In Cana

Read John 2:1-11.

The first miracle the Bible tells that Jesus did is when he turned water into wine at the wedding feast in the small village of Cana. Most of the people in this area of Galilee were vinedressers who tended grapes on the hillsides there. It was a green, lush area, dotted with white houses and industrious people.

Jesus journeyed to Cana with his mother, Mary, and five of his new disciples. He had just come from being baptized by John the Baptist. Bible scholars say it is likely that the family in Cana was related to Jesus' family in some way for them to have been invited and travel there, and this may be why Mary took some responsibility in helping with the problem of insufficient wine. Cana lay four to five miles northeast of Nazareth.

When Jesus asked the volunteers to bring fresh water, they didn't hesitate to obey. Each one of those water pots would have held about twenty gallons of water. They were normally used for purification rites. As guests entered, the water would have been poured over their hands and feet, according to the custom that was meant to refresh after hot, dusty travel. When they tasted the best wine from Jesus, no one was disappointed. No one ever is with Jesus.

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