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What the Fathers say
Eastern Fathers
John Chrysostom
"But why," says one, "did not He Himself produce the water which He afterwards showed to be wine, instead of bidding the servants bring it?" For the very same reason; and also, that He might have those who drew it out to witness that what had been effected was no delusion since if any had been inclined to be shameless, those who ministered might have said to them, "We drew the water, we filled the vessels." And besides what we have mentioned, He thus overthrows those doctrines which spring up against the Church. …
Cyril of Alexandria
The ministers accomplish what is commanded, and by unspeakable might was the water changed into wine. For what is hard to Him Who can do all things? He that calleth into being things which are not, how will He weary, trans-ordering into what He will things already made? They marvel at the thing, as strange; for such are Christ's works to look upon. But the governor of the feast charges the bridegroom with expending what was better on the latter end of the feast, not unfitly, as appears to me, according to the narration of the story.
Theophylact of Ohrid
But could He not have produced wine from nothing, without filling the vessels with water? Of course He could; but the greatness of miracles often diminishes their acceptability. There could also have been the purpose of having the servants who carried the water into the vessels serve as witnesses of the miracle. Furthermore, so that we might learn that it is He who transforms the wine and the moisture of the grape, which is nothing but water.
Western Saints
Augustine of Hippo
A firkin is a certain measure; as urn, amphora, and the like. Metron is the Greek for measure: whence metretae. Two or three, is not to be taken to mean some holding two, others three, but the same vessels holding two or three. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
Thomas Aquinas
Then when he says that Jesus instructed them, Fill those jars with water, he gives the material of the miracle. Here we might ask why this miracle was performed with already existing material, and not from nothing. There are three reasons for this. The first reason is literal, and is given by Chrysostom: to make something from nothing is much greater and more marvelous than to make something from material already existing; but it is not so evident and believable to many. …
Bonaventure
Note that when Christ performed the miracle of changing water into wine, he did not say from the very first: "Let there be wine." Nor did He produce it out of nothing: as Gregory comments, He asked the servants to fill the water jars. It is impossible to explain what He did in a literal sense, but a reason may be given in terms of spiritual understanding: The Holy Spirit does not give spiritual understanding unless man provide the jar, that is, his capacity, and the water, that is, the understanding of the literal sense. …
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