Jesus Speaks to Women: May the Wait be Short

"On the third day a wedding took place..." John 2: 1

Does it ever happen to you that you read one Bible verse one day and it almost goes unnoticed...then, a while later, you read it again and BOOM! it speaks to you as if you've never seen it before?  That totally happened to me with this portion of verse one of John's chapter two...The first day I began to write about this particular passage, I brushed over this part and concentrated on the private/domestic role of women at that time.  Today, however, as I read it again, it spoke new words to me...better yet, it caused me to pause...

I have to say, I don't hit the "pause" button very often.  I'm constantly on "play" mode.  Like yesterday, for instance, I literally worked a bit over 12 hours.  I left the house at 7:19 a.m. (yes, I remember...) and came back after 7:30 p.m. and I can honestly say to you, I worked the entire time I was in my office/classrooms.  Then, I got home and had to work a bit more.  Needless to say, I was spent.  Life often seems overwhelming.  Too much is going on.  I move too fast to try to keep up.  But, in the end...I miss a lot too.  What was I missing in this passage?  Let's read it again:  "On the third day a wedding took place..."

"On the third day..."  The significance of this expression is mind-boggling!  Look at the things that Jesus, Himself says in reference to "on the third day" right here, in the same chapter 2 of John's gospel, just a little bit further, after He had overturn the tables of the money changers at the Temple and the jews were challenging Him: 

The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 

John 2: 18-19

Then, later, after His glorious resurrection, as He was talking to His disciples who were still incredulous, He opened their minds to understand Scripture, and said:  

He told them, "This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day...Luke 24: 46.

Then, "a wedding took place."  A WEDDING!  Yes! None other than one of the most recurrent metaphors in the Bible to symbolize the union between Christ and His church:  a Wedding!  A most joyous occasion... a time to celebrate and be merry!  Then, the wine is gone, and Jesus replenishes it with perfect wine...the symbol of His blood...but this is "on the third day..." after He is rose again and the joy is complete and eternal!

WOW!

Could it be that this wedding in Cana was the prelude to what is to come?  A foreshadow that revealed the mystery of His ministry on Earth and the glory of the union between Him and His Bride, the Church?  

After all is set and done, Christ will come back again and make all things new.  He will give us that new and most perfect wine purified by His sacrifice that accomplished it all, so we can rejoice forever at the "Wedding Supper of the Lamb."  If we think about it, all of it is contained in this passage, even down to the detail that we, His family represented in the disciples and His Mother, will be there with Him, taking active part in this celebration!  Hallelujah! Amen! Blessed be His Holy Name!  May the wait be short!

Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” Revelations 19: 7-9