THE FIRST MIRACLE
John 2:1-11 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. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have
no more wine." "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My
time has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells
you." 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." This, the first
of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed
his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
JESUS FIRST MIRACLE WAS AT A WEDDING
Half a year ago I preached the sermon, "They are out of wine."
The fact is, the whole world is out of wine, so to speak.
I am talking about the things that bring joy to our lives.
The world doesn't know where to find it.
Jesus is the only provider of joy, of the best wine!
• It was mentioned that the Wine can represent the Holy Spirit
(Joel 2:28, 3:18, Amos 9:13, Matthew 9:17) (compare Acts 2:38 & 3:19)
• We saw that Jesus is very interested in all parts of our lives,
including the happiest and saddest times,
and he wants to bring us "seasons of refreshing."
• The sermon also shows that the Church as the Bride of Christ
has the duty to pour out the wine of the Holy Spirit to the world by the Gospel.
THERE REMAINS A GREAT MYSTERY IN THIS STORY (TWO QUESTIONS)
A. Did Mary cause Jesus to begin His ministry before his time?
B. Why did Jesus make this the first miracle?
A. I believe that something profound happened here. I believe that Jesus, as
the Son of God, listened to Mary and began His ministry here, at her request,
rather than deciding for Himself the place and time of its beginning.
This is a great and awesome thing!
That Jesus, who is the Word, the Creator of all things, would bend His will and
His plans to an individual! (See the implicit trust Mary puts in her son!)
It reminds me of God planning to destroy Sodom, and yet changing His
plans to include the requests of Abraham.
It reminds me of the story of Gideon and the fleece. It is a ridiculous story of
Mighty God patiently performing petty tricks for the man. (Why didn't God say,
"Just take my word for it, Gideon!")
THEREFORE JESUS OBEYED HIS MOTHER.
(Show Jesus as the Meek and Lowly. Jesus stands at the door of our hearts
and knocks. "If any man open, He will come in and dine and dwell with him!"
God doesn't say "I'm up here and you're down there, so find some way to come
up to see me." Rather, God in the Spirit comes down and seeks to enter into
our hearts. It is totally up to us to let Him in.)
THIS IS HOW THE HOLY SPIRIT BENDS FOR CHRISTIANS
1 Cor14:32 The spirit of prophet is subject to the control of prophet.
2Cor 3:17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit is there is freedom.
Therefore, we decide where and when to speak, but it is the Spirit that moves
• When preaching moves you it is not the preacher, but it is the Holy Spirit.
• When teaching moves you it is not the teacher, but the Spirit of God.
• We are Co-Laborers in God's Vineyard. (He does the growing and the
empowering, and we get the reward!) WE SEE GREAT COOPERATION HERE
THE SECOND QUESTION REMAINS FOR US TO ANSWER
B. Why was this the first miracle? Jesus at a wedding? Jesus making wine?
Because of the Great Wedding Feast of the Lamb of God!
Isaiah 25: 6-9 On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich
food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine-- the best of meats and the finest
of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples,
the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign
LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace
of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. In that day they will say,
"Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD,
we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."
On our first day on the New Earth, we will be ushered into the New Jerusalem
and be seated at a great and wonderful feast, the Wedding Supper of the Lamb!
Revelation 19-7-9 (How could His first miracle be anything else?)
THEREFORE, WE NEED TO SEND OUT THE INVITATION
The single greatest fact about the church is that we exist to invite the
world by the Gospel to the great wedding feast of the Lamb!
THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, "COME." Revelation 22:17
If we don't pour it out to others, the wine in us sours. Winemakers know that
while wine is fermenting, it must be poured from jar unto jar (Jeremiah 48:11)
So we pour out the wine of the Spirit to refresh those who have no more hope.
Therefore, Pour it out! Build up this Church! Get her ready for the Wedding!
Build up her house! Get ready to Party! Decorate her place so that she
shines to those around us. Invite the whole town to the wedding feast of God!
Are you ready to be invited to that party? Have you been to Jesus?
"Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!"
"COME JUST AS YOU ARE, HEAR THE SPIRITS CALL. COME RECEIVE, COME BELIEVE, COME AND LIVE FOREVER."