Mr. Pink expounds this passage from a three-fold viewpoint:
The chapter opens with the word "and," which indicates that its contents are closely connected with what has gone before. One of the things prominent in Chapter 1 is THE FAILURE OF JUDAISM and the turning away from it to Christ. The Priests and Levites came to John to inquire who he was. He said, "There standeth One among you whom ye know not" (John 1:19-26). They didn't know the forerunner nor the Christ (John 1:11). "The law and the prophets were until John" (Luke 16:16). John wound up the Old Testament system!
A. The wine had given out. Wine in Scripture is the emblem of JOY (Psalm 104:15). Judaism still existed as a religious system, but the joy was gone; it ministered no comfort to the heart. It had degenerated into a cold, mechanical routine utterly destitute of joy in God.
B. They set SIX waterpots. Six is the number of man, for it was on the sixth day man was created. Six is the number of the superman (Rev. 13:18). Six waterpots, not seven, the perfect number. All that was left of Judaism was the flesh. The feasts of the Lord had become the feasts of the Jews (John 2:13).
C. The waterpots were of STONE, not SILVER, which speaks of redemption, nor GOLD which tells of Divine glory. And they were EMPTY! No wonder they were empty of wine. Religion without Christ is empty of joy or comfort!
D. The mother of Jesus was perhaps representative of the nation Israel in attempting to dictate to the Lord as to what He should do. "Display your power and glory in material fashion! Show yourself to the world!" This His brethren attempted to do in John 7:2-5. This may account for His rebuke of her. Israel had no heart nor thought of a suffering Messiah. What they desired was one who would immediately set up his kingdom here on earth. It is evident that, in typical fashion, the setting aside of Israel after the flesh is shown in these verses.
II – ITS PROPHETICAL APPLICATION.Quite a bit of speculation comes forth from Pink here, but THE THIRD DAY is the day of resurrection. It was on the third day in creation that the earth came forth from its watery grave (Gen. 1:9, 11). Our Lord arose on the third day. It may be that Hosea 6:2 and John 2:1 should be placed side by side, in that, for two thousand years (2 days with God according to II Peter 3:8) Israel has been without a king, a priest, or a home. The "second day" is almost ended, and their renaissance will come near the beginning of the third day–the year 2000. There will be a wedding, and the Lord will be married to THE NEW ISRAEL (Isa. 54:1-8).
III – ITS PRACTICAL TEACHING.(Vs. 1-2) Our Lord sanctifies the marriage relationship. Marriage was ordained by God in Eden; and in these verses the Saviour, for all time, set His approval upon it. By gracing this festive gathering, our Lord distinguishes and glorifies this sacred institution.
(Vs. 3) Mary's words seem to indicate two things.
(Vs. 4) He replied (literally), "What to me and thee?" or "What is there common to me and thee?" It was not that He resented her inviting His aid, but He must act in His own way. His season (as a son) of subjection to Mary and Joseph is over. The term "woman," in that day, was not harsh but commonly used for addressing females of all classes. On the cross the Lord addressed Mary as "woman" (John 19:26). To have addressed her as "mother" (on either occasion) would have called attention to human relationships. "Woman" shows that GOD was speaking to her. Christ teaches that Mary was only a woman–"Blessed AMONG women" (Luke 1:28), but not "Blessed ABOVE women" (Matt. 12:46-50).
"Mine hour is not yet come." This is the hour of His suffering, the hour of His humiliation, the hour when He would be subject to man's wicked will; for He would be delivered into the hands of sinners. But until then, He was not to be ordered by man. He was about His Father's business. Seven references are made in this book to that "hour" (John 2:4, 7:30, 8:20, 12:23, 12:27, 16:32, 17:1).
(Vs. 5) Mary accepted the Lord's rebuke, recognized the Lord's right to act as He pleased, and left the matter entirely in His hands. What a lesson for us!
(Vs. 6-11) Pink mentions several things to consider about this miracle.1. The OCCASION of it. This was His first miracle. Hitherto He had lived in quiet seclusion in Nazareth. From this point on He would become a public and a marked man.
2. The MANNER of it. Christ was the One Who performed the miracle; yet the servants secured the pots, filled them with water, drew off the wine, and carried it to the governor of the feast. The MEANS used were human; the POWER was Divine. It may have seemed foolish to fill the pots with WATER, but water is a symbol of the written Word (Eph. 5:26); and the way to bring joy and comfort to the human heart today is to fill it with the preached Word. God will make it effectual (Rom. 10:17).
3. The TEACHING of it. We have a picture of the regeneration of a sinner.