At a wedding in Cana, Jesus turns water into wine. As amazing as the miracle is, there is a deeper meaning to the story than the miracle itself. John includes this story in the book because he wants to show that Jesus is taking us from the old covenant of the law to the new covenant of Jesus, from living by the law to living by grace. The way he illustrates this is to use the first miracle as a sign to show us not only who he is, but also what he came to do. Our life is not meant to be about dutifully following the laws of God, but rejoicing in his presence because Jesus has brought us the new covenant of grace. It’s not about what we do; it is about what he has done for us. It’s not about just trying harder to behave; it is about living in the joy, love, and acceptance of God’s love in our lives. That’s the new wine.
How does this come about? When Mary tells Jesus about the wine running out, Jesus says that the hour has not yet come. “The hour” always refers to his death on the cross. Being at this wedding may have made Jesus think about his own wedding. It is through the cross that Jesus will celebrate his own wedding feast with us. And it’s not just that someday we will experience joy, he is calling us to experience his grace now and delight in our relationship with him.