Water into wine

It never ceases to amaze me the infinite layers of meaning that the Father has woven into the fabric of Scripture. This struck me again recently when looking at the story of Jesus turning the water to wine in John 2. It is easy to read over this event and take nothing more from it than the fact that it was the “beginning of miracles” as stated in verse 11. This is, of course, amazing and worthy of our consideration, but in the underlying allegory we find the real power to effect personal change.

Allegory can teach us deep spiritual lessons. This is impressed upon us from the very beginning of the Scriptures. The very act of creation is a miracle worthy of our awe and wonder. But also in the hidden message (or, allegory) to move from light to darkness, and to separate from the things of the world in order to bring forth fruit to God, lie the keys to inheriting eternal life.

So, what is the allegory in John 2? If we take the three main components of the miracle, we find some clues in their wider use in Scripture:

● Firstly, there is the water, which Ephesians 5:26 links to the Word of God. Isaiah 55:10 also likens the Word of God to the rain that cometh down and watereth the earth.
● Secondly, the wine is linked to both blood (Genesis 49:11) and the fruit of the vine (Matthew 26:29).
● Lastly, there are the water vessels. Paul likens our fleshly bodies to earthen vessels in 2 Corinthians 4:7.

If we think about this symbology along with the state of Israel at the time this miracle took place, we start to see some wonderful lessons. The Jews had possessed the Word of God for a thousand years or more, but it had not changed them at all. It was still just water in earthen vessels. It had not brought forth any fruit for God. Christ was here to make that Word bear fruit.

In John 15, Christ expands on this idea of the fruit of the vine. Just think about the process a vine goes through to bring forth fruit. It soaks up the water and converts that into the grapes. If it doesn’t bear fruit it is worthless, and the husbandman disposes of it. This begs the question: Is God’s Word bringing forth fruit in our lives?

The truly amazing thing is when we see the outworking of this in Christ’s own life. We have seen this beginning of miracles in his ministry, but when we turn to John 19:34 we see the real miracle outworked. In the last moments of Christ’s life, what is one of the main things that John chooses to tell us? “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water”.

On the cross we no longer see the allegory and the types only. Here we see a man that had truly taken the water of the Word and used it to bring forth fruit unto God. This was no longer just the symbolic blood of grapes, but the blood of a life poured out in service to God.

Let us each pray daily that God may strengthen us to take in the water of His Word and bring forth fruit for Him.

Photo source: Amos Bar-Zeev