Part 2 Of The Wedding Of Cana Series

VERSE5

Mary is satisfied Jesus will do what is best and so submits to Him

and tells the servants to do the same. She understands his need to

time things right and is content to leave him in control of the

decision. She is no control freak who has to have it her way. She can

let go and let God. Barclay writes, "Even when Mary did not

understand what Jesus was going to do, even when it seemed that

He had refused her request, Mary still believed in Him so much that

she turned to the serving folk and told them to do what ever Jesus

told them to do. Mary had the faith, which could trust even when it

did not understand. She did not know what Jesus was going to do,

but she was quite sure that He would do the right thing."

Mary did not read into what Jesus said, a no, forget it, I won't help,

but rather, give me time to figure it out. She said, fine, you guys do

what He says when He comes up with a solution.

John E. Large writes, "Among all the words ever recorded the

whole human history of the worlds literature, can you conceive of a

wiser command or of a lovelier valedictory?"

Obedience is a key idea here. The miracle took place in an

environment of complete obedience to the will of Jesus. Obedience

is a key subject all through the Bible.

We see here PERFECT OBEDIENCE-WHAT EVER

PRACTICAL OBEDIENCE-DO

PERSONAL OBEDIENCE-HE TELLS YOU

Whatsoever He bids you, do it,

Though you may not understand:

Yield to Him complete obedience,

Then you'll see His mighty hand;

"Fill the water pots with water,"

Fill them to the very brim;

He will honor all your trusting-

Leave the miracle to Him!

Oh, ye Christians, learn the lesson!

Are you struggling all the way?

Cease your trying, change to trusting;

Then you'll triumph every day!

"Whatsoever He bids you, do it,"

Fill the water pots to brim;

But remember, 'tis His battle-

Leave the miracle to Him!

Thomas Allan

The forces of nature obeyed Jesus:

At Cana first His power is shown

His might the blushing waters own

And, changing as He speaks the word,

Flow wine, obedient to their Lord.

The servants would not see how filling these jars with water was

relevant to the need. Everyone had already washed and that is why

they were empty. Why do the irrelevant? All they had to do was

obey Jesus and it would become clear that there was a purpose.

Just do your best and let Him do the rest. Jesus could have done it

without their help, but He always likes to have some human

cooperation in all of His miracles. Jesus does not expect men to do

miracles, but He does expect them to do what they can do, such as

filling water pots.

When man's resources run out and come to an end the story is

never over. Jesus can step in and supply what man cannot. The

law could get man just so far, but only grace could get him into the

abundant life. Water can only become wine by the grace of God:

law can never do it.

VERSE6

Lloyd C. Douglas, author of the Robe, wrote an earlier book called

Those Disturbing Miracles. In it he wrote, "Surely he is a very

unfortunate reader of this epic who gets himself so distracted by all

those stone water pots that he misses the real and only point at

issue, which is the simple fact that Jesus bears a transforming

power, that He turns water into wine, frowns into smiles, whispers

of fear into anthems of hope, deserts into gardens, and sin-blistered

souls into valorous saints by the catalyzing alchemy of a selfless

love."

We read in Mark 7:3, "The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat

unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the

tradition of the elders." These six jars would hold anywhere from

120 to 180 gallons. This does not mean that Jesus made all of the

water in these jars into wine. Some feel that as the smaller vessel

was dipped into one of these jars it was changed to wine. Some feel

it was only the vessel dipped into the well after the jars were filled

that was turned to wine. The fact is nobody knows how much wine

was created.

VERSE8

Draw out now=a debatable image. Did they draw out of the 6

water pots or out of the well? If out of the well then it was only the

wine in their small containers that was turned into wine. This

would mean a very limited amount of wine. If out of the water pots