Mary ~ The First Disciple

Jesus’ first miracle was prompted by Mary, His mother, at the Wedding Feast at Cana. The wedding party ran out of wine and the party was far from over. In Jewish tradition, if a family ran out of food or wine at a party they’d be embarrassed and talked about for years to come. They would be shunned and avoided by their village, peers and family. No one would ever want to come to one of their parties ever again. Then Jesus came along.

John 2 v. 1-12

When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” ⁴ And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” ⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.⁷ Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. ⁹ When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” ¹¹ This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Mary was perhaps asking Jesus for more than wine. She may have been asking Him to show himself, to start his ministry. Mary was not only Jesus’ first disciple but His best disciple, from the very beginning to the Cross, Mary walked with Jesus.

She said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”

Jesus says, “Fill the jars with water.”

They did exactly as He said. “They filled them to the brim.”

He said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.”

So they took it.

The stone jars, holding 18-27 gallons of water, were not clay because they were used for Jewish ritual cleansing, hand washing and babies immersed in the jars of water to be cleaned yet the servants believed and followed directions filled these jars with water and saw it turn to wine. Six jars filled to the brim shows we can’t to begin to imagine God’s bounty.

When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew).

Mary led the servants and disciples to believe.

Mary interceded for the family, the bride and groom and still today intercedes for you and me. We can follow Mary’s example and grow closer to Jesus.

 

Prayer for Week Two

Lord, Help me to become a better disciple of yours.

I need to trust ~ believe and follow your directions.

To do what You say.

Mary, you set an example for believers today.

Thank you for interceding for me.

Help me to walk with Jesus.