Follow Jesus Series 19

Jesus On Display

Text: John 2:1-10

Introduction

This is the amazing beginning of Jesus’ miracles! Let us keep in mind of the purpose behind John recording these “signs.” The purpose behind each and every miracle is always the same…to prove Jesus is God.

John 20:30–31 “30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: 31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.”

In effort not to over spiritualize this text, I will be sharing some imagery that rises from the details of the miraculous event.

1) Jesus’ Position

Jesus and His twelve were invited.

Mary was probably a friend of the family and therefore helping with the event.

It would be a terrible embarrassment to run out of either food or wine.

Jesus’ mother rushes over to Jesus and presents the crises.

You have to appreciate Mary’s willingness to petition Jesus on behalf of others. She knew who He was. They did not.

Jesus is always available and approachable.

Notice how Jesus responds to Mary:

“Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.”

It can be rendered, “What is that to me and thee?”

She accepts Jesus’ response and yet holds out in faith He will meet the need of the hour.

She understood that while see was impacted by here and now, Jesus operates in light of the big picture.

You can always count on Jesus to never allow our sensitivity to a present crises jeprodize His perfect plans.

We should take Mary’s advise to the servants as our own; do whatever He says to do.

There is a great error today when it comes to Jesus and Mary’s proper place:

The Roman Catholic church has committed horrid blasphemy in teaching that Mary is our advocate to Jesus.

John 2:3–5 (JPCS Jn): The devout were taught to pray to her because she was the Lord’s mother and had influence over him and could get him to do what she wanted.

John 2:3–5 (JPCS Jn): Pope, priest, and people would light candles to her, pray to her, bow down before images of her, and in some sense worship her.

They have two Latin prayers:

“Show that thou art his mother”

“Lay thy maternal commands on the Saviour”

No mere mortal is to never approach King Jesus with arrogant authority.

The Bible clearly teaches Jesus as our Great High Priest and Advocate to the Father.

2) Jesus’ Message

A. We can see the spiritual status of Israel through their risen need.

Here you have a Jewish wedding.

This wedding has reached a point where they are in great need of wine.

In the Bible, wine is symbolic for joy, being merry and hope.

Psalm 104:15 “15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, And oil to make his face to shine, And bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.”

Judges 9:13 “13 And the vine said unto them, Should I leave my wine, which cheereth God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees?”

John 2:3a (JPCS Jn): It is in this area that life first breaks down. Something adverse happens and the joy goes out of life. Often, in this sad world, joy goes out of a marriage very soon. “The honeymoon is over.” It happens so frequently it has become a well-known saying.

Thinking there was no hope for their provision being met…THERE STOOD THEIR MESSIAH IN THEIR MIDST!

Did any of them recognize Jesus (besides His mother)? NO!

John 1:26 “26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;”

We see this picture of Israel’s spiritual bankruptcy .

All they now had at the marriage supper were six waterpots.

These waterpots were used for ceremonial cleansing — Mark 7:3 “3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.”

External religious cleansing had no power to change their inward need!

B. The supply of their greatest need

The imagery we see through Jesus’ miracle is that of spiritual salvation.

a. We begin by noticing their need

Ever since man sinned, humanity has always been in need of something they could not attain on their own.

The supply of wine was completely outside their power to provide.

They were thirsty without any way of quenching it.

Oh how that describes our world today!!!

Depending on the external remedies to satisfy an internal problem.

All fulfillment other than Christ is but a mirage (like the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow).

b. We now come to understanding their emptiness

Have you ever seen one of these water pots. They are shaped into these hardened vessels.

Traditionally, they would fill them up with water for the purpose of cleansing:

Jesus later taught that it was not what you put into your body that defines you, but rather what comes from within that defiles you.

Mark 7:15 “15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.”

Jesus also addressed the religious crowd in Matthew 23:27 “27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.”

We human-beings are considered “vessels”:

2 Corinthians 4:7 “7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.”

2 Timothy 2:20–21 “20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. 21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”

God can always recognize what an empty vessel looks like from His throne…you are never fooling God!

c. Jesus gives the servants specific instructions

You will often find water giving this image of God’s Word in scripture.

Ephesians 5:26 “26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,”

John 15:3 “3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.”

The only thing Jesus instructed the servants to do was fill them to the brim with water.

There will never be joy found outside the application of God’s Word.

It is our privilege to bring the strong Words of Christ into the lives of thirsty souls.

It is never your job to save! It is your obligation to give people exactly what the Spirit uses to bring about the miracle of salvation.

d. Jesus performs the miracle that brought joy

Notice the confidence Jesus had within His own self that the what was now in the pots was the best wine!

Remember back to the miracle Moses performed on the Nile River? It symbolized judgement.

What Jesus just did spoke of joy and grace.

3) Jesus’ Impact

Jesus provided something far better than any man could.