In the first chapter of John’s Gospel, we see Jesus revealed as the creator of the universe. In chapter two, we find Him at a wedding in Cana, where He performs His first miracle, turning water into wine. This story isn’t just about a wedding; it’s about Jesus bringing calm to chaos, and how we can do the same in our lives. John 2:1-11 tells the story of a wedding where the wine runs out, creating a social crisis. Jesus, despite some initial hesitation, responds to His mother’s plea and transforms water into the finest wine. This miracle signifies more than just a party trick; it’s a demonstration of Jesus’s power to bring abundance and joy in the midst of scarcity. In that culture, running out of wine represented a social disaster far greater than it would today, bringing shame upon the newlywed family.
We all face chaos in our lives. Whether it’s a personal crisis, a global pandemic, or the daily stresses of life, challenges are inevitable. The question is, how do we respond? Do we succumb to the chaos, or do we bring calm? The truth is, you can’t go through life without facing some level of crisis. As Eliphaz the Temanite declared to Job, “man is born to trouble as the sparks fly upward.” James encouraged us to “consider it all joy when—not if—you encounter various trials.” Paul spoke of laying aside every sin and weight that so easily besets us. These statements point to the reality that challenges are a part of life. What is in us will be revealed under pressure. As Ernest Hemingway said, “Courage is grace under pressure.” Pressure can refine us, making us stronger and more resilient. The testing of our faith produces perseverance. Our greatest strengths and character are often forged in the face of adversity.
Jesus didn’t sit on his hands and do nothing despite some hesitation at the beginning. Jesus did not say, “it’s my father’s will you are in the crisis” or “it is your mistake that got you in this.” Our biggest takeaway is not just that Jesus calmed the chaos, but that he gave others the opportunity to be part of the answer. God calls us to be the calm, the peace, the faith. There is plenty of chaos in our world right now. How can we position ourselves to be the calm in the chaos?
First, we must be available. There were six water jars there, and those jars made all the difference. God is not always looking for your ability as much as he is looking for our availability. “Who shall I send, who will go for us?” Isaiah responded, “Here I am!” Availability is often more important than ability. Jesus looks for empty vessels in the time of crisis. The wedding was saved because six jars were available. How much greater impact could the church make in a world of chaos if we all made ourselves available? God is looking for more of us to step up, not just leave it to the six.
Second, we must be filled with the right things. What comes out of us when we are squeezed will be determined by what we put in when we are at ease. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” We will fill our lives with something, but we do not always fill it with the right thing. When Elijah was burnt out, wanting to quit, he lay under a broom tree, and the angel brought him hot baked bread and jars of water. He went in the strength of that for 40 days. If you’re filled with the Word, you won’t be filled with fear or negativity.
Third, we must choose to be the calm in the storm, the peacemaker in the stress. Jehovah Shalom, the Lord our peace. Peace comes when you destroy the authority that causes chaos. Jesus took authority over the wedding, over the storm, over the grave. We need to walk in that authority. It is not the chaos of the event that takes us down; it is the chaos inside. It is not the wine running out at the wedding; it is the lack of wine in us. We need to attack chaos with faith instead of fear, with calm instead of stress, with clarity instead of uncertainty, with joy instead of gloom, with hope instead of despair, with prayer instead of negativity, with courage instead of worry, with Jesus instead of alone. Jesus is the winemaker at the wedding, the calm in the storm, the rock in uncertainty.
As the song says, He turns graves into gardens, mourning to dancing, and ashes into beauty. He is the only one who can truly bring peace to our chaotic lives. The miracle at Cana is a reminder that Jesus is always present, ready to bring calm to our chaos. Let us make ourselves available, be filled with the right things, and choose to be the calm in a world that desperately needs it.
