Jn.2:1,2 – On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
Have you ever wondered why the first miracle Jesus performed was at a wedding and dealt with joyful celebration? The miracles of Jesus and their being recorded in God’s word are always quite intentional. So what is the message of this miracle? One of the messages is quite clear even though I missed it for years. The obvious meaning is that this is a prophetic glimpse into the whole reason Jesus came, He became a man to redeem His bride from the fallen race of man. That is the purpose of His humanity, to gather His people, wash them in His blood, and to prepare them for the coming wedding feast of the Lamb of God. Here is how Augustine describes this.
“The Lord was invited and came to a wedding. Is it any wonder that he who came to that house for a wedding came to this world for a wedding?… Therefore he has a bride here whom he has redeemed by his blood and to whom he has given the Holy Spirit as a pledge. He wrested her from enslavement to the devil, he died for her sins. He arose again for her justification. Who will offer such great things to his bride? Men may offer some trinkets or other from the earth such as gold, silver, precious stones, horses, slaves, farms or estates. Will anyone offer his blood? For if he gives his blood to his bride, he will not be alive to take her as his wife. But the Lord, dying free of anxiety, gave his blood for her in order that when he arose, he might have her whom he had already joined to himself in the womb of the Virgin. For the Word was the bridegroom, and human flesh was the bride. And both are the one Son of God and likewise the Son of man.”
Jesus told a parable about this coming wedding celebration. Do you remember what the emphasis was? It was the wedding garment. Only those clothed in the wedding garment could attend the celebration. What was the garment? The righteousness of Christ received by faith in the blood of Jesus. Jesus is coming back to the earth as a man very soon. This coming will be about His bride, He prepared us for the wedding when He poured out His blood, now its time for the celebration to begin. The only question remaining to be answered; are you dressed for the wedding?
