Anticipate the Extraordinary
John 2:1-11
This morning we return to our study series in the Gospel of John, our series title: Jesus Christ is Worthy of Our Worship and Witness.
In the second chapter of John’s gospel we have the account of the first miracle of our Lord. The scene has now shifted from Judea, where John the Baptist was baptizing in the river Jordan, to seventy miles north, in the area of Galilee. And in between chapters one and two, Jesus and his disciples have walked these seventy miles.
Please open your Bible to John chapter TWO, verse one and lets read about an EXTRAORDINARY wedding reception. (page 1050)
The occasion that we will read about is an Eastern wedding. Eastern weddings are very different from Western affairs. In Western weddings the bride is the prominent figure. When she enters, clad in all her glory, the whole congregation stands and the organ thunders, "Here comes the bride" and every eye is focused on her.
But in Eastern weddings it is the groom that is prominent. He is the featured one; the bride merely shows up for the wedding.
Not only is the groom the featured person, but he also pays for the whole affair! And some of the weddings in Jesus’ day went on for two or three days -- some for as long as a week -- with all the relatives joining together for celebration.
This is the kind of wedding reception that John is writing about. But it is not is duration that makes it extraordinary.
Bible expositor, Ray Steadman, observes that since Jesus’ mother, Mary, figures rather prominently at this wedding, it is likely that this was the wedding of one of Jesus’ younger sisters or cousins. But it is not the family name that makes it extraordinary.
Let’s read John 2:1-11.
Please notice in verse three that Jesus’ mother alerts Him to the fact that the party has run out of wine.
Why would Mary deem it necessary to alert Jesus about this?
Since Jesus had not yet performed any miracles, (note verse 11; "This was the FIRST of his miraculous signs") we should not so quickly assume that Mary intended Jesus to miraculously make more wine.
The sixteenth century reformer, John Calvin, wondered if Mary’s hope was that Jesus would quell "the guest’s annoyance with some godly exhortations."
This is quite plausible given the fact that while Mary may not have ever witnessed a miracle from her son, she would have had many occasions to witness His outstanding life and His ability to exhort from the Scriptures.
And maybe Mary was simply responding like any other widow would, turning to her first born son for some kind of help. So it’s not a mother’s request that makes this wedding reception extraordinary.
Well no matter what Mary expected, Jesus solved the problem by turning water into wine.
What does this historical account from the earthly life of Jesus tell us about our Lord?
The apostle John wrote that in changing water to wine Jesus revealed HIS GLORY and his disciples put their trust in Him (verse 11).
What makes this wedding reception so extraordinary is that it provided an occasion for Jesus to reveal his glory-work.
How is Jesus’ GLORY-WORK revealed?
Jesus glory-work is revealed as he works with the ORDINARY:
Please notice the ordinary, everyday, yes even MUNDANE things that Jesus works with.
First, Jesus works IN ordinary problems. The problem here is that someone in the groom’s party did not purchase enough wine for the wedding reception.
No doubt this could have been an embarrassing situation for the groom’s family but no doubt, this kind of thing had happened many times in first century Palestine.
Second, Jesus works with an ordinary request. It was a simple mother’s request and it was her NOT first request nor was it to be her last.
Mary’s first request of Jesus that is recorded in the New Testament (though it probably wasn’t her very first) is recorded in Luke chapter two; when Jesus, at age 12, remained in the temple complex during a Passover celebration, discussing theology with the teachers of Jerusalem, while his family headed back home to Nazareth.
And although it is not explicitly stated in the text it is assume that Mary said, "Jesus, come home with us now."
Mary’s last recorded request from Jesus is also found in the Gospel of Luke chapter eight, as well as Matthew 12 and Mark 3 where Jesus’ brothers and mother travel from Nazareth to Capernaum to take Jesus home because they thought that Jesus had lost his mind (Mark 3:21).
Here also Mary’s request is not explicitly stated in the text but it is safe to assume that Mary said pretty much the same thing, "Jesus, come home with us now."
But this time Jesus didn’t go home with his mother.
And my friend, unless you have ever had family members pressuring you to do what they believed was right, imposing their opinion upon you then you can’t really identify with Mary’s situation.
Deep within her heart she knew Jesus was God the Son. She had more than enough evidence to convince of that! But Jesus’ half-brothers kept pushing her until she relented and went to attempt to bring him home.
Interestingly, Mary’s first request was motivated by concern but resulted in wonderment and faith. Luke reported that Mary treasured up all the amazing things about Jesus in her heart (Luke 2:51). That my friend, is a response of faith.
But sadly all four Gospel writers have no positive report of Mary’s faith in Jesus at the time of Luke chapter eight. Perhaps family pressure smothered her faith.
And John reports that at this point in Jesus’ ministry his family did not believe him. (see John 7:5)
Nevertheless what is wonderful about Jesus, what makes Jesus worthy of our worship and witness, is that many times he is pleased to use an ordinary request to accomplish fantastic things!
In John chapter two we read that Jesus was pleased to use a simple request from his mother to accomplish his glory-work. Jesus works with ordinary problems and ordinary requests for help.
Third Jesus works with ordinary substances. Jesus changed ordinary water to extraordinary wine. He didn’t need ’Holy than Thou Water’ bottled and then imported to Cana in Galilee from Jerusalem’s temple complex, blessed by the high priest and shipped in kosher pickle jars.
Jesus used common everyday drinking water.
In the fourth century Augustine wrote:
"He who made the wine at this wedding does the same thing every year in the vines of the earth. As the water which the servants put in the water pots was turned into wine by the Lord, so that which the clouds pour down is turned into wine by the same Lord."
The glory of Jesus is that he is pleased to use simple ORDINARY things to accomplish the extraordinary!
First Jesus works in ordinary problems. Second Jesus works with ordinary requests. Third Jesus works with ordinary people and events and simple life substances-- the stuff of everyday life to accomplish the extraordinary!
So what this means for you and me is that if we are ONLY looking for Jesus’ glorious workings in the spectacular and the miraculous and the astounding, prodigious, staggering, stupendous eye-popping, thrilling, dramatic events of life then we are going to miss much of his glory-work.
My friend, life is 90% perspiration and about 10% inspiration. If Jesus isn’t the Lord of your mundane then he really isn’t the Lord of your life.
My friend, does your life consist of common everyday problems like not ordering enough wine for your brother’s wedding?
Well that’s fantastic because the GOOD NEWS is that’s the kind of stuff in which Jesus loves to reveal his glory so that you as his disciple can put your trust in him.
My friend, are you an ordinary person with ordinary needs and ordinary requests?
Well that’s fantastic because the GOOD NEWS is that’s the kind of stuff in which Jesus loves to reveal his glory so that you as his disciple can put your trust in him.
My friend, is your life surround with simple stuff, your resources meager and mundane?
Well that’s fantastic because the GOOD NEWS is that’s the kind of stuff in which Jesus loves to reveal his glory so that you as his disciple can put your trust in him.
How is Jesus’ GLORY-WORK revealed?
Jesus glory is revealed as he works with the ORDINARY, ordinary people, with ordinary problems, who have ordinary resources. People just like you and me
And this is one reason that He is worthy of our worship and witness. But there is a second reason…
How is Jesus’ GLORY revealed?
Jesus glory is revealed as he works with the ordinary to make it EXTRAORDINARY:
Notice John chapter two verses eight through ten:
…[when] the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned to wine…He did not realize where it had come from…He called the bridegroom aside and said, ’Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the
cheaper wine after the guests have
had too much to drink; but YOU HAVE SAVED THE BEST TILL NOW.’
John 2:8-10
Jesus does not merely content himself with producing MEDIOCRE wine, he creates wine of a superior quality.
Jesus may begin with ordinary things but he makes the ordinary-- extraordinary!
This EXTRAORDINARY NATURE of Jesus’ work is a theme that runs throughout Jesus’ glory-work recorded in John’s gospel:
· When Jesus heals a royal official’s son in John chapter four, he does NOT even have to walk to Capernaum to lay hands on him but performs the healing LONG DISTANCE.
· In the healing of the LAME MAN in John chapter five, Jesus does not merely restore the use of the man’s legs, the man had been lame for 38 years!
· When Jesus gives sight to a blind man, the man turns out to have been blind from birth. (this wasn’t just ordinary cataract surgery)
· When Jesus hears of Lazarus’ sickness he waits three more days so when he arrives on the scene he heals more than a sick man-- he raises the dead! And interestingly Lazarus had been dead FOUR days, one day more than when a man’s spirit was believed to leave his corpse according to popular Jewish belief in Jesus’ day.
The EXTRAORDINARY NATURE of Jesus’ ministry is a theme that runs throughout Jesus’ glory-work recorded in John’s gospel.
So if your problems are longstanding like the man’s problem of being lame for 38 years or the man who was blind from birth or a long-distance problem like the sickness of the official’s son-- these are not too difficult for Jesus.
And as we focus on Jesus’ water to wine miracle we see that just as Jesus made GOOD wine so his glory is revealed when he makes ordinary lives extraordinary.
Let me ask you this:
Is the QUALITY of your life better because of your faith in Jesus?
Now I didn’t ask if it was easier, or more fun or more affluent, or if you have higher self-esteem….
Is the QUALITY of your life FUNDAMENTALLY better in terms of personal relationships and personal righteousness and ethics, and contentment and meaning and purpose and other Biblical virtues like, faith, hope, and love?
What is Jesus making from the water of your life?
His glory-work is best revealed when he takes the ordinary stuff of our lives and then makes us extraordinary people-- people who are like Jesus.
Now can I tell you something?
Jesus expects us to be part of this process.
What do you think might have happened if Mary had NOT asked Jesus to do something about the wine shortage?
We don’t know for sure but the Bible makes it clear that God expects us to ask him for what we need:
…You do not have because you do not ask God.
James 4:2b
Could it be that we aren’t experiencing more of Jesus’ glory-work of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary simply because we lack the faith to ask God?
And what do you think might have happened if the banquet servants addressed by Mary in verse 5 and by Jesus in verses 7 and 8 had not OBEYED the instructions given to them?
Maybe Jesus and his disciples would have filled the water jars themselves but then again Jesus might have said,
"If you don’t trust me enough to do what I ask then I’m not going to be able to bless you."
We do know that the people in Jesus’ own hometown would not believe in him so he could NOT do much glory-work there. (Mark 6:1-6)
Could it be that we aren’t experiencing more of Jesus’ glory-work of transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary simply because we lack the faith to OBEY God?
Please notice that MARY HAD TO ASK AND THE SERVANTS HAD TO OBEY AND CARRY AND FILL in order for Jesus’ glory-work to be revealed.
And we need to ask Jesus to meet our needs at home and on the job and in this church in if we want to experience the ordinary of our lives being transformed into the extraordinary.
And we need to lay the water jars of our own lives at Jesus’ feet, the resources of our time, talent, and treasure, if we want to experience the ordinary STUFF of our lives being transformed into the extraordinary glory-work of Jesus Christ.
What is wonderful about Jesus, what makes Jesus worthy of our worship and witness---
Is that many times he is pleased to use an ordinary request made by an ordinary person, who lays his/her meager ordinary resources at His feet, to accomplish fantastic things!
When was the last time Jesus took some of the ordinary stuff of your life and produced extraordinary results?
Results like the power to love or forgive or be generous or sacrifice for the success of another etc?
If it has been a long while maybe it’s because your not asking him to reveal His glory-work in your life?
Or maybe it’s because your are not willing to follow his instructions?
If Jesus’ own mother struggled through times of personal doubt and disobedience certainly we should expect that we might also struggle with trusting and obeying our Lord.
The Holy Spirit led the Apostle John to include this account of Jesus changing water to wine to help us to understand how Jesus reveals HIS GLORY so that we, as his disciples, might deepen our trust in Him. Will you renew your faith in Jesus this morning?
Will you decide that in a new and fresh way you are going to:
· start believing HIM more
· and asking more from HIM
· and obeying more and anticipating more of Jesus’ extraordinary glory-work in your life?
Sermon Questions
John 2:1-11 (page 1050)
1. How do weddings in eastern cultures differ from the west? What made the wedding reception in John chapter two EXTRAORDINARY?
2. How is Jesus’ GLORY-WORK revealed? What are the "ordinaries" that Jesus is pleased to work with?
3. What did Mary’s first recorded request reveal? (see Luke 2:51) What did her last recorded request reveal? (see Mark 3:21, John 7:5)
4. What will happen if we ONLY look for Jesus’ glory-work in the dramatic events of life?
5. What is the GOOD NEWS about the ordinary? What does Jesus do with our ordinary?
6. Where else in John’s Gospel is the extraordinary nature of Jesus glory-work explained?
7. When is Jesus’ glory-work BEST revealed?
8. What does Jesus expect from us? (see James 4:2-3, Mark 6:1-6)
