Read John 2:1-12 with your family.

Weddings were a very big deal in Jesus’ time. They weren’t just about the bride and groom, they were also agreements between the families to support each other in good times and bad times. Usually the wedding was for the whole village and only special people travelled from outside the village to attend. Mary would have been very important to the families of the bride and groom to get an invitation for herself and her children.

The groom’s family hosted the wedding celebration, which could be up to 7 days long. When they ran out of wine on day 3, that was a problem. If Jesus hadn’t stepped in to make more wine, the groom’s family would have been shamed and reminded for the rest of their lives that they didn’t know how to provide enough for their guests for such an important occasion. Mary knew that would have been very bad, and she knew what Jesus could do, so she asked and Jesus made it happen.

In the story Jesus calls Mary “Woman”. In English and in western countries, we don’t call our mother’s “Woman”, because that sounds like an insult. But in Jesus day, the word used for woman could also mean “Queen”, or “My lady”. Jesus wasn’t angry at his mother, he was pleading with her that he not have to show his power yet, he wanted more time. However, Mary knew that he was ready, and like all good parents she pushed Jesus a little. Mary encouraged Jesus to start his ministry, because it was now his time to show the world what God could do.