February First February Feast
My birthday is February First, and I attribute my love of alliteration to this Fact. Obviously, from my earliest memories I have heard "February First" frequently. Because F is the 6th letter of the English alphabet, this makes February First 66, like the number of books in the Bible. I have loved the Bible from my earliest memories as well.
In John 2, Jesus' First Miracle is recorded, turning water into wine at a wedding. (More alliteration!)This beginning of Jesus' ministry has long been one of my favorite stories. The story is written in verses 1-11:
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.”So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
February is Latin and means "purification" or "purification feast" so February First very much reminds me of Jesus First Miracle, and the beginning of His ministry. The water jars were for purification! A wedding is a feast!
