Experiencing The Miracle Of Transformation

Subject: "Experiencing the Miracle of Transformation"

Text: John 2:1-11 The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. 3 The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.”

4 “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5 But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, 8 he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions. 9 When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. 10 “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” 11 This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Introduction: In changing the water into wine, Jesus demonstrated his authority over all things down to the smallest molecule. This was a miracle for transformation designed to convince the disciples of who he was. Water doesn’t change its molecular makeup without the authority of the Creator. Jesus was on a mission to save the world, the greatest mission in the history of mankind. Yet, he took the time to attend a wedding and take part in the festivities. We may be tempted to think we should not take time out from our important work for social occasions. But maybe these social occasions are part of our mission. Jesus valued these wedding festivities because they involved people and Jesus came to be with people. Our mission can often be accomplished in joyous times of celebration with others. Bring balance to your life by bringing Jesus into times of pleasure as well as times of work.

Wonder why Jesus would allow his first miracle to be here at a wedding feast? Maybe it was because all of us can relate to this couple’s predicament. In the Jewish culture, the weddings were prearranged and the couples were obedient to their parents. The bride and groom were selected by the parents and the couple had little to do with it. Many of us find ourselves in predicaments of life that we can do very little about. Many of us may not be able to relate to a chronic illness, or blindness, deafness, or dumbness, but every one of us have been caught in situations where something ran out!

Weddings in Jesus' day were weeklong festivals. Banquets were prepared for many guests, and the week was spent celebrating the new life of the married couple. Often the whole town was invited, and everybody came. It was considered an insult to refuse a wedding invitation. To accommodate so many people, careful planning was done. To run out of wine was more than embarrassing; it broke the strong unwritten laws of hospitality. Jesus was about to respond to a heartfelt need.

This is not a life-or-death situations. Everyone could survive without another shot of wine. But heartfelt needs touch the heart of God and Jesus responded. Mary was probably not asking for a miracle; she simply hoped Jesus would help solve this family's problem. Some Jewish traditions say Joseph had died some years early and Jesus Mary's oldest son was the key to the family's success. Mary leaned heavily on the shoulders of Jesus. Although Mary did not know exactly what Jesus would do, she trusted him to do the right thing. Those who believe in Jesus will sometimes run into situations they cannot handle or understand, but they must continue to trust that he will work things out in the best way.

John’s gospel provides us with only seven signs to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the son of God. He begins his miracles at a wedding feast and ends his miracles at a funeral. Have you ever considered why this miracle? John introduces Jesus in chapter one… John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”

Jesus is more than a prophet, more than a healer. He is the creator God. Personally, I had missed the point of this text. I concentrated my study on the wedding, the festivities, the lack of wine and the obvious felt need. All those things do appear in the text, but they are the minor details. John meaning goes deeper by saying, “This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” The Roman Catholics have attempted to use this passage to prove that His mother Mary is a mediator. They teach praying to Mary. Certain bootleggers and moonshine makers have tried to use this passage to justify their operations, but this passage is not about mediation or wine production. It is about proving that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God, that His disciples might believe.