John Chapter 1 Verses 1 – 2

 Cana is a little over an hour walk from Nazareth. So, it’s no surprise that

Jesus would know about this wedding however the fact that He and His

disciples and His mother are invited to this wedding may give us a clue

that they were all well liked by the people. Some Jesus people are just

plain odd… Not sure how else to say that. I mean, I can definitely be odd,

I’m most certainly awkward…, ha!

 But it’s interesting to follow Jesus around in the scriptures and find how

loved and welcomed He was by the common person. No “End is Nigh!”

plywood billboards roped to His chest or in the trunk of His car. Every

conversation and interaction pushing and pressing folks to be more than

what they were in that moment, but not in a way that makes them feel

unloved, unimportant, unseen or unworthy.

 I bet Jesus was entirely refreshing and pressure-releasing to be around.

That is, unless He was around one of the self-righteous religious elites… I

know I quote this a ton but Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to Me, all you who

labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon

you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will

find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

 This was what He was like. This is why He gets invited to things of

celebration like a marriage. Some of us mess this up a bit to the world.

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you

more. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am the right one

between us two, and you will find anguish for your soul. For my yoke is

hard and my burden is heavy… May want to rethink how God loves

them…

 And John tells us the mother of Jesus was there, as were His disciples.

Some have postulated that this wedding was John’s wedding. You’d be

surprised to hear some of the ideas out there concerning whose wedding

this is. Let me say this clearly. It does not matter whose wedding this is…

Thats not the point of the story. The point of the story is Jesus…

 Notice, the first place Jesus shows up in ministry is at a wedding. A

wedding is a special ceremony that God loves and always blesses.

Spurgeon said, “Jesus comes to a marriage, and gives His blessing there,

that we may know that our family life is under His care.”

 There’s no mention of Joseph being there. And for that reason, most

conclude that by this time Joseph had passed away. We’re not sure how

old Jesus was when Joseph had passed away but we are sure that Jesus

was the oldest son of Mary. Which would mean that He would have

assumed the role of head of household as early as the age of 13 (at 12

years old is the last time we encounter Joseph alive). So, while Jesus had

no family of His own, He would know the privilege and weight of being a

father on earth. A head of household…

John Chapter 2 Verses 3 – 4

 By Jesus’ response it appears that Mary gave Jesus that motherly look.

The one that says far more than what the mouth says! A suggestion to

Jesus, perhaps even a directive, to fix the problem. Makes me wonder if

Mary ever had to go grocery shopping. Perhaps Satan tempting Jesus to

turn a stone into bread was something he had seen Jesus do before…

 Jesus’ response however was not that of a Son but rather of a Savior. At

this point the nature of the relationship between Jesus and Mary is

shifting. His earthly ministry is beginning. Up until this point He had been

the family Man, taking care of them all and under the authority and roof of

His mother. That all changes here and is why His response to her is,

“Woman.”

 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 says, “Therefore, from now on, we regard no one

according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to

the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in

Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all

things have become new.” This was the beginning of His earthly ministry,

and a shift from Mary’s Son to Son of God was happening…, specifically

for Mary.

 Mary had to see Him now as Savior and not Son. From this point on He

would flip from obedience to her, to obedience to His Father. Ultimately

commissioning Mary to John for her care after His departure.

 Her concern however was valid. To run out of wine in this culture before

the wedding feast had concluded would be the shame of a lifetime. People

would never stop talking about it and the two being married would always

be scarred with it… It would be a terrible start to their life together… So,

Mary isn’t concerned because she hasn’t had enough (calm down

Cathaholics! HA!). She’s concerned because people are in danger…

 He says to her also, “My hour has not yet come.” Eight times in the

Gospel of John, Jesus talks about this hour. In an earthly ministry sense,

He’s talking about the time of His revelation. Full revelation of who He is.

It’s in John 17:1 that Jesus says, “Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your

Son, that You Son also may glorify You.”

 And, perhaps this is Jesus signaling personally between Himself and Mary

that His earthly ministry begins now, and thus the shift from Mother/Son

to Mary/Savior. Why would I say that? Because the first sign of Jesus

being who He is, Redeemer, Bridegroom, Savior of the World, was

accomplished at a wedding… So too will be His ultimate fulfillment of

that sign…

 Revelation Chapter 19, His second coming to setup His kingdom once and

for all and finally, gives us the scene and script of the Marriage Supper of

the Lamb… I have to imagine that Jesus had told Mary of these things in

the privacy of their home…

 Mary was the most blessed among women, and yet she was still among

women. Jesus was born to her and while He was her Son, check this out,

she was His daughter… We do err by not giving her the admiration due

but we also do err by exalting her to be anything more than a sinner in

need of Savior, no different than any of us…

 So, even though Jesus responds like this, we know that He intends to do

something…

John Chapter 2 Verse 5

 See that? Her response indicates that she knew he was going to do

something. And what she says is more than a statement telling us she

caught the meaning of Jesus’ statement, it also shows submission to Jesus,

even worship… Acceptance of the time and position she now shifts to

occupy in His life…, and identification of Jesus as the Authority.

 These are the final recorded words of Mary in all of scripture. We had

other opportunities. Matthew 12:46-50, “While He was still talking to the

multitudes, behold, His mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to

speak with Him. Then one said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your

brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with You.” But He

answered and said to the one who told Him, “Who is My mother and who

are My brothers?” And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples

and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the

will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.””

 To all those that believe they get to the ear of Jesus through the petition of

Mary, this is the Biblical response of Jesus… However, the words of

Mary, best and most final and definitive direction any of us could ever

get… Whatever He says to you, do it! That is, if you want to see a miracle

in your life…

John Chapter 2 Verses 6 – 12

 Couple observations about this first of Jesus’ signs. Six waterpots of stone

according to the manner of purification. These were not where the wine

was stored. Typically, you’d find wine in clay bottles or wineskins. But

Jesus makes a deliberate point here because what He is doing is both

practical and symbolic.

 Stone is not porous like clay is. It’s far stronger. Twenty or thirty gallons

of wine could weigh upwards of 250 pounds not to mention the weight of

the hollowed-out stone that could hold that much. Point is they’re not

moving. They’re solid. Much like the man or woman filled with the Holy

Spirit. Nothing moves you but the voice of God, the voice of truth.

Ephesians 4:14, “We should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and

carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the

cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting.”

 These were pots used for purification. Ceremonial by the way. The Jews

would walk by them entering into the feast and simply dip their hands

in… Sort of like washing their hands but not really. Dipping your hands in

water doesn’t necessarily clean them… It was all about ceremony and

spirituality. That you clean off whatever of the day and bring into the feast

only that which brings joy, grace, ease and enjoyment. Worship unto God

and service unto your fellow man. Jesus said, use those pots…

 The servants are the ones to fill those pots. Those that serve the Lord

ought to be mindful to set the environment for the miracles of God. By

walking in the things of the Spirit. Worship, humility, love, joy, kindness,

longsuffering… Such that we set the tone and the conditions for people to

be in the presence of the Prince of Peace…

 And Jesus says, all the way up. Fill each one to the brim. Exactly what He

has for me and so many times I settle for half of what He has planned for

me as I walk away from Him… There are cup half empty people, cup half

full, and then there’s those of us who look everyday to make a mess by

spilling out the top. Why settle for anything less?

 Why be filled to the brim? Why seek this? Pursue this? Jesus said, “Draw

it out now and give it.” For them, man. Not for yourself… That will keep

you half full, or half empty… But when you shift gears to be someone of

greatness, someone alongside the King of kings serving and giving to

others, rather than preoccupied with getting for yourself in the

conversation, moment, relationship, marriage, career, ministry… It’s then

that you fill to the brim!

 Can I just also say, the first miracle of Jesus, performed by Jesus in His

earthly ministry, was a miracle of just keeping the party going! I think

that’s important for all you super serious saints that are so centered at all

times on sobriety of mind! Paul said in Ephesians 5:18, “Do not be drunk

with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit!”

 It is good to enjoy the company of a friend. To celebrate them, the day, the

moment, the life that God has provided by His Spirit HERE on earth.

Jesus wasn’t in the hospitals healing or in the cemetery bringing life from

death… He was at a wedding, multiplying wine. Let that make you

entirely uncomfortable!

 Oh man… Just two more things and there are so many more… After this,

they beat feet. They get to work. They head down to Peter’s town and then

on they go in the work of the ministry. But what came first? The filling to

the brim with water that turned into wine.

 We humans are basically life-sized water balloons. Born with hearts

darkened by the fall of man, hearts of stone we are told in the scriptures,

and watered down with the blur that pride and sin cause in each of our

hearts and minds… So, we personally and individually need to allow God

to change us from the inside out. Fill us with His ways, wisdom and view!

If we see things how God sees things then we actually SEE them! And

THEN, then we are prepared to beat feet in winning souls and turning

lives upside down for the Kingdom!

 Last thing, well for us for today, there’s a ton more here… This statement

by the master of the feast…, “You have kept the good wine until now…!”

What a dis to the groom! Or the father of the bride. Whomever paid for the

first wine! Do you think that the first wine, the wine that ran out, was good

‘ole box wine? Definitely not! It was probably family heirloom type wine.

Kept for years and years for this day!

 Point is, it was probably great wine! Just like these 21 years I’ve been

married to my best friend and amazing woman I admire most… Just like

these 25 years I’ve worked in aerospace. All the wonderful things God has

blessed me with over the years in my career. Just like these 20 years of

ministry. Just like these 23 years with my oldest, B…, 20 years with my

daughter Madison and these 16 years with my son Lincoln. These years

have been the best…

 And yet, I know not just by hope but by proof after proof after promise

after promise, that the best is yet ahead! Every day, to wake and to not

expect but to know that God is not done with me in any of those angles,

with all angles, and that what He has planned for me… Well let me say it

this way, the party is going to kick up a notch, kick up a notch, kick up a

notch, as I walk with Him and watch His plan play out in my life.

 2 Corinthians 3:16-18, “Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil

is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord

is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror

the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from

glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” Stick with the Lord, be

filled with what He provides, and the best is always tomorrow, even

thought today we are yet well filled!