That you May Believe
Total Faith • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsJesus can change your despair and shame into joy to let you and I know that He is God!
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Introduction
Introduction
In most areas of the world, public drinking fountains expel tap water, but out of the newest public drinking fountain in Italy flows red with wine -- and it's free to the public.
The 24-hour seven days a week ‘Fontana Del Vino’ in Caldari di Ortona has been installed by Dora Sarchese vineyard winery.
The fountain is located along a popular trail, the Cammino di San Tommaso, ( approximately 8.3km)
which is used by thousands of Catholics every year on the pilgrimage to see the remains of Thomas, one of Jesus' disciples.
It would take you 1 hour 48 minutes to 2 hours and 6 minutes depending on the path you take.
Historically, we know that Thomas is viewed as “doubting Thomas”, and that may be true to a certain extent, but the last thing you need is a drink when your on the path to doubt.
In 2023, we need to stand clear of the path to doubt and walk in Total Faith.
The Gospel of John is written with the Goal as stated in John 20.31
but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
So John is writing to each and every one of us that we may have faith that Jesus is the Christ, The Son of God.
Faith is defined as:
A constant outlook of trust towards God, whereby human beings abandon all reliance on their own efforts and put their full confidence in him, his word and his promises.
Oswald Chambers tells us;
It is never our merit God looks at but our faith. If there is only one strand of faith amongst all the corruption within us, God will take hold of that one strand.
The prologue (1:1–18)
The signs of life (1:19–12:50)
John the Baptist (1:19–28)
Jesus the Lamb of God (1:29–34)
Jesus’ first disciples (1:35–42)
Jesus calls Philip and Nathanael (1:43–51)
In Chapter 2, we see Mary ( not named) at a wedding in Cana of Galilee along with Jesus and his disciples.
Weddings normally began with a procession bringing the bride to the groom’s house, a wedding supper, and a week of festivities. Jesus came with his mother and disciples (five so far, see 1:38–50), so the bride or groom may have been relatives or at least close friends.
by the time we get to verse number 3 we encounter a problem that Mary (un names tells us )
When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”
The groom was responsible for such things,
His whole family would have been disgraced.
Hospitality was very important in the ancient world, and weddings were among the most serious of social obligations.
Some even think his family could have been sued by the bride’s family for such a thing. This was a desperate situation.
Life without Christ is a life without wine.
The Scriptures use wine as a symbol for joy, as in
To the Jewish mind, wine symbolized joy.
In fact, the rabbis had a contemporary saying: “Without wine, there is no joy.”
We could very well translate Mary’s words, “They have no joy.”
Just like everything else in life, the things we value without Christ will run out..
Your money, your job, your 401K, your luxury home or your luxury automobile, all will run out without Christ. These things may bring you joy now, but they will run out…you love your whatever more than Jesus, the joy you receive from that whatever will run out.
There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine; all joy has grown dark; the gladness of the earth is banished.
In 2023, there have been some times you have spent apart from Christ. You have no joy, no peace, but John has blessed us with this word for 2024 That you may believe in Jesus….…
As Mary appeals to her Son, Jesus’ reaction in verse 4 is startling.
On the surface it seems rude and disrespectful, but the context must be considered carefully.
First, he calls Mary “woman.” When Jesus gives her over to John’s care in 19:26 he also calls her “woman,” and there is a great deal of love in that scene.
He is not being rude here, and when we combine this with the following (“Why do you involve me?”), he is clearly trying to distance himself from her and the situation.
The question is literally, “What is this to me and to you?”
“My hour has not yet come.” In John the “hour” refers to the time of destiny, the passion events
So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come.
These words he spoke in the treasury, as he taught in the temple; but no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.
john 12.23
And Jesus answered them, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you,
Jesus is reluctant to begin at this time the series of events that would culminate in the cross.
He had hoped for a brief hiatus and to enjoy the wedding with his disciples.
He didn’t want to initiate the tumultuous road that God willed for him quite yet.
But being the mother like most, understanding her Son and the supernatural events surrounding his birth starts the wheels of the journey of Jesus by appealing to the servants in v5.
His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Mary shows us her faith. She has full confidence, in His ministry and everything that has led up to this point in His life.
Jesus does not turn to the empty wine jugs, but to the 6 stone water pots used in jewish purification.
Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
The purpose of the Water pots
Stone water pots were used in place of earthenware pots due to no prescription in the Law for them.
Cite but do not read
And if any of them falls into any earthenware vessel, all that is in it shall be unclean, and you shall break it. Any food in it that could be eaten, on which water comes, shall be unclean. And all drink that could be drunk from every such vessel shall be unclean. And everything on which any part of their carcass falls shall be unclean. Whether oven or stove, it shall be broken in pieces. They are unclean and shall remain unclean for you.
Cite, but do not read.
Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”
Jesus is commanding the servants to move from tradition and the ceremonial law.
By performing his miracle in those stone urns, our Savior was testifying that the old religious rituals were dead and that he was filling the urns with new life.
F. F. Bruce says, “Christ (is) changing the water of Jewish purification into the wine of the new age.”
By the servants obedience, we see a double miracle..
1st- We move from the unclean to the clean
2nd- We see the Water changing into wine
Not only will he cleanse you , but He’ll fill you with Joy!
He wants to change your purpose in 2024. He will fill the emptiness of your life with Joy that will last forever. It will never run out. You won’t drink from a fountain on your way to a grave, but you and I will drink from the fountain of God! Look at what the waiter say about Jesus wine
And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
Point : Jesus saves the best for Last
John—That You May Believe The Solution
John here implies that life gets better as it goes on
John—That You May Believe The Solution
Although the natural wines of life tend to lose their sparkle, the wine Christ gives—the joy we find in him—increases as life goes on.
Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, And he that hath no money; Come ye, buy, and eat; Yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.
“And in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water; and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord and water the Valley of Shittim.
And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
Celebrate:
A quality or attitude of delight and happiness, which is ultimately grounded in the work of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit
We must understand that the wine of carnal life does run out, or perhaps has already. The sensual, visual, and intellectual joys of life will not endure. But Christ can change everything
To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, To give unto them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; That they might be called trees of righteousness, The planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
When we get to glory, it will be nothing but Joy…..…The wine will never run out……Jesus shows us as He stepped in temporarily as the Bridegroom and provided wine, He is the Bridegroom for another wedding he is hosting…
And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
Don’t buy Boons farm Strawberry Hill- I found my thrill on Strawberry Hill..
Don’t buy MD 20/20
Don’t buy Night Train Express
Don’t but Arbor Midst
You’ll have no joy, no peace..you’ll be empty, and ashamed, but if you trust inJesus, and do what He tells you on 2024, you’ll be walking by faith in 2024….…
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