[Sunday, October 12, 2025] Water Turned into Wine | John 2:1–12
Sermon by Rev. Jinkook (Danny) Sohn (Hope of Heaven Baptist Chuch)
2025. 10. 12. 주일예배 설교- 요한복음 강해 6
본문: 요한복음 2:1–12
제목: 물로 된 포도주
설교자: 손진국 목사 (하늘소망교회)
Today’s passage records the first miracle Jesus performed. What kind of miracle was it? At a wedding feast in Cana, when the wine ran out, Jesus turned water into wine. That is why the title is Water Turned into Wine. But does this title make sense to you? Can wine really be made from water? Scientifically and practically, it is impossible.
Wine contains H₂O—water—as one of its components, along with alcohol, sugar, and complex organic compounds. These are produced through the fermentation of grape juice. Simply put, the process of making wine involves picking grapes, pressing them to extract juice, and adding yeast for fermentation. Water is not added in this process. Therefore, turning water into wine is impossible—it makes no sense.
Dr. Young-Gil Kim, who once worked for NASA, later became a professor at KAIST and the first president of Handong University. When he married his believing wife, he agreed to attend church with her. One day, when he heard this story—that Jesus turned water into wine—he thought, “That’s impossible. For water to change into wine means that a nuclear fusion reaction occurred at room temperature! How could that be possible?” Do you know how hot it must be for nuclear fusion to happen on Earth? It requires a temperature of about 100 million degrees, seven times hotter than the center of the sun!
Yet Jesus attended the wedding in Cana and, for the first time in human history, made wine from water. Jesus did what no human could ever do. In the Gospel of John, there are seven recorded miracles performed by Jesus. That doesn’t mean Jesus performed only seven miracles; rather, the number seven symbolizes perfection. The apostle John intentionally used the numbers seven and twelve throughout his writings—both represent completeness. Seven combines the heavenly number three (Trinity, three heavens) and the earthly number four (four directions, four seasons). Twelve is the product of three and four—also a perfect number. So when John records seven miracles, it means that all of Jesus’ life was miraculous—He is the One who can do all things.
But interestingly, John does not call these works “miracles.” Instead, he uses a different word. What is it?
[Verse 11] What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
John calls it a sign. In Greek, miracle is teras (τέρας), but sign is semeion (σημεῖον). In English, a miracle is “wonder” or “miracle,” while a sign is “sign.” A sign is a miracle that points to something—it reveals a message or truth.
When we first studied the Gospel of John, we said its purpose is to show that Jesus is God Himself. The seven signs in John’s Gospel all serve to reveal who Jesus is. I pray that in your life and mine, we will not only experience miracles but also see signs—moments that reveal Jesus and make Him known in our daily lives.
Now, who is the main character at a wedding? The bride and groom, of course. But at modern weddings, that’s not always the case. For example, at the wedding I attended yesterday, what did they say when the groom entered? “The groom will now enter. Groom’s entrance!” But when the bride entered, they said, “Now entering is today’s flower and star of the ceremony, the beautiful bride! Guests, please rise and welcome her with a big round of applause!”
However, in today’s text—the wedding at Cana—the bride and groom are not even mentioned. Only Jesus appears. Dear brothers and sisters, who is the true main character of every event in our lives—whether joyful or sorrowful, good or bad? Whether it’s birth or death, marriage or divorce, meeting or parting, success or failure—who is at the center of it all? It is Jesus.
As it says in [1 Corinthians 10:31] So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
In everything we do on this earth, whom should we seek and look to? Jesus, the Lord and Master of our lives.
May today’s message help us know more deeply the Jesus who works in our daily lives.
1. “When the wine was gone”
In the village of Cana in Galilee, a wedding took place. Jesus’ mother Mary was there, and Jesus and His disciples were also invited. This means the family hosting the wedding had a close relationship with Jesus’ mother. But something unusual happened—the wine ran out.
[Verse 3] When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
Running out of wine at a wedding feast was not just an inconvenience; in Jewish culture, it was a great shame and misfortune. To compare, it’s like going to a café only to hear, “Sorry, we’ve run out of coffee.”
The same can happen in our lives. There are moments when something essential runs out—money, health, peace in relationships, or spiritual joy. Even if we have prepared well, there are moments of crisis beyond our control—business failures, serious illness, deep emotional pain, depression, or a dry spiritual life where joy fades and only despair remains.
At that critical moment, whom did Mary go to? She went to Jesus and said, “They have no more wine.” What did she mean? “Lord, they are in crisis. This is a problem no human can solve, but You can.” Mary, though Jesus’ earthly mother, knew that He was the Son of God—the Almighty One.
[Application] What is the “wine that has run out” in your life—the greatest lack or crisis that you cannot fix on your own?
In that moment of need, to whom are you turning and sharing your problem?
2. “Woman, why do you involve me?”
Mary told Jesus about the problem that the wine had run out. In a Jewish wedding, running out of wine was a serious embarrassment, so likely only the host knew about it—not the guests. Then how did Mary know about this problem that others didn’t?
Scholars suggest that the wedding was for one of Mary’s close relatives. But the surprising part comes from Jesus’ reply to her. What did He say?
[Verse 4] “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
It is difficult for us to understand how Jesus could call His mother “woman.” How could a son address his mother like that? Some scholars say that the Greek word “gynē” (γυνή) means “lady” or “madam,” a respectful form of address. Yet even so, a son normally would not use that word for his mother.
Interestingly, the Bible records Jesus using gynē only twice when speaking to Mary—here, and again at the cross. He also used it in John 4:21, when speaking to the Samaritan woman at the well: [John 4:21] “Woman, believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem.”
And in John 8:4, when the scribes and Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, they said, “Teacher, this woman (gynē) was caught in the act of adultery.”
So, what did Jesus mean when He called His mother “woman”? The key is in the second part of the verse: “My hour has not yet come.” What hour is He talking about? He meant that the time for His public ministry as the Savior of the world—the time to reveal His divine identity—had not yet come. Therefore, Jesus was not speaking to Mary as her physical son, but as the Son of God, calling her as a created being and as someone in need of salvation.
Here we are reminded again of Jesus’ true identity. He was fully human, but also fully God. Likewise, we must not forget our own identity: though we live on earth, we belong to heaven. [Philippians 3:20] But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
When Jesus said, “Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come,” how did Mary respond? [Verse 5] His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Here we see Mary’s faith. She did not see Jesus as her son but as the Messiah, the Christ. Her reaction shows that she trusted His word completely.
How we see Jesus determines how we respond to Him. If we believe that He is truly the Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, we will obey everything He says. That is why Mary told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” If she had thought Jesus was just an ordinary man—her son—she would neither have brought the problem to Him nor instructed the servants to obey Him.
[Application] Who do you believe Jesus truly is? If you really believe that Jesus is the Son of God and your Savior, what should change in your life today?
3. “Fill the jars with water.”
After speaking with Mary, Jesus gave instructions to the servants. [Verse 7] Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
What kind of jars were they? [Verse 6] Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
These stone jars were used for the Jewish purification rites—washing hands before and after meals. Because there were many guests, much of the water had already been used. Jesus told the servants to fill those jars with water, and they obeyed—filling all six to the brim. Then, when they took some to the master of the banquet, he tasted the water that had become wine and said:
[Verse 10] “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
What did Jesus really do here? Was it simply about saving a wedding from embarrassment by turning water into wine?
No. Jesus turned the water of ritual purification—symbolizing dry and formal religion—into the wine of joy and celebration. What once brought duty now became delight. People who had once rejoiced over man-made wine were now filled with greater joy from wine made by God Himself.
Even today, Jesus speaks to our empty jars and dry hearts: “Fill the jars with water.”
May we be the believers who fill our hearts with God’s Word, prayer, and the Holy Spirit in obedience to His voice.
To do that, we must earnestly ask the Lord: “Lord, my soul is dry. Please fill me. Quench my thirst with Your Spirit. Fill my empty jar with new wine so that Your joy overflows in me.”
At the wedding in Cana, Jesus performed His first sign—turning water into wine. The purpose behind this miracle is clearly stated in verse 11: [Verse 11] What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
What were the two purposes of this sign?
First, to reveal His glory; and second, to lead His disciples to believe in Him.
That is still Jesus’ desire for our lives today. He wants His glory to be revealed through us, and He wants us to believe, trust, and follow Him completely.
[Application] How are you responding to the Lord’s voice, “Fill the jars with water”? When was the last time you cried out to God with deep hunger and thirst?
May we, like Mary, bring our emptiness and lack to Jesus—so that He may fill our empty jars with His grace, giving us the greatest joy and abundant salvation. In the name of the Lord, I sincerely bless you all.
하늘소망교회(담임 손진국 목사)는 뉴질랜드 오클랜드 북부 실버데일에 세워진 한인교회로 '하나님의 마음으로 사람을 살리는 교회'입니다.
Hope of Heaven Baptist Church (Senior Pastor: Rev. Jinkook Sohn) is a Korean church established in Silverdale, Auckland, New Zealand. It is a church that saves people with the heart of God.