Everyone Needs a Miracle
From Glory to Glory; Jesus in the Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted
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Open: In 1994 Diana Duyser made a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. After taking the first bite, however, she noticed the image of the Virgin Mary on the sandwich. Diana carefully preserved the sandwich, and in 2004 auctioned it on Ebay. A casino bought the 10 year old sandwich (which had not molded) for $28,000
Open: In 1994 Diana Duyser made a grilled cheese sandwich for lunch. After taking the first bite, however, she noticed the image of the Virgin Mary on the sandwich. Diana carefully preserved the sandwich, and in 2004 auctioned it on Ebay. A casino bought the 10 year old sandwich (which had not molded) for $28,000
Transition: There are two extremes in the area of the supernatural. One one hand, the secularists do not accept the supernatural and flat out deny even the possibility of miracles. On the other hand are those who believe in anything and will see the miraculous in everything, including supernatural sandwiches
Transition: There are two extremes in the area of the supernatural. One one hand, the secularists do not accept the supernatural and flat out deny even the possibility of miracles. On the other hand are those who believe in anything and will see the miraculous in everything, including supernatural sandwiches
The Bible is a supernatural book and contains the accounts of many miracles. Biblical miracles are not performed to amuse or entertain. Miracles occur to bring glory to God and provide validation for the truth claims presented
READ TEXT:
READ TEXT:
The Insufficiency of mankind provides the basis for the miraculous (v. 3)
The Insufficiency of mankind provides the basis for the miraculous (v. 3)
Explanation: The account of the miracle at Cana takes place in the first week of Jesus’ public ministry. After leaving Bethany Jesus travels north to Galilee and his disciples go with him. When they arrive at the town of Cana, Mary invites Jesus to the wedding. Mary is probably related to someone in the wedding and she is helping out with the food and drink. Mary is made aware of the store of wine being depleted. Faced with this problem she turns to Jesus
Illustrate: Revival dinner at Oakbrook when the chicken ran out. The member who prepared the meal as a volunteer also ran her own catering business, and when we ran out of food she was terribly upset. It was talked about for years!
Argument: Marriage feasts lasted for a week, and the provisions for any size of crowd would have been tremendous. In the Ancient Near East, failing to provide for guests was a major setback and was very embarrassing to the host. Given that the feast was already started, the MC couldn’t just trot down to the local Food Lion or Krogers to restock. From a human point of view, there was no possible solution.
When we reach the end of our resources it can actually be a good thing. As long as we can take care of stuff on our own, everything is good. We feel good about our sufficiency and our accomplishments. When our ability to “come through” is gone is often when God gets our attention.
Application: Don’t buy into the lie that you are doing it all on your own. You aren’t the Master of your own fate, and you don’t have the resources within yourself for Eternity. Everyone is in NEED of a Savior - a lot of people just don’t realize the truth. Be like Mary and turn to Jesus for help
Obedience is the key that unlocks the blessings of God (vv. 5-8)
Obedience is the key that unlocks the blessings of God (vv. 5-8)
Explanation: Mary goes immediately to Jesus and tells him the problem. At this point Jesus had never performed any miracles, but Mary had the angelic prophecies, the visit of the Magi, and watching her son for 30 years. She may not have had a clue as to what He was going to do, but she had faith that He could do something.
Jesus’ response was to tell Mary that her request was inappropriate. He tells her His “hour has not yet come.” Jesus was speaking of His hour of Glory at the Cross, but she did not understand that. All she knew was that Jesus could help and she told the servants to do whatever He told them.
Argument: Jesus told the servants to fill the vessels to the brim with water, and then told them to draw from the vessels and take it to the Master of the Feast. The servants did what they were told. The text doesn’t record any questions or concerns; they simply obeyed.
Many people profess to have faith in Jesus, but their lives are void of obedience. Faith and obedience are strongly linked in the Scriptures: ; , and
Application: For the believer - are you being obedient to that which the Spirit of God has revealed to you? (if we aren’t being obedient to what we already know, God will not bless us with more)
For the unbeliever - a genuine surrender to the Lordship of Christ at the conviction of Holy Spirit results in a changed life. Regardless of what you say, Regeneration by the Spirit of God will result in obedience to the things of Jesus.
God’s methods often reverse the normal course of human thinking (v. 10)
God’s methods often reverse the normal course of human thinking (v. 10)
Explanation: The MC was astounded when the servants brought him the water that had been turned into wine. The taste and probably the appearance of this new wine was of a vastly superior quality to what had already been served. This was completely opposite of what the MC had expected. Almost everyone started with the best and then went down. In his astonishment, the MC proclaims to the bridegroom, “you have kept the good wine until now.”
Illustrate: drinking “rust” water at my cousin’s house in MI. Then drinking bottled water - amazing contrast.
Argument: Through this miracle Jesus is symbolically showing the emptiness and deficit of the Jewish sacrificial system. As the Messiah, the second person of the Trinity in the flesh, Jesus is showing Himself to be superior to what the Jews had been experiencing. Jesus was miraculously providing new life in Himself to those that believed and trusted in Him. The MC was confused and amazed by the turn of events, but the prophet Isaiah had this to declare about the LORD God many years prior: Isaiah 55:8-9
Application: People are generally creatures of habit and are resistant to change. Even when things and situations of life are not good, there is a tendency to remain with the familiar, even when it is bad. It is difficult for some to realize a new life is possible, that joy can be real and lasting.
Miracles display the Glory of God and lead to belief in Jesus (v. 11)
Miracles display the Glory of God and lead to belief in Jesus (v. 11)
Explanation: The Apostle John declares that this was the first miracle that Jesus performed (contra that Apocryphal nonsense). This miracle did not receive much public attention with only Mary, the disciples, and the servants knowing that Jesus was responsible. The number in the audience is not important. What is important is that through this miracle Jesus began to validate to others He was in fact the Messiah. The text states that the disciples “believed in Him.”
Argument: Jesus was not a traveling magician, performing tricks and doing miracles just for show. Everything He did had purpose and meaning. In all the scope of the Bible, which covers approximately 4,000 years, there are only three periods of time when miracles were frequent. The first period was that of the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings, the second was during the time of Elijah & Elisha, and the third was during the life of Jesus and the Apostles.
During each of those times, the miracles were to attract the attention of people and place that attention on God. Miracles are designed to bring Glory to God and to promote belief in Him.
Application: Do not be hard-headed like the professor in the debate at UNC [if God turns this bottle of water into a strawberry milkshake in the next 10 seconds I will believe in Him] God has already revealed Himself through the Scriptures and we have sufficient grounds for faith (). We also see the power of changed lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.