Revelations from the Word

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Jesus and the water changed into wine

by Jean-Louis Coraboeuf

"Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirsty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots 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!" (John 2:6-10).

The water changed into wine at Cana in Galilee, was the first miracle of Jesus. This is how He manifested His glory so that His disciples would believe in Him. The water represents the Word of God, "Let My word fall like the dew, like drops of water on the grass!" (Deuteronomy 32:2) and the wine represents the Holy Spirit, "And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance... But others mocked and said: 'they are full of sweet wine'" (Acts 2:4,13).

Through this miraculous and at the same time prophetic act, Jesus was saying to His disciples that He had just made a choice, "I want first of all to fill you with My Word, then with My Spirit". This is why Jesus, the Word of God made flesh, filled His disciples with His teaching by spending three years with them. Then on the Day of Pentecost, according to the promise God had made (Acts 1:4-5) the disciples were all filled with the Holy Spirit so that the words of the prophet Joel might be fulfilled (Acts 2:16-18). And it is in that way that the prophetic act fulfilled in Cana became a reality for the disciples of Jesus.

The apostle Paul also invites us to be filled with the Word, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly... through psalms" (Colossians 3:16 Interlinear) and with the Holy Spirit, "Be filled with the Holy Spirit speaking to yourselves in psalms..." (Ephesians 5:18-19 Interlinear). The presence of the Holy Spirit is closely associated with the presence of the Word of God in us, and Holy Spirit's presence finds its very essence in the Word of God, which comes through the Scriptures and not through human teaching.