Water to Wine: A God who transforms

In need of renewal

One thing that is pretty much inevitable in all areas of life is that everythings eventually starts to wear out.

If you’ve got an old car, you can guarantee you’ll start needing more and more repairs. Mobile phones and computers don’t seem to take very long before they become slow and unreliable.

And then of course there is our bodies. Every year, we get a year older. Every year, the time for your body to recover from the various strains we feel takes longer and longer. Every year more problems start developing.

As our devices and our bodies wear out, we start longing for something new. We become disatisfied with what we have. It might have served us in the past, but it just isn’t doing it for us at the current point in time.

For our possessions, we start thinking about a replacement.

But it’s not quite that simple with our bodies.

But you know what, the disatisfaction is not just with the physical body, or for that matter, even our mental faculties which also have a tendency to decline.

I’m talking about our moral decline.

But here’s the thing… I think this is the area of life that we actually fool ourselves the most.

You see, I think the tendency for most of us is that we look at our lives and we recognise that there are things we do which aren’t all that great… I’m talking about things like treating those we love in ways that are less than loving… taking advantage of others for our own gain… covering up our mistakes with a bunch of lies....

But then, after we recognise these less than desireable actions, we then convince ourselves that I’m going to do better. The alcoholic says: I’ll get my drinking under control. The gambler says: I’ll get my gambling under control and stop wasting so much money. You might hear those statements and recognise how the alcoholic and gambler are kidding themselves.

But the truth is, we’re kidding ourselves just as much when we say: I know I keep on hurting people but I’ll stop speaking so harshly to them… or, I’ll stop getting so angry at my loved ones… or, I’ll stop taking advantage of so many people.

We think - I am actually a good person, those things I did were just a weak moment I was having. I’m going to become a better person, I know I can because I can.

I think so often we actually believe that, and it just becomes more and more frustrating when time after time, we keep failing.

It’s when we actually stop and have a moment of honest reflection that we realise, I don’t just need to try harder - I need a complete transformation.

But where is that transformation going to come from?

Well, spoiler alert for the end of this sermon: the answers going to be Jesus. I think every Sunday School student is probably going to be able to give that answer. But despite this, most Christians are going to live their lives as if they are already good people that just have weak moments and need to try better.

This morning, I want to look at the way in which Jesus is in the business of taking what is old, and completely transforming it into something brand new - not just kind of redressed, but of a new essence.

Miracles

Before I do that, I just want to add a few commments about this series that I’m just starting now.

Between now and Easter, I’m going to be looking at various miracles that Jesus performed.

But here’s the thing… these miracles are not just a bit of a fun thing Jesus did on the side to generate a bit of excitement about what he was doing. Rather the miracles that Jesus did were deeply significant. They were representing a change that was occuring. They were there to show that Jesus was not just some guy who was clever with words, he was someone who had real power. It was the verification of what he said.

But I’ve also chosen to pair this exploration of the miracles of Jesus with the period leading up to Eater that we call Lent.

You see, it is during this period that we can think about the preparation that we need to undertake. BUt in many ways, that preparation is not about trying harder, it is rather about letting go and letting the power of Jesus make the difference. And this is why I like this idea of thinking about our preparation with the miracles of Jesus. Because the reality is, while this might sound harsh, if you want to change yourself, you’re going to need a miracle.

Wedding at Cana

So, let’s explore our first miracle which happens right at the start of the ministry of Jesus, or you might even say, slightly before he fully started his ministry.

We’re in John’s gospel, and if you were to look in chapter 1, you’ll see that Jesus has just called Simon Peter and his brother Andrew to follow him, and in addition, Philip and Nathanael. These four men have decided to follow Jesus, although at this point in time, they would still be deciding what this is all about.

Well, it would appear that as we move into chapter 2, only a very short period of time has elapsed, in fact, when it says, on the third day, it talking about the time in reference to what happened in the previous chapter.

Well, there is a big wedding taking place in Cana. The passage never spells out for us who it is that is getting married, however, based on the role that Jesus’ mother Mary plays in this account, it is generally assumed that it is a close relative of Jesus.

Well, the four people who have only very recently decided to follow Jesus, they get included in the invite, so I guess this will become a great opportunity for Jesus and his new disciples to get to know each other.

Now, we need to recognise that Weddings during this time are very different to the weddings that we have.

It starts with a big betrothal period which is not just like our engagements rather actually includes a number of rituals that commit the couple to each other.

But it all leads up to the actual wedding which is actually mostly a big celebration. Interestingly, there isn’t a ceremony like we have, rather most of that ceremonial stuff is done in private.

And so, you get both the groom and the birde coming in all of their finest clothes. Usually at sunset, the groom would start a procession, accompanied by his friends, attendants, and of course musicians, and they would travel through the streets to the brides home, and then they would all return back to the grooms house, again travelling through the streets with much singing and celebrating.

The festivities at the groom’s houe would then typically go for seven days, although at times could be extended up to fourteen.

For celebrations to go this length, it would be important that you carefully plan your resources, particularly with things like wine. This responsbility fell to the host, but it was the grooms responsbility to arrange this and pay for it all.

If anything ran out, it would be a major embarrassment to the host, as well couple and the couple’s family. And when I say embarrassment, you need to remember that this is an honour-shame society - bringing shame on your family was a very big deal.

Well, on this occassion, such an event did take place.

We’re not told how long the wedding had already been going for, but, the wine is gone.

Water to wine

It is at this point that Mary, the mother of Jesus, turns to her son for help.

Or at least, this certainly seems to be the implication. In the account we find in John’s gospel, she actually just tells him a statement, that is that they have no more wine.

But you get the distinct impression that Mary knows there’s something special about her son. Was she expecting a miracle like what finally happens? Or did she just think maybe he could soothe the situation by other means? Or then again, it’s possible she didn’t expect anything, she was just concerned and let her son know what was happening.

However, the response Jesus gives indicates that he was taking it as a request to intervene in some way. Jesus says: “Woman, why do you involve me?” and then goes on to say: “My hour has not yet come”.

This language of “My hour...” is actually language Jesus will use a lot more, particularly as he gets close to dying on the cross.

He’s effectively saying, this is not the time in which I’m going to inaugurate a new age.

But yet, as we will soon see, it is the time for him to foreshadow what is to come.

Now, what I love in this little interchange, (or at least in the way that it is recorded for us), is that in verse 5, his mum seems to completely ignore the hesitancy Jesus just expressed, and without even talking further to Jesus, just tells the servants to do whatever Jesus says. Of course it is entirely possible that there was a whole bunch of other dialogue that wasn’t recorded for us, but I like to think that Mary just decided to go out on a bit of a limb here and see what Jesus would do next.

Well, whether reluctantly or not, Jesus did honour his mother, and he told some of the servants to fill up the six stone water jars that were nearby and used for ceremonial washing.

The old way

Now, it’s worth pausing here and just spending a little time thinking about these jars.

You see, these jars represent the old Jewish ways.

There were certain ritualistic washing that was required, which had to be done in a certain way.

Now, while this is only one practice among many other practices that would have needed to be observed, in this account, you can see how it represent the old Jewish religious order.

This old way is what effectively we find in the Old Testament.

Now, there is a great temptation for us at this particular point to really look at this old way as if it were a poor design from the beginning.

I’m going to most certain refrain from such a view. In fact, I’m going to suggest it was both useful and necessary.

This old way served it’s purpose. It was given to the Jewish people directly by God, and it helped set them apart from other people, it helped them to focus their devotion on God, and it also often served some very practical benefits such as hygiene and the like.

But while it was good and useful, it was never going to save them - in fact, it was never meant to save them - it was only meant to point them towards somone who could save them.

In many ways, this old Jewish system was really designed to show them that they needed a saviour.… that they couldn’t do it on their own.

You see, there had been something happening to the Jews for quite a few centuries that preceded Jesus coming.

If you look over the history of Israel, there had always been the growth as they became bigger and bigger. But then things came crashing down when they were soundly defeated and sent into exile.

Yet they were released from exile, but they thought this would just be the start of things going back to the way they were. After all, they were good people and they just had to take hold of what was rightfully theirs. But try as they would, things never returned as the were.

It was during this time that we see the start of groups like the Pharisees where they begin a desperate attempt to do everything as perfectly as they could - they’re trying and they’re trying… but yet things never returned the way they were.

The old way - as represented by these ceremonial jars, in effect represented the futility of just trying harder.

New wine

But let’s get back to the miracle.

Jesus has just told the servants to fill the jars to with water, and so they fill them to the brim.

Next they’re told to draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet. Now, I don’t know about you, but this kind of sounds a bit of a risk for these servants. After all, as far as they know, these jars have been used for washing hands, and now we’re about to give someone a drink from them?

Whether they hesitated or not, we’re not told, but we are told that they did do what they were told, and of course, the result was incredible.

The master of the banquest drinks from it, and he is absolutely blown away by the quality of it.

In fact, as it’s recorded in the text for us, he can’t understand why they’ve brought out the best wine last, when the usual custom is to bring the best wine first - after all, people are going to remember much better what comes first.

But there we have it, the water from the jar that represents the old way, has become the best wine.

Significance

What we really need to see here, is that this is so much more than a really cool party trick.

As much as I’ve always thought it’d be really cool to change water into wine, Jesus isn’t doing it to just impress his new friends.

While this miracle does represent a level of compassion in that Jesus is saving them from a great embarrassment, it is even more than this as well.

As I mentioned before, it might not be his hour, but what he is doing foreshadows a massive transformation.

From the old way, we get a complete transformation into something new.

I’m not suggesting people would have understood this full significance at this point in time, but yet, Jesus is foreshadowing the fact that this old way is not just going to be ramped up in such a way that people just follow it better… rather, it is going to be changed so completely, that it is of a different substance.

It’s going to become much clearer later, but Jesus is going tto establish a new kind of kingdom that is going to extend beyond all borders… it’ll reach beyond the rulers of this world, and will be available to every single person on this planet.

Application

But let me just bring this back to where we started.

You see, I started by talking about the fact that we are all in need of renewal.

We’ve got to the point where we realise that what we’re doing just doesn’t cut it. We’re not going to improve ourselves by just trying harder.

We noted before that the answer to the change we need is Jesus - but this is what I want to show you. You see, I don’t want this to just sound like a cliche, because it is so much more.

Jesus has changed the system for us.

You see, we’re no longer in a system where you need to change yourself.

Let’s look what happens. I mentioned before that this miracle foreshadows a greater kingdom, but in this kingdom that Jesus does establish once his hour comes, we find that our guilt is removed because Jesus sacrifices himself for us.

But even more than that, Jesus gives us the Holy Spirit which can transform who we are.

All we need to do is acknowledge our need for God, and submit to him and allow the Holy Spirit to change us.

That is both super easy and super hard at the same time.

You see, one of the hard aspects is that it first requires us to recongise we can’t do this on our own. That can be a real hit to our pride.

And to allow the Holy Spirit to change us, means not fighting against him. It’s fighting that natural tendency that says, I can do it myself.

But here’s the thing - change is possible.

That anger issue that seems so stubborn: you can get rid of it.

Those relationship issue, we’re you keep pushing people away: you can change.

You can’t do it on your own, but by acknowledging your inability to do it yourself, and your need for Jesus, all things are possible.

I can do all through him who gives me strength (Phil 4:13)

Conclusion

Today is the first Sunday in Lent - a season of preparation before Easter.

But it is good to remember that while we might be able to adopt some practices in this period that can help us on our journey, what is most important, is see Christ who strengthens us.

Jesus changing water into wine is pretty cool, but it is so much more than just a cool story. Jesus is showing that a fundamental change is possible.

So if you are feeling despair about the way things are, know that Jesus is offering you something amazing. He is offering a new system and you can be a part of it.

Let me pray..