Scripture: Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.    (John 2:2 NKJV)

Observation: As Jesus began His public ministry, the first event recorded was both a celebration and a miraculous event.  Cana is a small town, not too far from Nazareth, where Jesus had grown up with His mother, Mary, and her husband, Joseph.  It was during this wedding that the wedding coordinator realized they ran out of wine, which somehow was made known to Mary.  As far as we know, Jesus had not performed any miracles (unless Mary had witnessed some), so the wedding coordinator was not asking for one.  Whether Mary was asking Jesus to perform a miracle or not, Jesus sensed her concern, and that of the wedding party, and turned the water into fresh wine.  By this act, not only did He save those some embarrassment, but also saved the newlywed couple disappointment as their married life was just beginning.

Application: Thousands of couples get married every week.  Many of these wish to have the wedding ceremony performed at a church and by a pastor or priest, because they are members they are Christian, at least in word if not in practice.  Some church wedding rituals are very elaborate while others have a more simple service.  Nevertheless, most Christian couples wish to have God’s blessing, and the blessing and recognition of the church, as they begin their wedded life together.

In Cana, Jesus and His disciples were invited to join in the festivities of the newlywed couple.  My guess is that they never could have imagined that by inviting Jesus, from the nearby town of Nazareth, they were in reality inviting the very Son of God to grace them with His presence.  There are two important lessons to learn from this story:
1. The couple getting married needs to invite God into their wedding ceremony and be aware of His presence during that special service.  Weddings, for many, have become more of a show than a spiritual experience.  Some choose to be married while skydiving, or scuba diving.  Others want to have it at the place where they first met, whether the subway or at a Wal-Mart.  Others yet dress up as they were attending a costume party.  But Christian couples must approach this day with the full realization they are coming before the presence of the God of the universe, their Creator, and their Redeemer.  It is a solemn event, marked with the joy of His presence, but also with the reality that by becoming one flesh they are also exemplifying the union of Christ and His bride, the church.
2. Many couples invite God into their wedding, but seldom into their marriage.  God’s presence should not be only during the hour or so of the wedding ceremony but every hour of the life of this couple and family.  Therefore, we need to invite God into our personal life and into our couple and family life every day, and live in the awareness of His presence in our relationship every hour and every minute.

Invite God to your wedding. . . and to your marriage daily.

A Prayer You May Say: Our God and Father, thank You that in our marriage we tell everyone not only of our love for each other but of the love of Jesus for His bride, the church.  We invite You to come into our marriage again today and to remain with us each and every day of our lives.

Used by permission of Adventist Family Ministries, North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists.