A.God is always moved by our faith(Hebrews 11:6).
B.God emphasized that we should have faith always. Mar 11:22 Jesus told his disciples: Have faith in God! ,Joh 6:29 Jesus answered, "God wants you to have faith in the one he sent."
C.Don’t you know that God cant work if we don’t have faith? Mat 13:58 And because the people did not have any faith, Jesus did not work many miracles there.
D.We always want God to moved on our problems ,but do we have faith that moved Him.?Luk 18:8 He will surely hurry and help them. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find on this earth anyone with faith? When the time comes for Him to answer us, are we still there believing?
E.God has a time table for everything.(Mat 26:18,45,John7:6,8,30,8:20,12:23,13:1,14:31,16:35.
thats why we wait, we pray,because our time is not His time. And it takes faith to make Him moved beyond His time.
Mary who was the mother of Jesus taught us a kind of faith that moved God. At the wedding in cana in Galilee, Mary Jesus and His disciples were invited. And as time passed by, because of many guest, they run out of wine.
Mary did a very unusual request,she told Jesus that they dont have wine.Mary was concerned because maybe she was a relative. But instead of letting the bridegroom worry about the situation,she worried about them. And instead of telling them, she told Jesus about it.Although she knew Jesus never performed a miracle yet, she involved the Lord, and although the Lord rebuked here for such a request, she cause the Lord to do her request.To do her request that is beyond Gods timing and to do something God has nothing to do with.
Read the story John 2:1-11
Joh 2:1 Three days later Mary, the mother of Jesus, was at a wedding feast in the village of Cana in Galilee.
Joh 2:2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited and were there.
Joh 2:3 When the wine was all gone, Mary said to Jesus, "They don’t have any more wine."
Joh 2:4 Jesus replied, "Mother, my time hasn’t yet come! You must not tell me what to do."
Joh 2:5 Mary then said to the servants, "Do whatever Jesus tells you to do."
Joh 2:6 At the feast there were six stone water jars that were used by the people for washing themselves in the way that their religion said they must. Each jar held about twenty or thirty gallons.
Joh 2:7 Jesus told the servants to fill them to the top with water. Then after the jars had been filled,
Joh 2:8 he said, "Now take some water and give it to the man in charge of the feast." The servants did as Jesus told them,
Joh 2:9 and the man in charge drank some of the water that had now turned into wine. He did not know where the wine had come from, but the servants did. He called the bridegroom over
Joh 2:10 and said, "The best wine is always served first. Then after the guests have had plenty, the other wine is served. But you have kept the best until last!"
Joh 2:11 This was JesusEfirst miracle, and he did it in the village of Cana in Galilee. There Jesus showed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
Jesus has his time v4,Although Marys request was concern she received rebuked from the Lord v5.But Marys desire was granted eventhough she ask something out of time and out of line.She was granted because.....
1.Her faith was motivated by love.v.3 Mary involved herself eventhough it was not her problem.The world will continue to existing because of people like Mary who continued to involved in caring,helping others.Imagine a world that has no concern to her neighbor or friend. But thank God for many Mary’s,who continued to help, care and be involved in the problem of others.
2.Her faith was centered on Jesus.v3 .mary could have asked help from others , but her first direction in asking for help was the Lord. Mary was already believing inspite that the Lord never made a miracle yet. Her belief in Jesus surpassed her fixed belief system. She already believed Jesus can do something.How many times that we as christians never made a step beyond what we believe because thats what we are thought .Her faith was beyond head faith.
Mary involved the Lord when wine was gone ,because She know Jesus can do something.Mary knew Jesus well. She will never forget Jesus is the Son of God.She knew who Jesus was.She conceived him by the power of the Holy Spirit and those experiences will never be forgotten by mary. As time passed by , is your faith still directed on the Lord?
3.Her faith is active. After telling the Lord the problem ,she moved on to act on her request.v5.We can see that she was talking to the servants. After she believed she acted. how much action we follow after believing? It is like praying God help me find a job,but you dont get up and apply.
One remarkable observation here was that she instructed the servants to follow Jesus(to follow an intruction Jesus never gave and never told).It was as if she was saying I already trust the Lord, he will do my request because Im motivated by love. This kind of faith must expect an answer and needed to be watch for.It moved God, but when He answer this kind of faith will you be ready to receive it. (In luke 18:8 ) "I can guarantee that he will give them justice quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
4.Her faith is positive-v4-5. Mary was rebuked and rejected by the Lord.1.Woman instead of mother.2.Timing was not the Lord’s.
Mary’s request will be rejected if we will used our human reasoning. 1.It was not her problem 2.It was not the Lords problem either,its the bridegrooms problem.3.Jesus showed His opposition to this request. 4.Jesus rebuked should have closed the door,it hurts.
But Mary wont backed down. She submissively accepted the correction but she continued on believing positively.Remember the Canaanite woman who will not backed down on her request(Mt15:21-28),she had a good reason on every rejection of her request.
When we are corrected,and sometimes told to be patient, or told to wait,do we we stop asking? But Mary continued to do something after being rebuked,she wont backed down .She submissively act on her faith that Gods love will prevail over His Righteousness.She did not gave up.
Results of Mary’s faith.
1.She cause Jesus to perform a miracle.v9-10
If Jesus involved himself in turning water to wine,
how much more is the blind to see,or the deaf to
hear.We also can learn that even an unsual request
can be granted.
2.The miracle was Jesus first-and It was performed in
an unusual setting.(v.11)
3.And through this miracle Jesus revealed His glory.
(v/11)
Jesus first miracle happened ,and happened beyond Gods timing.And He’s first revealing of His glory also happened .All because of a faith that moved God.
How is faith in Jesus? Do you stop believeng for the good of others ,since anyway its not your problem .Do you stop believing because you know God already said no,and maybe it will not happen? Do you stop believeng because the request seems just impossible,unusual?
Hold to your faith, maybe your first miracle is about to happen today.
