The great confession
Halfway into Jesus’ public ministry, the Disciples probably thought they had seen everything. It all had started simply enough. Doubtless, Jesus had taught in some places, and had a growing reputation as an exceptionally wise man; then, at a wedding, His Mom informed Him of a most socially embarrassing situation for the groom: “Son, they have run out of wine!”
Jesus answered, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
We do not know Jesus’ tone of voice or the expression on His face, but we do know Mary was undeterred. She told the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”
They did. The result was 120 to 180 gallons of water turned to wine. Good wine. In fact, the head of the feast summoned the groom and said something along the lines of, “Boy, this is the best wine anybody’s ever had! It beats that other stuff all to pieces!” John the Apostle sums it up by saying, “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”
“And His disciples believed in Him.” This statement is simple enough, but there is depth to it. Jesus had been enlisting disciples, and some who were to be the inner twelve were at the wedding. Perhaps they were not yet fully committed to dropping everything and following Jesus, but this first miracle (John calls them “signs”) was all they needed to act. Obviously, Jesus was a brilliant leader, but this first miracle, this sign—well, it was all they needed to see to make up their minds. They were already wondering exactly who this Jesus fellow was, but this sign was the clincher! They would drop everything, at least for a while, and follow.
The assemblage of this group of men itself seems nothing short of miraculous. Andrew and his brother Simeon (Simon Peter) were professional fishermen and owned a couple of boats. They knew what it was to work hard for a living, but they were simple men. James and John were also fishermen and also brothers. They were Zealots, members of a group who hated the Romans who occupied and governed their country. As Zealots, they had no qualms about killing their oppressors; but then, their oppressors had no qualms about killing their sort, and in fact, were quite good at it. Oddly enough, there was Matthew Levi, a Jew who worked as a tax collector for the Roman government. We can only guess what James and John initially thought about him. Then there was sinister, two-faced Judas Iscariot, and we all know what he did.
What a group! To their credit, they were faithful to their Jewish religion, and anticipated the coming Messiah. Consequently, they were paying close attention to what Jesus was saying and doing. This first miracle was all they needed to see to convince them.
This was merely the beginning. Miracles and signs were common enough, but seemed to start out small—the water into wine, Peter’s mother-in-law healed of an illness, casting out a demon or two, restoring sight to a blind person here and there—you know, simple “Hollywood” sorts of miracles.
But then, it got bigger! Lepers are cured! Dead people are brought back to life! Thousands are fed with a few scraps of fish and bread! Storms are calmed at Jesus’ command, He walks on water, he destroys demons by legions! True, Jesus has this habit of forgiving people their sins, thus equating Himself with God, but maybe something can be done about that.
Imagine what the Zealots must have been thinking: here is a man who can sustain an invincible army. Here is a man who can conquer Rome with mere words. Here is a man who can establish Israel to her former glory and beyond . . . .
. . . . but for these mortal men, Jesus’ ministry was nonstop and exhausting. People were getting concerned, too. Important people.
Then a year or so after the “water into wine” feat, Jesus and His Disciples are camping away from the crowds at Caesarea Philippi, getting needed rest. Out of the blue, Jesus asks, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”—
Which is what we will discuss next week.
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