In the Word

Guest (Male): Hello and welcome to In the Word with Michele Telfer. Thanks for joining us for this in-depth study of God's Word, the Bible. For more of Michele's free resources, visit her website at intheword.com. And now, Michele.

Michele Telfer: Father, thank you for bringing us together, and I pray that you'd speak to our hearts in Jesus' name. Amen.

As we began our study last week, we learned that all miracles are works of God himself. They're unusual occurrences or displays of the Lord's great power that go beyond the normal laws of nature. We learned that they are often called signs in scripture because they point us toward God. They show us something of his character and his purposes in our lives, and they're meant to draw us to him in awe and worship.

The miracles of Christ have the potential to lead us to God, but we have our own decision to make. For just as it is with signs in everyday life, we must choose to pay attention to them or not. We also learned that Jesus performed far more miracles than anyone else in scripture. Not just the 37 recorded in the Gospels, but many others that John 20:30 tells us were not even written down.

Through these miracles, God was confirming that Jesus was indeed his son. Even the religious leaders like Nicodemus in John chapter 3, verse 12, understood that no one could perform the signs Christ was doing if God were not with him. The miracles that Jesus performed not only have much to communicate about his character and his purposes, but they also have much to teach us about our place in his kingdom and how we live our lives today.

So, as we begin, let's turn in our Bibles to the first miracle that Jesus ever performed, recorded for us in John chapter 2, verses 1 through 11.

Guest (Male): On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." "Woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from 20 to 30 gallons. Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water." So they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.

He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Michele Telfer: Now, I want you to pay particular attention to what John says there in verse 11. He tells us that this was the first of the signs, the first of the miracles that Jesus did. And through it, his glory was revealed. In other words, it was through this miracle that Jesus began to reveal his majesty as the promised Messiah.

One of the first questions that comes to my mind as I read John's account is, why would Jesus effectively begin his ministry at a wedding celebration rather than in Jerusalem? Why would he first manifest his glory here? I do think that it is a wonderful and much-needed picture of his humanity. We often forget that part of him, don't we?

But Jesus participated in all of the normal life events. He loved people. He laughed, probably told jokes, and teased his friends. I'm pretty sure he played with the kids and did all the group dances. He also enjoyed the food and the wine and was genuinely happy for the new family that was being brought into the community.

But there's a bigger picture here though as well. Scripture frequently speaks of Christ as the bridegroom and the church as his bride. A marriage is actually an eternal covenant of love and commitment between a man and a woman, and it pictures the kind of intimate relationship that God desires to have with us as well.

Many theologians point out that Jesus began his ministry by going to a wedding, and he will conclude his ministry, as far as the church is concerned, at another wedding celebration. That one will take place in heaven, and Revelation 19:9 refers to it as the marriage supper of the Lamb, when all those who have put their trust in Christ will celebrate together with him in glory.

It seems then that a wedding really is the perfect place for Christ to begin his public ministry. And we will soon discover that this miracle is far more than a random act of kindness on Jesus' part. Cana was only about five miles away from Jesus' hometown of Nazareth. It seems likely that Christ's mother Mary knew the hosts of the wedding well, and that she may have even had something to do with the preparation of the feast because she was one of the first to find out from the servants that the wine had run out.

Drinking wine was a normal part of life in those days. In fact, wine was often used to purify their drinking water. And although the scriptures clearly condemn drunkenness, they also use wine as a symbol of joy and prosperity. So it's hardly surprising that it would be a vital part of a wedding celebration.

In the culture of that time, weddings usually lasted for seven days, during which time the food and wine supplied by the bride's and groom's families flowed freely, and running out of anything would have been a disaster that could have ruined a family. It would bring dishonor and shame to the family that was not easily overcome.

It would imply that the hosts were either too poor to provide for their guests or, worse yet, that they were completely thoughtless and disrespectful of them. They could even be fined by the village elders for not taking care of their guests satisfactorily. Likely, it was out of deep concern for the family that Mary turned to Jesus as soon as she heard the awful news.

She had quietly observed her son for 33 years, remembering the angel's words about his true being and purpose, and she believed that if anyone could help, Jesus certainly could. But notice, though she tells Jesus the problem, she never tells him what he should do about it. Look at how he answers her in verse four, saying, "Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come."

Jesus addresses his mother as "dear woman," which was a sign of respect in those days that was frequently used when a son addressed his mother. He asked her why she wanted him involved, and he reminded her that his time had not yet come. And you may wonder what he meant by that. Jesus' words here indicate that he wasn't doing things on his own; he was following his heavenly Father's schedule and was not willing to get ahead of God's plan.

I can't help but wonder if there wasn't a part of Mary that hoped Jesus would do a very public miracle so that people would finally know who he really was. For surely, she had dealt with gossips over the years who had unkindly presumed that Jesus' birth was somehow the result of her sin.

But even his beloved mother could not hurry things along. Despite what Jesus said to her, though, Mary still believed that he would act with compassion. And so by faith, she gave the servants probably the best advice that anyone can ever give to someone concerning Jesus and his commands: "Do whatever he tells you."

And Jesus did perform a miracle, discreet though it was. It wasn't done for the crowds, nor was it done for the religious leaders. In fact, very few people even knew that a miracle had occurred. Only his mother, his closest friends, and the servants involved knew that something remarkable had happened.

So how did the miracle take place? John explains in verse six that six stone water jars stood nearby, but these were no ordinary containers. When full, each of them could hold between 20 and 30 gallons of water, approximately 75 to 110 liters. The fact that John says these jars were the kind used by the Jews to hold water for ceremonial washing is actually very important.

Ceremonial washing played an important part in the life of the Jewish people. It was a symbol of purifying oneself from sin and the contamination of the world in order to draw near to God in worship. If you were part of our recent "Draw Near" study, in which we looked at the worship rituals associated with the tabernacle and temple, you'll remember that there were certain ceremonial washings that were part of the Law of Moses.

For example, the priests had to wash themselves at the laver that stood in the courtyard of the tabernacle before they could serve God. However, over time, the religious teachers had added many of their own rules to the Law of Moses. Although there were 613 commands in the Old Testament, by the time of Christ, the Pharisees had added over 1500 of their own laws that had to be followed.

These laws were known as fence laws because they prevented you, rather in the same way a fence would, from even getting close to breaking God's law. The problem was the Pharisees had come to believe that their fence laws were as important, if not more important, than God's actual commands. These water jars would probably have been associated with those fence laws, with the water they held being used for various washings that the teachers of the law required of everyone before, during, and after meals.

As such, they were a prime example of man-made traditions having become more important than God's actual purpose and desire. Now, John doesn't specifically say these jars were empty, but I think that can be implied simply because Jesus instructs the servants in verse seven to fill the jars with water. So they filled them to the brim.

I find the image of these empty water jars quite touching, as it speaks to me of the empty rituals of the Pharisees. You see, all of their ceremonies and rites of external purification could never cleanse the heart in the way that God desired. But as the Messiah, Christ would bring a cleansing, a transformation that man could not.

John never mentions what might have been going through the servants' minds as they went back and forth between the well and the stone jars. Did they question Christ's command? Did they think that their efforts were just a waste of time? We don't know. All we do know is that they obeyed his word, and they obeyed it enthusiastically. They filled those huge jars to the very brim.

When the jars could contain no more, Jesus instructed the servants to take what they believed to be water to the master of ceremonies. Imagine their astonishment when they realized that in the process of transporting the water to the feast, it had miraculously been transformed into wine. And not just any wine, mind you. It had become the best wine.

The master of ceremonies was amazed and exclaimed in verse 10, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." Reserving the best until last is completely opposite to the usual way of doing things, isn't it? We normally serve our very best first, only to draw from our inferior supplies if we run short.

But the master of ceremonies wasn't the only one who was impressed. We're told that the miracle had a profound effect on Jesus' own disciples. Verse 11 says they believed in him. Now, remember, this was very early on in their time with Jesus. None of them had been following him for very long. They would have a long way to go in their understanding of Christ, as the Gospels reveal to us, but it was here in Cana they first began to see that Jesus really was who he claimed to be and that they could trust him.

And there's something personal here for you and me because this miracle also speaks of what Christ can do in us and with us if we let him. I like to think of it this way. Jesus wanted to bring joy and blessing to the wedding, but he only had empty vessels at his disposal. And that emptiness really is the key. The religious leaders thought the Lord would use them because they rigidly followed the rules, but they'd become proud and full of themselves in their efforts to please him.

The Lord wants us empty of self, empty of pride, so that he can fill us. Perhaps you're wondering how this can be done. I mean, how does one truly empty oneself? To answer that, I believe we should look at how Jesus emptied himself for us, as detailed in Philippians chapter 2, verses 5 through 8. There, Paul reveals that we should have the same mindset as Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage.

Rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness; and being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—even death on a cross! When Jesus came to the earth, he did not hold on to the rights and privileges that belonged to him as the Son of God. Rather, he laid them all aside and took on the nature of a servant. He willingly humbled himself and endured the agony and shame of the cross in order that we might be saved.

If we wish to follow him, we need to do as he did. We need to put aside our self-interest, our pride in our own abilities, our own selfish agendas, and become God's servants. In my experience, it's only when we're willing to lay down everything for his glory and for the extension of his kingdom that we truly become useful to him.

So, once we've emptied ourselves, what are we to be filled with? We're to be filled with the Holy Spirit and with the Word of God. And interestingly, scripture uses water as a picture of both. While visiting Jerusalem in John chapter 7, Jesus described the presence of the Holy Spirit inside a person as rivers of living water flowing from within.

Look at John chapter 7, verses 37 to 39. Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." By this, he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.

Now, we may not be familiar today with that term "living water" from John 7, but the Jewish people certainly knew what it meant. You see, in a dry and thirsty land, people collected rainwater in cisterns and drew from that somewhat stagnant water for everyday uses. In those circumstances, you can imagine how highly valued water from a spring would have been.

Because it was clean and was always flowing, it brought life everywhere it went. And so it was known as living water. And that is the Holy Spirit. Like clean, ever-flowing water from a spring, he gives life to all who believe and flows through them to bring life to others as well. I should mention, though, that once we've come to Jesus and received the Holy Spirit into our hearts, the Bible states that it is important we do not quench the Spirit.

It might help for us to think of that in terms of some of the other ways the Greek word for "quench" is translated. It means that we are not to try to stop the work of the Holy Spirit. We're not to stifle or to restrain him. But what does that really look like? Well, when we do not allow the Holy Spirit to work in our hearts or be seen in our actions in the way that he desires, or when we act or think contrary to the ways and the character of God and reject his guidance in our lives, we end up limiting the Spirit when we should be filled to overflowing with him.

The apostle Paul wrote a warning to new believers in Ephesians chapter 5, verses 17 to 18, about this very thing when he commanded them: "Do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." We are not to live as we used to live before we came to Christ. And we're not to operate in our own strength, but rather out of the overflow of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

However, there is something else the water in those empty vessels symbolizes. You see, the scriptures also describe the Word of God as water that is able to cleanse us. For example, Jesus himself told the disciples in John chapter 15, verse 3, that they were clean because of the word he had spoken to them. In Ephesians 5:26-27, the apostle Paul also picked up on the cleansing properties of the Word of God when he described how Christ cleanses and purifies his church by the washing with water through the word, to present her to himself as a radiant church without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.

Think about the servants at the wedding feast, patiently filling those empty vessels. It must have taken some time. How many trips to the well do you think they made in order to fill the water jars? How often do you think we need to draw from the well of God's Word, storing it in our hearts so that we will have something to share with others as he commands? And that sharing is so important.

If you remember, the miracle occurred when the servants took what was in the vessels to others. That's when the transformation took place. In like manner, as we are filled with the Holy Spirit and with the Word of God, and as we offer it to others, something wonderful happens.

I think it was the preacher Vernon McGee who said, "I believe one of the greatest miracles taking place today is what the Word of God will do when it leaves lips of clay and reaches the heart of some lost, downcast individual. The Word of God can bring joy into that heart and life."

So what does this first sign, this first miracle point out to us? It showed the people at the wedding that there is something totally unique about the man Jesus. While he was like everyone else there that day in so many ways, he was also totally unlike them. He could do things only God could do. This is really the first and most important sign.

It was also the first indication that he was bringing in a different relationship between God and his people. The empty ceremonies of the law were being replaced with the life God always desired his people to have, the life Christ would bring. What does the wedding miracle point out to us personally? It shows that he is not only able to meet our needs; he is able to exceed them. That he is able to take the ordinary and make it extraordinary.

That he is the one who can transform our emptiness. That he is the one who can bring joy instead of shame. And that those who come to him emptied of self will be filled with his Spirit to bring his life and joy to others. This and more is what happens when we follow the signs that tell us who he is. When we believe who he is and joyfully do what he says, he changes everything. Let's pray.

Father God, thank you so much for Jesus. Thank you, Lord, that as we come to you empty, you promise to fill us, fill us with your Spirit and your Word that we would have something to share with others. And Lord, thank you that as we take what seems ordinary to us and speak it into the life of someone else, it becomes extraordinary in the hand of the Holy Spirit as you begin to minister. Thank you, God, thank you for allowing us to be part of what you do. It is in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Well, I hope you join me next time. God bless you.

Guest (Male): Thank you for listening to In the Word with Michele Telfer. Join us next week as we continue our study from God's Word, the Bible. Michele's teachings are available on all major podcast platforms, also on her website at intheword.com, and through the In the Word with Michele Telfer app. Please consider supporting this ministry with a donation through the app or at intheword.com, helping us reach more people with the truth of Jesus Christ.