Changing Water into Wine
John 2:1-11
Introduction
Three year anniversary?
- The gospel of John screams of the faith that we should have in Christ
-- It is the clearest example of living life FOR the one who redeemed you and I
- If we can learn to love others like Jesus’ … we can bring them TO Him
-- Re: We won’t bring a friend to something we do not like
-- John demonstrates and challenges us to love people like Christ did
- Tonight, we will look at three of 6 “M’s” that happen in John 2
-- Today we will talk about Jesus' mother, His method, and His first miracle
- Read John 2:1-11 / Pray
∆ Point 1 – Jesus’s Mother
- Many people have sought to understand the timeline here (ref: third day – v1)
-- Re: This would’ve been after the temptation in the wilderness
-- Re: After Jesus had been baptized; and after the first disciples
-- APP: Perhaps this is three days after those first disciples joined Him …
- Caution: Don’t get drawn into debates about calendars … miss main thing
-- What is critical, is that this event takes place as the first of His ministry
-- Jesus and his mother, Mary, are both invited to a wedding in Cana (v2)
- As with most social functions, running out of something is never good
-- And here, at this critical celebration, they’ve run out of wine
- What would be noticed by the guests is how careless the family is
-- APP: They obviously don’t care enough about their guest to be prepared
-- It is a social blunder … which could lead to much ridicule
- Mary then presents a unique question to Jesus in v3 …
-- “They have no more wine” … and Jesus’ response really make me cringe:
-- “Woman, what do you want from me? This is not my concern …”
- What really was Jesus implying with this statement?
-- Well, it is actually quite simple. The word time is the Greek word “horo”
-- It is where we get our word, hour, from and it suggests a timeline
- Much like John 17:1, “After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: Father, the hour (time; horo) has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you.”
- APP: Jesus is stating that He is a divine timeline and it’s not now
-- But remember, Mary had carried the knowledge of Jesus’ birth for 30 years
-- At some point, she has got to be saying, “When will it be time???”
- TRANS: Mary then gives the most profound response (but NOT to Jesus)
∆ Point 2 – Jesus’s Methods
- Notice, this is said to the servants … to those who were sworn to serve
-- Challenge: Could this not be said to you and me as well as advice?
-- In v5 she says, “Do whatever he tells you.” Priceless!
- She gives the servants a command, to take note of what Jesus says
-- To respond to His words without delay; and to be quick about it
-- The word “Do” is not suggestive, it is a command – requires response
- The containers nearby could’ve held over 120 gallons of liquid
-- The servants were told to fill them with water, right to the brim
-- Consider the amount of liquid here: If one glass is about ½ pint
-- These jars would’ve contained roughly 1000 servings of wine
- If anyone said they didn’t have enough then, they’d be out of their minds
-- APP: But isn’t that just like God? To give us MORE than we really need?
- Jesus then commands the servants to take a glass to the master
-- He didn’t say to give it to the wait staff, or the food prep people
-- But, take this and ensure it gets into the master’s hands
- Somewhere between the kitchen and table, Jesus’ first miracle occurs
-- The wait staff simply obeyed, and believed this man who commanded them
- They would’ve taken this wine to the leader of the event of the evening (v8)
-- Perhaps a toastmaster or master of ceremonies; it would be very public
-- Their faith would’ve had to been solid considering the possible ridicule
- TRANS: Once it reached them, Jesus’s first miracle would be complete
∆ Point 3 – Jesus’s First Miracle
- Once he tasted this wine, he realizes it to be the best wine of the evening
-- Now, there is much discussion on whether or not this wine is alcoholic
-- So, let me try to unpack this and shed some light
- First, the Greek word used to describe the wine is “oinos”
-- This word, sadly, can refer to BOTH alcoholic and non-alcoholic wine
-- However, consider the atmosphere of the evening and where they are
- (Let’s be realistic) … if you were at this wedding drinking all evening
-- And then someone broke out some grape juice, even you’d know it
-- For us, we simply have to accept the culture of the day is what it is
-- At these kind of events, you’d be drinking wine and it would be ok
- However, what is hinted at is there must be some moderation
-- In v10 we see that people are drunk; and this is not really a great idea
-- It dulls the senses and we are called to be about our right minds
-- Living righteous takes conscious thought … and drunkenness dulls us
- Most of these weddings would be to use the best first
-- And then once people were tipsy, bring out the cheap stuff and pass it off
-- This would allow for financial savings as well as greater quantities
- Consider this … isn’t this example exactly like what the world offers?
-- We get the glamour of sin and all its attractive tentacles to ensnare us
-- And then once we are bound in it – it can easily control us with cheap thrill
- Eventually, the joy and attraction runs out and we are stuck in the mud
-- However, what God offers is THE best stuff, and it lasts (2,400 glasses)
- From this event, we know that two things happen for sure:
1. Jesus performs His first miracle (revealed His glory), and,
2. The disciples put their faith in Him
-- For the disciples … this was the end of it … they were 100% sold out
- TRANS: Something I want you to see here as we close … stick with me
∆ Big Idea
- In verse 6 we see something very interesting about these jars
-- (KJV) “And there were set there six water pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews… ”
- They were set aside after being cleaned in a proper Jewish manner
-- They stood ready to be used as ceremonial (religious) washing vessels
-- APP: The jars were ready to receive something new – something fresh inside
- Jesus came to fill the old Law and establish with them (us) a new one
-- His blood would be the ceremonial cleansing that each of us would need
-- His death would fulfill and spiritually cleanse the temple once and for all
- Do you remember the last supper with Jesus and the disciples?
-- Remember when He raised the cup and committed to them a new covenant?
-- You have to wonder if any of them remembered this wedding in Cana …
- Those jars were prepared to receive something new in them
-- They were set aside and ready … just as Jesus was set aside and ready
-- APP: This first miracle has far more behind it than we could ever understand
- It represents the cleansing of the old and being filled with the new
-- What a wonderful picture of what Christ did for us … He replaced the old
-- Christ transformed temple cleansing water into eternal saving wine
-- And just nearby, happened to be the very vessels that would signify this
- We will pick this up on Sunday …
- Pray
