Filled Jars Empty People

“Filled Jars Empty People”

“Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.” John 2.1-11

Pastor’s pledge. “This being a familiar text it relies heavily on the works of a host of others. May their contribution be recognized and honor God.”

Intro: Have you ever missed a stop sign? The other day I was driving with a friend and he looked over at me and said, “Did you not see that stop sign?” I was on a familiar road. It was a street that I am on almost every day of the week. I know the law. I know the dangers of breaking the law. I know the dangers of running a stop sign. But for some reason I just went right through it. We call it a rolling stop. Are any of you guilty of ever doing that?

Signs are important. They give us directions. They tell us what is ahead. They warn us about how fast to go.

They alert us to construction zones. They give information about places to eat and where to refuel. They give us all kinds of instructions and information.

Signs are even color coordinated. And come in different shapes and sizes. White rectangular signs give information. Yellow signs give warnings. Red octagon shaped signs mean stop. Green signs direct us to institutions and tourist attractions. There is a sign on the street that tells people this is a church. Every business and restaurant has a sign. That sign displays their trademark, their brand. What they are known for.

Do you know any funny signs? 1. Yellow straight, left, right, and crooked loop. 2. Warning Children Left Unattended will be sold to the circus. 3. Upside down Accident sign, “If you can read this… you’ve just had an accident. 4. Stop sign with no left turn, no right turn, no reverse, and no forward. NO Place to go!

Then there are the signs that point us to God. “7Jesus said to the servants “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.” John 2.1-11 In our text today, we have the first sign by Jesus pointing us to God. Or we have the first miracle that Jesus performed. When the wedding wine ran out. Jesus turned ordinary water into the best wine the guest had ever tasted.

Today we are going to talk about “Filled Jars Empty People.”

I. God doesn’t take us out of the world, but he does Sanctify the world around us.

I went back to John Wesley’s Explanatory notes and found this. “Water might have quenched thirst; yet our Lord allows wine; especially at a festival solemnity.”

Some would argue this wine is grape juice. Others say that it was the best fermented nectar ever tasted.

I read several sermons that make no mention of this at all. But I think it is the “Elephant in the room” and deserves mention. We can all agree that alcoholism has ruined many lives. Injured countless innocents.

Been a factor in breaking up homes, marriages, crimes, and other immoral behaviors. That beings said, “Turning water into wine” in Jesus’ day and time had a different moral and message for the Jew that we should learn. John 2:3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. “the wine falling short” We don’t know how many days the festivities had lasted. We don’t know when the Bridegroom would arrive at the wedding. Just as we do not know when Christ will return for the church today.

His mother saith to him, They have not wine. It means one of two things: 1. Either supply them by miracle; 2. Go away you and the rest of your friends, depart before the Bridegroom appears.

Now the story is starting to sound familiar to stories and other teachings that Jesus later taught. Believing in miracles or Departing are themes of many other parables and teachings of Jesus later.

This is a story of the first Sign or Miracle of Jesus the Saviour. This is a story of convincing his disciples and the people at Cana to believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God. This is a story of purification.

Of turning ordinary water into pure wine. Something that in the Jewish culture would have great meaning. The ritual of purification. The frequent washing for the Jew was an act of worship and making clean and holy the impure, the tainted, the polluted, unclean, perhaps even poisonous self. And being washed by holy water. Being Baptized. Being cleansed, forgiven, set apart as sanctified, ready to eat, fellowship, and worship God.

The message of turning water to wine is one of Jesus can purify water and make it the purest best wine ever tasted.