The Wedding At Cana of Galilee

The Wedding At Cana of Galilee

John 2.1-11

Very early in Jesus’ ministry, three days into it, He, Andrew, John, Peter, Nathaniel, Phillip were invited to a wedding.

First Century weddings in Israel...

Whole town

3 days

Feasting

Far East still that way

Jesus did His first miracle in an out of the way place, for people who are nameless.

There is more, much more, in this account.

We see...

1. The Sanctity of Marriage. vs.1-2

Photographer yesterday

Jesus, by being there, showed its sanctity.

Second Chapter of John.

Second Chapter of Genesis.

Genesis 2.15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden;17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

18 The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”

19 Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the wild animals and all the birds in the sky. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. 20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, 

He took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib He had taken out of the man, and He brought her to the man.

23 The man said,

“This is now bone of my bones
    and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
    for she was taken out of man.”

24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

It is interesting that both Genesis and John open their books with the words...

In the beginning... God... the Word

Then the second chapter there is a wedding! A marriage.

Of course there is 

2. The Miracle

Unexplainable

Emma, 10 years ago...

I had a young theologian I worked with a few years ago. Her name is Emma. When she was  6 years old we watched a movie about Jesus based on the Gospel of Luke. It did not contain this miracle of course. She wanted to see this miracle I a movie and so I put one with it in it. We walked home that evening and she asked me, "Poppa, how did Jesus turn that water into wine?" I answered, "I don't know Emma. That's part of it being a miracle." And we both wondered about the one Isaiah said would be called Wonderful.

3. The Servants Knew.  vs.5-9

v.8-9 the servants knew John knew too- He is the only one of the Gospel writers to record this miracle. His Gospel has been called the Gospel from the Eagle's Eye's view. He was very close to Jesus. In the next few chapters John mentions things, interviews if you will, that Jesus had with Nicodemus in Jerusalem (c.3) and with the woman at the well in Samaria (c.4) that the other Gospel writers omit. John was there on the spot with Jesus. At night when Nicodemus came and in the middle of the heat of the day when the Samaritan woman came to Jacob's well in Sychar.
The fact is...

The closer to the LORD you get, the more you see the wonders He performs. v.8-9

The eagle’s eye view

What I get to see.

What I saw yesterday:

I usually do not highlight individual members of our group here. However I would like to welcome our newest member, Jean Pierre. He is an employee of Westbury Manor. 

I met him yesterday. I heard his Haitian accent. We talked for a few moments. When I told him about the work in Haiti he was interested. We became friends, then friends on Facebook, so he could be added to our group.

He knows where Bellevue is. He understands what we are doing. I love how the dear people of Haiti who have moved here to America care and pray for their country of origin.

On top of this the Maid of Honor, who is part of Smithtown Gospel Tabernacle, spoke to me as we were signing the marriage certificate. She has done a number of mission trips and asked to be part of our team in October! One of the other employee’s of Westbury Manor was eating her dinner and was listening. After everyone left I said, “This is how God works. This is amazing.” And I shared more with her of the work of God in Haiti’s southern mountains.

Please continue to pray. I know God is doing something extraordinary. I am not sure all He has planned for To Haiti With Love but I know that it is good, very good.

Each task is dignified when it is done for Jesus.

The servants knew... the Banquet Master did not.

The secrets of the kingdom...

Mark 4.11 The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. -Jesus

He spoke this to His disciples. Nicodemus was struggling to understand, seeking... The disciples didn't fully until after Jesus rose from the dead.

Then they knew!

We are on this side of the resurrection. We have understanding, insight into the Word of God, the ways He works, His Hand upon us.

The servants knew the power of God.

The servants knew Jesus could work miracles. 

The servants knew Jesus' character.

* He was not into making a spectacle of Himself.

* He cares about people.

* He saves the best until last.

Servants of God can look back on a vast array of Divine Moments when God stepped in and worked.

I am using this in my life when I come up against things that make no sense or when I am praying and there is no answer coming.

Habakkuk struggled in his prayers at one point in his life.

The nation was going down the tubes. He had been praying. God had seemingly been silent. In Habakkuk 1.2 "How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but You do not listen?" 

Habakkuk found out that God was working even though it did not appear He was. Serving the LORD, wrestling through these issues, shows us God i working all things together for our good, for us because we are the called according to His Purpose.

Finally a little math...

4. When Jesus works He does the immeasurable or close to it. v.10-11
6 stone water pots/jars Let's say 3 were 20 gallons and 3 were 30. That would have been 150 gallons of wine or 600 bottles! There probably weren't that many people in Cana at the time!
This was the first! The worldwould not have room for the books that would have to be written.

Acts 1.1-2 All that Jesus began to do

He is at work today.

The kingdom of God is like a wedding banquet! Abundance, joy, adventure

God bless each of you this LORD’s Day!