Hey Jesus, Let's Get This Party Started!

John 2:1-11 is the story of Jesus turning the water into wine. There is so much here in this story, and most of it has been discussed a hundred times in different sermons. The whole story starts with a marriage, a joining to two families, two people. Just like Jesus coming for us to return us to His Father's family. It takes place on the third day. I'm pretty sure something else goes down on a third day later in Jesus' life. Jesus provides wine for the wedding. Wine is the symbol of celebration, joy, happiness. He creates the wine from water, a symbol throughout the Bible for life. So we have Jesus turning life into joy on the third day while two families are being joined. Yeah, the symbolism runs wide and deep. It's beautiful. And He doesn't engineer it, so to speak. It's not a finely tuned stage show, it's something He is invited to. Only God could make it all come together like that.

Some of the things I don't get are the interaction between Him and his mom. Why does she assume He can do something about there being no wine? What has he done before in private with her while he was growing up that makes her so completely confident that He can and will fix it? What does Jesus mean when He says that it's not yet His time? Time for what? It seems that He is saying it's not time for Him to reveal Himself. But if that is true, then why does He go ahead and do it? It seems like He is choosing between God and mom; and chooses mom. Was He wrong, was it it His time and He didn't know? How did Mary know better than He? Why does Mary completely blow Him off in verse 5, telling the servants to do what He says? She totally puts Him on the spot. It always seems like a strange miracle to introduce Himself with. It's no wonder that people accused Him of being a partier, a drunk. He made about 150 gallons of wine with His first miracle. That's a lot of money He provided. That's a lot of drinking.

One thing is clear. Jesus is not easy to wrap my head around. This miracle doesn't fit into my clean cut view of Jesus as a good 20th century Baptist who doesn't drink, smoke, chew or run with girls who do. I know that's not who He is, but it's so ingrained in me that I default to it. But this Jesus, getting pushed around by him mom, making enough wine to get several hundred people drunk, I don't know what to do with.

I'd love to hear any of your ideas.