John 2:1-11
INTERACTIVE MINISTRY, 7/31/05
Life of Christ #9
(Shake hands and greet people or toss a small ball back and forth with people in the congregation as you talk.) This week I had to see a neurologist. I had a medical exam like no other. She snapped her fingers to check my hearing and checked my coordination by having me touch her finger. She got out her hammer and did several tests to check how well my nervous system was working including the classic hammer hitting knee trick to check the reflexes. It was the most interactive medical exam I ever had.
Right now, as I shake hands with you (or toss this ball back and forth with you) we are having a form of interaction. Jesus’ ministry was an interactive ministry. He had conversations with people. He responded to them and they responded to Him. He got involved in people’s lives.
This morning we want to look at the first miracle that the Lord performed and we find that He had an interactive ministry between Himself, guests at a wedding, his mother, and the servants at the wedding. This miracle of turning the water into wine is also a reminder that Jesus interacts in our lives still today. This is an interaction that we greatly need.
(Stop shaking hands.)
This morning we resume our study of the Life of Christ. Jesus had been baptized and then spent forty days in the wilderness being tempted by the Devil and successfully refusing that temptation. After that he returned and was identified by John the Baptist as “the Lamb of God that taketh away the sins of the World.” Jesus was followed by Andrew and John, who became disciples. Andrew and probably John as well, brought their brothers to Jesus, Peter and James.
Jesus recruited Phillip. Phillip brought Nathaniel to Jesus, who is probably the man called Bartholomew in the other Gospels.
With six disciples in tow, Jesus interacts at a wedding.
There are three things that I want you to understand about the interactive ministry of the Lord Jesus then and now.
HE WAS INTERESTED – Vss. 1-5
HE WAS INVOLVED – Vss. 6-9
HE MADE IMPROVEMENTS – Vss. 10-11
HE WAS INTERESTED – Vss. 1-5
Vs. 1 – This would have been two days after the calling of Nathaniel. There was a marriage in Cana, of Galilee. The exact location of Cana is not known, but it was probably just a few miles from Nazareth.
Mary, the mother of Jesus was there, but in his Gospel John never calls her by name. From her intimate understanding of the wine supply and the willingness of the servants to listen to her, it is possible that Mary was involved with the managing of the festivities in some way.
Weddings in those days were big deals, and the celebration usually went on for about a week. It was an important social event in a community and the bride and groom were treated like royalty.
Vs. 2 – Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding. The significant thing to note here is that Jesus went.
Jesus’ ministry was an interactive ministry. He went to where the people were so He could interact with them.
He was interested in what they were doing.
You might think that for all the important things that the Lord Jesus had to do, that He might not have time to attend weddings or to accept invitations to people’s houses for meals.
Jesus was interested in people and he went where people were.
When Matthew was recruited to be a disciple, the first thing Matthew did was hold a big meal for his tax collector friends so they could meet Jesus.
Jesus even invited himself to dinner at the home of another noted tax collector, Zacchaeus.
On another occasion he was guest at the home of a Pharisee.
And shortly before he died, he was guest at the home of Simon, the Leper. Lazarus, whom he raised from the dead was also one of the guests.
Why was Jesus so interested in spending time with people?
When He was criticized for eating at Matthew’s house with tax collectors and sinners, he responded by saying in Luke 5:31-32 …They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. [32] I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.
And it wasn’t just at meals that Jesus was interested in people and their needs.
· A little girl, a widow’s son and Lazarus all died and Jesus was interested.
· Parents brought little children to Jesus and Jesus was interested.
· A Gentile woman came begging that Jesus heal her sick daughter, Jesus was interested.
· A prominent religious teacher came to Jesus at night, and Jesus was interested.
And on and on we could go.
The most important way Jesus showed His interest was leaving the splendors of Heaven to come to earth. Why did He come?
Luke 19:10 - For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.
Jesus was interested in the eternal and spiritual wellbeing of all mankind, so He came to die for their sins.
· Jesus is interested in you.
He died for your sins and rose again.
· Jesus is interested in you. He wants to be your Savior, if He isn’t already. He wants you to trust Him by faith.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
· Jesus is interested in you.
He promises to always be with you.
Matthew 28:20 …and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
· Jesus is interested in you.
He hears and answers prayer.
John 14:13-14 - And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. [14] If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.
Vs. 3-4 - Jesus was interested even though it may not seem so here.
They were out of wine. No big tragedy by our standards. But it would have been a social disgrace that would have been remembered by friends and families all the days of that marriage.
Wine was the staple drink of the day, often diluted so that it was not as strong as the wines today.
The way that Mary told Jesus they were out of wine seems to indicate that she was trying to tell Jesus what to do, as a parent would a child. To me, it also seems that Mary may have thought this a good time for him to show who He really was.
Jesus’ response was not disrespectful. The word woman was a respectable way to address His mother. He was telling her that she could no longer tell Him what to do. He had come to do the will of His Heavenly Father. It was not yet His hour to reveal himself.
Vs. 5 – Jesus was interested in something as mundane as a lack of wine. Wine in the Old Testament is a symbol of joy.
I would love to have been there to hear Jesus’ tone of voice and see his facial expression. He left his mother confident that He would do something, probably not in the way she wanted, or because she thought He should help. He acted because his Heavenly Father wanted Him to act.
Mary gives great advice in this verse, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” We should follow that same advice.
When Jesus tells us to do something, we need to do it.
He is God. He knows what is best.
Jesus has and has had an interactive ministry.
HE WAS INTERESTED – Vss. 1-5
HE WAS INVOLVED – Vss. 6-9
It is one thing to show interest. It’s another thing to do something about it.
It’s one thing to be interested in the salvation of souls. It’s quite another to do something about it.
It’s one thing to be interest in alleviating hunger. It’s quite another to do something about it.
It’s one thing to be interested in the lack of wine, it’s another thing to do something about it.
Oh, we need interest, but we also need involvement.
With the Lord Jesus interest is always followed with involvement.
· Jesus was interested in the salvation of your soul. He involved Himself by dying for your sins.
· Jesus is interested in your everyday problems. That’s why He said to pray in his name. He’ll do something about it. He also said to come boldly to the throne of grace and he will involve Himself in helping.
Hebrews 4:15-16 - For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. [16] Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
· Jesus is interested in world evangelism. That’s why He promises to be with us as we fulfill the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:18-20.
Vs. 6 – The Jews involved themselves in a lot of ceremonial washings. Therefore the water pots were there. These six water pots of stone held the equivalent of 20-30 gallons.
Vss. 7-8 – Jesus told the servants to fill the water pots with water and then to take the water to the governor of the feast. The governor was the equivalent of a head waiter.
Vs. 9 – Somewhere along the line, the water was made wine
by the Lord Jesus. His involvement was the key to
this miracle.
Was this real wine? There is no reason to think that it was not.
It is very possible that the wine would have been diluted according to the custom of the day, but it was real wine.
Say, what is it that you would like Jesus to be involved in?
· A family problem?
· A marital problem?
· A church problem?
· A personal problem?
· A making a decision problem?
· A health problem?
Whatever it is, He is interested and willing to be involved. Just ask Him for help!
1 John 5:14-15 - And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: [15] And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.
James 1:5-8 - If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. [6] But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. [7] For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. [8] A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.
Jesus has and has had an interactive ministry.
HE WAS INTERESTED – Vss. 1-5
HE WAS INVOLVED – Vss. 6-9
HE MADE IMPROVEMENTS – Vss. 10-11
Vs. 9b-10 – I venture to say that the wine was the best that the governor of the feast ever tasted.
It was the best because it was made by the one who created the grapes in the first place!
When Jesus involves himself in something, the results are always an improvement. When Jesus was on earth He involved himself and there was improvement.
· The sick were healed.
· The dead were raised.
· The possessed were set free.
· The ignorant were taught.
· Lives were changed.
· Sin and death were defeated on the cross.
Today, when Jesus involves Himself in a life, there is improvement.
· The spiritually dead are given eternal life.
Ephesians 2:1 - And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;
· Those who trust Christ are given a new life now.
2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
· Those who are given abundant life.
John 10:10 - The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
· Those who filled with His Spirit bear fruit.
Galatians 5:22-23 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Now logically speaking, as servants of Christ, whatever we do should be an improvement over what unsaved people are doing. Because Christ is in us, our lives should be an improvement over those around us.
The fact that our Lord made wine might tempt us into thinking that it is okay to indulge ourselves in the moderate use of alcohol. And I must agree that there is no place in Scripture where it says, “Thou shalt not drink.”
But I have to ask the question “Is it wise for the Christian to drink in our society?” Allow me to give you a few thoughts on the value of abstinence.
· So many of our problems today center around the use of alcohol. How many ruined families, unwanted pregnancies, murders, fires and vehicular deaths have involved the use of alcohol? When someone becomes controlled by alcohol, there is no telling what tragedy will occur. Many people don’t think it will happen to them when they drink, but it does. And young people, allow me to remind you, that if you drink before you are 21, you are breaking two laws. You are breaking a state law and you breaking God’s law that says to obey the government.
· If I personally abstain from all use of alcohol, I am never in danger of abusing it. As you know, abuse is a sin.
Proverbs 20:1 - Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.
· If I personally abstain from all use of alcohol, I need not fear being a bad influence on my friends or my children. I may be able to take a drink of wine without harm. They may take alcohol consumption to a higher level because they learned it from me.
Romans 14:21 - It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
· And finally, I can personally abstain from wine until I drink it with Jesus in His Kingdom because I have something better.
Ephesians 5:18 - And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
Romans 14:17 - For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
I don’t need wine because I have the Spirit of God.
As I said, there is no Scripture that says “Thou shalt not drink wine.” But I believe it’s an improvement to abstain.
Jesus made improvements, let us make sure that our behavior concerning alcohol glorifies Him.
Vs. 11 – This was the first “sign” that Jesus gave. That’s what the word “miracle” means here. The end result was that Jesus showed His glory and it strengthened the belief of His disciples. These things were also improvements.
Jesus’ ministry was and is an interactive ministry.
HE WAS INTERESTED – Vss. 1-5
HE WAS INVOLVED – Vss. 6-9
HE MADE IMPROVEMENTS – Vss. 10-11