Too many get focused on was it really alcoholic wine or not, bogging down on this makes one lose the sight of what the true lesson is. I also don’t believe the key lesson is Jesus’ superiority over the physical elements.
Mary knows Jesus is leaving to begin His ministry, He must have told her of His baptism by John and His receiving the Holy Spirit. His birthday was a few weeks away, He would be turning 30, making Him old enough to be accepted as a teacher. Time for one last event before He goes to Jerusalem to start His 3 year ministry at the Passover. John 2:13
The event runs out of wine, Mary knowing Jesus had the Holy Spirit, believing He could do anything, tells Him the problem, then she says to the servants, “Whatever He says do it.” Which is a great bit of advice we ourselves should always follow. So He tells them to fill the 6 stone water pots to the brim, these were there for the Jewish custom of purification. Draw out and take it to the headwaiter, who is surprised saying, “The best wine is always served first, then the poorer wine last.”
SPIRITUAL LESSON:
SIX – means incomplete, always falls short of perfection number 7. In Hebrews we are taught there is a better covenant, Hebrews 8:7,13
STONE – is what the Old Testament was written on.
WATER – represents the Word of God Old Testament.
The Old Testament was good for purifying the exterior but not the heart of a man. Hebrews 9:13,14
Having the jars filled means all of the Old Testament can be transformed into the best wine.
The water changes to wine when it was transported by obedient servants to those needing it. Jesus opens our hearts to understand what the Old Testament is saying John 16:7-15
The Old Testament is pointing to the Messiah but people cannot understand unless someone with insight, someone who has been taught shows the way, Acts 8:30,31; Jesus came as our Light John 1:5; for us to see and understand the Truth. He doesn’t want us to wash our exterior bodies but He wants us to wash our hearts by taking in the water of the Word of God, so it can cleanse and transform our hearts, Romans 12:1f
Jesus then goes to Jerusalem and cleanses the temple, saying, ‘Stop making it an emporium, a place of business.’ Your physical body is the temple of God 1 Corinthians 6:19; who dwells in you Romans 8:9; Fill up on the word of God and it will become the living water of John 4:14; activated by the Holy Spirit John 7:37-39; This Living Water inside helps us to cleanse the Temple of God, quit being a place of business, do not view the world as a profit to be gained, view it as lost souls to be saved. Matthew 16:24-28
Jesus does not reveal Himself to closed hearts who are seeking after things of the world, realize He knows your heart. John 2:24; I have to rise up above the initial purpose of the Old Testament with its physical teachings on how to worship God via the Jewish system. I have to open my eyes to see how the Old Testament points to Christ and He is every where I look in Old Testament John 5:46,47
Paul in his preaching was proving who Jesus was using the Old Testament and people were converted because Paul was an obedient servant, taking the Old Testament, the water to the people and as they received it, it became wine, they could see Christ and believe in Him through what is understood from the Old Testament. Acts 17:10,11