Jesus Reveals To Us His Glory.

THE SECOND SUNDAY IN THE SEASON OF EPIPHANY,

THE TEXT ....JOHN 2: 1-11

Introduction::: TODAY IS THE SECOND SUNDAY IN THE SEASON OF Epiphany...

LAST WEEK WE AFFIRMED THAT ..The Greek word Epiphany can be translated "the showing forth."

The word "epiphany" also means appearing, , making SOMETHING visible what was once unseen and hidden.

The season of Epiphany is ALSO about light:

REMEMBER OUR SCRIPTURE OF ISAIAH CHAPTER 60:

VERSE 1"..Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you."

SO THE SEASON OF Epiphany is ALSO about the coming of the true Light into the darkness of this world.

AND WHO IS THE ONE TRUE LIGHT IN OUR LIVES BUT JESUS..

ALSO the season of Epiphany..has a name called discovery.

Epiphany is the period of the church calendar in which we affirm the discovery of Jesus, it is the season in which his real identity, is made clear to the world .....and clearer to those who will look for it..

What began with the very private announcement of :

A......the angel to Mary

B......then angel to Joseph,

C......the angel to the shepherds

D...THE REVELATION TO THE WISE MAN

IS NOW MADE MANIFEST TO US...

The season of epiphany is to be found in the image of like a stone that is dropped in the water, which sets off a series of small ripples,,,, which get bigger and bigger and bigger until the entire surface of the water bears witness to the PRESENCE of that stone.

AND The first of these RIPPLES - IS the changing of water into wine (John 2:1-11) - It’s an event that reveals who Jesus is and what he does.

WE READ OF Jesus AT A wedding at Cana, a village near Nazareth in Galilee. NOW WHY MIGHT WE FIND JESUS AT A WEDDING? VERSE # 2 TELLS US IT WAS BECAUSE HE WAS INVITED.

The fact that Jesus, together with the handful of disciples WERE INVITED the happy function shows that he’s not an antisocial killjoy.

On the contrary, JESUS he’s pleased to enter into the whole spectrum of human life.

JOHN VERSE 1 SAY’S THAT JESUS’S WAS AT A WEDDING IN CANA OF GALILEE ....

Weddings were, and are, a GRAND EVENT in the Jewish culture. It was no short ceremony_.no the festivities lasted for days. It was a time of great celebration.

There was no such thing as a honeymoon! No, the couple kept open house for a week IF NOT LONGER....

AND The grooms family was expected to provide all the refreshments for this week of festivities.

That’s where we pick up our scripture: Read John 2:1-11

Suddenly the host discovers that they HAD RAN out of wine. They had more guest than they anticipated. It would have been improper for the culture of this time to not have wine.

Evidently they did not have the money to go and purchase more wine. Jesus’ mother comes to Jesus and says, "Son, we’ve got a problem here, and we need your help. The groom’s family HAS RUN out of wine."

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, `Fill the jars with water’; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, `

Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.’

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.

He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.’

This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him." John 2:1- 11

THIS WAS FOR THE DISCIPLES AND EPIPHANY EXPERIENCE...

John calls this first miracle a sign. Signs are usually placed in places to give us information, or point us in the direction. The miracles of Christ were always meant to reveal to us the glory of God, and point us to who He truly is.

Let’s take a look at what this first sign means for us today.

WHY AND WHAT WAS THE OCCASION OF THE MIRACLE /SIGN..

TO MEET A PRACTICAL NEED

The wine was a symbol for joy. They wanted to experience the gladness of the wedding ...

It is therefore reasonable to believe that this first miracle took place, at least in part, to satisfy a very practical need.

TO MEET A PROPHETICAL NEED