Jesus was on a mission to save the world, the greatest mission in the history of mankind. Yet, he took the time to attend a wedding and take part in the festivities. We may be tempted to think we should not take time out from our important work for social occasions. But maybe these social occasions are part of our mission. Jesus valued these wedding festivities because they involved people and Jesus came to be with people. Our mission can often be accomplished in joyous times of celebration with others. Bring balance to your life by bringing Jesus into times of pleasure as well as times of work.
Wonder why Jesus would allow his first miracle to be here at a wedding feast? Maybe it was because all of us can relate to this couple’s predicament. In the Jewish culture, the weddings were pre arranged and the couples were obedient to their parents. The bride and groom were selected by the parents and the couple had little to do with it. Many of us find ourselves in predicaments of life that we can do very little about. Many of us may not be able to relate to a chronic illness, or blindness, deafness or dumbness, but every one of us have been caught in situations where something ran out! The pandemic has caused all of to experience a season where thing ran out!
Weddings in Jesus' day were weeklong festivals. Banquets were prepared for many guests, and the week was spent celebrating the new life of the married couple. Often the whole town was invited and everybody came. It was considered an insult to refuse a wedding invitation. To accommodate so many people, careful planning was done. To run out of wine was more than embarrassing; it broke the strong unwritten laws of hospitality. Jesus was about to respond to a heartfelt need.
This is not a life or death situations. Everyone could survive without another shot of wine. But heartfelt needs touch the heart of God. Mary was probably not asking for a miracle; she simply hoped Jesus would help solve this family's problem. Some Jewish traditions say Joseph had died some years early and Jesus Mary's oldest son was the key to the family's success. Mary leaned heavily on the shoulders of Jesus. Although Mary did not know exactly what Jesus would do, she trusted him to do the right thing. Those who believe in Jesus will sometimes run into situations they cannot handle or understand, but they must continue to trust that he will work things out in the best way.
John’s gospel provides us with only seven signs to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the son of God. He begins his miracles at a wedding feast and ends his miracles at a funeral. Have you ever considered why this miracle? John introduces Jesus in chapter one… John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.”
Jesus is more than a prophet, more than a healer. He is the creator God. Personally, I had missed the point of this text. I concentrated my study on the wedding, the festivities, the lack of wine and the obvious felt need. All those things do appear in the text but they are the minor details. John meaning goes deeper. The Roman Catholics have attempted to use this passage to prove that His mother Mary is a mediator. Thus they teach praying to Mary. Certain bootleggers and moonshine makers have try to use this passage to justify their operations, but this passage is not about mediation or wine production. It is about proving that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God.
In this first miracle, John attempts to show us Jesus is the Creator God who has power to change one substance into another. Not only is God concerned about our felt needs, He is willing to use His creative ability to supply that need. This miracle really points to the new birth and how He can change a sinner into a saint.
There is interesting story in 1 Samuel 10. Saul has been sent on an errant to find his father’s lost live stock when he meets the prophet Samuel. Samuel anoints Saul with oil and predicts his future. When Saul meets a group prophets descending from worship, the 6th verse says, “And the Spirit of the LORD will come upon thee, and thou shalt prophesy with them, and shalt be turned into another man.” Saul witnessed and experienced a demonstration and transformation by the Creator God.
Jesus is not violating the laws of nature; he is not using mind over matter. Being from Palestine, Jesus was well aware of the wine making process. This wine was not made in old wine skins or bottle, but stone wash pots. Every guest had probably washed off their hands and feet with water from these pots. Notice also that Jesus did not even use his disciples in this miracle. He used “house servants.” The possible bounty of this miracle was staggering, six water pots held nearly 150 gallons of water.
A word about the best wine: The best wine was made from grape juice that ran out of the grapes with minimum pressure. The weight of grapes themselves produces the sweetest and best wine. The second grade of wine was pressed out by the feet of vineyard workers. The third grade came from mixing water with the crushed grapes to extract the last drop of juice. Jesus skips the grapes, the laborer, the wine press, the wine skins and the process. The process would normally take about forty days. The juice was placed in its first container for one week, and then transferred to a second container about three week. Then it would be strained and placed in a final sealed container for keeping. Grape juice was a staple of society as much as wheat and barley. It was the main source for drinking wine, sugar, honey and vinegar.
This is John’s way of showing that the creator God can change one substance into another. Jesus bypassed the lack, the process and even the time factor and change one thing into another. This means Jesus can change lack into abundance; sadness into joy; confusion into peace; stagnation into growth and not enough into more than enough. When your wine runs out, you need a miracle of transformation. Although Jesus our creator God can change one substance into another, sometimes preparation precedes the blessing. We must be willing to do a part. During this pandemic, our part has included wearing mask, washing our hands, social distancing and even getting the vaccine. In the lesson, they must offer Jesus obedience without reservation.
1. Offer Him Obedience Without Reservation.
John 2:5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it….John 2:7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water.
Jesus will take what we can do, and do with it what we cannot do. Jesus calls upon us to do what we can do. We can obey his word. We can fill the water pots. Filling up pots and crack pots may not be exciting. It may seem like a waste of time and energy, but fill them up anyway. Jesus can take what we can do and do with it what we cannot do. If we want to see sinners change into saints we must get them in his presence. Keep doing what we can do…It will pay off after awhile. Our obedient actions can provoke God’s favorable reaction. When your wine runs out, remember Jesus our creator God can change one substance into another if we will offer Him obedience without reservation. I realize this may be difficult, especially in a generation that are free willed and free thinking. Yet our obedience is important! And then, if we will offer Him Service without limitation.
2. Offer Him Service without limitation...…And they filled them up to the brim. Jesus can only change the amount we are willing to make available. These obedient servants had great expectation. They filled the water pots to the brim. They fill them, and so full that they could hold no more. They desired the maximum results. Sometimes, we fail to give God our best and fail to receive His best. Remember the stories in the books of Kings concerning the poor widow woman who limited her blessing by the number of pots she borrowed. Or the story of King Joash who was commanded by Elisha to smite the ground with his arrows and after three times, he quit. Elisha became angry because Joash’s actions had limited Israel victories. Take the limit off God with your expectation…with your praise and with your preparations. Our limited preparations can limit God manifestation. When your wine runs out, remember Jesus our creator God can change one substance into another, if we will offer Him Obedience without reservation and Service without limitation. So many people have become tired of wearing mask, washing hands, social distancing and tired of hearing about the vaccine. Yet sometimes service without limitation is the only way! They offered Jesus participation without intimidation.
3. Offer Him Participation without Intimidation.
John 2:8-11And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
Jesus chooses to bless the world through the ministry of His servants. The words "draw out now" seems to indicate the turning-point when the water became wine. No matter what we were or where came from, Christ brings us to a turning point. A life that was flat and tasteless can become that which brings joy and wholeness by one word from Jesus. Notice the bible does not say, all the water was changed into wine, but as they bared it to the guest, the water was changed. Our world will be changed only as we bear out to it what has been commanded by Jesus. We must not allow what we know or do not know hinder us from active participation.
1Co 1:26 “For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: (27) But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; (28) And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: (29) That no flesh should glory in his presence.”
God chooses to use the simple, lowly and even tasteless water to quench the thirst of the world. They have no wine. They are thirsty and needy. Jesus sends us. Every sinner is looking for something to satisfy his thirst. All of life has been a journey of searching. He has tried a thousand things only to find temporary satisfaction. The Rolling Stones in their #1 Hit, “Satisfaction” seems to agree:
“When I'm drivin' in my car and a man comes on the radio he's tellin' me more and more about some useless information supposed to fire my imagination. I can't get no, oh no no no. Hey hey hey, that's what I say. I can't get no satisfaction, I can't get no satisfaction. 'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try. I can't get no, I can't get no.
When I'm watchin' my TV and a man comes on to tell me how white my shirts can be. Well he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke the same cigarettes as me. I can't get no, oh no no no. Hey hey hey, that's what I say.
I can't get no satisfaction, I can't get no girly action. 'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try. I can't get no, I can't get no.
When I'm ridin' round the world and I'm doin' this and I'm signing that
and I'm tryin' to make some girl who tells me baby better come back later next week 'cause you see I'm on losing streak. I can't get no, oh no no no. Hey hey hey, that's what I say. I can't get no, I can't get no, I can't get no satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction, no satisfaction.
Mt 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. (19) Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: (20) Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
We must not allow what we know to keep us from doing what we should. We know our history, our shortcoming and even our lack. We know what use to be in theses pots. These stone pots cracked pots and half empty pots maybe limited, but God’s command changes everything. Take what you have and give it to the world.
When your wine runs out, you must remember Jesus; our Creator God can change one substance into another. The miracle of transformation begins when we are willing to offer Jesus obedience without reservation; service without limitation; and participation without intimidation. Jesus can take what we will do and do with it that we can’t do. Jesus can only transform any amount we are willing to make available, yet He will always transform what is needed. Jesus chooses to bless the world through the ministry of His Servants. You and I who has received the gift of salvation are prime candidates to be used.
