John #6

What Do You Believe?
John #6 Chapter 2:1-11
July 12th
Pastor Ben Fleming

It is good to be back. We had the opportunity to attend the wedding of our nephew Patrick Sauncy. (4 PHOTOS). It was nice being with family --- that is my mother in law Louella in the picture I am dancing with – she is 91. It was also interesting to me because our text today concerns a wedding. (blank) There are several weddings this summer – when we were married I remember my mother in law saying that in your lifetime you will give more wedding presents than you ever received – I believe that is true. (5 PHOTOS) We also had the opportunity to see the Grand Canyon for one day -- well worth the trip to see a small glimpse of the grandeur of God. (BLANK) Thank you to Dan and Dave for teaching and leading this past week. CARNIVAL??? Thank you Rick – Nancy and Dorothy for helping the youth with their cans and plastic collections.

Turn in your bibles to the second chapter of John. We are going to be studying today the first recorded miracle that Jesus did when he turned water into wine and therefore the beginning of his earthly three year ministry. Howard Marshal wrote the book “I believe in the Historical Jesus”. According to Marshall – a historical Jesus had nothing supernatural or divine about him. This heretical view is also the basis for the Jesus Seminar. This kind of blasphemous nonsense is spreading throughout our country. It is impossible to remove the miraculous elements from the life of Jesus and still have the same savior. The miracles Jesus performed show us one of the most powerful proofs of his deity. The apostle John selects 8 miracles in his writing to prove his deity – Jesus did more than just 8 miracles but if you remember this writing has been recorded for us so that we might believe and that by believing we might have life in His name. You ought to have found the text by now… please stand…
John 2:1 - 11 1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” 4“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” 5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.£ 7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9and 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 10and 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.” 11This, 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. ----- let us pray

What was happening? John begins by writing on the third day there was a wedding. This is a time indicator that John gives that could allow us to say that the events of the baptism and the wedding are all happening in the span of one week. (MAP) Notice on the map where Cana is located just north of Nazareth. It is right to assume that Jesus walked from the Jordan River to this wedding in 3 days. He might have know that his mother had expected him to be there since their family would have received an invitation and they had RSVP. Interesting enough as well – Jesus was also coming with some extra guests – his new disciples. (BLANK) Notice the difference we are beginning to see between John the Baptist and Jesus. John was a voice in the wilderness but Jesus was called to people and to minister to their daily lives. Jesus was around people and Jesus connected with people. Jesus had very very good people skills. Jesus was other focused. I find that interesting since he grew up most likely working by himself with wood in a carpenters shop.

We do not know but most likely by this time Joseph was dead. Jesus was 30 years old and he had been the head of Mary’s household. The scene John is describing is a village wedding feast. Jewish bible commentator William Barclay writes, “A Jewish wedding would have taken place on a Wednesday. Jewish weddings lasted for more than one day.” The wedding ceremony took place late in the evening after a feast. When the ceremony was over the young couple would go to their new home. They would be escorted through the dark streets lit by flaming torches and a canopy over their heads. They would take as long a route possible so that many people would be able to wish them well. They did not go away for a honeymoon but stayed home for a week and kept open house. You would have gotten a chance to call on the newlyweds their first week in their new home. They wore robes and were treated like a king and queen.” This is what is happening in the village. So – the village is having a happy joyous time and the wine ran out. “A word about wine”….

Wine was a staple drink in Bible times. Jesus would have drank wine . The climate was warm and there was no refrigeration – so grape juice would have fermented. To keep people from becoming drunk – wine was diluted to two parts wine and three parts water – but a major problem arose with the wedding reception – the groom’s family was left open to a major embarrassment for not providing enough wine. So when Jesus turned the water into wine it was not to be sensational miracle – it was just to provide a need. Jesus’ first miracle was to provide a need at an important community social function. Mary was most likely overseeing the catering of the festival so she goes to her first born son for help. We do not know but Mary was most likely related to the bride and groom and therefore helping with the food and drink.

She tells her son what the need is and he responds by saying, “woman, what does that have to do with us?’ Sounds like and insult to mom does it not? But for her, this was a turning point in the life of Mary – Mary was no longer going to relate to her son as a son but she now was going to relate to him as her Savior – the Messiah. He says to her – “my hour has not yet come” – meaning that Jesus was only going to act according to the timetable of God and not man. She says to the servants – “whatever he tells you to do – do it.”

There were six stone water pots for the Jewish ceremony of purification and Jesus says “fill them with water.” They filled them and then he says take some out and take it to the headwaiter. They did this and the waiter was astounded – where did this wine come from and why did you save the best wine till the last? Notice here that there are 6 – that held 20 to 30 gallons of water. That means from 120 to 180 gallons of wine. Jesus did not provide just enough wine but Jesus provided more than enough. The bible consistently tells us that Jesus provides all that we need.

Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” Christ promises to provide your needs according to His riches.
Hebrews 4:16 “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” A genuine believer can approach God at anytime with any request. Mary seemed to know this without even knowing the bible.
Joel 2:23 -24 “Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you
the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before. The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.”

Even the Old Testament tells us that God gives us abundant showers – floors filled with grain and vats overflowing with new wine and oil.

The miracles that Jesus did were not just signs of compassion but they were displays of who he was. Jesus meets the needs of people. He not only meets the needs people think are needs because of His common grace but more importantly Jesus meets peoples real needs.
This is what I want to spend the rest of our time examining. BEFORE WE DO – SINCE JESUS TURNED WATER INTO WINE LETS HAVE SOME WATER TO DRINK --- I WILL NOT PRAY THAT IT TURNS INTO WINE THOUGH – WE ALL NEED WATER---

Jesus Meets The Needs of People ---------PASS OUT THE WATER----- comment
1. People need forgiveness. Everyone believes that God is love. Michael Jacksons brother even said that at the memorial this past week. A loving God does forgive and He is the one who determines how that forgiveness takes place. Matthew 26:28 “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” Agrees with the scripture that tells us that “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” Acts 2:38 “Peter replied, Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” So – repentance and forgiveness go together and when one experiences forgiveness that brings about the gift the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to Paul as recorded in Acts 26:17 “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” God saw it necessary that his children need forgiveness. Christ saw it necessary. All around us people need forgiveness from their sins – believer and non believer.

When you do not walk in forgiveness you rob yourself of joy. You rob yourself of experiencing the abundant Christian life. Forgiveness opens up joy. If you have never come to Christ for forgiveness you will never experience true joy. You are in bondage to un forgiveness. Un forgiveness handcuffs you to your sin. DEMONSTRATION Forgiveness releases the other person for the wrong they have done. God releases His children. God has done that for His children and God expects his children to forgive. THINK ABOUT IT : Many times people see no need to be forgiven for their sin. We think “the wages of sin is death” and then we say but God is love. Author Steve Gallagher writes about this sin problem that you face and I face.

“People are prone to overlook their deeply embedded sin because it has an extremely deceptive nature. There exists an interesting correlation between a person’s involvement with sin and his awareness of it. The more a person becomes involved in sin, the less he sees it. Sin is a hideous disease that destroys a person’s ability to comprehend its existence. It could be compared to a computer virus that has the ability to hide its presence from the user while it systematically destroys the hard drive………Typically, those who are most entangled in sin are the ones who cannot see its presence at work inside them. Sin has the ability to mask itself so well that it can actually make a person who deals with it the least, think he is the most spiritual.” ----- SOBERING

This is so true of the non believer and true of many believers. When forgiveness is not an issue in our lives as believers – sin can destroy us. For the non believer it is separation from God – it is the wrath of God. For the believer – un forgiveness robs that believer of abundant joy. It grieves the Holy Spirit. It removes the power of God from their life . Paul warned the Christians at Ephesians to forgive others who wrong them. ---- outline

Ephesians 4:31- 32 “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ God forgave you.” COMMENT Most of us do not know of a sin right now that we need to ask God for forgiveness. Many of the sins in our lives we have grown numb to. Thinking about forgiveness of others…… Everyone of you know of someone in your life in the present or in the past that you need to give forgiveness to or ask forgiveness from. It does not matter how deep the hurt. Pastor Erwin Lutzer wrote the book “You have been Wronged”. In that book he outlines Five Right Responses to Injustice. Fill in the blanks

* Choose to live in the present and not in the past. Do not dwell on the past. Do not let it come across your lips. Do not let past injustices destroy any hope of you being fruitful now.

* Choose to free those who have injured you. When you forgive you free them------- UNLOCK THE HANDCUFFS

* Remember that in the injustice, God is present. When God permits evil, He always uses it for some higher end. God never leaves you when you are wronged and hurt.

* Choose to bless those who have wronged you. When you bless someone who has wronged you that blessing has the power to set your free. Jesus tells us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

* Choose not to retaliate. Vengeance is God’s not yours. Trust God to right all wrongs.

Seems impossible does it not? I imagine that Mary did not realize how abundantly Jesus would provide the need of the wedding wine – but He did and He did so abundantly. He can bring about any forgiveness that you need. His forgiveness is complete – never conditional --- never measured.

#1 People need forgiveness

2. People need security – without it they are consumed by fear. Perhaps this is why Mary came to Jesus and said, “They have no more wine.” She maybe was a family member who was responsible for providing for the guests and now what was she going to do? The wedding was not over and there was no more wine. Was the family going to loose face? Can you imagine her anxiety? Charles Stanley says that a believer is not truly free until they live without anxiety.

You could list an entire spectrum of feelings under the heading of fear – worry – insecurity – anxiety – terror. David Powlison writes, “If what you value most can be taken away from you or destroyed then you set your self up for anxiety.” When you are consumed by anxiety you need security. We fear the future. There is a fear of loosing ones health – our money – our job – our 401k – or a relationship. Story of loosing credit card on trip to AZ. People need security and only Jesus Christ can give that security. The bible describes insecurity – fear and anxiety.

Luke 12:25 – 26 “And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life” If you then are not able to do as small a thing as that, why are you anxious about the rest.” Mary was anxious about the wine running out – so she came to Jesus. We do not know why Mary had this insecurity – but what we do know is that she came to Jesus and He met the need and took away the insecurity. Paul gives us a command in Philllippians.

Philippians 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Jesus met the need Mary had. Can He met your need? Are you able to distinguish between what a need is and what a want is? For some people it is money to pay their cell phone bill – they think that is a need. For some of you it is a place to live. For some of you it is sufficient income to cover your housing – your food and utilities. For some of you your need is closer and more meaningful relationships with others. What have you been anxious about this past week?????? What is on your plate for this week???? Christ can provide all that you need and give you complete security. #2 People need security.

3. People need purpose. (vs.11) “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory…” Jesus manifested his glory. There is no greater purpose in life that a person could attain to than to bring glory to God. Serving yourself – getting ahead and obtaining all the possessions you think you need does not bring glory to God. Bringing glory to God is the highest fulfillment that a man or women could attain to. There is joy in giving. There is joy in serving. There is joy when God’s people follow the truth. Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope.” God has a purpose for you – He has a purpose for me. You are a mother and a wife – you are a business person – you are a carpenter – it does not matter what you are – God has a purpose for you and that is to glorify Him in what you do and in all that you do.

Acts 13:36 “For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed.” David served God’s purpose for his life. Would you serve God’s purpose for your life? When your gravestone is set in place could you honestly say right now that you are serving God’s purpose for your life in your generation? That is a need in you that only Jesus Christ can fill. Let’s summarize this point by …..

Watch this 2 min video by Louie Giglio with me and then we will pray.

Let us pray