43 Preaching Teaching/ John 2:1-12: Sign 1: Greatest Delight
Notes
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Greater Signs = Greater delight
Greater Signs = Greater delight
The sign reminds us that only can give us the delight we were created for
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;
and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.
Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim.
And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it to him.
When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,
and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”
This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days.
Phrase that pays: Don’t settle for toilet bowl Christianity when unending joy is offered
ETS- Jesus first miracle reveals that he is worthy to be obeyed/believe and delighted in.
ESS- We must obey/believe and delight in Jesus.
OSS-To believe that this statement is where greatest life is found, “whatever you say I will do.”
Introduction:
Evidence and Truth Ecclesiastes
The French physicist Blaise Pascal said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator made known through Jesus Christ.”
We are all looking for life.
Time I went to warehouse in college. I had just become a Christian and my teammates were asking me to hang out with them. You have to remember that when I was in high school I had never been to a party because I had a vision to make the NBA. So here I was in College and these teammates asked me to go to the warehouse with them. So we all gather up into a bunch of cars and we head to Fayetteville, where the University of Arkansas was we went to the warehouse. It was a fraternity party, now remember I had never been to a party ever and now here I am at my first fraternity party ever. There was a place where there was a punch bowl, me being naive thought it was just punch, but of course it was spiked I remembered seeing people dancing like their life depended on it, I mean they were getting in to it. I saw relationships beginning, people who were completely slammed. But when I was leaving I remember seeing this guy in the bathroom throwing up uncontrollably.After seeing that I decided I better come back so I drove back to Siloam Springs Arkansas and I am flying back because I was so out of my comfort zone. I forgot about how fast I was going so I got pulled over in the small town of Siloam Springs.
I think a party reveals what we are all searching. We are searching for life and significance. The person who gets wasted thinks that life is found in drinking, the person who is looking for an attractive mate or one night stand thinks life will be found in that. But then this picture of the guy in the bathroom could not get out of my mind. This man like all of mankind was looking for life and because he was looking for it in all the wrong places it left him at a toilet seat throwing up. A gross bathroom.
Different ways people look for life:
Money
Success
Sports
Internet
Why do I share this story. Today in the scriptures we are going to see God’s first sign or miracle in the book of John shows us where life is found.
Sulpician Fr. Raymond Brown says, “it’s the part of the Gospel where “the word reveals himself to the world and to his own.”
Changing water into wine at Cana in John 2:1-11 - "the first of the signs"
Healing the royal official's son in Capernaum in John 4:46-
54Healing the paralytic at Bethesda in John 5:1-15
Feeding the 5000 in John 6:5-
14Jesus walking on water in John 6:16-
24Healing the man blind from birth in John 9:1-7
The raising of Lazarus in John 11:1-45
God does not want us to be like that guy who is looking in all the wrong places throwing up in a gross toilet. But he does his first miracle at a party. Many of us have false conceptions of God we think he is a kill joy but the opposite is true. Our problem is not that we want to much joy but that we settle for too little of it.
You will make known to me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are pleasures forever.
Our problem is not that we want too much but rather we settle for too little.
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
I wish I would have grabbed the guy on the toilet seat at the party
I know where life is found
Today Jesus is going to show us a new way of life
Talk about the signs in the scriptures: the significance of them and the different one’s.
1. Jesus first miracle invites us to believe because he is worthy (1-5).
1. Jesus first miracle invites us to believe because he is worthy (1-5).
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;
and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
Why is he worthy to be obeyed?
a. Jesus came to us (1-2 ).
Jesus miracle reminds us that Christianity is mission. He went to them.
So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.”
But we also see in this setting that this was a very natural setting. A wedding.
JESUS WAS INVITED
Jesus is the greatest missionary of all time.
I know pastors who are too scared to do anything outside the church that are so worried about bad things that they just want to invite people to their prehistoric churches. But what I want you to see here is that Jesus was involved in the life of his community.
Because Jesus offers ultimate joy we must remember Christianity is missional (Observations from the scripture)
He went to a wedding, which means he was connected where the people were, and he went where the people were. He left heaven to do what God called him to do, (my time has not yet come)3rd day-connect this to the gospel.
The measure of a church should not be it’s seating capacity but it’s sending capacity.
Statistic
There was a serious problem: no food you would be considered an outcast.
Why is he worthy to be obeyed?
b. Jesus is the ultimate solution (3-5).
Holman New Testament Commentary: John A. The Master and His Mother (2:1–4)
Jesus’ mother had been invited to this event and Jesus accompanied her. The Lord was always welcome among those having a good time in the right way. Running out of wine represented a social disaster much greater in the first century than it would today. Disgrace, humiliation, insult—all these and more would be brought upon the family with such carelessness as to allow this to happen. Wedding celebrations in that day sometimes lasted nearly a week, so the wine supply was a major consideration.
The reality we have a really big problem, talk about our flesh and how we are a mess. Some of us try to hide it some of us know we have issues but we are in serious trouble because of our sin.
Even though we are about to see Jesus do a miracle he never forgot that the reason he was sent was the main thing.
But not only did he come to us, he knew exactly why he came to us. He says here my hour has not yet come. He knew that one day he would have to die for sinful man.
And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.”
So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.
These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.
The greatest missionary came with the greatest message and now we can be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life. Because of who Jesus is and what he does we can now follow his example.
Illustration: Elf-Great missionary. He went to them he did not expect the people to come to the north pole. Buddy was on mission to find his dad. He tried to bring Cheer to his family, built stuff. Jumped on mattresses, showed his brother how to have a snowball fight. We are opposite a lot of times as Church people. I know pastors who won’t even go to places where alcohol is served.
Even thought he would do a lot of loving things for a lot of people he did not lose the vision of what he came for.
Church that we can be a church that stays centered on the main thing. That we would never get caught up in the spirit of competition but rather staying true to being close to God and making disciples of all nations. That we would not lose sight that God is worthy to be central in all of Houston.
Could Mary’s response:
His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
I love Mary’s response (5), maybe she was a little delusional but she knew that Jesus would fix it.
Gospel-Tie it into the third day of the resurrection
Jesus sought us to give us joy
Jesus was the greatest missionary of all time
Jesus abandoned comfort to offer us ultimate joy
Jesus abandoning heaven gives us the opportunity for unending joy
Only one is still alive
Jesus is the greatest teacher of all time.
history of Jesus and his mother’s history.
Illustration: How we go to other things before we go to Jesus when there is a problem.
Mary’s whole life she knew Jesus was special. Now was Jesus time to shine. I wonder if she was like is he going to come through.
Holman New Testament Commentary: John B. The Master and His Method (2:5–8)
Mary’s faith stood strong; she knew that Jesus could do whatever was necessary in the situation as long as the servants obeyed. This is probably true in any family or congregation which has, in some way, run out of spiritual wine. If we as servants obey and trust the power of Jesus, God is capable of any results.
List of bible characters or of church history who had to obey by doing something that looked crazy to the onlookers:
Moses had to trust God to build the arch
Hebrews 11
Application:
Application: Trust God like Mary, Live missionally (C.T. Studd)-What CT Studd did made no sencse to anybody.
Heather breaking up with her boyfriend in college. Did not make any sense.
Because he is missional we need to live missionally.
Are you going to use your wedding as an opportunity to glorify God?
What is even bigger here is are you glorifying God in your every day life.
Is there something that God is telling you to do that you are not obeying?
2. Jesus first miracle challenges us to find all our joy in him (6-10).
2. Jesus first miracle challenges us to find all our joy in him (6-10).
Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each.
Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim.
And He said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the headwaiter.” So they took it to him.
When the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom,
and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”
Explanation:
At least 120 gallons-This would be about 2400 servings of wine. That is a lot of wine but you have to remember that was supposed to last the whole week.
Holman New Testament Commentary: John B. The Master and His Method (2:5–8)
In quality and quantity the new-made wine more than satisfied the needs and taste of those who attended the feast” (Tenney, EBC, p. 83).
I love the faith of these servants. what if they would have brought this to the master of the ceremony, TOASTMASTER, and it was just water. They would have looked really foolish. These men had great faith.
Holman New Testament Commentary: John B. The Master and His Method (2:5–8)
We have to conclude that the water became wine somewhere between the kitchen and the head table at the banquet. This demonstrates great faith and obedience on the part of these servants. Despite misgivings, they followed through on Mary’s words.
Holman New Testament Commentary: John C. The Master and His Miracle (2:9–11)
Perhaps we must simply recognize that the culture of the day accepted and even demanded drinking on occasions like this. The most we can say here is that this passage cannot support abstinence, but verse 10 hints at the importance of moderation. Whatever we believe or do not believe about the use of alcoholic beverages will have to draw support from some other passage.
Holman New Testament Commentary: John C. The Master and His Miracle (2:9–11)
Just as the banquet master said that most people brought out the best wine first and the cheap wine once senses were dulled, in the same way the world throws its best pictures of sin at us to trick us, then the cheap stuff comes along. Eventually the joy and pleasure the world offers through sin runs out. But God’s joy lasts forever and he saves his best blessings for last. As Christians we always have more to look forward to because heaven reminds us that God saves the best wine for the end of the party.
Illustration of walking by faith: how it is scary and also awesome because it get’s better.
Jesus can take good things and make them better
Jesus can take our failures and turn them into success-This man had to feel like a failure. At the wedding for his daughter he did not have enough alcohol. That would have been a societal failure.
What are some things that you have failed at our feel like a failure that God can turn into good.
City view launching other churches
Personal story
Historical story
Story of Zach Little going to India and being with his family.
Deion quote about emptiness
here I was, driving 70 miles an hour down the highway, just looking for a place to end it all. Finally, I yanked the wheel to one side and pulled my car off the road. It skidded to a stop in the loose gravel, sending up a cloud of dust. I hesitated for no more than a second or two, built up my nerve, and then put the accelerator to the floor and shot over the edge of the cliff.
How had I come to such a low point in my life? Deion Sanders! Prime Time! Mr. Millionaire Athlete and all that. I've wondered many times since that fateful day what really brought me to that point. How could I have made it to the top of my game in both baseball and football, with so much success, so much money and fame, with commercials and endorsements with my face all over them running on every channel during the season, and then drive off a cliff like that? What had happened to me?
I had just had the best season of my career. Everything I touched turned to gold. But inside, I was broken and totally defeated. I remember sitting at the back of the practice field one afternoon, away from everybody, and tears were running down my face. I was saying to myself, "This is so meaningless. I'm so unhappy. We're winning every week and I'm playing great, but I'm not happy."
I tried everything. Parties, women, buying expensive jewelry and gadgets, and nothing helped. There was no peace. I had everything the world has to offer, but no peace, no joy, just emptiness inside.
Evidence and Truth Ecclesiastes
The French physicist Blaise Pascal said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator made known through Jesus Christ.”
v. 11 WHY
Glory revealed
Believe
Conclusion
This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
Notice why Jesus did not do these miracles:
These disciples had seen Jesus in Chapter 1 but now they were willing to follow him anywhere.
We see the reason for this whole story in v. 11.
so that the disciples would believe in him.
When you see his glory our response: BELIEVE IN HIM
Jesus wanted to manifest his glory and he wanted his disiples to believe in him.
Notice God’s chief end of man is to enjoy God and glorify him forever.
This glory that he manifested is the very glory that we can share in if we will believe in Jesus.
We have access to this glory.
Holman New Testament Commentary: John C. The Master and His Miracle (2:9–11)
The disciples surely did not understand this part of the sign at the moment. But when Jesus held a cup of wine at the Last Supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you” (Luke 22:20), we wonder if any of them remembered the wedding in Cana where old covenant water became new covenant wine.
What a fitting picture of Christ’s submission. The continual need for cleansing water reminded the Israelites that they were constantly unclean. But Jesus would offer his cleansing blood as the wine that would satisfy forever.
Application from Maxwell Bible
The Law of Buy-In: The Disciples Embrace Jesus’ Vision John 2: 11 The apostle John gives Jesus eight titles in his first chapter alone: • the Word (v. 1) • God (v. 1) • Life (v. 4) • Light (v. 7) • Fullness (v. 16) • Christ (v. 17) • Lord (v. 23) • Lamb of God (v. 29) John 2 tells how Jesus’ disciples embrace who he is after he performs his first miracle at the wedding in Cana (v. 11). They bought in to his identity before they bought in to his cause. This is how the Law of Buy-In works. People buy in to the leader before they accept the vision. Once they believe in the leader, they generally go with the vision. Once the disciples recognized Jesus’ identity, they felt ready to do whatever he called them to do. The leader’s credibility precedes the leader’s plan.
Maxwell, John C.. NIV, The Maxwell Leadership Bible, eBook (Kindle Locations 80057-80060). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.
Have you bought in, that Jesus is the greatest delight that will get better just like fine wine. Even if life is tough right now, are you willing to say like Mary: Ill do whatever he says.
I don’t want you to live your life like the man I saw at the party. Looking for life and finding it right by the toilet. I challenge all of us today to buy into Jesus and follow him wherever he is calling you to.
Maybe for you that means today you need to say Jesus because of your glory I will believe you .
Maybe for you God is calling you to do something specific that you have been procrastinating with.
Maybe for you, your walk with God is stale and you need to just be honest with him about that.
Point 1 (1-5)-What do you need for a successful wedding.
The fact that Jesus was at a wedding shows that he was not a recluse he participated in life.
Lets invite Jesus to our wedding
Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible 1. Jesus’ first sign: changing water to wine 2:1–11
“Wise is that couple who invite Jesus to their wedding!”
We settle for too little, C.S Lewis says it like this:
C. S. Lewis quote
“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”
Two questions to ask when reading the book of John: who is Jesus and what does he want from me.
Notes from Sept 1, 2022
The Word became flesh in Ch. 1
The word’s glory = revealed
Disciples response towards’ God’s glory = Belief
Jewish Leaders response-Did not acknowledge it
Jesus responds by answering problem with his words and his actions.
John 2:20 “The Jews then said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?””
The master of the ceremony gets it more than the religious leaders
The signs of God lead to belief or rejection of God.