John Calvin Commentary John 2:8

"And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the ruler of the feast. And they bare it." — John 2:8 (ASV)

And carry to the master of the feast. For the same reason as before, Christ wished that the flavor of the wine should be tested by the master of the feast, before He Himself, or any other of the guests, had tasted it; and the readiness with which the servants obeyed Him in all things shows us the great reverence and respect in which He was held by them.

The Evangelist gives the name of the master of the feast to the one who was responsible for preparing the banquet and arranging the tables; not that the banquet was costly and magnificent, but because the honorable titles borrowed from the luxury and splendor of the rich are applied even to the weddings of the poor.

But it is remarkable that a large quantity of wine, and of the very best wine, is supplied by Christ, who is a teacher of sobriety. I reply, when God daily gives us a large supply of wine, it is our own fault if His kindness becomes an incitement to luxury; but, on the other hand, it is undoubtedly a test of our sobriety if we are sparing and moderate in the midst of abundance; as Paul boasts that he had learned to know both how to be full and to be hungry, (Philippians 4:12).