JESUS’ FIRST MIRACLE IS A SUCCESS! (Outline)
January 18, 2009 --
EPIPHANY 2 --
John 2:1-11
INTRO: Miracles – some believe in them and others do not. Mankind likes to have a logical and reasonable explanation for everything. But there is not always a logical or reasonable explanation for everything that happens in this world. Many amazing, unexplained events are often miracles. John uses a specific word in his gospel in speaking about miracles. This word means miracles were signs to strengthen believers in their faith. This is the meaning and purpose of every miraculous sign Jesus performed in John’s gospel. John wrote that Jesus did so many miracles and taught so many things that the whole world would not be big enough to contain all the books describing them. "But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name"(JOHN 20:31).
JESUS’ FIRST MIRACLE IS A SUCCESS!
I. The water changes into wine.
II. This miracle strengthens faith.
I. WATER IS CHANGED INTO WINE
A. Verse 1a. The third day refers to the third day after Jesus had called Philip as his disciple (John 1:43).
1. The setting is given: A wedding in the small town of Cana. Cana is not far from Nazareth.
2. Verses 1b, 2. Mary is invited. Jesus is invited. The disciples, Jesus’ friends, are invited.
3. The hosts must be very close family friends or maybe even relatives of the family of Jesus.
B. Verse 3. They run out of wine. Weddings often lasted seven days during Jesus’ time.
1. Invitations were not exact. Mary wants Jesus to take care of this social embarrassment.
2. Verse 4. It is not quite the right time. Jesus had his ministry to do. Mary had hers.
3. Jesus is now a grown man with his mission to be busy about his Father’s business.
C. Verse 5. Mary understands and tells the servants to do whatever Jesus asks. Jesus has the authority.
1. Verse 7. Empty water jars are to be filled. Lots of water was used for purification rites.
2. They filled the jars and drew some out, verse 8. Verse 9. The water changed into wine.
3. This was a miracle. The banquet master did not how or when this happened.
D. There was no fanfare when Jesus did this miracle. At first, not too many even knew there was a miracle. The works of Jesus are done humbly. Some look at Jesus’ today only as a good teacher. Some consider Jesus to be a great philosopher. Others think of him as a hypnotist that fooled the people of his day. Still others consider the miracles of Jesus as cheap magic tricks. By the miracle of God’s grace you, I, all believers recognize these amazing acts of Jesus for what they are, miracles. Jesus was more than the Son of man. Jesus was and still is the Son of God. "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him"(ACTS 10:38). We learned this last week at the baptism of Jesus.
E. We want to be careful not to point our fingers only at those who openly deny the power of Jesus. Our own sins are also a denial of the power of God. Our own sins are an act of disobedience against our lov-ing Savior. Our own sins stand as a rejection of God’s almighty power and grace. Isaiah is harsh in his assessment of mankind. "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away"(ISAIAH 64:6). Note that Isaiah describes that even “all our righteous acts” are sinful. Every act is tainted by sin. Miracle of miracles our sins do not sweep us away because our Savior Jesus sweeps away our sins.
F. Jesus showed his power in physical miracles of healing. Jesus also reveals to us his authority by his spiritual miracle of healing souls. Forgiveness is the greatest of all miracles. Jesus provides believers his forgiveness freely. It is a miracle that we are forgiven. Such is the mercy and love of our Savior. "Which is easier: to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.…Then he said to the paralytic, ‘Get up, take your mat and go home’" (MATTHEW 9:5,6). We do not deserve this miracle. We cannot earn this miracle.
JESUS’ FIRST MIRACLE IS A SUCCESS!
The water changes into wine.
II. THIS MIRACLE STRENGTHENS FAITH
A. What a wedding! Jesus’ and his friends and family are invited. So many come that the wine runs out.
1. Mary wants the matter to be taken care of right now. Man’s time is not always God’s time.
2. Finally the time arrives for the miracle. Stone jars are filled with water. Water becomes wine.
3. Verse 6. This is a lot of wine. Nothing is too great for God to do. Weddings lasted a week.
B. Verse 9. The master of the banquet is amazed. He was amazed to taste wine. But there was more.
1. Verse 10. The master wonders why the good wine has been saved until the last.
2. “Too much to drink” does not mean drunk. Rather it means they drank freely.
3. Jesus did not provide more wine for people to become drink. Jesus provided the best wine.
C. Verse 11. This is the first of Jesus’ miraculous signs. A miracle was to strengthen faith.
1. Jesus does this miracle at a small town, Cana in Galilee not in the middle of great Jerusalem.
2. The disciples’ faith increased. They saw the authority of the One who called (invited) them.
D. You, I, every believer are blessed to be able to see miracles take place in our lives every day. To see the sun rise and set every day is a miracle beyond the control of mankind. But it always takes place by the miracle of God and his creating power. Closer to home is the fact that you, I, every believer even have faith. Why us out of so many millions who still sit in darkness and ignorance? To have faith is a miracle that God graciously works in our hearts and in our lives. "For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ"(2 CORINTHIANS 4:6). Our almighty Creator God made his light shine in our hearts.
E. Creation reveals to mankind the power of a loving and caring God. Nature testifies to the very fact that God is still in control. The empty tomb is a clear and undeniable testimony to the power that God has over all things – even death. Again, it is only by the miracle of God’s free grace that anyone believes this simple yet powerful truth of God’s holy word. "His Son…through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord"(ROMANS 1:4).
F. When we look at Jesus we see the son of Joseph and Mary. We also see the very Son of God in the flesh. In this human flesh Jesus was able to offer himself as our perfect sacrifice. Jesus offered the per-fect sacrifice for our imperfection. "For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross" (COLOSSIANS 1:19,20). Jesus’ blood saves – a miracle!
CONC.: Jesus’ first miracle is a success! Of course all of Jesus’ miracles were always a complete success. In fact, Jesus’ life was a complete and perfect success. Jesus never failed in anything. Are there miracles today? What about a jet that lands on the waters of a busy river? The people calmly stand on a wet, very slippery jet wing. All are quickly rescued before any freeze to death in the icy waters or cold, winter air. That is a miracle! In our media it was called good luck, amazing coincidences, or the smiling of the gods. How absurd. Less than one-third of the news reports were brave enough to call this miracle a miracle. You see, it is a miracle that you, I, every believer can see what is truly God’s handiwork. It is our gracious and loving God who always deserves all the credit in all things. "In a loud voice they sang: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’" (REVELATION 5:12). JESUS’ FIRST MIRACLE WAS A SUCCESS! Water changed into wine. Faith was strengthened. God was glorified. Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
SERVICES: 1:00pm @ NCF Min.(Sat) / 12:00pm @ NCF Medium (Sun) / 9:30am @ Redeemer (Sun)
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EPIPHANY 2 readings.:
1 SAMUEL 3:1-10;
1 CORINTHIANS 6:12-20;
JOHN 1:43-51;
(PSALM 67)
