The Commission
Part 10 – Jesus’ First Miracle
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith – www.PS127.org
WELCOME
INTRODUCTION TO SERMON
† Jesus is Baptized in Jordan by John the Baptist
† Jesus receives the Holy Spirit
† Jesus is tempted in the wilderness
† Jesus calls His Disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter, John & James, Philip & Nathanael
† Continues on to Cana in Galilee where He performs His first Miracle
PRAYER FOR HOLY SPIRIT AND UNDERSTANDING
SCRIPTURE READING
John 2:1 – 11
“1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
4 "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
They did so, 9 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 10 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."
11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”
INTRODUCTION
I. FIRST MIRACLE
A. WATER, WINE & WEDDING
Water = Holy Spirit
Cannot hold
God pours it out like oil upon us
Represented by Baptism in water
Continuously flowing
River of life
Wine = Fruit produced by Holy Spirit
Fruit of the vine
He is the tree, we are the branch
We produce fruit by Holy Spirit in us
Wine used as sign of covenant (marriage & communion)
Marriage = (on earth) symbolizes our marriage in heaven
Jesus the groom
Body of Christ (believers) the bride
Communion is the promise or betrothal
They drank wine to accept the covenant of marriage
Disciples drank wine to accept Jesus New Covenant
We take communion to show we accept His Covenant
B. THE PARTY WAS ALREADY UNDERWAY
Jesus’ mother Mary was already there
Jesus and the six disciples He had already chosen in the previous days were all invited to the wedding.
C. WINE OR GRAPE JUICE?
What does it matter? Why do we care?
To justify our behavior?
To “get away with something”?
To try to find contradiction in the Word?
To debate?
“They wanted wine”
Wine – G3631 “oinos” literal or figurative.
Used in Ephesians 5:18 as fermented
Used in 1 Timothy 5:23 as medicine for stomach
Unfermented wine (called sweet wine) “gleukos” G1098 was sweet because the extra sugar added had not fermented yet.
Strong Drink – “sikera” G4095 is liquor
This wine was fermented.
II. WOMAN, WHAT HAVE I TO DO WITH YOU?
Wedding feasts usually last 7 days.
Coincides with our (the Body of Christ) union with our bridegroom Jesus at the rapture, where we will spend 7 years feasting in heaven while the tribulation occurs.
In seven days, it would be easy to run out of wine.
They wanted more.
A. SUBJECTION
Mary approaches Jesus with instruction.
Jesus reply’s “Woman…what do I have to do with you?”
We see from the language usage; “woman” which simply means “madam”, (not mother), that at this time, Jesus is no longer in the period of subjection to His mother.
It is believed that Jesus’ earthly father was dead by this time.
And He asks her, “what do I have to do with you?”
Or “Who are you to instruct me”.
B. JESUS AND THE HOLY SPIRIT
Jesus said ONLY what the Father in heaven said to Him.
Jesus did ONLY what the Holy Spirit instructed Him to do.
Who is Mary to instruct the Lord?
Jesus is telling her that the Holy Spirit instructs Him, and no one else.
Then He tells her that “the hour is not yet come”,
Or “It’s not time yet.”
Not that He wouldn’t perform a miracle, but that it was going to happen when the Holy Spirit lead Him, and no one else.
Jesus walked in the Spirit only.
C. THE LAST RECORDED WORDS OF MARY
Mary realizes she has overstepped her bounds.
So she submits to Jesus at His Word.
This is the last recorded words of Mary,
She called her servants and tells them, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
Telling her servants to turn FROM her, to Jesus, because she realizes He should be the focus.
III. SIX POTS OF STONE
A. MAN
6 = the number of man (one less than 7 which means perfection or completion)
6 = how many disciples were with Jesus that day.
Jesus was the seventh (perfection & completion)
Pots were stone (baked clay)
We are the clay – He is the potter
B. WATER
The water is the Holy Spirit, we are the vessel
The Lord fills us (less than perfect) vessels with water, the Holy Spirit
C. FRUIT PRODUCED BY WORD OF JESUS
Then the Word of the Lord produces fruit through the Holy Spirit within us – the Wine
IV. AT JESUS’ WORD
At Jesus’ Word; Simon recognizes he is Peter
At Jesus’ Word; they cast nets into empty waters and pull up boat-loads
At Jesus’ Word; Nathaniel believed Jesus was the Messiah
At Jesus’ Word; water becomes wine
At Jesus’ Word, the Holy Spirit in us will produce fruit in our lives
A. SERVANTS OBEYED
We must be obedient.
When we obey the Word of the Lord, that is when He can work in us and through us.
Jesus said in Matthew 28, “Teach them to obey ALL that I command…”
B. FILLED TO THE BRIM
They obeyed and did all that was humanly possible, filling the vessels to the brim until no more water could fit in.
That is all we can do…allow the Holy Spirit to fill us until we can fit no more of Him in.
After we do that, THEN the Lord performs His miracle in us.
He changes us from the inside out, and causes us to produce fruit (the wine)
It is the Lord working in us, never us.
The only good that we can produce comes specifically from the Lord.
C. COMMANDED TO GIVE
The miracle happened, yet no one saw a thing…He simply waited for them to comply to His command to fill the vessels, when that was done, He simply told them to serve it.
Jesus is waiting for us to fill ourselves with the Holy Spirit.
When we comply, and do the only thing WE CAN DO, HE will do the rest in us and our lives.
CONCLUSION
JESUS CAN CHANGE THINGS
This, the first miracle of Jesus teaches us;
We are the clay and He is the potter
If we fill ourselves with the Holy Spirit, Jesus will transform our insides
Then Jesus will command us to serve the fruit of HIS labor to others
And they will say, “This is the best!”
