Overflow #1: Saving The Best For Last

I. ENGAGE: The Imposter's Nightmare

The Scenario:

Imagine you are hosting the most important event of your life.

Maybe it's a wedding, a massive dinner party, or a critical business launch.

The stakes are incredibly high.

Every person whose opinion matters to you is in the room—your boss, your in-laws, your critics.

You have spent years curating this image.

You are the person who "has it all together."

You are successful, happy, and in control.

The music is playing, the glasses are clinking, and on the surface, everything looks perfect.

The Crisis:

But then, halfway through the night, the Caterer whispers in your ear, and you realize something terrifying:

You have a crisis on your hands...

The party is only half over, but the food is almost gone.

What food that is still left has started going bad and several guests have gotten sick.

Then you find out that the entertainment for the night just called and canceled.

You stayed up late getting things ready and are utterly exhausted.

What else could go wrong?

But lets bring this into your real life right now.

Patience:

You walked in the door planning to be a loving parent, but you have zero patience left for the toddler pulling on your leg.

You are snapping at the people you love.

Joy:

You are posting "Happy Anniversary" to your spouse on Social Media, but in the car ride over, you sat in stony silence.

You have run out of joy in the marriage you pretend is perfect.

Faith:

You come to church, you sing, you say "Amen," but your prayer life outside of church is a desert.

You have run out of faith to keep believing for that thing that hasn't changed.

The Feeling:

This is the definition of "Imposter Syndrome."

It is that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach that says, 'The party is still going, everyone is still watching me, but I have absolutely nothing left to give.'

You are smiling on the outside, but inside, you are frantically scraping the bottom of the barrel.

II. TENSION: The Cover-Up

The Reaction:

When we hit empty, our instinct is rarely to ask for help.

Our instinct is to hide.

We think, 'If I just smile wider, maybe they won't notice.

If I just work harder, maybe I can fake it.'

The Dilution Strategy:

What do we do when the wine runs low?

We water it down.

We start diluting our lives to make them stretch.

We dilute our integrity to keep the business afloat.

We dilute our personality to keep the relationship going.

We settle for a watery version of life just to survive the night.

The Shame:

We live in a culture that equates "need" with "weakness."

To admit you are empty—especially as a Christian—feels like admitting failure.

We think, "I should have more faith. I should be stronger."

So we panic.

We live in terror of the moment the music stops and the lights come on, and everyone sees the empty jars.

We are terrified of the shame of being exposed as a fraud.

The Setup:

But here is the truth: You cannot refill your own cup.

If you are empty, working harder won't fix it.

Trying to "squeeze" an empty bottle doesn't produce more wine; it just crushes the bottle.

We need an intervention.

We need a supply that doesn't come from our own limited resources.

But to get it, we have to do the hardest thing in the world: We have to admit the one thing we are trying so hard to hide.

We have to say, "I have run dry."

TRANSITION:

There is a specific story in the Gospel of John that captures this exact moment of social panic.

It tells the story of a family who hit their limit, and the Guest who turned their shame into a celebration.

Open your Bibles or your bible app to John Chapter 2.

III. TRUTH: The Transformation (John 2:1-11)

THE SETUP: The Wedding at Cana

Read John 2:1-5

John 2:1–5 ESV

1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

The "Third Day" Signal: John begins with "On the third day."

This isn't just a calendar entry; it’s a theological hyperlink.

Throughout the Bible (and especially in the Gospels), the "Third Day" is the day of life from death.

John is signaling: This wedding is a preview of the Resurrection.

The "Woman" Clarification: Jesus calls His mother "Woman" (Greek: Gunai).

It sounds harsh to us, but it was a term of respect, like "Ma'am" or "Lady."

However, He is drawing a boundary.

He is transitioning from "Jesus the Son of Mary" to "Jesus the Son of God."

He is saying, "Ma'am, the way I relate to you is changing. I am now operating on My Father's timetable, not yours."

A. THE OLD VESSEL: The Law has "Run Out" (v. 6)

Read John 2:6

John 2:6 ESV

6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.

The Weight of the Law:

Stone jars are heavy. Stone is cold. Stone is rigid.

These jars were used for "purification rites"—washing your hands, washing your cups, washing off the "dust" of the Gentile world.

They represent the Old Covenant Law: It was heavy, it was external, and crucially, it was empty.

The Obsolete:

As Hebrews 8:13

Hebrews 8:13 ESV

13 In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.

The empty jars are a picture of religion without Jesus: A lot of heavy stone, but nothing inside to drink.

B. THE NEW WINE: Grace upon Grace (vv. 7-10)

Read John 2:7-10

John 2:7–10 ESV

7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 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 10 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.”

1. The Theology: Water vs. Wine

Water cleans the outside.

It is necessary for hygiene, but it has no flavor and brings no joy.

It represents the "Have-To" of religion.

Wine goes inside. Psalm 104:15 says wine is given to "gladden the heart of man."

It represents the "Want-To" of the Gospel.

The Shift:

Jesus takes the water of duty and turns it into the wine of desire.

He fulfills Matthew 5:17 (not abolishing the law, but fulfilling it).

He upgrades the system from external pressure to internal joy.

As John 1:16 says, "grace upon grace."

2. The Overflow: The Math of Grace

Do the math with me. Six jars. 20-30 gallons each.

That is 120 to 180 gallons of wine.

In modern terms, that is roughly 600 to 900 bottles of wine.

The Point:

Jesus didn't just save the wedding; He flooded it.

He didn't just provide "enough for the toast";

He provided enough for the next month.

This is the God of the Overflow.

When He gives grace, He doesn't use a teaspoon; He uses a firehose.

3. The Servants' Secret (v. 9)

John 2:9 ESV

9 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

Look at verse 9: "The master of the feast... did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew)."

The VIP at the head table tasted the wine, but he missed the glory.

The servants in the kitchen—the ones sweating, carrying the heavy jars—were the only ones who saw the miracle happen.

If you want to see miracles, you have to go to the kitchen.

You have to serve.

God reveals His secrets to the servants, not the critics.

C. THE CONTEXT: The Groom's Failure

The Shame: In that culture, running out of wine wasn't just a mistake; it was a social catastrophe.

The Groom would be shamed, perhaps even sued by the bride's family.

Last week, we saw Jesus "get muddy" in the Jordan to identify with our sin.

Here, He steps into the wedding to identify with our shortcomings.

The human groom failed.

But Jesus steps in as the True Bridegroom.

He takes the responsibility.

He provides the joy.

He saves the new family's reputation.

D. THE FIRST SIGN: The Third Day (v. 11)

Read John 2:11

John 2:11 ESV

11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

The master of the feast said, "Everyone serves the good wine first... but you have kept the best until now."

The world operates on "diminishing returns"—it gives you the best first (youth, energy, excitement), and then it runs out.

Jesus operates on "Increasing Glory."

The longer you walk with Him, the better the wine gets.

The best is always yet to come.

IV. APPLICATION: The Incarnational Shift

1. DIAGNOSE YOUR VESSEL: Stone Jar vs. New Wine

Are you living as a Stone Jar Christian?

Signs: You are focused on the "rules." You are critical of others. Your faith feels heavy, cold, and rigid. You are constantly trying to "scrub the outside" to look clean.

Or are you a New Wine Christian?

Signs: You are filled with the Spirit. Your motivation is joy, not fear. You have an internal "want-to" that drives your obedience.

Challenge: You cannot scrub your way to holiness.

You have to be filled.

2. LOCATE THE MIRACLE: It Happens in the Kitchen

Many of us are waiting for a miracle in the "Sanctuary"—a big spiritual moment on a stage.

But Jesus performed His first miracle in a kitchen, among dirty jars and sweaty servants.

God wants to bring "New Wine" into the ordinary, boring, stressful parts of your life—your Monday morning commute, your diaper changing, your budget meeting.

Challenge: Stop waiting for a "spiritual high." Invite Jesus into the "kitchen" of your daily routine.

VI. ACTION/NEXT STEPS

THE PRAYER OF MARY

Mary is the model of prayer in this text.

She didn't panic.

She didn't manipulate.

She didn't even tell Jesus how to solve it.

She simply stated the deficit.

I want you to identify the one area of your life right now where the tank is dry.

Don't pray a solution.

Don't pray 'God, please give me a raise.'

Just pray the problem.

If you are struggling with finances, pray “ I need help with my finances.”

If you are exhausted, pray: "I have no strength."

If you are lonely, pray: "I have no community."

If you are burnt out, pray "I have no joy."

This week, we need to pray over these areas.

We aren't going to pray for a specific fix;

we are going to pray that Jesus fills that specific void with His presence.

We are praying for the water to turn to wine because Jesus has been told the problem.

5. THE CLOSING PRAYER

Lord Jesus,

We are tired of the stone jars.

We are tired of trying to scrub the outside and look presentable when we are empty inside.

We confess that we have run out.

We have no wine left.

But we believe You are the God of the Overflow.

We believe You save the best for last.

Come into our kitchens.

Come into our mess.

Take the water of our duty and turn it into the wine of Your joy.

Fill us to the brim.

In Your Name, Amen.