I. Introduction
A. I once read some place that “Time is God’s way of keeping everything from happening at once.”
B. Which in a way is a good thing since there is barely enough time to get everything done that needs to be done.
C. Now God is outside of time but in interacting with us he has willingly subjected himself to time. And in doing so he set himself a schedule.
D. As we have found out on countless occasions and Mary found out in our Gospel story. God’s schedule isn’t always our schedule.
1) and mary’s request didn’t line up with God’s schedule.
2) but as it turns out Jesus could use this party faux pax to benefit not only the hosts but his disciples.
Transition: Jesus took this chance to aide his disciples in their faith.
II. The sneak peak
A. Christ revealed a little about himself by turning water into wine.
1. Now this is no parlor trick
a. Some of you may have been in our 10:30 service about a month ago when Joe G. did a children’s message on this incident and he did a little trick with some water where he poured it in a pitcher and when he poured it back out it was a bright red. But Joe didn’t really turn the water in wine, he just did a little parlor trick to get the kids attention and make a point.
b. But what Jesus did in turning water into wine goes against all known laws of nature. Water simply does not turn into wine. You can take a glass of water and wait until the second coming but it will never change into wine. What Jesus did that day was impossible for anybody but God.
2. In doing the impossible, Jesus gave us a sneak peak. Not the full view, remember it is not his time.
a. This miracle is like the previews at the movie theater where they show you little snippets of the movie in order to entice you into going and seeing the movie when it comes out, well Christ gives us preview in anticipation of what is going to happen when it is his time.
b. in turning water into wine he is showing us a little preview of what he is going to accomplish for us.
1) Jesus is going to change us
a) Now When Jesus changed the water into wine he didn’t change it in to mediocre $10 wine in a box wine. He turned into the absolute best wine.
b) It was so good the host could not help but proclaim his joy and surprise over the quality.
3) And when it comes time, Jesus is going to be once again changing one thing into something of the best of quality.
B. But why did Jesus do this if it is not yet his time?
1. I think the ending of the story give us a clue This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
2. Jesus did it; Simply because he knew we would need something, because we have trouble believing without seeing
3. But Jesus knows how we are and wants to bring us to a full understanding and belief in who he is so he gives us a little taste in anticipation of what is going to happen when it is his time.
Transition: This of course begs the question, “when is his time?
III. Christ fully revealed at the crucifixion.
A. in the gospel of John, Jesus finally says “it is time” at a point when we would not expect it. Looking back at the events of Christ’s life, we might say the ascension or any time after Easter. But no that is not it.
B. Jesus finally says “it is time” on the night on which he was betrayed. At the beginning a long discourse by Jesus, that concludes with his prayer for the church that he gives because the hour has come,
C. The time of Christ is his crucifixion.
1. Here at the cross is the hour in which Christ is about.
2. because Jesus came for our rescue and that rescue occurs at the cross.
3. and the only one who could rescue us is God himself
4. for when Jesus turned that water into wine he gave us a glimpse of who he was through his command over nature. In order that when it came to be his time, we would understand who was there on the cross and to what purpose.
a. That is God who came to save us through his death.
D. Here at the cross the curtain is lifted and Christ instead of giving us a teaser of what is to come by turning water into wine gives us the feature presentation by changing us from sinners deserving of death into to redeemed saints.
1. Now if Jesus in his teaser changed water into superb wine just imagine how much greater the change is for us in his feature presentation on the cross.
IV. Changed in Christ no longer do we need to fear because in Christ the best is yet to come.
A. For Christ who revealed himself to be God will come back for us.
B. And we live in hope because we have seen and read the signs that were recorded for us by John so that we may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God.
