The Best Is Yet To Come
A study of John 2:8-10
"And he said to them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast." So they took it. 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 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.""
John 2:8-10 ESV
Definitions of the original language in the context of this passage:
-Draw Some Out: "antleō", "ἀντλέω"; verb - universally, to draw water (or wine in John 2:8).
-Take It: "pherō", "φέρω"; verb - to bring, bring to, bring forward.
-Master of the Feast (Headwaiter): "architriklinos", "ἀρχιτρίκλινος"; masculine noun - the superintendent of a dining-room, a table-master.
-Tasted: "geuomai", "γεύομαι"; verb - to taste, to try the flavor of, partake of, enjoy.
-Water: "ydōr", "ὕδωρ"; neuter noun - of water.
-Now (Which Had) Become: "ginomai", "γίνομαι"; verb - to become, to be made. "in passages where it is specified who or what a person or thing is or has been rendered, as respects quality, condition, place, rank, character" (Wahl, Clavis Apocr. V. T., p. 101).
-Wine: "oinos", "οἶνος"; masculine noun - wine.
-Know: "eidō", "εἴδω"; verb - to know, get knowledge of, understand, perceive.
-The Servants: "diakonos", "διάκονος"; masculine/feminine noun - a waiter, one who serves food and drink.
-Bridegroom: "nymphios", "νυμφίος"; masculine noun - a bridegroom, a groom.
-The People Have Drunk Freely: "methyō", "μεθύω"; verb - drink well, to be drunken.
Observation/Summary(short explanation of what the passage says in your own words):
After the servants obeyed the command of Jesus to fill the six large stone jars to the brim with water, Jesus commanded them to draw out some of the wine, and take it to the "master of the feast", or in other words, the headwaiter overseeing the event. In verse 9 we read they brought it to the master of the feast and it had now become wine, so presumably it was wine before the servants drew some out of the jars. When he tasted it, the master of the feast was surprised by what he tasted. He called the bridegroom over and told him it was unusual to serve the best wine late in the celebration. Usually the poorer wine is saved for later, and the best wine is served first. What could have been a terrible social disgrace for the newly married couple, turned into an occasion of honor and blessing because of the miracle Jesus performed for them.
Implication (what does this mean to us):
In the previous verses, Jesus commanded the servants at the wedding feast to fill 6 large stone jars with water, and they obeyed, filling them up to the brim. They had run out of wine at the wedding and to do so would have been a serious social disgrace for the married couple, but Jesus decided to intervene. After the jars had been filled with water Jesus immediately told the servants to draw some out and take it to the master of the feast, in other words, the head waiter overseeing the celebration. This indicates that the water was immediately turned to wine by the will of Jesus. The text does not even tell us whether or not He prayed. He may have prayed to the Father but regardless, this telling of the miracle makes it clear this water was turned to wine by the will of Jesus. He did not even need to verbally command a change in the nature of the water. He simply willed it to be wine, and it became wine.
In faith, the servants obeyed the commands of Jesus to fill the jars with water and then draw some out. Imagine their surprise when they drew wine out of the jars they had just filled with water. Knowing this though, they kept the information to themselves as they took some to the master of the feast, who had no idea what had been going on, and he tasted it. When he tasted it he was surprised. The wine was very good. As we learn from what he said next, usually the better wine would be served early, and after people had drunk and ate for a while, then the poorer wine would be brought out. But, not having any idea what had just happened, the master of the feast thought he was just tasting some wine before it was served, and was surprised by the quality of it.
In this changing of water to wine there are some similarities with past miracles. In the wilderness God had Moses make bitter water sweet by throwing a branch into it, and the people were able to drink. There was also an instance when Elisha cleansed some springs by tossing in salt. But here, Jesus turns normal water into good wine without any instrumentation or even spoken word. He did this simply by willing it to be so. This is because He is the Lord of all creation. He is sovereign over every molecule in time and space, and everything and everyone is subject to His supreme sovereignty. And this same great God, who rules over the entire universe, took the time and care to provide a young, country couple, with a great blessing. He could have began His earthly ministry many ways, but He chose to do so by adding joy to a celebration and giving honor to a young married couple. And even more than saving face at the party, there are scholars who point out the amount of wine was likely far too much for the wedding party to consume, and would have been sold by the newly married couple. Jesus not only gave them a gift that saved face and kept the party going, He gave them a valuable monetary gift in the wine to start them out as a couple. His love and care for these people is astonishing.
Another thing worth especially noting is that the wine was "good" wine. Jesus did not just do the bare minimum to provide some form of country swill for the wedding. He produced very fine wine. This does not mean the alcohol content was particularly high or anything. The alcohol content of wine in the ancient world was actually very low compared to today. This simply means the wine was very good. And it was in fact "wine," not grape juice or something. The Bible says nothing against the production or consumption of alcohol, what the Bible does warn and give commands against is drunkenness. In the ancient world, wine especially, could be enjoyed without drunkenness because of the low alcohol content, just as many beverages can be enjoyed today in moderation. For this reason we can also assume when the master of the feast says "drunk freely," he was not saying the whole party was intoxicated. It would have taken a large amount of wine to become drunk, and it is likely he only referred to a subtle dulling of the senses that comes with a full stomach and a few glasses of wine with low alcoholic content.
The phrase "you have kept the good wine until now" also offers a concept that is constant for Christians. While wine existed before, Jesus brought these people good wine that was even better than what they already had. While joy and gladness existed in the world in some measure, Jesus came and through His redemptive work on the cross brought joy and gladness to mankind in new, eternal, incomparable ways. And this is the pattern of life for Christians: "The best is yet to come." While we who have been saved have and do experience the goodness, peace, love and joy of the Lord in wonderful and profound ways, the best is yet to come.
While we enjoy a relationship with God, freedom from the power and penalty of sin, and the ability to choose to live righteously now, the best is yet to come. What lays ahead of us is eternal life, free from the presence of sin forever. This means no more temptation or wrong desires. It will be impossible to even want the wrong thing anymore because we will have been perfectly transformed into the likeness of Jesus. While we have joy and peace now, there will be joy and peace like we can hardly even imagine. Pain, sorrow and death will be gone forever. Tears will cease as God gently wipes them away, and our hearts will be filled to bursting with love, pleasure and gladness in the eternal presence of our Lord and in His new, beautiful, perfect creation. Hold fast to Christ brothers and sisters. The best is yet to come.
If you have not placed your faith in Jesus I invite you to do so. For those who are saved by Jesus the best is yet to come, but for those who have not been saved by Jesus, this life is as good as it will ever get. But after this comes only an eternity of punishment for the crime of sin against an infinitely holy God.
God is not unloving though. His perfect justice demands that He punish sin, but His infinite love means He paid the penalty for sin Himself by sending His own Son. Jesus, the Son of God, who is fully God Himself, came to earth willingly because of His infinite love and grace for us. He lived the perfect life we never could and died the death we deserve before rising again three days later, proving His victory over sin and death. Now, by confessing your sin, repenting of it and believing in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you will be saved.
If you want to know more about how to be saved from eternal wrath and for eternal glory, please read Romans 10:9-10 and Ephesians 2:8-10. And feel free to reach out and message me at any time. It would be my greatest joy to help you understand the gospel of Jesus Christ that is freely available to everyone.
Application (How does this change how I think, act and pray?):
From this passage we learn every molecule in time and space is subject to the authority of Jesus Christ. We should learn from the example of the servants and obey His every Word, whether we fully understand or not. He is infinitely wise, loving and good. We can trust that in everything He does, He will accomplish His purpose, His purpose is for our good and the good of others, and He will give us the very best of Himself. He did not stop short of giving His own life for us, and He will not stop short of supplying all of our greatest needs now.
We also learned from the far application of this passage that the best is yet to come. For us who have been saved, Jesus has already brought so much joy, peace and hope into our lives, but the best is yet to come. What we experience now of God's love and goodness, is like the smallest sip from the massive and infinite reservoir that will be let loose to shower us one day. We must hold fast to Jesus, the One who holds fast to us. Life in this world is difficult, but the best is yet to come.
Self Reflection:
Do I ever hold back from obeying the Word of Christ because I do not have every single little question answered?
How can I grow in faithfully obeying the commands of Christ and in taking my doubts and questions to Him?
How does the fact that the best is yet to come affect my joy, hope and peace in Christ right now?
#Jesus #goodwine #thebestisyettocome #hope #faith