I often find that we, as a culture, use Jesus's first miracle, turning water into wine, as a justification to drink a little too much. Which I disagree with, but I want to actually focus on something else that I was drawn to as I was reading John 2:1-11 today.
Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions.
John 2:6-8
Jesus turns water from jars used for ceremonial washing into wine, pointing forward to the cross. Where Jesus would replace the old covenant - the law and ceremonial washing to be clean before God - with the new - him dying in our place and us (when we repent and accept him as Lord) being welcomed into God's family through his grace and mercy.
However, what challenged me was the master of ceremonies response
When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!”
John 2:9-10
The wine Jesus made was the best, and likewise it points forward to the new covenant being so much greater than the first. But how often do we truly enjoy the new covenant, the chance to have a relationship with the living God? I know personally, I find it a lot easier to approach my faith legalistically, I forget it's about being in relationship and get distracted about living out the things that we know as Christians we should do. However, when I remember that God's more interested in spending time with me than watching me do things for him (which really we should be doing together anyway) and I come back and spend time with him. That is the time which is precious, which stays with me in the good times and the hardships. When I taste the best wine, a chance to spend time with Jesus, I wonder why I ever walked away from it.
