One of the common denominators that bind all pastors together is that we all have a collection of amazing wedding experiences. Mine include a groom who threw up on his bride in the middle of the ceremony, a bride’s grandmother who was so drunk she had to be physically removed from the premises so that the ceremony could begin and, my personal favorite, the time the church platform burst into flames while the wedding party, including me, was standing on it.

Weddings are notorious for producing the unexpected. And the scripture that we’re going to consider today as we come to the third installment in this series of messages that I’ve entitled, “Fresh Encounters with Jesus,” makes it clear that they have always done so.

Our text is John 2:1-12.

"On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding." (John 2:1-2)

So, the setting, here, is a 1st century Jewish wedding feast. A wonderfully joyous occasion with non-stop festivities lasting a full week. Among the guests, on this day, are Jesus, his disciples and also Jesus’ mother, Mary. Continuing in verse 3 we read,

When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” (John 2:3)

While running out of wine at the wedding reception is not exactly a calamity it was an embarrassment to the hosts. So, Mary decides to bring the situation to Jesus’ attention and we see his response in verse 4:

“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” (John 2:4)

Jesus was not being disrespectful to His mother rather He was reminding her that His eyes were now squarely focused on, “His time.” Throughout the gospels that phrase, “His time,” refers to the cross. God sent His Son to us to be our Savior and Jesus was now considering His every action in light of that divine mission. So, the question here is, “Father, could my involvement in this wine shortage further Your purposes?”

Mary doesn’t press the issue any further but she senses that the matter is not yet over because in verse 5 we read,

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

So, clearly, Mary is sensing that Jesus is going to do something. And the following verses tell us what he did. Beginning in verse 6 we read,

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then 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 2:6-10)

The banquet coordinator, who knows nothing of the miracle, is offered a taste of the new wine and is stunned at its quality. Why? Because typically hosts serve the best wines first. Then, once the guests have consumed sufficient quantities of wine to dull their taste buds, they put the good wine away and bring out the cheap stuff. Bottles of wine begin to be replaced with boxes of wine. Yet, this time, they’ve saved the best ‘til last.

The scene concludes in the verse 11.

This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

So, what are we to take from this account of Jesus’ very first miracle? Surely it’s about something more than just social etiquette and Jesus’ skills as a winemaker. And, in fact, we know that’s so because, in verse 11, John tells us that the miracle was a “sign.” And that means that there is meaning here beyond the miracle itself. Jesus performed the miracle to teach us a lesson. So, what’s the lesson?

The Symbolism of the Wine

To answer that question let’s begin by focusing on the significance of the “wine.” Throughout the Old Testament wine was used as a symbol to represent joy and abundance. Wine was a symbol of life at its very best.

--So, for instance, in describing the fullness of God’s provision for us Psalm 104:15 says that God has given mankind, “oil to make his face shine”, “bread that sustains his heart” and “wine that gladdens his heart.”

--To help lift the hearts and hope of the Jewish people out of a time of deep despair the prophet Jeremiah assured them in Jeremiah 31:12 that God would once again bless them with “grain,” with “ oil” and with “wine.”

--And the prophet Joel described the lavishness of God’s goodness in terms of “vats overflowing with wine” and “mountains” that “drip with wine.”

So, wine was a symbol of joy and abundance and life at its very best. So, why did God choose this to be the first of Jesus’ many miracles? Because the transformation of the water into wine was a symbolic statement about the nature of Jesus’ mission.

--Jesus had come to transform lives.

--Jesus had come to invite people to experience joy and abundance.
--Jesus had come to show us how we can experience life at its very best. And the path that leads to that kind of full and joyful life is revealed to us here through the actions of those participating in this wedding celebration.

Our first insight is revealed in that conversation between Jesus and His mother. Mary came to Jesus and told him about the wine shortage and Jesus replied, “Why should I get involved in this incident? My only interest is in those things that relate to my time.” And, as we noted earlier, the term time was a reference to the cross.

It was at the cross that Jesus would fulfill the purpose of His life. Through the sacrifice of His life the penalty for the sins of mankind would be paid in full. And everyone, everywhere who would accept the gift of forgiveness made possible through Jesus’ sacrifice, would discover a brand new quality of life that can only be experienced through a personal relationship with God. Jesus’ purpose was to make it possible for us to experience abundant and eternal life. That was His mission. And He never lost sight of His mission.

And because of that focus, Jesus participated in the day-to-day stuff of life with an eternal mindset. Jesus’ life was full of the same kinds of things that fill our lives.

--He knew joy and He knew sorrow.
--He had friends and he had enemies.
--He went to dinners, parties and wedding receptions.

His life was full of the same kinds of experiences that fill our lives but He never allowed the day-to-day stuff of life to distract Him from the eternal purpose for which God had sent Him. He participated fully in life but He didn’t let the day-to-day stuff of life define His life. Instead, He allowed God’s eternal purposes to guide His participation in the day-to-day stuff of life. And that’s why His life was so full of life. And that’s the life He wants us to discover, as well.

--Let me ask you a question. Do you believe that because of your relationship with Jesus that you are going to live with God in heaven forever? Do you really believe that? Then why do you let the little annoyances of life bother you so much? “I’m going to live with God in Heaven forever… but that guy cut me off and I’m going to let him know about it!” Come on, folks, lighten up. We’re going to heaven!

--Let me ask you another question. Do you believe that because of your relationship with Jesus that you are going to spend eternity in heaven with believers from every generation? Do you really believe that? Then why aren’t you doing more to fix the strained relationships you have with believers in this generation? Think about it, folks. We’re going to spend eternity with each other. We’d probably be wise to start building those relationships, today.

--Let me ask you another question. Do you believe that those who don’t establish a relationship with God through Jesus in this life will spend eternity separated from God in Hell? Do you really believe that? Then why are you so slow to step up and fill those vacant leadership positions in the children’s Sunday School and AWANA’S? And why are you so quick to identify reasons that you just can’t be involved right now in missions, ministry and service. The Bible says that God has gifted every Christian for ministry of some kind. If you really believe that the eternal destiny of the people in our community is at stake then how can you be so comfortable sitting on yours gifts, rather than using them?.

Folks, if you want to experience the joy of life at it’s very best then learn from the example of Jesus and don’t ever lose sight of the big picture.

--Remind yourself every day that this life is not the only life. God created you for eternity. That’s how important your life is.
--Remind yourself every day that God created you on purpose and His purposes for your life are not limited to this life. Your life has eternal significance. That’s how important your life is.
--Remind yourself every day that God has gifted you, equipped you and called you to serve Him and through your faithful service you could make a difference in someone’s eternity. That’s how important your life is.

Folks, God’s passionate desire is that each of us would discover the passion, the joy and the fullness of life that comes from living each day with an awareness of our eternal significance. And Jesus has shown us the way.

Now, let’s take a moment to focus our attention on the miracle itself. Specifically, I want you to notice how simply the miracle took place. No fanfare. No fireworks. No lightning bolts and thunder. In fact, the miracle was performed in such unspectacular fashion that there were only a handful who even realized that anything out of the ordinary had happened at all. And that handful included the disciples. Key question: How did the disciples respond to the miracle? Verse 11 says they, “ put their faith in him.” They got a glimpse of the glory of God and it changed them. They didn’t just go on with their lives like nothing had happened. They put their faith in him.

So, the banquet coordinator announces that a new batch of wine has arrived and the crowd runs to the wine. But the disciples understood what had happened and they ran to Jesus. Why? Because the disciples realized that the best gift that day was not the wine…it was the chance to be with the one who made the wine; the chance to be with Jesus.

The wine was great. But the wine couldn’t change your life. Jesus could. So, while the crowd settled for the temporary joy they found in the wine, the disciples embraced the life-changing, eternal joy that is only available through Jesus.

Folks, there are some great lessons for us there.

--If you’re trying to experience the fullness of life without knowing Jesus you are destined to be disappointed because God created you to know Him. And until that relationship is established you will always be searching for something more.

--And, for those of us who know Jesus; those of us who have a relationship with God through Jesus; the challenge we face is to recognize every day that we already have everything necessary to experience a full, meaningful and joyful life. When Jesus poured His life into ours, He gave us everything we need to experience life at its very best. We need to stop waiting for something else to happen and imply devote ourselves every day to growing a stronger, deeper and ever more intimate relationship with Jesus.

If you want to experience life at it’s very best then learn from the example of the disciples.

--Don’t follow the crowd; follow Jesus.
--Don’t fill your life with things; fill your life with Jesus.
--Don’t wait around for something else to happen. Grow your relationship with Jesus.

Folks, Jesus has not only made it possible for us to experience eternal life, He’s made it possible for us to experience eternal life right here, right now. And that is the essence of life at its very best. I pray that it’s the essence of your life, as well.

 

© Copyright 2007 Pastor Tom Marcum