By the end of John 1, four days have surpassed. Beginning at chapter 2, three days from then have gone by, 7 total days of Jesus’ earthly ministry have passed. John spends little time in his gospel detailing the numbers of things, so for this distinction to be made there must be significance.

John opened chapter 1 with the allusion to Genesis 1, establishing Christ as the word by which all that was made, was made. Chapter 2 opens with the seven day picture that Genesis 2 opens with, reminding us that Jesus is fully God, though He yielded his power, not His authority, but His power in order to become flesh and dwell among us.

Today’s devotion will be brief. I’m not known for succinctness in writing, but I think the first 10 verses of John 2 merit reflection and will be broken up between today and tomorrow.

In John 2:1-10 we see Jesus first earthly miracle performed. It is not accompanying a message pointing eager listeners to the Father as Jesus’ miracles were generally ordained, it was a miracle born of a request from Jesus’ mother, Mary.

John 2, “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 and when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, ‘they have no wine.”

In Jewish culture, for the host of a party to invite guests into his home there were several implications that followed. There was an expectation for provision, and if that expectation wasn’t met, the host would fall under social shame. Culturally we can’t equate the westernized inconvenience of running out of Tostitos at the Super Bowl party to the sort of faux pas that this would have been for the host of a wedding feast in Jewish culture.

Secondly, there were financial obligations. The host was legally obligated to provide for guests invited into his home or he was obliged to provide financial restitution. Guests, for instance, could take a sheep and leave if they weren’t provided adequately for. With a party as large as a wedding feast, running out of wine could bankrupt the host. Mary’s remark to Jesus was not an observation. She was prompting Jesus to provide a solution to what could have been a crises for the family.

Mary’s concern for the host, though understandable, caused her to make an inappropriate request of Jesus. She treats Jesus here more like a genie at her bidding than as the ultimate authority of heaven and earth. Her request, though undoubtedly born of concern, is not dissimilar to requests we make of God all the time.

In our minds, we see a problem, and what seems to be the solution, and we make a wish. We expect God at our bidding, in our time, and we wonder when He doesn’t miraculously produce the result that we think is the most obvious and best solution. But the prophet Isaiah makes it clear, “For ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,’ says the LORD (55:8).” God is holy, distinct, righteous, and separate. We can’t fathom the depths of the riches of His wisdom, “Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!” (Romans 11:33) Now, I am by no means diminishing the awesome and miraculous power of prayer. God asks us to “cast all our anxieties on Him,” but that verse in context reads, “humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that at the proper time He may exalt you 7 casting all your care upon Him, because He cares for you (1 Peter 5: 6-7).” Humble yourselves,” because our thoughts are not His thoughts, “under the Mighty hand of God,” and our ways are not His ways. God does delight in answering the prayers of His children, so precious to Him are our petitions that they are kept by Him near His throne (Revelation 5:8). But, that doesn’t mean that our requests are aligned to His good and perfect will nor is God obligated to oblige us. Prayer moves us closer to the heart of God, it does not move God closer to our desire.

Yet, here, we see Mary make a petition of Jesus, which from her perspective was the solution to the bridegroom’s potentially socially ruining and financially wrecking blunder of running out of wine.

Tomorrow, we’ll look closely at Jesus’ response, Mary’s faith in her son’s deity, and the first miracle of Jesus’ ministry performed.