PUT YOUR FAITH IN HIM

BIBLE VERSE: JOHN 2:1-11 - JESUS CHANGES WATER INTO WINE

"He does revealed His Glory, and the disciples put their faith in Him".

Of all the miracle that Jesus perform, why would He chose this as His first?

Why is it that helping a friend with a beverage problems as a favor to His mom, will put His disciples faith in Him?

The Word of God says that His Word will not return empty to Him, there's must be a great reason why Jesus did this miracle, right?

Many Biblical scholars put this miracle of Jesus way down their favorite list of many great things that Jesus did, but Apostle John put this miracle first on his list and he attached considerable significance to it. 

Aside from the fact that changing water into wine requires supernatural ability, there must be more going on here that meets the eyes

after all, Jesus disciples put their faith on Him after witnessing this.  So, let's find out why!

"On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding".

A JEWISH WEDDING

Location: Cana in Galilee was a small, likely Jewish, agricultural village, possibly located in modern-day Khirbet Qana (Lower Galilee, located on a overlooking hill, 9 miles north of Nazareth. 

The Procession: The groom, accompanied by his friends, would go to the bride's home to escort her to his home, mostly at night. 

The Feast: A lavish, multi-day celebration involving the whole community.

Ritual Purity: Large stone water jars used for washing rituals were present.

The Ketubah: A marriage contract, which the groom would present. 

THIRD DAY

On the verse, it mentioned that the wedding day was taken place on the third day of the week, in our calendar time, that is Tuesday. 

Tuesday is the preferred day for weddings in Israel because during Creation, God pronounced "good" twice on the third day, so it became known as a day of double blessing. 

Third day (Tuesday) for Israelites, is the best day of the week to begin a new life together. 

When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

why did mary asked jesus to help?

First of all, Mary's aware that Jesus could perform miracles, maybe He's been performing at their dinner table or while living their daily lives, that's why Mary was confident that Jesus would be able to help.  Yes, this is Jesus first recorded miracle, but Jesus grew up with Mary, and for sure, Mary witnessed other miracles that only them knew about. 

But the reason why Mary asked Jesus' help is that she knew how embarrassing it is for the celebrants to run out of wine so early (Third day) especially when the wedding feast lasts for seven days

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

six stone jars

The stone jars held water normally used only for ceremonial washing.  A symbolic act of cleansing from sin, not for cleaning off roads or other dirts. 

They were placed at the door so a person would not enter a house "unclean" and not contaminate the house. 

By dipping their fingers into the water and wiping them dry, a person would symbolically "wash away their sins" and be ceremonially clean. 

Postius Pilate immortalized this during Jesus's trial and conviction when he washed his hands.  

By saying "I'm washing my hands of this matter" means we're trying to absolve ourselves of any responsibility for it. 

Some believe that this water would also have contained a sprinkling of ashes from a red heifer, incase anyone had touched something dead. 

Tumah - the ashes of a perfectly red, unblemished heifer (young cow) are required for the ritual purification of individuals contaminated by contact with death. 

These ashes are mixed with water and sprinkled to restore ritual purity, a necessary prerequisite for serving in the Temple. 

"In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness." - Heb 9:22

The empty jars is us and our obvious imperfections and water could not purify ourselves.  Stone, cold, and empty is a model of our unregenerated hearts

The water is the Old Covenant.

The Number 6 is less than 7, short for completion or perfection. Six is the number of the man.

In other words, the jars was lacking both externally and internally for the purification of men. 

We (Jars) are meant to clease people of impurities but we lacked the power to purify them from the inside out. 

Jesus commanded unnamed servants to completely fill six jars that were stone, cold, and empty with water.

That unnamed servants are the model of the Holy Spirit.  We need Jesus command for the Holy Spirit to work in us.  

John 16 described the Holy Spirit as the One who would not speak of Himself, but only of Jesus. 

Ezekiel 36:25-27

I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.

After the servants (The Holy Spirit) filled the water (Covenant) to the brim, Jesus (The Living Water) came alongside the six imperfect water jars (us) and He alone perfected what was missing. 

He took the water, which lacked the power to cleanse men of unrighteousness and He turned it to wine. 

The water that's normally used for ceremonial cleansing, immediately turned to wine. The water (Old Covenant) that only temporarily cleansed a person from sin became symbolic of the Blood of Jesus that washes us clean forever. 

Luke 22:20

In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from although the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink, but you have saved the best till now.”

The master of the banquet remarked that the bridegroom had saved the best till last, signifying that the New Covenant that permanently cleanses us (represented by the wine), is far superior to the Old Covenant that only temporarily set aside our sins (represented by the water and ashes).

Thus, by this miracle, Jesus truly did reveal His Glory, and you can see why the disciples put their faith in Him.

On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them. “By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.

John 7:37-39

APPLICATIONS

• From weak to extraordinary or special – transformation through the power of Jesus

• God cares about our personal needs and can turn ordinary situations into moments of joy

• Expect that God can transform your limitations (water)

• Focus on the creator (winemaker) rather than the blessing

• God cares about your everyday problems, such as social embarrassments from running out of wine

That's why the disciples immediately put their faith on Him after witnessing only one miracle at that time, they realized that Jesus was their long awaited Messiah in the flesh. 

You must also PUT YOUR FAITH ON HIM.