John’s gospel details seven of Jesus’ miracles in demonstration of his deity. John also details several other moments where Jesus responds probably just like we would, and so we’re reminded of Jesus’ humanity. The first of these is a conjoint reminder of both Jesus’ deity and humanity.

Picking up in John 2 verse 3, Mary tells Jesus, “they have no more wine.” Verse 4, “Jesus said to her, ‘woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”

The term “woman” was not a slander Jesus was using to disregard the significance of the one to whom Jesus was speaking. As Jesus’ mother, He would have been committing a sin to dishonor her by slander, so we know that it wasn’t in this way that Jesus was referring to her. Rather, it is a more contextually connoted distancing between Mary, Jesus, and the problem: that there was no more wine. Jesus’ reply, in essence, is that this is not their concern. Further, this is not why Jesus surrendered his power to become flesh; He did not voluntarily surrender his position at the right hand of God to come to earth so He could cater weddings. The Holy Spirit didn’t come upon Him and grant Him power so He could accommodate everyday needs.

Jesus came to earth and displayed His power so He could validate His identity as Messiah. The miracles were always a means to an end in His ministry. Jesus showed signs and wonders to prove a message which He delivered in conjunction with those miracles. But, here, Mary wanted a miracle done, divorced from any message. Her concern was for the host’s reputation and liabilities rather than for Jesus’ glory. That’s why Jesus asks her, “what does this have to do with Me?” Mary’s purposes were not keeping in step with the Father’s purposes; therefore, by definition, Mary’s desires were sin.

In this is such a relatable sentiment. So often I desire the outcome that I so long for. In August of 2020 my grandma was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. It hadn’t spread, responded significantly to treatment, and on October 20, 2020 we were laying her to rest, stunned by the immediate conclusion to her earthly race. Was my desire to see her healed sinful? In itself, no. My prayers were for healing, they were that she would be fully recovered by Christmas, as the doctors assured us was a very real possibility. But, upon not receiving the answer I so desperately desired, I was given an opportunity to abide in obedience, trusting in the Lord, or lean into the flesh’s response of betrayal, anger, and bitterness.

By the grace of God I leaned into His timing, aware of the war my flesh was waging against the spirit in desire to tear my trust and adoration away from my Lord, and replace it with substitutions the world would offer as vices to fill the God shaped hole that throbbed in my chest after losing her. Only a full submission and dependence on Him can satisfy all our desires. I grieved, wept, and prayed for the grace to heal from her loss on a daily basis, but I did not, “sorrow as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).” For I believe Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus (v14).

In Mary’s request, also, is her full faith in Jesus as Messiah and the power given to Him by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’ replies to her, “my time has not yet come.” He’s reminding Mary that the timing for Jesus’ miracles is according to the Father’s plan. In His response to her, Jesus displays His divinity in the way He highlights her behavior as sin. In a sense, He is acting as judge, convicting Mary for having the wrong motive in commissioning Him to act on behalf of the bridegroom. But Mary completely ignores this and tells the servants to do whatever He says, which is intriguing because that’s what servants did: what they were told. She would have had no reason to say this to them unless she knew that Jesus was capable of and would acquiesce in a way that may be startling to them. I don’t believe Mary knew how Jesus would accomplish this, but I think Mary fully believed that Jesus could.

So, Jesus performs the miracle. If Mary’s request was sin, why would Jesus do this? In performing the miracle He accomplished it discreetly. No attention was drawn to Jesus, whatsoever, in fact the master of the feast praises the host for withholding the good wine until the end. Only the servants know what has transpired. So, Jesus doesn’t violate the Father’s will in performing the miracle, because He didn’t use it to publicize His ministry prematurely. Nevertheless, He obeyed His mother’s request because to do otherwise was to dishonor his mother. Therefore, the humanity of Christ respected His mother and complied with her request. As divinity Jesus rebuked the sin of Mary. John shows us succinctly both sides of Jesus’ nature in one story.

Proverbs 3:5 tells us, “trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” When our requests align with the will of the Father it is a result of the work of the Spirit in us, moving our desire in alignment with the will of God. His plan and purposes are greater than our desired outcomes, but sometimes we’re not able to see how the outcome of terrible circumstances can work together for good.

An illustration I think of often is that of a tapestry. We are limited in our perspective, unable to see the full beauty of God’s design. This side of eternity we see the back of the tapestry, the parts still in the making with the knots, and the pulled ends, and oftentimes what looks more like chaos than any cohesive design. But, the face of the tapestry will be revealed when we conclude the earthly race and stand in His presence, the front of the tapestry revealing the beautiful portrait of His eternal perspective, causing our concerns over the knots and tears in the back to fade, with our eyes full forward on the glory of His majesty, wonderful, and worthy to be praised.