Jesus, His mother, and His disciples were all in Nathanael's hometown of Cana which is in Galilee. (See John 21:2). They were guests attending a wedding feast when the hosts ran out of wine. This was not a bring your own bottle event; thus a problem arose.

In verses 3 to 5 we read, "When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to Him, 'They have no more wine.'" Jesus sought not to get involved and said, "Dear woman, why do you involve Me? My time has not yet come." Mary did not argue with Jesus, but rather she turned to the servants and said, "Do whatever He tells you."

Jesus gave instructions to the servants and in verses 7 and 8 we read, "Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water'; so they filled them to the brim. Then He told them, 'Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.' They did so."

A lot takes place in these two short verses. Jesus gave three specific instructions to the servants. He first told them to fill the water pots. Second, He told them to take some out and third He instructed the servants to take some to the one who was in charge of the wedding feast.

The miracle of Jesus changing the water into wine would have never taken place if the servants had not taken the advice of Mary. In verse 5 we read, "His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever He tells you.'" The miracle was accomplished when the servants listened to and followed the words of Jesus.

In verse 6 we read, "Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons." The size of these water pots must not be overlooked. These were not mere pitchers or carafes found on many restaurant tables today, but were large stone containers which held between 20 and 30 gallons each. We are talking between 120 and 180 gallons of water. Filling these water pots was no small task. I doubt they had garden hoses back then and the servants probably had to go to the city well or stream to fetch the water. The water already in these pots was not necessarily clean for these pots contained bath water used for ceremonial washings.

In Genesis 41:53-57 we read of a time of famine and in verse 55 we read, "When all Egypt began to feel the famine, the people cried to Pharaoh for food. Then Pharaoh told all the Egyptians, 'Go to Joseph and do what he tells you.'" Pharoah's words are strikingly similar to Mary's.

Mary's instructions to the servants, "Do whatever He tells you," was good advice back then and also for us today. Jesus did not merely snap his fingers, wiggle his nose, or say, "Presto changeo." But rather, He spoke and the servants followed His instructions. In 1 Samuel 15:22 we read, "To obey is better than sacrifice."

Jesus rescued and saved the wedding feast when He changed the water pot water into wine. In John 2:3 we read again Mary's desperate cry for help, "When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to Him, 'They have no more wine.'" Likewise, it is at times like these when we do not know what we are going to do that Jesus wants us to call upon Him. Jesus said in Matthew 11:28, "Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."

Sometimes we are waiting on Jesus to do something when He is expecting us to do something. We are called to do and obey the words of Jesus found in His word the Bible. We are called to take the steps of faith and obedience. The choice is ours. "Come to Me," are the instructions given. Will we choose to act and obey?