Larry Doolittle 8/23/2004
John 2:1-11 Water to Wine
READING OF SCRIPTURE
In verse 1 we read in the Scripture that a wedding is about to take place in the city of Cana. How exciting, a new beginning for a young couple, a marriage is about to begin, a permanent change, a radical difference in how they’ve lived up to this point. No more leaving the toilet seat up for the man, no more dirty clothes or dirty dishes can be left laying around like before, no more late nights with the guys and definitely no more Play Station. He also is taking on more responsibilities, now he has more than himself to think about when buying groceries, making sure the light bill gets paid means a little more when you aren’t the only one in the house, soon children will come along and then responsibility triples. Much will be different from now on, these two people are passing from youth into adulthood and though there is much responsibility, the possibilities are endless.
Jesus’ mother and disciples have all been invited, as well as Jesus himself. Soon however it becomes apparent that something devastating is about to happen. Having wine at weddings in Jesus’ day was like having a honeymoon today, without the honeymoon it’s not a real wedding, without wine it may as well not happen. Running out of wine at a wedding in this time period would be devastatingly shameful, almost considered a sin. This may have even been seen as a sign of trouble to come for the marriage, the excitement would be gone, the guests would leave, the atmosphere would be one of joy one moment and dread the next, reality that the wine ran out would set in and the once joyful couple would be left alone.
Have you ever experience this feeling, the roller coaster of emotions we sometimes feel? One minute your happy and everything is going your way and the next everything has fallen apart. Maybe this is you on the first day of school, so many new friends to meet, new teachers, new classes, a year older, maybe you’ll finally garner some respect now. After about the first week reality sets in, the same teachers, same friends, same jerks, same problems you had last year have returned, nothing is different, everything is the same. Maybe getting your license and first car, you are finally free able to come and go as you please. Then the first insurance bill comes or you fill it up for the first time (ME & THE DURANGO). Maybe it’s you the day you start dating a new person, they are perfect, sweet and kind, perfect teeth, beautiful hands, the softest touch of anyone you know, they can make you melt with only a whisper. It only takes a few weeks, sometimes days until you notice the tobacco stains in his teeth or the warts on her hand. One day they’ll whisper in your ear with breath that could peel paint off the wall. The newness wears off.
Jesus’ mother calls him aside and basically tells Jesus what to do, she also tells the servants, “do whatever he tells you”. Jesus instructs the servants to fill the jugs with water. Then he tells them to take some to the master of the banquet. Something happened just now while you weren’t looking, while no one was paying attention, did you catch it? Jesus changed this plain water into wine. Somewhere between verses 7 and 8, “fill the jars, now take them to the master”. Somewhere in there Jesus performed a miracle. No one was looking for it or really paying attention, they were simply following his instructions, obeying his commands and suddenly, without warning, he changed the water into wine. I say to you what Mary told the servants, “do whatever he tells you to do”.
Young person I have something to say to you right now so listen up. Maybe your life hasn’t turned out exactly how you planned, maybe your circumstances have proven harder than you can handle. Maybe you had higher expectations for yourself but, maybe yesterday or last week the sky was the limit but today reality has set in and you feel regular, nothing special, everyday you. I’m telling you, remain faithful because as long as you are following God’s instructions, as long as you are seeking his face and living an obedient life to him, as long as you continue to fill the jugs with water, he is changing you, he is working in you. Maybe you don’t see it, maybe you can’t tell or you don’t feel it but I tell you, one day you’ll wake up changed, you’ll look in the mirror and see a different person, you’ll rise from your bed and the glory of God will surround you!
Jesus Christ of Nazareth in his first recorded miracle, took regular, everyday, nothing special about it water and made it into something spectacular. Scripture says in verse 10 that the master of the banquet pulled the groom aside and says, “everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheap wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best for last”. Jesus changed the regular into remarkable, the ordinary into the extraordinary.
I think there is something else very interesting in this passage, verse 9 says that the servants brought the water into the master of the banquet and he did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had brought the water knew. Maybe there are people in your life who don’t understand you or why you go to church. They don’t see the change that’s taking place in your life, they don’t see the relationships that are being built, the foundations that are being poured. There are people in your life that don’t see what’s going on right beneath their noses. Maybe they are unaware but that is of no consequence, the Bible says that, “the servants who had drawn the water knew”. As long as the servants knew it didn’t matter what the master of the banquet knew. It doesn’t matter what those around you know, what they think or how they respond; my question is, do you know? Are you aware of the work Christ is doing in your life, is he changing you, is he separating you, calling you out for his service?
I think some of us were very excited about going to Florida this past week, sun, sand, cute girls and hot guys, the possibilities were endless. Then reality set in, and things didn’t seem so great, so many rules and obligations to commit to, it didn’t work out how you planned it. Now you’ve come back home, feeling regular, nothing special, feeling like it’s time to pick up the same old junk; you don’t have too young person.
You can take last week and give it to God, what did God want me to see last week? Dr. Rutland talked about hanging on to your dream, what’s your dream? Herbert Cooper talked about Samson lost his vision, what’s your vision? Steve Ely talked about cleaning out your closet, what’s in your closet young person? You may thing that your dreams, your vision or whatever is hiding in your closet makes you ordinary. God wants your ordinary, he wants to show you what He can do with ordinary. He took dirt, how much more ordinary can you get? Dirt, and created life as we know it. He used a single word and spoke it, and our world existed. He used a horse stable and a nobody family living in a nowhere town and brought forth the Savior of the human race, what can He do with you.
ACCEPT THAT I AM ORDINARY
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT HE CAN CHANGE ME
ALLOW HIM TO CHANGE ME
