7/5/98: Went to church at Africa Inland Church in Kijabe. The sermon passage was John 2:1-11, the wedding at Cana and Jesus’ first public miracle…
7/5/23: I still remember that worship service and that sermon. I had read the passage so many times before, that it was easy to skim over it, assuming that I already understood it perfectly well. But the preacher helped me see things I had never noticed. Here’s the text of the passage, and below are my notes from the sermon.
John 2:1-11
1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
POINT: Jesus joined in the celebration. He was at the party, and not uncomfortable being there. What’s more, those around Him were apparently not uncomfortable around Him either. Could I say the same about myself?
POINT: Mary says “Do whatever He tells you!” She knew who He was and got to the point, and they obeyed. Do I really mean it when I pray: “Our Father… Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven…” (Matthew 6:7-13)
POINT: The means of the miracle was human, the results were divine. Jesus did the miracle through the people who obeyed His commands! There was no hocus pocus, incantations or bizarre rituals. Just direction from Jesus. If I am responsive, might He use me too?
POINT: Of course, Jesus could change the water to wine, because He had made the water too! “Through Him, all things were made. Without Him nothing was made that Has been made. … But though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.” (John 1:3, 10)
POINT: The miracle is a picture of conversion. Jesus changed the plain water into the best wine that had been served. He changed something ordinary into something extraordinary. He continues to change my life in the same way: from darkness to light, from death to life. (Colossians 1:12-14)