary from place to place, generation to generation, religious and cultural norms, the setting, the food, the person who officiates. Think of some of the weddings you have been to. Such variety. Simple to elaborate. Maybe some of you have planned weddings. Or providing the food or the flowers or the cake. My sister Pam lives in Pittsburgh and she learned about a wedding tradition there – the cookie table. Guests are invited (or maybe expected) to bring 2-3 dozen of their favorite cookies to be included at the reception. For a large wedding this means hundreds of cookies piled high. And then boxes for people to take some home.
Weddings are a time of joy and hope and promise.
Biblical
What happened at the wedding at Cana? Poor planning, or bad luck? Jesus’ mother says, “They have no wine.” At first Jesus responds to this information with a statement about timing. But then Jesus tells the servants to fill six large stone jars with water, and to draw some of that water, now turned to wine, and take it to the chief steward. The chief steward doesn’t know what Jesus has done, but he does know wine, and he’s amazed at the quality. Most hosts would serve the best wine up front, wanting to make a good impression. They’d save the cheap wine for later when the guests are less likely to recognize the drop in quality. But this host, the steward assumes, has ignored the traditional timing, and saved the best wine for last.
Mary’s Statement – They have no wine.
I am intrigued with Jesus’ mother’s words. John does not name her. Jesus’ mother notices what has happened in this festive community wedding celebration. They have no wine. It has run out. She names what is happening out of concern and compassion for the family. It would be embarrassing, even scandalous, to run out of wine at this communal festive event. She voices what she sees to Jesus. She trusts others may help.
Maybe Mary’s observation encourages Jesus in this moment to act.
Jesus responds quietly
At the wedding at Cana, Jesus supplies what is needed so that the celebration can continue. He does it quietly. It isn’t a flashy show of divine power. Most miracles aren’t. The flashy miraculous is underplayed and hidden. Yet the glory of Christ is revealed in love, in service, in community, in grace.
A sign
In John, these sort of actions - changing water into wine, for example - are not "miracles" - they are SIGNS. John does NOT want us to look at them; he wants us to look at what they point to. It is a complete mis-reading of this text to respond, "Wow! I wonder HOW he did that?" John wants us to respond, "Wow! I wonder WHO did that?"
Jesus does not act alone
Because Jesus doesn’t really fix the situation all by himself. He doesn’t manifest wine out of thin air like God does with manna from the sky for the Israelites. If you notice, he does precious little and does so reluctantly.
Let’s look at what — and who — happens in in this story. And I noticed that without the other people surrounding Jesus in Cana, this sign never happens, the wine would have run out, and the party would have indeed been over.
Jesus needed Mary. In her compassion and empathy for others, she sees the coming disaster for the party and shame looming for the bridal family. Now, she doesn’t have a solution for the scarcity, but she notices when no one else does, not the steward of the feast and not even Jesus himself. And she has the courage and tenacity to speak up. And her speaking up invites others to see what they could do.
She is calling people to their purpose in that moment.
Maybe this is part of our calling too. Listen for the voices we aren’t hearing, society is not hearing, those who have been told to be quiet. They may be telling us the time has come. They may be calling out gifts and resources we didn’t think we were ready to use.
And then think about the times you thought about speaking—and then decided it wasn’t your business, or you weren’t qualified to speak about it, or what could one voice matter.
Mary sees the need.
Jesus needs the servants, too. They, quite literally, do the heavy lifting, drawing 180 gallons of water from the well, carrying 1,500 pounds of water on backbreaking trips to fill up the six stone jars of purification. At some point, they must have exchanged glances and wondered what the point was, whether their work was all for nothing. In their exhaustion and their sweat, I can’t help but wonder if they paused to ask if two jars were enough, or three, or four, but Jesus had told them all six and all to the brim. And then they had the courage and the trust to take this ordinary water from the jars used for washing hands before meals and serve it to the wedding steward. I am in awe of their faith in the face of what must have seemed simply absurd or futile.
Mary sees the need. The servants see the possibility in ordinary water.
And Jesus needs the steward, too. The steward tastes, celebrates, and proclaims that the fruit of God and of God’s people is indeed the finest of wine available. And that was the steward’s job at the wedding: to manage the feast and to ensure that everyone — not just the bridal couple and the honored guests — had the finest wine in their cups, that it never ran out, that it was always full. He ensures the feast is truly a feast for all, not just for some.
Mary sees the need. The servants see the possibility. The steward sees the thirst of the people.
Without Mary, the servants, and the steward, the wine would have indeed run out and the party would have been over. Individually, their actions don’t make a lot of sense, useless in the face of the need. But together they do something extraordinary in the face of crisis, chaos, and the impending break up of the whole party. With the presence of Love Incarnate, Christ, Jesus, they create the first miracle. They create a sign that abundance is possible when we work together.
That, too, is the miracle and the potential of the church. That in spite of the dire news and predictions, we are called with our gifts, and passions, our various contributions both large and small — with Christ present — we can create a feast of love, abundance and celebration in a world where all evidence points to the party being over.
To be sure, Jesus transforms the water into wine. But he doesn’t do it for us. He does it with us. He comes to awaken us and reveal in us the miracles that are possible when we come together to use all our gifts from the Spirit for common cause and the common good, for justice and truth, for love and compassion, for kindness and loving our neighbors.
So when we look at the world, at the news about refugees, immigrants, hunger, and need in the world and in our own lives, may we be reminded of what happened in Cana.
As a church, may we reflect on the questions of abundance and scarcity. We ask - do we have enough? Yes,… and we do because we share in the ministry and mission, trusting in this mystery of Christ present with us. And what can I do and what can we do together?
May we be like Mary who sees the overlooked needs of people near and dear to her and dares to speak up. May we see our neighbors near and far, see their needs, see with compassion and find ways to name what we see and find ways we can respond with what we have.
May we be like the servants who do the absurd, who faithfully continue in the work of God, believing in the possibilities of the ordinary.
May we be like the steward who tastes the work of God and of God’s people, and exclaims with surprise and joy to all those gathered, those heading to the door in despair and sadness, “Don’t go anywhere. This party is definitely not over. Come to the table. Hope is being served.” Amen.
Resources
David Ewart, Year C Epiphany 2, John 2:1-11, Holy Textures https://www.holytextures.com/2023/03/john-2-1-11-year-c-epiphany-2-january-14-january-20-sermon.html
Rev. Marci Glass, “If It’s Not One Thing, It’s Your Mother,” 1.23.22 Calvary Pres. Church, SF https://marciglass.com/2022/01/23/if-its-not-one-thing-its-your-mother/
Rev. David Roberts, “Water into Wine, Stones into Soup: The Miracles at the Wedding in Cana,” 1.19.16