Jesus and the Wine

Intro: Tell the story

We need to know a couple things in this story.

Wedding feasts were a big deal, and they lasted about a week.

If you ran out of wine, the party stopped, and it was a huge embarrassment on the groom, because the groom had to pay for it all.

Another thing to mention is that this story is not Jesus supporting getting drunk, but He also didn’t say that drinking alcohol in moderation was sinful. This story, however, is a lot more similar to having a party and then running out of any soda, it just wouldn’t be the same.

I think the main question that we should be asking in all of this is why? Why would Jesus have His first miracle be at a wedding, where all that He does is seemingly avoid embarrassment for someone else?

This story is both a true story, and a parable. It teaches us about the truths of Jesus.

We Need New Wine

The containers that Jesus used were normally used for ceremonial washing. This was a Jewish practice that was supposed to keep them ceremonially (or spiritually) clean, as well as literally clean.

So, when Jesus fills those up, He’s making a statement.

We need to give up on our former way of living and be filled with Jesus.

The jars stood for something! They stood for the religion that states you have to be spiritually clean in order for God to love you, or that God is happy only if you follow a specific set of rules.

We need to be filled with the new wine, Jesus, who tells you to come as you are! He’s going to make you new, but He doesn’t need you to be perfect to get there!

God isn’t happy with religion or ceremony. He wants you.

Jesus is Lord of the Feast.

Jesus talks to this guy, the “Master of the feast”

This is essentially the hired life of the party. He tells people what they’re going to do and keeps the party going.

But, he failed on his job, because the wine ran out, and then Jesus steps in.

Jesus is the better master, He’s the Lord of the Feast.

What do you think heaven is like?

Sometimes, our view of heaven can be so boring! (Exs.)

We have a perspective that Christianity is all about rules, so that’s what we will experience forever.

God is full of Joy, and being with Him is wonderful.

Is. 25:6-9 “On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wine, of rich food full of marrow, of aged wine well refined. And he will swallow up on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken. It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.””

The picture of heaven is a giant party where we all get to be with God.

Christianity isn’t a faith of rules.

There’s definitely things that you can or can’t do, but what being a Christ follower is actually about is having life and life to the fullest.

Jesus is the Lord of the Feast in that He brings life to all of us.

Jesus is the Better Bridegroom

We should talk about jesus talking to Mary, right?

It sounds like He’s being super rude to His mom.

When He calls her, “woman,” it’s a formal term for a woman, so it wouldn’t be considered rude.

But, it’s not typically what you would call your mom. So, why would He do this?

jesus seemed to be distancing Himself from His mom to make it clear that she needed Him as a Savior too.

Then, what’s with the “My hour is not yet come?”

It can’t be that Jesus isn’t ready to do a miracle, because He does eventually do it, and God doesn’t just change His mind because someone can argue with Him.

We need to remember where He is.

Matt. 9:15 “And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast.”

Rev. 19:7-8 “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.”

At the end of time, Jesus is the better Groom, and the Church is the bride, and we will be brought together to never be separated.

Jesus is saying that it’s not His time to die.

He’s at a wedding, and so He’s thinking about His wedding and the wine that He will have to make, which is going to cost His life.

That’s why He calls the wine His blood when we talk about communion. He gave His life for it.

So, when Jesus says that it’s not His time, He’s saying that it’s not His time, but that there will come a time when He will make a new wine for a different wedding, a wine that can only come about through His immense suffering.