Today let us meditate on John chapter 2. The Apostle John has written his gospel for one purpose, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. When we believe you might have life, eternal life, in His name. The whole purpose of this gospel is just to line up supporting proofs for the deity of Jesus Christ. We already know that from our experience in chapter 1. There is the first eighteen verses, which is the testimony of John the apostle himself. John gives his own testimony that the Word, who is Jesus Christ, is God, with God, created everything, is the Light, is the life, all of those things are part of that. In verse 14, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory. The glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”
Then starting in verse 19, we have the testimony of John the Baptist. And he affirms that Jesus is the Messiah, the Lamb of God. Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. (29). And then starting in verse 38 you have the third group of those giving verbal testimony--Andrew, Peter, John, Philip, Nathaniel who give us first-hand testimony that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah, He is the Son of God, He is the King of Israel.
So the first chapter is verbal testimony from John the apostle, John the Baptist, and five followers who later become apostles. All of that is verbal testimony. Jesus is God, with God, is the Light, is the life, is God in human flesh, is the Lamb of God, is the Messiah, is the One spoken of in the Old Testament, is the Son of God and is the King of Israel. All of those confessions are made in that first chapter.
Now we come to chapter 2, we move from verbal testimony to testimony by the works of Jesus. And we can see the very first miracle in chapter 2. The Gospel of John gives us eight signs, eight miracles. Our Sunday school children, your children will learn these miracles in this semester under the title of miracle of Christ. The power, deity, miracle of our Lord Jesus Christ.
He turns water into wine in chapter 2.
He heals a dying man in chapter 4.
He cures a paralyzed man in chapter 5.
He creates food for thousands of people in chapter 6.
He walks on water at the end of chapter 6.
He gives sight to the blind in chapter 9.
He raises a man dead for days in chapter 11.
He miraculously catches the fish in chapter 21.
So these are the miracle signs that John records. Jesus did so many signs and so many miracles that the books of the world wouldn’t be able to contain the details of all of them. Many other things; John is merely giving us samples of these miraculous evidences.
Now as we come to chapter 2, it is the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. His ministry to the crowds, His ministry to the people of Israel. Dear brothers & sisters in Christ, we may divide the gospel of John into 4 parts. Chapter 1 talking about testimony of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. From chapter 2 to 12, His public ministry; 13 to 17, His private ministry; 18 to the end, His death, resurrection, and post-resurrection appearances. This is the way we may divide the gospel of John.
Today we’re going to start His public ministry of His first miracle. (Let me read it to you starting in verse 1, chapter 2.) There is no human way to explain Jesus. He has to be God, because He creates wine out of nothing. We already know He is the Creator: John 1:3, “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made, that was made”. Here you have a miracle in which the Son of Man creates wine out of nothing. This is evidence that He is divine. Now let me just break down this account into four simple features.
Party:
It’s a party. It’s a party that exceeds all other parties because it’s the most important event in family life. The wedding at Cana is the most important for us because Jesus attended. John 2:1 says, “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee.” Marriage is the most significant and important and carefully planned event that happens in family life.
According to the gospel of John chapter 21:2 Nathanael’s hometown was Cana in Galilee. This is a very small place. The population of Cana at the time of Jesus would be 500. That would be the max. A small place. They’ve been there for generations. They’re not only friends, many are family, and that would be extended into Cana. So we’re not surprised that Nathanael would be there because that’s his village. We’re not surprised that Mary would be there, she had lived in Nazareth for a long time. Surely they would know people in that wedding as well. So on the third day, there’s a wedding in Cana of Galilee. And this is a very significant experience, not because of the wedding, but because Jesus does attend this wedding.
The fact that our Lord did His first miracle at the wedding. (3. What does a wedding signify for the Christian faith?) A wedding emphasizes the sanctity (sang-ti-tee ) of that covenant. Weddings matter. Public covenant matters. The ceremony matters; it always has. People who are married make a public covenant before God and before people. Marriage is a condition of life designed by God, ordained by God, and authenticated in an open, public covenant. It is the highest and noblest and best of all human relationships. No other human relationship is as wonderful as marriage.
It is called in the Bible “the grace of life.” It is the most wonderful and most blessed of all common graces. What we mean is a common grace: A grace, gift from God to all people without regard to whether they believe in Him. That’s a common grace. For example--the beauty of the world, a sunset, sleep, health, a good meal, falling in love--are all the common graces, the epitome of common graces is marriage. It is the best gift that God can give to humanity. Any society that honors marriage; a covenant made and kept between a man and a woman. It will prosper. It will be safe. It will be secure. It will know peace. It will have a minimum of crime.
On the other hand, any society that fails to honor marriage as a covenant, open covenant between a man and a woman for life, that diminishes marriage, that fails to honor marriage, is corrupt, is doomed to chaos, turmoil, evil and judgment. Where marriage for life is not honored, where the covenant vows between a man and a woman are not kept, immorality abounds. Immorality overruns the culture. Our Lord honored marriage by attending and doing His first miracle at a wedding.
The Roman Catholic Church has decided that marriage is a sacrament because Jesus was at this wedding . The Roman Catholic doctrine of the sacrament and the sacrament of marriage is based on John 2, that Jesus was at a wedding. Verse 2, both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding, as well as the mother of Jesus being there from verse 1. Based upon that, the Roman Catholic Church has developed the concept that marriage is a sacrament. Marriage is one of the sacrament.
Now what do you mean by a sacrament? According to Roman Catholic backgrounds, there are 7 sacraments; they are:(4) Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Holy orders, penance, Anointing of the sick, and Matrimony. Marriage as a sacrament, like the other sacraments. Now I’m happy that the Roman Catholic Church puts a priority on marriage. I’m glad that they want people to be married.
Jesus lived thirty years in Nazareth in this little town with a few hundred people, and He’s about to step out into the world. Thirty years of absolute obscurity in private life, and now He’s going to begin public ministry, and the bridge from His private life to His public ministry is a miracle for His family and friends. This happened for His family and His friends, they were the first ones who were to recognize that He is the Creator God. It’s a family and friends miracle. And the celebration is in full swing. Everybody’s having a wonderful time. That’s the party.
Predicament:
And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “they have no wine.” -John 2:3. That's a problem. When the wine ran out, it was a major problem. The bridegroom had spent a year trying to prove that he could take care of his bride. He had to acquire everything that was necessary. He had to demonstrate his ability to take care of her for the rest of her life. Her father was handing her over to him. This is a problem. Maybe he can’t plan. This is the shame issue. They ran out of wine at the greatest celebration that they would have had. Remember, life was tough, life was hard, labor was extreme. It was a difficult world to just survive and a celebration like this. They had run out of wine.
The mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Why did she say that? Well, I don’t know; maybe she was in charge of things. I don’t know. We don’t know that. But she certainly knew what was going on. When the wine ran out, everybody knew the wine ran out; there’s nothing to drink. Some have suggested she wanted Him to do a miracle. He had never done a miracle. Why would she all of a sudden want Him to do a miracle? He had never done a miracle. Well, but He had been baptized by John. She knew He was about to embark on His public ministry. He was gathering followers. He had gone through His temptation. You know, John had identified Him as the Lamb of God. And maybe she was thinking, “Wow, now, maybe this is it. Maybe the miracles begin here.” That’s a possibility.
After Mary says to Him, “they have no wine,” Jesus said to her, “Woman.” Woman, not mother? It’s not harsh to say “Woman.” It’s not harsh, but it’s not intimate. It’s not my mother. It’s respectful. By the way, it’s the same word that He used on the cross in John 19:25 when He said to her, “Woman, behold your son,” and handed her over to John. He called her “woman”. Why? She is no longer in a position to tell Him what to do, to make suggestions to Him. The only relationship I have is with people who do My Father’s will. That’s what He’s saying. All family connections are over. All family relationships are over. But His mother said to the servants, ‘Whatever He says to you, do it!.’ She surrendered herself on the divine timetable. Now let’s move from the predicament to the provision.
Provision:
God will provide everything in your life in the time of shortage. Can I get Amen?
Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.” - John 2:6 (ESV)
Twenty to thirty gallons of water pots. This is not for drinking. This is for purification. If you go to Mark 7:3-4, you read that the Jews always purify everything. They wash their hands, they wash the utensils, they wash the plates, they wash the pans; they wash everything. This is about ritual--a purification rites and rituals and ceremonies and it was a custom, and they would go through ceremonial washings before every meal. So there was plenty of water there for everybody to wash ceremonially. So Jesus said, “Fill the water pots with water.”
So they filled them to the brim, which is what He wanted. So they filled the water pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.That was the point. “And He said to them, ‘Draw some out now and take it to the master of the feast, the head waiter”- the chief waiter. Take it to him. So they took it to him. When the head waiter tasted the water which had become wine.” They filled it to the brim and all of a sudden they drew some out, took it to the head waiter, they took it to him and the head waiter tasted water which had become wine. Where’s the miracle? I mean, How do you get wine? Grapes. How do you get grapes?
There are no grapes, I mean. Nothing. He’s created wine out of nothing. I mean this is a pretty dramatic deal here. The head waiter tasted the water which had become wine, and didn’t know where it came from. But the servants who had drawn the water knew, they knew what happened. Now, the servants who have been completely disinterested in serving wine become the eyewitnesses of this miracle. The testimony. He had literally created wine to replace water. Where did the water go? And by the way, this would have been unfermented wine. It bypassed the earth, the vine, the grapes, everything. This was the best wine ever. This was Eden kind of wine.
Immediate miracle, because the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and the guests have well drunk, then he serves the poorer wine, but you’ve kept the good wine until now.” Everybody does that. You do that. For example if your guest keeps eating long enough, you prepare something; you give them what you’ve got. If they’re still hungry, you start digging down into yesterday and the day before and last week. I mean, nobody keeps this quality of wine until the end, nobody does that.” So this is testimony of a creative miracle. It's amazing. Philippians 4:19 tells us, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches, in glory by Christ Jesus.” Well, verse 11 gives us the final word on this. And the final word is the purpose. We saw the party, the problem, the predicament, and then we saw the provision. Now, let’s look at the purpose of this miracle.
Purpose:
“This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory and His disciples believed in Him” - John 2:12.
What, did what?...“believed in Him.” Now we’re seeing the purpose of the gospel of John. John 20:31 says, “These things are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and believing have eternal life in His name.” That’s the purpose. That’s the purpose. He manifested His glory. Jesus manifested His glory right there at the wedding of Cana. John was there, and he glorified him.
Now my question is: Are you glorifying him? There are three groups of people. The people believed him, according to John 2:11. And I believe you are in these groups. His disciples believed in Him. That’s group # one. Turn to John 12:37, “But although He had done so many signs before them, they did not believe in Him”. So many miracles before them”--“yet they were not believing in Him.” That’s group # two. There were people who believed in Him; there were people who did not believe in Him. And both groups saw the same signs and miracles just like today. You believe, or you don’t believe. And you’ve been exposed to far more than this.
But there’s a third group. Go down to verse 42, John 12:42 “Nevertheless, many even of the rulers believed in Him.” Of course, the evidence is just as massive and overwhelming and clear that He is God. “Many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him for fear they would be put out of the synagogue.” They didn’t want to pay the social price. Verse 43, bottom line, “They loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.” There are people who believe in Him, people who do not believe in Him, and people who believe but are not able to put their faith in Him because of the world.
All of you are in one of these groups. You believe, you don’t believe, or you believe and you’re not willing to pay the price to come to Christ. That’s tragic. In India the social system is like this. Many people believe and love the Lord Jesus Christ. But because of the social system, persecution, ban of religious conversion, to pay the social price, etc., To love the approval of men who can give you nothing eternal over the approval of God who gives you eternal life in His Son. What kind of groups are you? Are you pleasing men, or pleasing God who gives eternal life? Can you examine yourself? Amen.
