First Sign
John 2: 1 – 11
Intro: Out of curiosity, I went to my personal record book this week and counted the number of weddings at which I have officiated. I have done 115. Of all those weddings, the ones I remember are when horrendous things happened. How many of your remember your own wedding? No matter how much planning or rehearsing was done, still things rarely go off without a hitch.
I This “wedding story only appears in John who includes 7 signs or miracles in his gospel. This is SIGN 1 which, like the other 6 point to God’s presence and glory among us.
A Some find this story troubling, even scandalous b/c it implies the use of “MAGIC”
B Another objection is the way in which Jesus addresses his mother in VS. 4 “Woman, why do you involve me?
C We can get caught up in the details; BUT, remember that John‘s gospel is a theological work meant to reveal to us some truth about God as seen in Christ Jesus.
II This not just a cute wedding story about how Jesus fixed a problem; saving a family from embarrassment.
A The turning of water into wine story was told by John for the purpose of revealing truth about God.
B Jesus didn’t do this to please his mother, to save a family from embarrassment, nor to ensure that everyone would have a good time.
C The purpose is revealed in VS. 11 – “What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he (Jesus) revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”
III Jesus turned about 120 to 180 gallons of water into the best wine. That’s about 2,880, 8oz. glasses of wine.
A The point of the story is to demonstrate the glory of Christ and His ability to transform.
B Yes, Jesus transformed water into wine; but, that’s not the only transformation that took place.
C Another transformation took place. Look at the very end of VS. 11 – “and his disciples believed in him.”
Concl: If Christ Jesus can change water into wine and men into believers; then, He can change us. He can change despair into hope, bitterness into peace, hatred into love, sorrow into joy, sin into grace and death into life. Christ has the power to change lives even today. --- Mary was so confident in her son’s ability to alter the situation that she told the servants to do whatever Jesus said. --- Are you that confident in the power of Christ Jesus to transform your life?
