Bible Study – Welcome to the Wedding Banquet
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
Epiphany: Shimmering glimpses of the abundance of the Kingdom of God. Perhaps we, too, noticed a star and followed it. Or maybe someone led us to the gift of faith. Now we take the Light – the Good News – out into the world. Will others see the light shimmering in us? Will they risk taking a journey into faith with us?
Jesus begins his ministry not behind a pulpit, but at a party: a wedding banquet, the most extravagant celebration a village could contain. "They feast upon the abundance of your house; you give them drink from the river of your delight." (Psalm 36:8) And the best wine is saved for the last.
Have you ever been invited to a wedding? If so, how would you describe it and the party after the wedding? If not, what would you say happens at a wedding and at the party held after the wedding?
A wedding, in Jesus' time, was the occasion of a celebration that could go on for days. And anyone who could put on a party like this would have a batch of servants, including, a wine steward who would keep the wine flowing.
Opening Prayer: Joyous God, we thank you that parties are a part of your plan. Amen
Please open your Bibles to John 2:1-11 and read or read the scriptures below.
John 2:1-11
Jesus Changes Water Into Wine
2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b]
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
Questions (Answers Below):
- Who states the fact that the lesser quality wine being served was running out?
- What did she do about it?
- What did Jesus do about it?
- What did the servants do about it?
- Why was the wine steward so surprised to taste such good wine so late in the party? (Verse 10)
- If Jesus’ ministry (and ours) is about changed hearts and minds, what is the message from this story?
- What other clues about Jesus does this story give us?
- Can you think of times when the best things were not the first things? What was okay about those times?
- Can you think of a time when someone shared something of great worth with you? How did it make you feel?
Click here for the young learner’s lesson:
Videos (Click on url)
Teaching With The Chosen: Jesus and the Wedding of Cana - John 2:1-11 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3R0Mkx8rrc
Gospel of John Summary – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-2e9mMf7E8
Song: My God Is So Great - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnJP26wqbIM
Activities:
Scribble Art: Use white card stock and markers to scribble circles all over the paper. Then take a red marker and fill in some of the scribbling circles to form the words “I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES”
Believe Book Markers: Use white or colored card stock, cut a 8 inch by 2 ½ inch card. Write the words from today’s lesson – such as faith, believe, Jesus, miracles, etc. Then decorate it.
Jesus Turns Water Into Wine - Crossword: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/tell-your-friends-about-jesus-1
Jesus Turns Water Into Wine – Fill in the Blank: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/jesus-turns-water-to-wine-1
Jesus Turns Water Into Wine – Word Match: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/jesus-turns-water-to-wine-2
Jesus Turns Water Into Wine – Multiple Choice: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/jesus-turns-water-to-wine-3
Jesus Turns Water Into Wine - Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/jesus-turns-water-to-wine-4
Prayer: Loving God, thank you for weddings and parties and all the celebrations in our lives. Help us to share the best of what we have with others. Amen.
Answers to the above questions:
- Who states the fact that the lesser quality wine being served was running out? (Mary)
- What did she do about it? (She brought it to Jesus' attention and then waited to see what he would do about it. Meanwhile she told the servants (who also knew about the wine running out) to do as Jesus told them.)
- What did Jesus do about it? (It appears that at first he thought he was not to do anything, but changed his mind and told the servants to fill the 6 big jars with water.)
- What did the servants do about it? (They filled the jars to the brim – with water or wine, it does not say.)
- Why was the wine steward so surprised to taste such good wine so late in the party? (Verse 10) -“Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
- If Jesus’ ministry (and ours) is about changed hearts and minds, what is the message from this story? (Could it be that our inclination is to share the things of lesser quality with others saving the best for later or ourselves, while God’s hope would be for us to share the best of what we have with others first and foremost?)
- What other clues about Jesus does this story give us? What does the story says to us about celebrations, parties, having a good time together.)
- Can you think of times when the best things were not the first things? What was okay about those times?
- Can you think of a time when someone shared something of great worth with you? How did it make you feel?
