Read | John 2:1–11
On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.”
“What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”
“Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.
Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons.
“Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did.
When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
Click here to listen to the Scripture in ESV.
Notice Christ’s lack of desire to take credit for the miracle of wine. What can that teach us about humility?
Focus
View this work of art, The Seventh Vessel/Vessel of Rest and Redemption, connected to Sunday’s sermon passage.
Observe what you see in the image, from colors to composition to recognizable elements, without trying to understand what it is supposed to mean. Then read about the work, using these details to help you interpret the work of art. Ask God what he might be saying through the image and listen for his insight in your thoughts and feelings; then take a moment to respond through prayer to what God showed you in this image. How might what God is showing you connect to the concept of obedience?
Commentary:
Pamela Yeomans is a mixed-media artist who attends Christ Community – Leawood Campus. She created this work for the large-scale community exhibition at the Leawood Campus, “Who Is This Man Jesus?,” a body of 66 artworks created by various artists in the Kansas City community, portraying the life and works of Jesus, including his ancestors.
Pam was inspired by the traditional iconographic portrayal of the Wedding at Cana, where the six water jars are portrayed as in the gospel account, but the icon writer places Jesus among the jars to imply that his body is the perfect seventh vessel. Last fall at the Four Chapter Gallery, Connie Ehrlich’s Wedding at Cana was displayed, and it follows that tradition.
Pam explored the merits of wine as a material in her art-making, staining her canvas with it. The six water jars are directly connected to the six days of creation, and Jesus stands at the end, a vessel of Sabbath rest and wholeness.
Here are some of Pam’s reflections on this painting:
In art making, wine is considered a “living” medium. Though a fixative has been applied to this painting, some colors may continue to change over time due to oxidation and the breakdown of tannins in the wine.
When I worked on the test canvas for this project, I joked with my husband that it smelled like happy hour. That was what came to mind when I made the first pour of wine over the final work. But quickly, an inner voice corrected me: “This smells like Communion.”
You can view this work in person at the exhibit “Who Is This Man Jesus?,” which is on display from August 9–November 15, 2026, at Christ Community – Leawood Campus.
Art Source: The Seventh Vessel/Vessel of Rest and Redemption, Pamela Yeomans, 2026. Used by permission.
Pray
Pray for wisdom to see the easy moments to follow God’s will this week.
Going Deeper
If you are also following the BibleProject’s One Story That Leads to Jesus reading plan, complete today’s reading.