“On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, ‘They have no wine.’” (John 2:1-3, ESV)
A wedding was a great event in Jewish life for it was a reminder of God’s covenant relationship, a joyous celebration which recalled and celebrated the Lord’s love for His people. The Jewish wedding was a time of great joy, celebration and feasting which might last as long as a week. When Jesus arrived at Cana, the feast had been going on for a day or so. The wedding was probably that of a relative of His for His mother Mary is present, and her role seems to be more than that of a guest. She was the first to discover that the wine was running out.
Since wedding celebrations took place over a period of days, it was important to have sufficient supply of wine and food on hand for the guests. It would be a social disaster, a great catastrophe to have the wine run out for wine was a major factor of all Jewish celebrations. It was a sign of joy and prosperity. It was a sign of God’s covenant blessings and of the blessings of the Kingdom to come.
So Jesus performed a miracle to help out the couple but also as a sign that He has come to do away with the old law and by His blood seal the New covenant. The wine symbolized His blood. With this miracle Jesus was saying that He would supply the wine which would supply the need of all, the wine of His own blood. All the money in the world will never satisfy the spiritual blessings that come in such rich supply as does the blood of Jesus.