Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Where are we up to in John

John Chapter 1 records testimony about Jesus

John’s (the gospel writer) testimony (the prologue)

John the Baptiser’s testimony (Saw the spirit descend) as far as we know nobody else saw.

Jesus’s recruits esp Nathaniel (you are the Son of God, the King of Israel)

Overall Picture of the Gospel of John

Now we come to a large section in John which is sometimes referred to as “The Signs” (the visible authentication) from Chapter 2 to Chapter 11 (10/21) and teachings and narrative.

This is who I am

From Chapter 12 to 19 (8/21) refers to the last week of the earthly life of Jesus culminating in his crucifixion This is what I have come to do

The wedding at Cana begins a section in John’s Gospel which now expands from testimony to visible and tangible demonstrations and authentication of the identity of Jesus.

Remember John’s purpose in writing his gospel

and

so this Gospel of John is a highly edited narrative of the life of Jesus

The Sign

The turning of water into wine John calls a “sign” v 11

Signs and Miracles

Water into Wine is a miracle but more than that, it is also a sign, and John always calls Jesus’s miracles “signs” because it is always a sign of something more, and not just a miracle.

John records 7 signs in chapters 2 to 11, (This is who I am ) the greatest of which is the bringing back to life of the rotting corpse of his friend Lazarus and that occurs about a week before Jesus’s own death.

But remember, John tells us that Jesus did many other things (John 21-25) So john is selecting just 7 of the vast number of miracles or signs that Jesus did.

The water to wine miracle is a miracle.

This needs stating these days.

There has been a tendency to discredit Jesus’s miracles, to say things did not happen like that but were exadurated, or embellished as narratives were verbally handed down from person to person and the passage of time before being written down.

Perhaps to satisfy a humanist or secular or even scientific world view, to elevate science and logic above the Bible.

You see this in the media and sadly in some liberal churches.

That is my first point of application.

Remember that Jesus, the word was with God and was God; all things were made through him (John 1 v 3 ) and that this word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1-14).

The one who created everything, is he not capable of changing water into wine.

Believe the Miracle as stated; believe the sign, let the Bible speak for itself and not interpreted by the World.

Humanists, false religions etc

What is a miracle?

A miracle is an action that cannot be done by natural means, something that defies human logical reasoning, something that defies the laws of nature.

The same Jesus in the beginning said “let there be and there was”, (Genesis) and if we believe that then it is not difficult to believe that water into wine is exactly as recorded by John.

The truth about creation is foundational to our understanding of everything else.

Let us now look at some aspects of this sign at Cana

My Hour has not yet come

Jesus’s reply was unexpected

What did Jesus mean by this statement?

What was this hour?

Was it that His hour had not yet come to show that he could do miracles?

No.

He was stating in a veiled way his death.

His Hour

How do we know that he was talking about his death?

We have to look ahead in John to understand his meaning.

7 times in John’s Gospel, John mentions “His Hour”

The occasion of Jesus teaching in the temple at the feast of Tabernacles

Teaching in the treasury of the temple

Discussion with the pharisees about them not knowing the father

The week before His arrest and crucifixion

But now a change.

The hour had now come after 3 years or so after the wedding at Cana

When some Greeks asked Jesus disciples, “we wish to see Jesus”

A few verses later

As he told his disciples that he was going to be crucified

At the last supper

And finally at the end of the last supper Jesus Prays to the Father

John’s gospel is heading for, and is almost dictated or framed by His Hour, the climax of the Gospel

Back to the Wedding

They had run out of wine.

Jewish wedding feasts would go on for several days and wine was an important part of the proceedings.

To run out of wine was a shameful thing and reflected on the Bridegroom, it was his responsibility to ensure that the wedding arrangements were 100% in place.

Are we just to see the sign of water to wine as Jesus saving the day, saving the shame of the bridegroom of running out of wine.

Is this the essence of the sign?

There is more.

The stone Jars for ceremonial washing

Although ceremonial hand washing before eating was not part of the Law of Mosses it violated the Traditions of the Elders.

All holy things could not be used for anything other than holy use.

The water jars should not be used for anything other than ceremonial washing of hands, but Jesus used it to be the vessels that contained the miraculous wine.

Doing things that violated the traditions of the elders or the law of Mosses was something that the religious authorities used against Jesus, and was a major reason why they dismissed Jesus as the Messiah.

Indeed, violation of the Law was the ultimate reason for the false justification of Jesus’s crucifixion.

So here is a demonstration that Jesus was starting to demolish the established order.

The wine

Water becoming wine (the Blood, the Last Supper, life)

The wine was the (1) best

There was an (2) abundance of

The sign was done at a wedding

Jesus the perfect (future) Bridegroom to whom we as believers are betrothed (engaged to) and a wedding feast awaits for us in heaven Rev 19:6.

Jesus refers to himself as the Bridegroom several times in the New Testament, for example on an occasion that the religious authorities said, how come that your disciples do not fast.

The result of the sign

2 things

The manifestation of His Glory.

The visible demonstration, the tangible proof of who Jesus is and his power, his sovereignty, his wisdom, an authentication of his deity.

The faith of the disciples Believed in him, put their trust in him

Summary and Application

There are 2 bridegrooms at the wedding.

The present one and the future one.

One fails to supply sufficient and of average quality , but the other supplies in abundantance and of excellent quality

One we cannot trust, the other we can who will pay the bride price with his life, whose hour was to come and has com

Our Response

Now we await our bridegrooms return from the father as he right now is preparing a place for his bride, that is us.

He has made known to us, through John, his glory.

Do what the disciples did.

Put your faith in him.

Trust him as he has demonstrated his love for us by his hour..his death