Writers' Devotion - The Best Day for a Wedding

by Elva Cobb Martin

Since I write romance novels anything about a wedding interests me.

Many times I've heard or shared teachings on the wedding of Cana and Jesus' first miracle of turning the water into wine in John Chapter 2.
Recently, reading this passage in The Passion Translation, I gained some amazing new insight from the notes.

John 2:1 reads: Now on the third day there was a wedding feast in the Galilean village of Cana... 

I assumed the "third day" had something to do with Jesus' travels. But that's not it. This was a Tuesday as counted by the Hebrew week beginning on the Sabbath (our Saturday). 

The "third day" was chosen as a great day for a wedding in ancient Judaism because:

1) It was only on the third day in creation (Gen.1:10-12) that God says "It is good" twice. So this day is considered twice blessed. (Wonder if that's WHY I personally get much more good writing done on Tuesdays? --Not just for the fact that my retired hubby has a long afternoon off with his music-playing buddies every Tuesday. LOL)

2) Tuesdays were ideal for Jewish weddings because it gave guests time to get there after the Sabbath and not have to hurry home.

3) The "third day" is also a picture of Jesus' glorious Resurrection.

Here are some other fast tidbits from The Passion notes on the Wedding of Cana:

• Six stone pots represents the number of man made on the   sixth day

• Moses (law) turned water to blood; Jesus (grace) changed water of the Word into wine of the Spirit.

Here's are a couple of my own notes: 
1) Mary expected something to happen when she told the servants "Whatever He tells you to do, do it." (Catholics should take note these are the LAST words of Mary in the Bible. She never dreamed she'd be worshiped.) 

We Christian writers, trying to write what He is telling us to write, need to keep EXPECTING something good will come from our efforts. Are you doing what He says do and expecting?

2) It took some FAITH ACTION for this miracle to emerge. The servants had to obey Jesus' instruction to fill the pots with water and then go and POUR it out for the guests. Can't you just hear some of them mumbling? "This is crazy. No one will like this water. The groom will beat us for doing this."
Yet, when they obeyed Jesus' Word, the water turned into wine.
If you obey and keep writing what Jesus' tells you, I believe you, too, will experience a miracle of success.

3) Was the wine fermented? I have TONS of notes about this but suffice it to say:

1) I believe it was new wine--wine that comes straight from the grapes, not fermented to make people drunk and like that which we believers will all enjoy at the coming Marriage Supper of the Lamb because:

2) We know medically now that alcohol consumption can cause birth defects, even during the 48-hour period of conception. It would be theologically absurd to think Jesus would serve this to a bride who could conceive that night or to the other women present at the wedding.  

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Blessings,
Elva

Elva Cobb Martin is Vice President of the SC Chapter of American Christian Fiction Writers. She is a former school teacher and a graduate of Anderson University and Erskine College. She has two inspirational novels published with Lighthouse Publishers of the Carolinas. Summer of Deception, a contemporary romantic suspense, and an historical romance, In a Pirate’s Debt. Both have spent time on Amazon’s 100 Best Sellers List for Women’s Religious Fiction. She has indie published a Bible study on Amazon, Power Over Satan, on the  believer's authority in Christ. Decision, Charisma, and Home Life have carried Elva's articles. She and her husband Dwayne are semi-retired ministers. A mother and grandmother, Elva lives in South Carolina. Connect with her on her web site http://www.elvamartin.com, Twitter www.twitter.com/ElvaCobbMartin; Facebook http://www.facebook.com/elvacobbmartin;  and Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/elvacobbmartin  
 Link to her romance novels and non-fiction works on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2pOgVHI