Yesterday I taught through John 2:1-12 where Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana. Here is a summary of the teaching…
- The primary issue in this passage is faith in the midst of emptiness. This was known as Jesus’ first miracle. The real question we have in our minds is, “Does Jesus still perform miracles today?” The answer is, “YES!” But first we have to ask why Jesus performs miracles?
- Vs. 11 give us a clue…”What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.”
- Jesus performed miracles for two reasons: To REVEAL Himself, and STIMULATE faith. Jesus doesn’t perform miracles just for fun, or at a whim. There is always a purpose behind Him moving in the miraculous.
- Some of us are dealing with great emptiness in our lives…empty wallets, empty relationships, and a great sense of hopelessness that leaves us feeling…well… empty. Some of us are so empty, that we feel that if God doesn’t move, we just won’t make it. Jesus CAN and WILL move miraculously in our lives when it is needed. But what do we do in the meantime?
- First, have an awareness of His presence. Remember, it was the groom’s family’s responsibility to provide food and drink for all the guests for an entire week! The guests could actually take legal action against them if they failed to live uphold this expectation. So when the family ran out of wine it was SERIOUS! Mary immediately went to Jesus. She didn’t know how or what He would do, but she was confident in His ability to intercede.
- Here is a working definition of faith…Faith is trusting in the presence of Jesus in the absence of the supply! When you are running on empty, put your faith in the presence of Jesus! He will never leave you nor forsake you! Jesus is WAY bigger than your emptiness!
- Second, trust in His timing. When Mary informed Jesus of the situation he gently reminded His mother that His hour had not yet come. In other words, we can trust Him to act in His perfect way, and in His perfect time. We never have to doubt His love for us. That was forever settled on the cross!
- Third, be willing to work through the issue. Jesus could have made the wine miraculously appear in the empty jars, but instead he had the servants fill them with water. These jars held anywhere from 20-30 gallons. We don’t know how many servants there were, where the well was, or what they used to draw it out with. However, we can guess that it took a LONG time to fill those jars!
- Let’s ask an honest question; How much of our emptiness is because of bad choices or disobedience on our part? I’m not saying that all of our emptiness is our own doing, but how much do we really take responsibility for? Sometimes God wants us to start obeying Him before He will intercede. For example, if you are drowning in debt, could Jesus miraculously wipe out your accounts or provide the money to pay them? Yes, He can! But maybe He wants us to develop our character through hard work, tithing, saving, and sacrifice? Remember, Jesus’s main goal is to see us grow and mature as believers in Him.
- One of the secondary issues in this passage is alcohol. Some of us may have grown up in a church that taught that alcohol was sinful and that “wine” in this passage really doesn’t mean “wine”. (I call this the Bill Clinton method of interpretation. It all depends on what the meaning of “is”…is. What?!) I will write my own post on this issue soon, but in the meantime here is an excellent article written by Mark Driscoll.
Looking forward to next Sunday! Bring someone with you to LifeJourney Church!
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