Daily Bread John 2
Daily Bread John 2
Jesus Changes Water to Wine
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.[a]
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 in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
Observation:
This is the first of what John calls “signs”. John uses the term “signs” instead of miracles. A sign points to something. Each of the signs in John’s gospel points to a reality about Jesus and what his purpose is. The first sign of turning the water into wine has many symbolic aspects.
First, it says “On the third day”. This was a foreshadowing Jesus being raised on the third day. Also, the name of one of my favorite Christian bands! This is also one of the rare instances where Jesus’ mother is mentioned. She is also mentioned when Jesus is on the cross and he asks his friend John to take her in as his mom. In this situation Jesus’ mom knew that he had special powers, and she calls on him to save the bridge-groom from embarrassment.
Also, Jesus uses the water for Jewish ceremonial cleansing to show that the wine he would give, symbolized by his blood on the cross, will give ultimate cleansing. Finally, the Master of the Banquet pulls the bride-groom aside and commends him for bringing out the best wine at the last. This is symbolic of God bringing out the best for last, His Son Jesus.
Application:
Just like in life we have signs that point us in the right direction and keep us safe. They are for our own good, but we can choose to ignore them. God has given us many clear signs that guide us in the right direction, the direction of eternal life. But just like when we drive on the road, we can disregard the signs and proceed at our own risk.
God saved the best for last in sending His Son, Jesus to come to earth and show us the way, the truth and the life. Maybe God has sent you signs in your life. Maybe some you have heeded some, and others you have blown off. I have found that following maps makes my life a lot easier than just “winging it”. I think you will find that following Jesus will give you a map for life that will never let you down!
Prayer: God thank you for sending us the greatest sign, your Son, who came from heaven to earth to show us the way back to you! Just like you have saved the best for last, you have a plan for our lives that will be better than we could have ever imagined if we will only see the signs and follow you! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Jesus Changes Water to Wine
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.[a]
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 in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
Observation:
This is the first of what John calls “signs”. John uses the term “signs” instead of miracles. A sign points to something. Each of the signs in John’s gospel points to a reality about Jesus and what his purpose is. The first sign of turning the water into wine has many symbolic aspects.
First, it says “On the third day”. This was a foreshadowing Jesus being raised on the third day. Also, the name of one of my favorite Christian bands! This is also one of the rare instances where Jesus’ mother is mentioned. She is also mentioned when Jesus is on the cross and he asks his friend John to take her in as his mom. In this situation Jesus’ mom knew that he had special powers, and she calls on him to save the bridge-groom from embarrassment.
Also, Jesus uses the water for Jewish ceremonial cleansing to show that the wine he would give, symbolized by his blood on the cross, will give ultimate cleansing. Finally, the Master of the Banquet pulls the bride-groom aside and commends him for bringing out the best wine at the last. This is symbolic of God bringing out the best for last, His Son Jesus.
Application:
Just like in life we have signs that point us in the right direction and keep us safe. They are for our own good, but we can choose to ignore them. God has given us many clear signs that guide us in the right direction, the direction of eternal life. But just like when we drive on the road, we can disregard the signs and proceed at our own risk.
God saved the best for last in sending His Son, Jesus to come to earth and show us the way, the truth and the life. Maybe God has sent you signs in your life. Maybe some you have heeded some, and others you have blown off. I have found that following maps makes my life a lot easier than just “winging it”. I think you will find that following Jesus will give you a map for life that will never let you down!
Prayer: God thank you for sending us the greatest sign, your Son, who came from heaven to earth to show us the way back to you! Just like you have saved the best for last, you have a plan for our lives that will be better than we could have ever imagined if we will only see the signs and follow you! In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Comments
Post a Comment