The wedding at Cana miracle hinges on the collection of stone water jars. These empty contains give you a springboard for discussing how they can be filled. Coloured candy or popcorn would be great for taking home, or create an interactive play space with bright pompoms.
To make this craft, you will need the 1-page template printout, scissors, and some paper glue. This craft works best printed on thin card, but paper will work.
You may also need colouring pens if you are printing without colour.
Cut out all the pieces, 2 sides, one connector and 2 handles.
Fold the connector pieces along every line – all folds are mountain folds (the printing on the outside).
Add glue to the white tabs on one side.
Glue onto one side of the jar, it’s best to start with the smallest middle tab and the base of the jar.
Once secure add glue to the other set of tabs.
Repeat with the other side of the jar. A pencil or ruler can help smooth the glue tabs.
Fold the tabs on the two handles – once again, these are mountain folds.
Using the guidelines glue a handle to the middle connector piece.
Repeat with the remaining handle and choose your filling.
One side should be “dripping” blue water, the other side will be “dripping” red wine!
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This worksheet about the Wedding at Cana and the miracle of turning water into wine follows the wedding party and the significance of this being the first miracle John records Jesus doing. If has a variety of identification, imaginative, and drawing activities alongside some open ended pondering questions. This worksheet is best for small groups work.
To complete the worksheet you will need some colouring pens or pencils and to turn your thinking caps on!
The PDF can can be downloaded by clicking on the image.
A seven-day wedding may seem crazy or completely normal, depending on your culture, but trying to work out quantities of drink for such an event must have been a challenge. These games look at the event as a whole, the joy of the party, the planers preparation and the way Jesus, together with the servants, stopped it being memorable for the wrong reasons.
A ‘play’ water table is something usually reserved for the preschool or infants, but playing with water is a great way into this story. If you can’t access one, then use the largest flat container you can find. Add in cups, scoops funnels and various strainers, simple bath toys tubes especially. You can also extend to colour mixing with a drop of water-based food colouring or cordials. Add in challenges for older kids, e.g. “Can you find a way of filling the sieve?” or “how far can you get the water to travel?”
Prepared
All Ages
Any size group
No Setup time
Quiet game
Can be seated
Sit the youngsters in a circle and have them play this ‘grandma’s suitcase’ variant. Say “I went to the wedding with Jesus, and I was prepared because I took (insert object plus reason)” For example “an oil lamp for after dark”. Have the next person repeat your sentence, adding on a new object, e.g.: “I went to the wedding with Jesus, and I was prepared because I took an oil lamp and a gift for the newly-weds.” Continue adding items as you go around the circle.
He Said
Under 7’s
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Can be seated
“Do whatever he tells you to” said Mary to the servant – what a great prompt for playing ‘Simon says’. Use ‘He said’ not ‘Jesus said’ and get the kids following commands. How did it feel to do things you wouldn’t normally do? Do you think the servants felt foolish in the story?
Many Hands Race
All Ages
Any size group
No Setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
Draw a line on the floor and a dot as far away as the room allows. Repeat this if the group is large. The children need to make a path to the dot, round it and back to the line to finish the race using their hands. Have the first child lay their hand flat on the line, the next person must then place their hand touching the first child’s to move them closer to the dot. Repeat with the rest of the children in the group, only once everyone has their hands on the floor can the first person stand and run to place their hand again in the line.
Dressing up
Under 7’s
Small group
Requires setup time
Noisy game
Space needed
There is something special about putting yourself in the shoes of the people in the story. This story with its special wedding outfits is a great opportunity to grab the costumes. Act out the story with a tray full of cups and the biggest tubs you can find. You could fill them with tissue paper balls, blue on top and red underneath?
This is a classic craft for an ever popular story. It used a small window and a split pin to show the water changing into wine. When the transformation took place is unknown, but that water was often added to wine is a staple fact of the time and region. This craft is quick and simple to do, it’s also a good craft for younger groups and the cutting is very forgiving – though I’d recommend preparing by removing the window in advance.
To make this craft, you will need the 1-page template printout, scissors, and a split pin (brad).
Cut out the two large shapes.
Carefully remove the window between the jar and the goblet.
Make two small holes where the guide circles indicate.
Thread a split pin through the two pieces and open the arms to secure.
Rotate to watch the liquid pour.
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For each passage, there is a collectable card alongside high-quality character images and a colouring page. All other graphics are extra’s!
Click on the images below to see a larger version. Save the images by right click + ‘save image as’ (computers) OR long press + ‘save image’ (mobile).
These images are NOT copyright free.
These resources are provided for personal/classroom use only. Use can use them for teaching, games, publicity, decorations, big screen presentations, flannel graphs, stickers, or any other non-commercial activity in your church, school, home, or organised group. You may not use them in products you are going to sell (both printed and digital). Nor may you upload the original images online, on websites, social media or in YouTube videos. Any questions, please reach out to me using the contact page link at the end of the page.
There are countless details in this story that may pique a child’s interest, the need to finish the house, the wedding clothes, the relationship between the different parties, the idea of a head servant being master of the feast, the expensive water jars and the fascinating idea that Jesus would provide choice wine even if it was before ‘his time’.
Notes: I’ve chosen to make this wedding that of James, perhaps even Jesus’s brother James? There are two versions of this story, the version used in the pack and the original longer version.
This retold version of the Bible passage is supplied for inspiration, feel free to omit or embellish to give it your personal voice.
James adjusted his new clothes and simple metal crown, hoping he looked acceptable. “Come on James” cried his mother from the room below, “Everyone will be waiting, and Jesus is on the way with his new friends!” James sighed, he hoped the master of the feast realised how big a wedding party was coming.
Dressed beautifully, with a crown upon her head and elaborate jewellery, the bride looked spectacular. James sat next to her and watched the party. Seven days of celebration, and it was only day five! As he scanned the room his eyes found the head servant, the ‘master of the feast’ and he looked… wrong? What was happening? James couldn’t move or call out, everyone would notice! However, he could see Mary. James waved at Mary, then pointed at the head servant.
Mary’s eyes searched the crowd to find a terrified face. The servant was sweating, shaking and looked close to tears. Mary rushed over, but the man was embarrassed. He barely whispered, “Did the groom bring some wine, all our wine is gone!” Wide-eyed Mary looked at the crowd in the room, it was a very crowded wedding, Jesus bringing his crowd of followers had made that even worse. “Let me help” she whispered back and ran to where she could see Jesus.
“Jesus” she hissed in a ‘come here, I need you now’ kind of way. He looked apologetically at his friends and went to his mother’s side.“They have run out of wine” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “Why does that concern me, Mother?” came Jesus’ reply. “You know it’s not time” he added, his voice getting quieter. Mary looked around at Jesus’ large group of friends and started back at him. She grabbed the nearest servant by the wrist and told them to do whatever Jesus said, then she turned around and left before anyone could say another word.
Jesus looked at the servant, then back at his friends, and let out a huge sigh. “She didn’t give me much choice, did she?” he muttered quietly. At the side of the room were some beautiful (and expensive) stone water jars. “Go fill those with water” said Jesus to the servant. “How many?” asked the servant, for they were large. “I see six, fill all of them” came Jesus’s reply and the servant nodded and left.
A little while later, the servant returned to report the jars were filled. “Fill a jug from one of the stone jars and take a glass to the master of the feast” Jesus said.
Puzzled, he did as he was told. The servant dipped the jug in the stone jar and brought it up dripping, not with water but wine. He started at his hand, now covered in red droplets, and lifted his skin to his mouth to taste the sweetness.
Hurrying to the master of the feasts, he poured a glass of new wine and watched the man as his face too filled with a look of surprise. He in turn hurried to the groom. “This wine” he exclaimed “This wine is exquisite… everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink, but you have saved the best till now” behind him.
Mary stood shaking her head with a finger on her lips. “Thank you” muttered James, completely confused. Mary smiled and nodded back.
Longer version:
James looked around the house, it was finished, he’d bring his new wife back to see after the wedding feast. Outside he could hear the crowd of friends and family had already arrived, news of a wedding spread fast and he adjusted his new clothes and simple metal crown hoping he looked acceptable. “Come on James” cried Mary from the room below “Your brothers will be waiting at the crossroads and Jesus has brought all his followers along!” James sighed, he hoped the master of the feast realised how big a party was coming. As he came outside the crowd let up a cheer and the musicians seemed to get even louder. He was pushed to the front quickly so they could start the journey.
Dressed in fine embroidered cloth, with a crown upon her head and elaborate jewellery the bride looked beautiful. James sat next to her and watched the party continue. Seven days of celebration, and it was only day 5. He could see the head servant, the ‘master of the feast’ and he was obviously becoming anxious. James desperately wanted to know what was the matter but admitting any problem to the groom would be far too embarrassing.
“James,” came Mary’s voice “James, why are you looking so puzzled, it’s a celebration, do try and look a bit happier” “Oh” James said with a smile. Perhaps she could help? James motioned for Mary to come close then whispered in her ear; “I think there is something wrong, look at the master of the feasts” Mary twisted her head round and her eyes met a truly terrified face in the crowd. She stepped lightly away from James and made straight for the servant. He was sweating, shaking and looked close to tears.
Mary stood before the man and waited patiently. The silence stretched on as he tried to decide if he should speak. Finally with a huge sigh he barely whispered “Please tell me the groom brought some wine, all our wine is gone”. Wide eyed Mary looked at the crowd in the room, it was a very busy wedding and her party was certainly the largest, Jesus bringing his crowd of followers had made that even worse. “Let me help” she whispered back to the man and fled across the room to where she could see Jesus.
“Jesus” she hissed in a ‘come here I need you now’ kind of way. He looked apologetically at his friends and went to his mothers side.“They have run out of wine” she said her voice barely above a whisper. “Why does that concern me Mother” came Jesus’ reply “you know it’s not time” he added his voice getting quieter. Mary looked round at Jesus’ large group of friends and started back at him. She grabbed the nearest servant by the wrist and looking them full in the face told them to do whatever Jesus said, then she turned around and left before anyone could say another word.
Jesus looked at the servant then back at his friends and let out a huge sigh. “She didn’t give me much choice did she” he muttered quietly. At the side of the room were some beautiful (and expensive) stone water jars, “go fill those with water” said Jesus to the servant. “how many?” asked the servant for they were large. “I see 6, fill all of them” came Jesus’s reply and the servant nodded and left.
A little while later the servant returned to report the jars were filled. “Fill a jug from one of the stone jars and take a glass to the master of the feast” Jesus said. Looked puzzled he did as he was told. The servant dipped the jug in the stone jar and brought it up dripping, not with water but wine. He started at his hand, now covered in red droplets and lifted his skin to his mouth to taste the sweetness. Hurrying to the master of the feasts he poured a glass of new wine and watched the man as his face too filled with a look of surprise. He in turn hurried to the groom.
“This wine” he exclaimed “This wine is exquisite… everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now” behind him Mary stood shaking her head with a finger on her lips. “Thank you?” muttered James, completely confused. Mary smiled and nodded back.
