The greatest sign of all

Explanation: Like many of the well know ministers, Jesus’s ministry started without lights or big crowds. Jesus’ ministry had a very humble start. He started first calling the disciples (John 1:35-51), and then going every village and town teaching and preaching.

The Gospel of Matthew, Mark and Luke says that Jesus started his public ministry right after his long fasting in the wilderness (40 days) where he was tempted by Satan.

The Gospel of John records that the first miracle that Jesus performed was in the countryside, in a city called Cana, during a weeding celebration. In this occasion Jesus turned water into wine.

Only John records this miracle.

In his Gospel, John use the word signs or works to describe miracles. And he tells us why he does that in John 20:30-31.

From his perspective the miracles performed by Jesus were a demonstration of his mercy as well as of his divinity.

In John 2:1-11 we see that Jesus with his disciples were invited to a weeding celebration. A celebration that could last days, sometimes up to a week.

And it was the responsibility of the groom to plan and to provide financially for the party. A failure to do that would incur shame on the groom and over his family.

At some point during the party the wine ran out. Mary the mother of Jesus perceiving the situation and the possible abrupt end of the party, she turns to Jesus and says; “They ran out of wine”.

It is not clear what does she meant by her comment, but Jesus’ answer was remarkable. He said, “what does this have to do with me?”.

The way I perceive Jesus’ answer, he was not rude with Mary. He was simply stating that he is only a guest. It was not his responsibility to provide or make amends for what was lacking.

However, Jesus in an act of mercy called the servants and asked them to fill 6 water jars with water. Each jar could hold up to thirty gallons of water. After filling them up he said to the servants to draw some and to take to the master of the party.

The master of the party didn’t know that the wine that he drank was water turned into wine, and he commended the groom for the quality of the wine.

From John’s perspective this miracle was a powerful display of Jesus’ glory (verse 11). And John and the other disciples eye witnessed this sign and they believed in Jesus.

Verses 12-25 records Jesus going to Jerusalem. At temple Jesus had a discussion with all the people selling at the temple courts and he drove them away.

All the people who were using the temple courts as a place for selling and trading, were by an act of zeal from Jesus put out of the courts with their animals, tables and coins.

There was nothing wrong in in selling animals for the sacrifices. And the exchange of currency was not an illegal business. It was an essential business since the tax temple could only be paid with the local currency.

Since a great number of the worshipers who used to come to the Passover were foreigners, the exchange in currency and the possibility to buy the animals for the sacrifice in Jerusalem was very convenient for the travelers and a great opportunity for locals to do business.

It was not wrong to sell and trade. It was wrong to conduct business in the temple courts.

Arriving at the temple and seeing all the commotion caused by the business that were being conduct inside the temple doors, Jesus became very upset.

They have turned a place of worship and reverence towards God into a place of business and profit, with the avail of the authorities.

Luke 19:45-46

“ And he entered the temple and began to drive out those who sold, saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a den of robbers.”

The rebuke here is not only towards the businessmen but also towards the temple authorities, for allowing and approving this practice in the temple courts.

Trans: This was a brief summary of the immediate context.

There are three things that I want share with you today from this text;

1) Miracles give testimony of God and his power

2) The Lord is zealous for his name

3) Jesus resurrection is the greatest sign of all

1) Miracles give testimony of God and his power

Illustration: In the situation that I shared with my aunt. After she got the results of his tests and she told the family the good news, everyone was happy for her.

They not only congratulated her but almost everyone recognized that what happened to her was a miracle. Even those who are not believers recognized that something extraordinary occurred. And some of them recognized that was an act of God.

Even though they follow her case very closely, the miracle did not make them believers. Because miracles do not have the power to save the soul of a person.

It is possible for a person to be spared of a terrible car accident. Recognized that was the hand of God that spare him/her, come to church a few times to offer thanksgiving and not became a follower of Christ.

For my family members God gave them a sign that he can do what medicine is not capable of: to heal someone with a very rare cancer. And that sign reveals that God is capable to do what he says he is capable of, to save the souls and forgive signs.

For believers and the church, the miracles are signs of the power of God meant to strength and to renew our faith in Jesus. To hear a testimony of a father with his daughter who was spared of what could be a terrible car accident is a reason for all of us to rejoice.

The couple who could not get pregnant for various reasons, and we see them with two kids, is visible remainder of the mercy and power of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

For unbelievers, miracles are meant to point them to Jesus as the only true source of help and salvation.

There is a warning for all of us. To be recipients of the favor of God through miracles does not gives you a special standing before Jesus. Miracles are proofs, not certificates of the approval of God. We all still have to place in Christ for salvation.

Make sure that you understand this. It possible to receive many miracles in life and yet to lose your soul in the end. Simply because without repentance of your signs no one will be save.

Trans: The situation of Jesus driving out the money changers and the sellers out of the temple reminds us that Jesus is zealous for his name.

2) The Lord is Zealous for his name

a. The context here is the Passover of the Jews. One of the most important celebrations of the year, people from all over used to come to Jerusalem. Not only Jewish people but also gentiles.

b. This festivity was a moment to remember the great miracle that the Lord made in Egypt. When the angel of death struck dead all the first-born male of the Egyptians and spared the sons of the Israelites.

c. The Passover also was meant to celebrate the Lord’s deliverance from the hand of Pharaoh. When the Lord opened the red sea and made the Israelites pass through and drowned the Pharaoh’s army when they tried to go after God’s people.

d. To come to temple at the Passover was a moment to pray, to worship and to give offerings as an attitude of recognizing that God alone deserves, glory and honor.

e. At Jesus arrival what he saw was a tumult of people trading and selling without any reference, for God. Jesus is not preoccupied the physical temple but for who the object of worship, God.

f. Instead of adoration and contrition of heart, he found people walking around more preoccupied in selling and trading, others preoccupied to offer the right sacrifice and all of them missing the point. Is not about doing the rights things but about being and acting as a child of God.

Psalm 51:16-17

“For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

I Samuel 15:22

“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”

Application: Make sure that you have the right attitude when you came to church gatherings.

Not because of this physical place, but because about whom we get together to worship, Jesus Christ.

Make sure that when you came, you came with a contrite spirit who desperately desires not only to listen to God’s voice, but to verbalize your adoration through singing and praying.

Make sure that when you come through these doors you leave the business of your life outside the doors, because our God is a Zealous God.

He is looking for true worshipers, with contrite and obedient hearts not self-righteous people.

3) Jesus resurrection is the greatest sign of all

a. After Jesus driving away all the money changers and sellers out of the temple courts the authorities asked him (read verses 18-19)

b. In other words, Jesus said the only sign that will be given to you is the resurrection of the dead.

c. They could perceive that was speaking about spiritual matters.

d. Because their minds are focus on the temporal and visible aspects of their faith they receive crucial aspect of the suffering Messiah (Isaiah 53)

e. The temple authorities were only able to engage is temporal matters because that was their biggest concerned in life.

f. Two years later at the Passover the words of Jesus came to pass, his resurrection from the dead.

g. He promised that in the third day he would raise up and it was so.

h. Jesus gave not only to the religious authorities the greatest sign of all but all to all his disciples.

i. Jesus’ resurrection in the life changing moment in the history of the church. Without Jesus’ resurrection there could not be eternal life.

j. But because he was the first of the dead to be resurrect to eternal life the church, the bride, the people of God enjoy this privilege that will be revealed in the last day the resurrection of the dead.

k. Without Christ’s resurrection we would be still bond to sin and death. But as Jesus was raised from the dead, he conquered sin and death.

l. Jesus’ resurrection is God’s victory over Satan and death.

Application: Take time to analyze your life and to see if you are not so preoccupied with temporal things to the point that you cannot listen or discern God’s voice through his word.

Take time to reflect to see if you are not listening because your lack of faith or simply because you are too busy to stop and listen.

Don’t be afraid to make these important, heart evaluation.

Because the death of Christ and his resurrection we can live meaningful lives by faith. Filled with hope in the eternal life already secure in Christ.

Conclusion:

Miracles are proof of the mercy and power of God. Miracles cannot save but are meant to point people to Christ and the strength the faith of the brethren.

Make sure that you have the right attitude before God, which is a contrite and broken spirit.

Make sure that you don’t allow the cares of this world to rob of you joy in the Lord.

Related Media

Related Sermons