Sermon Tone Analysis

Over the Christmas season, we looked at “What Child is This?”

That was a fun study of who Jesus is, from the perspectives of the ones to whom God revealed His birth.

Today, we are going to pick up our study through the Gospel of John.

I encourage you to open your bibles if you have them, to John 2. If you did not bring a bible, you can follow the sermon on the screen, or use the Faithlife Study Bible app, or the Logos Bible app, and follow along with the passages by clicking the links that popup on your phone or tablet.

By brief way of review, John wrote this account of the life of Christ by inspiration of the Holy Spirit well after the other gospels were completed.

He wrote his gospel specifically to fill in more information about Jesus.

His stated goal was...

He wanted to be sure that his readers fully understood who Jesus is… He is the chosen one sent by God.

He is the Son of God, which means He is fully God, but there are three persons that are the one true God.

He is the second of those three.

But beyond understanding, John hopes those who read this account will believe.

John wrote specific details, and often it is paying attention to the details that we find significant information that will help us to know that Jesus is God.

Jesus is the God who loves us, so much that He came into this world as a man.

He came as a man to be our substitute, dying in our place, and then rising again to new life.

Well, as we get into the passage today, look for the details, and ask questions.

Let’s begin by reading John 2:1-12.

When reading this passage, I came up with a couple questions.

I think it is good to ask questions when we read the bible to get us to dig in and think about it.

Questions:

Why was his first miracle making wine for a wedding?

John called this a sign.

What is the significance?

Why did Jesus say, “My hour has not yet come?”

I loved thinking about these questions, and praying about it this week.

I loved where the Lord lead me in my studies, and I hope you will be excited and encouraged as I am about this passage.

Prayer

On the third day...

John introduced his gospel showing us just who Jesus is right from the start.

He is God, and he came into this world as a man.

He is fully, 100%, God.

And, he became fully, 100%, man.

And in doing this, He shows us grace and truth!

He reveals God the Father to us!

John the Baptist came as a forerunner, announcing the way for Jesus.

That is where John picks up the account of Jesus’ life.

One day the religious leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and levites to find out who John was.

John was very straight with them, that he was just the voice of God, the one announcing the way for the Great One who was coming.

I am guessing Thursday.

The next day, Friday, John the Baptist saw Jesus, and made it clear that Jesus was the one he was talking about.

Jesus is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world!

The day after that, Saturday, John told two of his disciples, Andrew and John, once again, ‘There’s Jesus, the Lamb of God.

They spent the day with Jesus, and the next day, Sunday, told Andrew’s brother Simon, who Jesus then called Cephas (his Aramaic name), or Peter (the Greek form).

Then the day after that, Monday, Jesus decided to head for Galilee.

That is when He called Philip to ‘Follow me’.

Philip found Nathanael who was from Cana in Galilee.

Nathanael came, and Jesus told him that He saw Nathanael when he was still under the fig tree where Philip had found him.

Nathanael believed in Jesus then, and Jesus told him he would see even greater things!

That brings us to where we are in John 2.

Map

From the time Jesus left the area where John was baptizing, it naturally would have been a minimum two to three day journey up to Cana, where this wedding took place.

Remember, they were walking.

No cars, buses, trains, or planes.

So, two days to return to Galilee.

The third day then, counting Monday, and Tuesday for travel, Wednesday is the third day, the day of their arrival.

Culturally, weddings began on Wednesdays.

So the setting is Cana, Nathanael’s home town.

Jesus, his mother and his disciples (Andrew, John, Peter, Philip and Nathanael) were all attending a wedding.

Weddings began on Wednesdays and lasted up to seven days.

During the wedding, the bride and groom were the center of attention, and it was a long celebration.

But at this wedding, something happened.

They ran out of wine.

Things always happen at weddings.

That is what makes them memorable!

Right?

Well, here too, something happened.

But in that culture, it wasn’t going to lead to a good memory.

It was the groom’s responsibility to meet certain standards, and to provide properly for the wedding.

If he and his family did not, then they could face legal action.

Running out of wine was not a good memory maker.

It was a nightmare.

So, Mary finds out and come to Jesus and tells him, “They have no more wine.”

Woman, why do you involve me?

Wow! that sounds harsh doesn’t it?

In our culture you don’t say, ‘Woman...’ unless you are looking for a fight, or just plain mean.

The word Jesus used a word that in English sounds harsh, but which in his language and culture was polite, and even had a tone of affection.

It is the same term in the Greek that Augustus used of Cleopatra.

If we were to translate it into vernacular English, a better wording would be, ‘Ma’am’, or ‘My Lady’.

Jesus was being respectful.

“Why do you involve me,” or literally, ‘what between you and me’ was a common phrase that could be used two ways.

It could be used in anger indicating opposition, like the demons used it to Jesus on another occasion.

Or, it could be used gently meaning, “You don’t understand what is going on, but leave it to me.

I have this.”

Jesus was telling Mary, “Ma’am, you don’t fully understand what is going on.

But leave this to me.

I have this.

You’ll see.

It’s going to be okay.

Though the English translations a lacking the colloquial communication of the phrases Jesus used, Mary got it.

That is why Mary said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

But, before moving on from John 2:4, notice the last thing Jesus said to Mary.

My hour has not yet come.

What Mary wasn’t getting, what Mary was not understanding is the significance of why this was taking place.

Jesus was about to show something.

But what was it?

What was Jesus hinting at when He said, “My hour has not yet come.”

What did he mean by that?

I think this is the crucual question to understanding why Jesus chose this setting for his first miracle.

Let’s continue the story...

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

Jesus told the servants to fill the jars with water, so they did.