Seeking Jesus First Jan. 9, 2025
Jesus Honored the Covenant of Marriage
“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee… This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory.” (John 2:1, 11, NKJV)
The first public, recorded miracle of Jesus did not take place in a synagogue, the temple, or a place of public debate. It took place at a wedding.
This is not incidental. John tells us that this was “the beginning of signs” through which Jesus revealed His glory. Before healing the sick, feeding multitudes, or raising the dead, Jesus chose to act in a setting that Scripture has always treated as sacred: holy matrimony.
From the beginning of Scripture, marriage is presented as God’s design, not man’s invention. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:24, NKJV). Marriage is established by God as a covenant—an enduring, faithful union between one man and one woman. It is called holy because it is set apart by God and carries His blessing.
Throughout Scripture, marriage is more than companionship. It reflects covenant faithfulness. The apostle Paul tells us that marriage points to something even greater—the relationship between Christ and His Church (Ephesians 5:31–32). Jesus Himself affirmed this design when He said, “What God has joined together, let not man separate” (Matthew 19:6, NKJV). Marriage is not merely a contract based on performance; it is a covenant grounded in promise.
By performing His first sign at a wedding, Jesus honored this covenant with His presence and His power. He did not redefine marriage. He affirmed it. He entered into the joy and responsibility of that union and revealed His glory there. This tells us something important: God values what He created, and He blesses what He establishes.
For believers, this matters deeply. As followers of Jesus, we do not define life, family, or marriage by shifting cultural ideas, but by God’s Word. Scripture teaches that God created humanity male and female, equal in worth and dignity, yet distinct by design. These distinctions are not arbitrary; they are purposeful, life-giving, and ordered by a wise Creator.
At the same time, the Gospel reminds us to hold truth with grace. Because of the cross of Christ, sin is forgiven and mercy is extended freely. Yet Scripture also teaches that our choices carry consequences (Galatians 6:7). God’s commands are not given to harm us, but to bless us. Jesus said that those who hear His words and keep them build their lives on a firm foundation.
Today’s passage reminds us that marriage is not a social construct to be reshaped at will, but a covenant to be honored with humility, faithfulness, and love. Jesus honored it by His actions, affirmed it by His words, and continues to uphold it through His Church.
Today, let this truth settle in your heart: what God establishes is good. What He joins is holy. And when we walk in His design—with truth and loving-kindness at our core—we walk in blessing.