2. The keynote of this Gospel was struck in the earlier verses of the first chapter in the great words, "The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, full of grace , and truth." To these words there is an evident reference in the language of the text. The Evangelist regards Christ's first miracle as the first ray of that forth-flashing glory of the Incarnate AVord.
3. Again, in the text the prediction of Jesus to Nathanael finds its first fulfilment. Something of the significance of the name " Son of man " is made clear. Heaven opens itself in grace and kindness and sympathy towards men ; and He who refused to convert stones into bread to gratify Himself, does not refuse to convert water into wine to assist others — a speaking symbol of His whole ministry.
The threefold comment of the Evangelist is of the utmost importance: (1) This was a sign, and Christ's first sign; (2) in it He manifested His glory; (3) His disciples believed on Him.
122 THE FIRST SIGN
I.
The Sign. " This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee."
1. Let us recall the circumstances in which the miracle was wrought.
(1) The exact dating of this first miracle indicates an eye- witness. St. John says that it took place three days after the first calling of Nathanael and Philip; and, therefore, four days after that of Andrew and Peter, of John himself, and, in all probability, of James.
1(2) With this band of newly chosen disciples, our Lord had walked from the valley of the Jordan — the scene of His baptism — ^into Galilee ; and He had halted at Cana, the native village of Nathanael. Modern topography inclines to identify this Cana, not, as formerly, with Kefr Kenna, but with Kanat el-Jelil, some six miles N.E. of Nazareth. It is called Cana of Galilee to distinguish it from Cana in Asher, S.E. from Tyre.
(3) A wedding feast was being kept by a poor family of Cana ; the members of which were, it is clearly implied, on terms of intimacy with our Lord's virgin-mother, who had lived for so many years at the neighbouring village of Nazareth. Mary was
[present; and, as was natural, our Lord and His disciples were invited, probably when the feast, which generally lasted some seven days, had already been continued for three or four.
(4) The supply of wine was running short ; and Mary, who, as is clear from her own Magnificat, had inferred from the terms of the Annunciation the unique dignity and the miraculous powers of her Divine Son, applied to Him for help in the emergency. Whether she wished Him to work a miracle, or merely stated the case to Him, leaving it in His hands to act as He saw best, is not clear from the narrative. But our Lord acts as He acted when twelve years old ; as He acted at a later date, when His mother and His brethren wished to speak with Him, in the midst of a crowd of persons whom He was addressing. He will not allow that the tenderest of earthly ties can be permitted to affect the solemn and predestined sequence of actions in the establishment of His Kingdom. Even Mary may not hasten His resolves.
ST. JOHN II. II 123
" Woman, what common interest have we in this matter ? " (such I is the real force of the original). " Mine hour for action is not * yet come." Mary does not reply ; she merely bids the servants attend strictly to her Son's orders, whatever they might be, in the confident expectation that He will certainly act, though she knows not how. Behind the couches on which the guests were seated, were six vessels for holding water, placed there with a view to that ceremonial washing of hands and vessels before and after meals which was a matter of strict custom among the Jews. Our Lord desired that these vessels should be filled ; the amount of water poured into them would have been, speaking roughly, about one hundred and twenty English gallons. St. John, who was an eye-witness, gives these details with great particularity ; and his'silence implies that our Lord did not mark, either by raising His hand, or uttering any word of command or blessing, the moment of the miraculous change. But it must have taken place immediately on the filling of the vessels, since our Lord, without any pause, desired the servants to draw from the vessels and ask the president of the feast to taste. Then it was that what had taken place was discovered ; the president complimented the bridegroom on the excellence of the wine, which, contrary to the usual practice, he had reserved for a late hour in the enter- tainment. The president did not know the source of the supply, as did those servants who had poured water into and were now drawing wine from the vessels of purification. But that the water of purification had become wine must have been gradually whispered among the company from guest to guest.
2. The manner in which the miracle was performed deserves attention.
(1) Our Lord began His service in the little world of the Galilean and Judsean ministrations, by being on that small stage what God is in the universe — an anonymous, or unknown, or hardly known Being, He came to Can a, perhaps as a stranger, possibly as a poor relation; for it was an occasion when poor relations are in order. It does not appear that He was asked to repeat even a holy word over the feast, for another was appointed master of the feast. The bridegroom and the bride wore their festal crowns ; as for Him, while He was in this world, He dis-