WEBVTT 00:00:00.220 --> 00:00:03.500 I'm going to jump into John chapter two, and this is what I'm going to do for us this morning. 00:00:04.200 --> 00:00:06.540 John chapter two for me is kind of an odd story. 00:00:07.560 --> 00:00:14.620 I'll be honest in Christianity, when I first read, for several years, reading John chapter two, the beginning of these first 11 verses, I didn't fully understand what was 00:00:14.620 --> 00:00:16.640 being communicated in this passage of scripture. 00:00:16.720 --> 00:00:20.580 I found myself kind of floundering and making application to this chapter. 00:00:20.660 --> 00:00:21.200 So here's what we're going to do. 00:00:21.380 --> 00:00:26.040 We're going to talk about a weird story and we're going to make some great application. 00:00:26.100 --> 00:00:32.170 I hope that you learn something from here today and that you don't do what I did as a believer in Christ when I first read this story. 00:00:32.500 --> 00:00:39.640 It took me years to understand what it was about and if I would try to communicate the significance of Jesus, as it relates to this story, I wound up saying some just strange 00:00:39.640 --> 00:00:41.240 things, which we will talk about. 00:00:41.260 --> 00:00:44.660 I find that people often pull out the wrong things from this story. 00:00:45.040 --> 00:00:47.150 But as we get ready to dive into John chapter two... 00:00:47.540 --> 00:00:50.430 We're going to talk about Jesus turning water into wine, by the way, that's what we're talking about. 00:00:50.760 --> 00:00:52.180 Jesus making wine. 00:00:52.420 --> 00:00:56.700 And before we dive into this, I want to draw a passage in John's to your attention. 00:00:56.820 --> 00:01:03.980 In John chapter 21, we'll throw it up on the screen, it says this, John writes this, he says, "But there are also many other things 00:01:03.980 --> 00:01:11.300 which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail, I expect that even the world itself would not contain the book that 00:01:11.300 --> 00:01:18.320 would be written." So what John's saying about Jesus's life is man, Jesus did so much stuff that it's really impossible to capture 00:01:18.320 --> 00:01:19.520 it all. 00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:26.840 But John manages to capture some of Jesus's life that he would feel is significant for us and it's contained in 00:01:26.840 --> 00:01:28.980 21 chapters in this book. 00:01:29.740 --> 00:01:36.760 So when you read John chapter one, we've gone through it together, and you get into John chapter two, John chapter one is kind 00:01:36.760 --> 00:01:42.300 of the pronouncement of the identity of Jesus and the calling of people to follow him as he begins his ministry, right? 00:01:42.380 --> 00:01:45.260 It's like, "I am God in the flesh. 00:01:45.400 --> 00:01:50.500 Guys follow me." And then when you get to chapter two, he performs his first miracle. 00:01:51.020 --> 00:01:53.720 This is Jesus initiating his ministry, right? 00:01:53.720 --> 00:01:58.930 People now invited more broadly to follow along and see the goodness of who he is. 00:01:59.280 --> 00:02:02.860 Now, when I think about the inauguration of a king, right? 00:02:02.860 --> 00:02:06.890 You think about bringing a leader into this world and that pronouncement and that declaration. 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:09.940 And let's just say, you're in charge of that, right? 00:02:10.020 --> 00:02:14.030 You're the PR person or the representation of Jesus in this world. 00:02:14.160 --> 00:02:17.820 And you're going to write that story like John writes in John chapter two. 00:02:17.880 --> 00:02:19.760 You're going to write that story to declare it for the world. 00:02:19.760 --> 00:02:25.090 Maybe set up the first event to demonstrate to this world this inauguration of this king. 00:02:25.200 --> 00:02:26.600 What kind of miracle are you going to pick? 00:02:27.600 --> 00:02:30.020 I mean, if I were in charge of this... 00:02:30.080 --> 00:02:35.840 And I don't want to blaspheme the goodness of God and what he chooses to pick, I want us to see why this is significant here in a minute. 00:02:36.220 --> 00:02:41.980 But if I were in charge of this, I'm thinking maybe like Oprah Winfrey Christmas style. 00:02:42.220 --> 00:02:47.720 And more than just, "You get a car, you get a car." It's more like, "You get a resurrection and you get a healing. 00:02:47.760 --> 00:02:51.720 And you get a resurrection and you get..." Jesus stepping out into the world here. 00:02:51.920 --> 00:02:54.460 It would be just this theatrical work. 00:02:54.520 --> 00:02:56.010 That's the way my mind would go. 00:02:57.960 --> 00:02:59.840 But what happens this story? 00:03:01.720 --> 00:03:04.060 The first miracle John chooses right about... 00:03:04.060 --> 00:03:06.900 He tells us in chapter 21, he can't write about everything. 00:03:08.120 --> 00:03:13.320 Okay, John, so when you introduce Jesus to the world, what's the first thing that you want to write about? 00:03:14.740 --> 00:03:16.340 And what is John choose for us? 00:03:17.400 --> 00:03:18.860 A catering problem, right? 00:03:18.920 --> 00:03:19.740 I mean, that's what this is. 00:03:19.760 --> 00:03:23.560 If you know the story of the water turning into wine, it's a catering problem. 00:03:24.180 --> 00:03:28.100 There's a wedding going on and they run out of wine and they come to Jesus. 00:03:28.100 --> 00:03:31.580 They're like, "We're out of wine, make more wine, Jesus." Who cares? 00:03:32.700 --> 00:03:34.740 Am I missing something in this story? 00:03:34.780 --> 00:03:42.180 Out of all the things that John could have chosen to declare the goodness of Jesus and the initiation and 00:03:42.180 --> 00:03:43.980 his inauguration in this world. 00:03:46.080 --> 00:03:48.670 Why water to wine? 00:03:49.540 --> 00:03:55.210 I mean, when you look at the end of this story in verse 11, it says something interesting. 00:03:55.560 --> 00:04:00.820 It says, "The beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and revealed his glory. 00:04:00.820 --> 00:04:08.000 And his disciples believed in him." Jesus not only does a miracle here, but he calls it a sign and 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:09.280 the revealing of his glory. 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:13.580 I mean, don't get me wrong, I think this is a pretty incredible thing. 00:04:13.780 --> 00:04:14.500 But if I just... 00:04:14.500 --> 00:04:21.420 In comparison to all the miracles that Jesus has done, this one, to me, more looks like a David Blaine street magic trick than anything. 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:31.120 Why water to wine as the first story John chooses to 00:04:31.120 --> 00:04:32.200 introduce Jesus? 00:04:34.400 --> 00:04:41.700 And when I find people often talk about this text, what I typically discover is 00:04:41.700 --> 00:04:48.300 that the first thing people want to fixate on is the question, "Is Jesus making alcohol right here?" Right? 00:04:48.300 --> 00:04:54.160 Some people even, when they approach this text, spend so much time on that topic. 00:04:54.220 --> 00:04:55.730 I mean, I've been in rooms where people... 00:04:56.140 --> 00:05:01.960 What Jesus is doing here doesn't fit their narrative of what they find comfortable and so they actually... 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:06.660 I've been in rooms where people have spent an hour talking about this passage and what Jesus really made here wasn't alcohol. 00:05:07.760 --> 00:05:08.420 And that's a bit ridiculous. 00:05:09.660 --> 00:05:11.120 I mean, even... 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:16.280 And I'm not trying to make this pro-alcohol stand, but if that just makes you uncomfortable, you need to deal with it, right? 00:05:16.280 --> 00:05:17.640 But that's what's happening here. 00:05:18.180 --> 00:05:23.380 It wasn't until the last couple of hundred years that Welch's grape juice even figured out how to stop the fermentation of grapes. 00:05:24.360 --> 00:05:27.260 And so it's not a doubt in my mind that what Jesus was making here is wine. 00:05:27.300 --> 00:05:34.840 In fact, what they say in this story is that they come to Jesus or they come to the groom and they say, "Usually 00:05:34.840 --> 00:05:38.540 people serve the best wine first and save the bad wine for last. 00:05:38.680 --> 00:05:40.410 But what you actually did is the exact opposite. 00:05:40.980 --> 00:05:44.080 You saved the best wine for last," and you know why they do that? 00:05:45.020 --> 00:05:51.100 Well it's because once people get a few glasses of wine, your taste buds start to turn a different direction, right? 00:05:51.180 --> 00:05:52.500 You quit caring as much. 00:05:55.700 --> 00:05:57.900 Jesus turns water into wine. 00:05:58.460 --> 00:06:05.180 Now I'm going to tell you this, I'm just going to talk about alcohol just real briefly for a minute, but I don't want to dive real far into this. 00:06:05.240 --> 00:06:06.820 I know people usually come to that passage... 00:06:07.700 --> 00:06:12.620 Depending on where you grew up, you might be a little bit more fascinated with the idea that Jesus makes alcohol than other places of the world. 00:06:12.900 --> 00:06:18.100 The way you were raised, where you grew up, has a large perspective of how you view alcohol. 00:06:18.580 --> 00:06:20.360 I just went on a trip into Europe... 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:25.960 You go to Europe and it's like, "You wants some McDonald's fries and some wine with that?" It's a common thing there. 00:06:26.040 --> 00:06:28.820 But here in America, other countries, they have prohibitions, right? 00:06:28.820 --> 00:06:35.280 So the way you're raised and your experience around alcohol might affect your perspective of it. 00:06:35.460 --> 00:06:42.500 Some people, it's not been a positive experience by any stretch of the imagination with the way alcohol has 00:06:42.500 --> 00:06:43.720 been seen in their family. 00:06:43.740 --> 00:06:50.780 And so we have different ways of viewing that in scripture and I just want to work through it just a little bit and not 00:06:50.780 --> 00:06:56.440 get too far into it, because that is not the primary point of this passage. 00:06:57.080 --> 00:07:04.400 But understanding what the Bible says about alcohol, I think it could be a little relevant here in saying if you're a person that tends 00:07:04.400 --> 00:07:11.480 to lean towards prohibition, you might look at scripture and realize, "Man, Jesus was a little bit more liberal than what I 00:07:11.480 --> 00:07:18.700 like." In fact, in Matthew chapter 11, Jesus got accused of being a drunkard because the type of crowd that Jesus hung 00:07:18.700 --> 00:07:21.300 out with was not the religious elite. 00:07:21.440 --> 00:07:22.620 There were more of the rough crowd. 00:07:22.840 --> 00:07:25.190 They were the one that understood how much they needed a savior. 00:07:25.340 --> 00:07:31.240 And so Jesus tended to spend more time in that kind of ministry in Matthew chapter 11, verse 19. 00:07:32.340 --> 00:07:39.800 But for people that might drink or don't feel that restrictiveness around the alcohol, maybe Jesus is too legalistic 00:07:39.800 --> 00:07:40.180 for you. 00:07:40.260 --> 00:07:47.300 Proverbs 23, verse 20, it says this, "Don't be with those who drink too much wine." The Bible 00:07:47.300 --> 00:07:50.260 doesn't tell you that you can't drink. 00:07:51.700 --> 00:07:53.620 Jesus turned water into wine. 00:07:54.240 --> 00:08:01.640 Jesus, on the night of his crucifixion, he celebrates with communion with his disciples, a picture of him as the Passover lamb. 00:08:02.780 --> 00:08:09.920 Paul tells Timothy in first Timothy chapter five, verse 23, "Use wine for medicinal purposes." Timothy's stomach was 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:10.380 upset. 00:08:10.540 --> 00:08:17.760 He says, "Drink wine for your stomach, to help settle your stomach." So the Bible certainly talks about the 00:08:17.760 --> 00:08:18.740 use of alcohol. 00:08:20.320 --> 00:08:27.860 I think during that time, it was a way to maybe make sure that what you were drinking was a little bit cleaner 00:08:27.860 --> 00:08:31.370 than some of the water that was offered. 00:08:31.460 --> 00:08:38.559 And at the same time in the Ephesians chapter five, the Bible also warns about alcohol and the way it can 00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:39.520 control your life. 00:08:39.520 --> 00:08:47.020 In Ephesians 5:18, it says, "Do not get drunk with wine in which there is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit." 00:08:47.300 --> 00:08:54.020 And it carries this idea in this passage, that drinking is a suppressant, right? 00:08:54.040 --> 00:09:01.100 It's like some people in an unhealthy way, when you experience challenges in your life, rather than cope with the challenge, you want to 00:09:01.100 --> 00:09:02.580 check out by suppressing. 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:05.180 And that's not a healthy thing to do. 00:09:05.180 --> 00:09:06.880 That's a bad coping mechanism, right? 00:09:07.100 --> 00:09:10.780 And he says, "Don't be drunk with wine." This suppressing. 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:12.260 This debauchery. 00:09:12.260 --> 00:09:16.580 And this picture of debauchery literally means, "the spilling out." It's the wasting. 00:09:16.580 --> 00:09:21.730 So you picture a cup, if God gives you a cup, and what happens with your life when it's given to alcohol. 00:09:21.860 --> 00:09:23.780 It becomes wasted. 00:09:23.780 --> 00:09:24.580 You spill it out. 00:09:25.960 --> 00:09:28.180 This idea of getting drunk, not drinking, but getting drunk. 00:09:28.420 --> 00:09:31.370 And then at the end of this verse though, it says, this is what we should be about. 00:09:31.480 --> 00:09:32.820 It's not whether you drink or not drink. 00:09:32.820 --> 00:09:34.050 It's about being filled with the Spirit. 00:09:35.400 --> 00:09:40.280 So the picture is this, the alcohol suppresses you from living the life that God calls you to. 00:09:40.280 --> 00:09:41.440 You sort of waste that. 00:09:41.920 --> 00:09:46.440 But rather, God wants you to be filled with the Spirit, meaning he wants you to be alive to the things of God in this world. 00:09:46.500 --> 00:09:51.600 To not be afraid of things, to not have to hide from things and suppress it and not deal with it. 00:09:51.660 --> 00:09:54.580 But rather, God moves in you to make a difference in this world. 00:09:54.620 --> 00:09:57.720 To walk filled with the spirit, knowing that God is with you, wherever you go. 00:09:59.180 --> 00:10:06.560 So the Bible's calling for us is, "Be filled with the Spirit." So how do you approach this as a church? 00:10:06.580 --> 00:10:09.920 Well, I would just say this. 00:10:11.840 --> 00:10:18.880 You meet very few people in life that say, "Man, because of alcohol, my life is 00:10:18.880 --> 00:10:21.180 so much better," right? 00:10:21.180 --> 00:10:24.160 Like, "It's radically transformed me. 00:10:24.160 --> 00:10:31.180 This is incredible." But what you do meet is people that tend to 00:10:31.180 --> 00:10:32.280 share the opposite of that story. 00:10:34.460 --> 00:10:40.290 Maybe directly affecting them or within their family relationships or friendships. 00:10:42.140 --> 00:10:45.040 Maybe alcohol has wreaked havoc. 00:10:47.040 --> 00:10:53.080 When I just consider the effects of it, there's a few things that we could say. 00:10:54.920 --> 00:10:57.440 The Bible gives you freedom in life. 00:10:59.540 --> 00:11:06.970 If what you do is not a sin, if what you participate in doesn't control you, if it doesn't become an idol, 00:11:07.000 --> 00:11:14.840 it doesn't dictate your life, if what you do allows you to honor God with your life, you 00:11:14.840 --> 00:11:17.320 get liberty, as a believer. 00:11:19.040 --> 00:11:20.780 There's liberty in the things that we do. 00:11:22.240 --> 00:11:26.880 At the same time, as a church, people struggle with things. 00:11:28.740 --> 00:11:33.820 And we want to be a place that doesn't point people to temptations, but points them to Jesus. 00:11:35.640 --> 00:11:39.890 I still understand the Bible doesn't come out and just say, "No drinking." I understand that. 00:11:40.100 --> 00:11:40.800 Jesus turned water into wine. 00:11:44.100 --> 00:11:51.180 At the same time, as a church, we want to be careful with where people have been in life and encourage them 00:11:51.180 --> 00:11:53.680 towards a godly platform. 00:11:53.700 --> 00:11:58.960 Meaning we care more about where you are in Jesus than what your favorite beer is, right? 00:11:59.040 --> 00:12:02.240 I mean, it should be a no brainer for us. 00:12:03.340 --> 00:12:06.320 And wanting to see people succeed in Christ. 00:12:07.360 --> 00:12:14.480 Therefore A.B.C., when we do gatherings together as a church corporately, we just don't bring alcohol because we care about people that 00:12:14.480 --> 00:12:21.500 come through the door and we know that people face all sorts of temptations and we don't want to be the person that puts that temptation in front 00:12:21.500 --> 00:12:21.970 of somebody. 00:12:23.300 --> 00:12:24.240 We want to be about Jesus. 00:12:26.100 --> 00:12:27.420 And that's our focus. 00:12:27.460 --> 00:12:34.460 In Romans 14:21, it says this, "It's best not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything over which 00:12:34.460 --> 00:12:41.500 your brothers stumble." We may have people in church that drink, and 00:12:41.500 --> 00:12:44.580 we may have people in our church that don't do well with alcohol. 00:12:46.000 --> 00:12:49.400 And what I'm saying is just be mindful for where people come from. 00:12:50.980 --> 00:12:56.120 Care more about where they're going and their walk with Jesus, than you do your Christian liberties. 00:12:57.380 --> 00:13:00.320 And you certainly have Christian liberties, right? 00:13:00.320 --> 00:13:06.310 But ultimately what we're about is seeing people come to know Jesus and walk with him. 00:13:07.560 --> 00:13:10.990 Having said all that, that's not even what this passage is about. 00:13:12.000 --> 00:13:19.000 So if you read the story of the wedding at Cana, please know if your final interpretation of 00:13:19.000 --> 00:13:24.300 this passage is about alcohol, that's a very shallow interpretation of this passage. 00:13:24.560 --> 00:13:25.620 I don't know how else to put it. 00:13:25.720 --> 00:13:27.400 You've messed up somewhere, okay? 00:13:28.090 --> 00:13:31.680 That's fine if you want to consider those thoughts, as it relates to scripture. 00:13:31.840 --> 00:13:34.880 Has nothing to do with what Jesus is doing here, okay? 00:13:34.880 --> 00:13:37.460 But let me just dive further into this text. 00:13:37.680 --> 00:13:43.200 The wedding at Cana, really what it is a cultural embarrassment, right? 00:13:43.200 --> 00:13:48.800 We said, it's a catering problem, but Jesus uses a catering problem to tell a much bigger story. 00:13:48.840 --> 00:13:49.550 So look at this. 00:13:49.700 --> 00:13:51.720 First three verses of this story. 00:13:51.720 --> 00:13:59.260 "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. 00:13:59.260 --> 00:14:06.190 And when the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine."" I mean, that's a problem in this day. 00:14:06.360 --> 00:14:07.320 This is a cultural embarrassment. 00:14:08.400 --> 00:14:14.140 It was the duty of the groom and the master of the banquet to make sure that the wedding went well. 00:14:14.180 --> 00:14:19.210 The groom was supposed to supply the wine and the master of the banquet took care of the ceremony. 00:14:19.920 --> 00:14:21.360 And it's supposed to last... 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:23.910 The typical wedding in Jesus' day was seven days. 00:14:24.240 --> 00:14:31.240 And here they are just three days into this celebration and they're going to run out and this would have been an embarrassment for 00:14:31.240 --> 00:14:32.400 the family. 00:14:32.400 --> 00:14:38.590 And so when Jesus intervenes here, he's dealing with that sort of a cultural embarrassment. 00:14:39.660 --> 00:14:46.700 I mean, just to help you identify that this was something that would have been a struggle for the groom and the master of 00:14:46.700 --> 00:14:48.800 the ceremonies is in verse eight and nine. 00:14:48.800 --> 00:14:53.580 As soon as Jesus turns water into wine, the first thing they do is they go to the master of the ceremonies. 00:14:53.680 --> 00:15:00.920 They're like, "Look, you're not going to be embarrassed now." And the master of ceremonies is like, "Okay, take this to the groom." And then the groom gets the notice that, 00:15:00.920 --> 00:15:02.200 "Yes, you've got more wine. 00:15:02.200 --> 00:15:06.460 You don't have to worry anymore." So you see that they're in this situation. 00:15:06.460 --> 00:15:08.160 He wants to impress his bride, right? 00:15:08.160 --> 00:15:09.200 This is her day. 00:15:09.200 --> 00:15:11.120 She's been thinking about this since she was a little girl. 00:15:11.640 --> 00:15:13.530 He doesn't want to be the one that takes away from this. 00:15:13.680 --> 00:15:15.320 This is the first step for their family. 00:15:16.220 --> 00:15:18.470 And this is where Jesus intervenes. 00:15:19.520 --> 00:15:26.180 Now verse four and five are an interesting and confusing section of verses. 00:15:26.660 --> 00:15:27.480 I will say this. 00:15:27.480 --> 00:15:34.760 As you read this passage, some people come to verse four and five and they think Jesus is teaching us how 00:15:34.760 --> 00:15:35.900 to obey your mom. 00:15:35.900 --> 00:15:43.000 If your interpretation of the wedding of Cana is not about alcohol, then generally the next interpretation I find people take from 00:15:43.000 --> 00:15:47.080 this passage is, "Kids, you should obey your mom," just like Jesus obeys his mom. 00:15:47.080 --> 00:15:47.690 That's kind of the application. 00:15:48.260 --> 00:15:52.840 And again, that's not what Jesus is doing here, but let's look at verse four and five for just a minute. 00:15:52.840 --> 00:16:00.120 It said, "And Jesus said to her," talking to his mother, "What business do you have with me, woman?" 00:16:00.360 --> 00:16:01.300 That's not going to go over well. 00:16:01.840 --> 00:16:03.720 "My hour has not yet come. 00:16:03.860 --> 00:16:10.420 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever he tells you, do it."" This is sometimes what people think is happening. 00:16:11.180 --> 00:16:12.410 And I'm guilty of this, right? 00:16:13.660 --> 00:16:15.270 Jesus' mom says, "This is embarrassing. 00:16:15.520 --> 00:16:22.680 Jesus, are you going to do something about this?" He's like, "No way, mom." And she's like, "Come on." He's like, "Okay." And Jesus goes and 00:16:22.680 --> 00:16:23.780 does what his mom wants. 00:16:23.780 --> 00:16:24.780 You should obey your mom. 00:16:24.780 --> 00:16:25.370 That's kind of the application. 00:16:25.960 --> 00:16:27.920 And I'm not telling you kids not to obey your mom. 00:16:27.920 --> 00:16:29.120 Obey your parents. 00:16:29.280 --> 00:16:32.340 It tells you, "Your days will be long if you obey your parents." Listen to your parents. 00:16:32.400 --> 00:16:34.790 I know sometimes you become a teenager and you think you know better. 00:16:35.140 --> 00:16:36.820 But mom and dad have walked the block a few times. 00:16:36.820 --> 00:16:37.840 They've got some wisdom, right? 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:38.900 Listen to that. 00:16:39.140 --> 00:16:41.220 But that's again, not the point of this story. 00:16:42.510 --> 00:16:50.400 Jesus, here in this passage, he's teaching us something more profound and something much deeper. 00:16:50.440 --> 00:16:57.460 And I think the author wants us to gather that by the way he addresses his mom because he doesn't use an endearing term 00:16:57.460 --> 00:16:57.560 here. 00:16:58.140 --> 00:16:58.840 You see that, right? 00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:02.540 "Woman." What's Jesus doing? 00:17:04.800 --> 00:17:12.160 I think in this passage of scripture, Jesus' mind is on something much deeper here. 00:17:12.480 --> 00:17:19.599 And he's demonstrating it by saying, "woman." I think Jesus wants us to recognize that the way he's addressing this wedding at Cana isn't 00:17:19.599 --> 00:17:25.300 as a son to mother relationship, but God to woman relationship. 00:17:26.260 --> 00:17:27.560 Or God to people relationship. 00:17:27.780 --> 00:17:35.000 Jesus is about to demonstrate his God-like characteristics at this wedding in what he's 00:17:35.080 --> 00:17:35.880 going to perform. 00:17:37.080 --> 00:17:41.060 And this is why Mary knows Jesus is going to do something. 00:17:41.560 --> 00:17:48.800 This is why in verse five, she doesn't turn and say, "Oh guys, he doesn't want to." But rather she says, "Do whatever he says," because 00:17:48.800 --> 00:17:51.540 Mary knows Jesus is about to perform a miracle. 00:17:51.540 --> 00:17:58.240 But what Jesus is saying to us is that the miracle he is performing is not the ultimate miracle he wants us to recognize. 00:18:00.100 --> 00:18:02.110 This is a picture of something greater. 00:18:02.740 --> 00:18:04.520 Now I'm going to prove that to you in just a minute. 00:18:04.520 --> 00:18:05.740 What does that mean? 00:18:05.740 --> 00:18:12.480 That Jesus is going to do something greater than just this miracle in this passage of scripture? 00:18:13.380 --> 00:18:20.620 Well, in this story, Jesus is using the wedding at Cana as an image of a greater wedding 00:18:20.620 --> 00:18:21.920 to come in him. 00:18:23.700 --> 00:18:30.560 So Jesus is sort of using this first wedding as a greater picture of a bigger wedding that will take place in him. 00:18:31.160 --> 00:18:38.200 In fact, when you look in John chapter three, just the next chapter over, if you were to turn to those verses, you see John the Baptist making a 00:18:38.200 --> 00:18:38.940 statement here. 00:18:38.940 --> 00:18:45.960 He says, "He who has the bride is the groom." So he's talking about his people, God's people, the church, that's his 00:18:45.960 --> 00:18:47.640 bride and he's the groom. 00:18:47.640 --> 00:18:48.500 John the Baptist is saying this. 00:18:49.100 --> 00:18:51.090 "But the friend of the groom," that's John the Baptist. 00:18:51.120 --> 00:18:56.200 "The friend of the groom who stands and listens to him rejoices greatly because of the groom's voice. 00:18:56.380 --> 00:18:58.520 So this joy of mine has been made full. 00:18:58.540 --> 00:19:05.580 He must increase, but I must decrease." What John is saying is, "Look, there's a wedding that's going to happen here and I need to understand my role is not to take the 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:10.780 spotlight from the bride and the groom, right?" And John is saying, "I've had this ministry to this point. 00:19:10.780 --> 00:19:13.580 I've proclaimed the coming of the Messiah, but now the wedding day has come. 00:19:14.820 --> 00:19:20.770 The groom has come for his bride." The question is, where does John get this idea of this type of illustration? 00:19:21.420 --> 00:19:25.800 Why is John referring to this moment as a bride and a groom, with Jesus and his people? 00:19:25.820 --> 00:19:29.080 And John is saying, "Look, let's not put the attention on me on the wedding day. 00:19:29.160 --> 00:19:31.770 I must decrease and let the wedding increase. 00:19:31.840 --> 00:19:35.120 Let Jesus increase in this." Where does John get this idea? 00:19:36.380 --> 00:19:37.700 He's not just pulling it out of a hat. 00:19:39.100 --> 00:19:42.640 I think John gets this idea from the illustration he's seen in the wedding at Cana. 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:51.340 In fact, if you follow the theme of wedding in scripture as it that relates to God and his bride, the Bible uses it multiple times. 00:19:52.400 --> 00:19:56.390 In John chapter 14, when Jesus is in the upper room... 00:19:57.040 --> 00:20:00.560 Chapter 13 is where he celebrates the Passover with his disciples. 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:04.660 They partake of what we call today, "communion." Jesus drinks from the cup with his disciples, right? 00:20:04.660 --> 00:20:05.440 The last supper. 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:08.900 And then in chapter 14, Jesus starts off with this statement. 00:20:08.900 --> 00:20:11.250 He says, "Do not let your heart be troubled. 00:20:11.300 --> 00:20:12.040 Believe in God. 00:20:12.040 --> 00:20:13.160 Believe also in me. 00:20:13.160 --> 00:20:15.090 In my father's house are many rooms. 00:20:15.220 --> 00:20:19.080 If that were not so, I would have told you because I'm going there to prepare a place for you. 00:20:19.240 --> 00:20:27.740 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I am coming again and will take you to myself so that where I am, there also you will be." Now 00:20:27.740 --> 00:20:29.740 you look at that and be like, "How's this the wedding, right? 00:20:29.900 --> 00:20:30.740 I don't get this. 00:20:30.740 --> 00:20:37.630 We're using wedding illustrations and he doesn't talk about a wedding here." Well, what Jesus is saying in John 14 is called a betrothal. 00:20:38.220 --> 00:20:39.600 He's using betrothal language. 00:20:40.320 --> 00:20:42.140 And it's a little different in our culture than engagement. 00:20:43.240 --> 00:20:51.680 But in Jesus's day, when a couple was betrothed, if one of them died in the betrothal which was before their wedding, the 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:53.980 other person was seen as a widow or a widower. 00:20:54.940 --> 00:21:02.320 So in Jewish culture, they considered this moment, this ceremony, so important that in the eyes of society, though they haven't consummated the marriage, 00:21:02.360 --> 00:21:06.060 if one of them perished, the other one was considered a widow or a widower. 00:21:07.620 --> 00:21:14.620 During Jesus's day, when there was a betrothal, what would happen is a young man would go to the father of the bride 00:21:14.620 --> 00:21:15.700 or the future bride. 00:21:16.340 --> 00:21:18.040 And he would pay a dowery for her. 00:21:19.520 --> 00:21:23.200 And in fact, some cultures still practice dowries today. 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:30.210 If you guys remember Harriet that was here from Uganda who was staying with us and was here during the summer. 00:21:30.560 --> 00:21:33.440 In her culture, people still buy cows. 00:21:34.120 --> 00:21:40.560 A future groom will buy a cow and give it to the family of the bride in honor of that dowery. 00:21:41.240 --> 00:21:42.280 The last thing she said to me... 00:21:42.280 --> 00:21:49.360 When I come to Uganda, I made a promise to her, I said, "When you get married, we will make sure that cow is taken care of, right?" And so she said to me, when 00:21:49.360 --> 00:21:51.770 I was flying back here, she said, "Pastor Nathaniel, are you serious? 00:21:51.940 --> 00:21:59.400 Are you still going to get a cow if I get married?" And I said, "I will buy the best stinking cow in Uganda." Some cultures still practice dowries 00:21:59.400 --> 00:22:00.350 today. 00:22:01.260 --> 00:22:03.900 And in Jesus's day, that was true. 00:22:03.980 --> 00:22:11.440 And when they would offer the dowery and a dowery was agreed upon, the future groom and the future bride, 00:22:12.200 --> 00:22:16.460 to demonstrate this betrothal, would drink from the wine glass together. 00:22:17.180 --> 00:22:17.520 Communion. 00:22:18.880 --> 00:22:24.270 That would be a demonstration at that meal, that they had agreed upon that dowery between the two of them. 00:22:24.940 --> 00:22:29.220 And in chapter 13, Jesus just offered that for us. 00:22:31.660 --> 00:22:32.180 His life. 00:22:34.760 --> 00:22:41.800 And then when the dowery was paid and the betrothal was set and communion was partaken of, the young man 00:22:41.800 --> 00:22:44.620 would then go home to prepare a place for his future bride. 00:22:46.500 --> 00:22:49.360 And that's what it's saying about Jesus in this chapter for you. 00:22:50.720 --> 00:22:56.590 God continues to use the picture of a wedding as an illustration of what God has for you. 00:22:57.340 --> 00:22:58.100 That he's come for you. 00:22:59.240 --> 00:23:00.540 That he's paid a dowery for you. 00:23:01.240 --> 00:23:07.540 In fact, at the end of Revelation, the way that Revelation ends, it's a wedding celebration. 00:23:09.520 --> 00:23:11.400 Where Jesus is finally with his bride. 00:23:12.880 --> 00:23:18.740 Chapter 19, "Let's rejoice and be glad and give glory to him because the marriage of the lamb has come and his bride has prepared herself. 00:23:19.180 --> 00:23:28.540 It was given to her to close herself in fine linen, bright and clean for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." In 00:23:28.540 --> 00:23:32.820 this moment when Jesus says "Woman, my time has not yet come," what he's saying is... 00:23:34.100 --> 00:23:41.140 He's saying to us, "I'm thinking in the moment of this wedding, of something even greater, a greater wedding to 00:23:41.140 --> 00:23:41.440 come. 00:23:41.680 --> 00:23:42.220 This is an illustration. 00:23:42.580 --> 00:23:46.680 This isn't the wedding..." Jesus is saying, when he performs his miracle, "This is not the act. 00:23:46.840 --> 00:23:48.100 This is not the final act. 00:23:48.100 --> 00:23:52.100 This is not the act that I want everyone to hold to in me. 00:23:52.260 --> 00:23:59.880 This is a demonstration of his glory, certainly, but this is not the ultimate." And 00:23:59.940 --> 00:24:00.120 so when he performs this first miracle, that's what he wants us to know. 00:24:00.120 --> 00:24:00.790 And how do we know that? 00:24:00.860 --> 00:24:05.420 Well, how do we know that for sure in this passage that that's what Jesus is teaching us? 00:24:05.720 --> 00:24:10.070 I want you to focus on one phrase in verse four that really gets that across. 00:24:10.280 --> 00:24:17.520 If you go back to John chapter two, and you can see this in verse four, the very last statement that Jesus makes here, "My hour has 00:24:17.520 --> 00:24:21.120 not yet come." That's kind of bizarre. 00:24:22.180 --> 00:24:25.800 "Jesus, need you to fix some wine here." "Can't mom. 00:24:25.800 --> 00:24:29.400 Hour's not yet come." What does that mean? 00:24:30.880 --> 00:24:35.040 "No, it's time for a wedding without wine and you're capable of making this. 00:24:35.080 --> 00:24:36.490 Your hour is here right now. 00:24:37.020 --> 00:24:38.040 Do this." Right? 00:24:38.980 --> 00:24:39.320 What is that? 00:24:39.340 --> 00:24:46.620 "My hour has not yet come." Well, if you follow this phrase throughout the book of John, you'll see that Jesus says 00:24:46.620 --> 00:24:47.320 it repeatedly. 00:24:47.700 --> 00:24:49.660 I've referenced some passages here. 00:24:51.280 --> 00:24:56.160 Jesus continues as he performs miracles to say this to people over and over, "My hour has not yet come. 00:24:56.820 --> 00:24:58.060 My hour has not yet come. 00:24:58.940 --> 00:25:03.900 My hour has not yet come." Until you get to chapter 16 and 17. 00:25:05.440 --> 00:25:06.860 And then Jesus finally says... 00:25:06.880 --> 00:25:08.260 He opens up chapter 17. 00:25:09.280 --> 00:25:09.960 "My hour has come. 00:25:12.400 --> 00:25:19.340 Father glorify me as I glorify you." What's Jesus thinking of in Cana? 00:25:22.260 --> 00:25:23.080 He's thinking of you. 00:25:25.920 --> 00:25:27.640 He's thinking of the ultimate wedding. 00:25:29.660 --> 00:25:30.960 The reason for which he came. 00:25:33.360 --> 00:25:34.820 To give his life for you. 00:25:34.840 --> 00:25:36.540 He's thinking of your wedding day with him. 00:25:38.620 --> 00:25:39.880 Not the wedding at Cana itself. 00:25:41.800 --> 00:25:43.900 Much greater, much greater. 00:25:46.020 --> 00:25:53.560 When you look in verse six and seven, I find it just a beautiful picture in how Jesus, in 00:25:53.560 --> 00:25:59.840 this moment when he chooses to turn water into wine, how he further illustrates this in the way he captures the wine. 00:26:01.060 --> 00:26:02.340 And look what it says in verse six and seven. 00:26:02.900 --> 00:26:09.680 "Now there were six stone water pots standing there for the Jewish customs of purification." Some people think up to 150 gallons, these things would hold. 00:26:11.160 --> 00:26:20.460 "Containing two or three measures each, Jesus said to them, "Fill the water pots with water." So they filled them up to the brim." What's 00:26:20.460 --> 00:26:21.260 Jesus filling up? 00:26:23.440 --> 00:26:27.080 Pots for purification, right? 00:26:27.340 --> 00:26:30.120 And this is where, ceremonially, the Jews would cleanse themselves. 00:26:32.700 --> 00:26:34.200 And what's Jesus doing with this wine? 00:26:34.300 --> 00:26:37.660 He's offering you the drink of purification from these pots. 00:26:39.820 --> 00:26:43.400 That what Jesus would do for you would make you pure for him as a bride. 00:26:46.120 --> 00:26:52.080 What a beautiful illustration for us at the goodness of who God is. 00:26:52.100 --> 00:26:59.280 And so you see in verse 11 now, when it says that this was a sign and the disciples believed and the glory of God was made known. 00:26:59.760 --> 00:27:06.620 That what he's picturing here is more than just, kids obey your parents or have a conversation about alcohol. 00:27:06.980 --> 00:27:13.240 That is nothing in comparison to what Jesus is really saying to us in this passage of scripture. 00:27:14.940 --> 00:27:22.200 Jesus from the beginning is giving to us a declaration of his identity for your life that when the master 00:27:22.200 --> 00:27:29.240 of ceremonies runs out of an offering to make this party great, that Jesus himself becomes the master of 00:27:29.240 --> 00:27:32.360 ceremonies and provides the wine for your life. 00:27:32.360 --> 00:27:34.320 And he makes this party incredible. 00:27:36.760 --> 00:27:44.120 So the Bible doesn't just say to us, "In eternity, you will have a feast." But that for us, eternity 00:27:44.120 --> 00:27:48.500 is a feast of the goodness of his presence. 00:27:50.020 --> 00:27:57.020 In a sense what God is saying here is, not just know that he is good, but 00:27:57.180 --> 00:28:00.120 taste and see that he's good. 00:28:01.360 --> 00:28:02.520 That experience. 00:28:03.720 --> 00:28:10.800 Experience the promises of God made true in your life and embrace 00:28:10.800 --> 00:28:11.900 Jesus. 00:28:14.060 --> 00:28:16.020 Your groom has come for you. 00:28:17.860 --> 00:28:24.980 This is why Mary says, "Do whatever he says." Do whatever he 00:28:24.980 --> 00:28:25.360 says. 00:28:27.940 --> 00:28:35.160 When it comes to the significance of Jesus in your life and the things of the world, forget it all for 00:28:35.200 --> 00:28:38.260 a minute and just do whatever he says. 00:28:41.020 --> 00:28:43.860 Embrace what Christ says over your life. 00:28:44.680 --> 00:28:45.360 So let me just ask this. 00:28:47.820 --> 00:28:48.600 What does this all mean? 00:28:51.600 --> 00:28:53.240 That's an incredible story. 00:28:53.660 --> 00:28:57.180 I think I'm going to call it my first miracle until we talk about another one next... 00:28:57.240 --> 00:29:00.620 or my favorite miracle until we talk about another one next week, right? 00:29:00.640 --> 00:29:02.100 This is my favorite miracle in the Bible. 00:29:02.740 --> 00:29:04.020 And then next week we'll try to top it. 00:29:04.260 --> 00:29:07.760 But how do you make the application of that? 00:29:07.780 --> 00:29:10.040 It is a good story, but how do you make the application here? 00:29:11.980 --> 00:29:15.420 Well, you think for a minute, what does a wedding represent in Jesus's day? 00:29:17.120 --> 00:29:18.120 True love, right? 00:29:20.040 --> 00:29:20.280 [Singing 00:29:25]. 00:29:20.280 --> 00:29:22.960 If you know The Princess Bride? 00:29:24.520 --> 00:29:25.200 One of us. 00:29:27.380 --> 00:29:32.340 But, it's the most intimate of human relationships, that's for sure. 00:29:32.960 --> 00:29:38.620 And we had a wedding here last week, or this week, [Sair and Cecilia 00:29:37] got married, right? 00:29:38.720 --> 00:29:41.760 Our sound booth rulers back there. 00:29:42.620 --> 00:29:45.040 God was bringing some love together in that booth. 00:29:45.280 --> 00:29:47.120 They're not here this week, obviously, or right now. 00:29:47.120 --> 00:29:49.570 But it's the most intimate of human relationships. 00:29:51.640 --> 00:29:57.020 And you think about marriage in Jesus's day and that's still true. 00:29:59.580 --> 00:30:04.940 A wedding, a marriage, symbolizes the bringing of a family together, right? 00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:11.620 There's all the possibilities of what God does through the two becoming one and what that builds. 00:30:14.660 --> 00:30:21.520 In Jesus's day, a marriage was also your protection plan. 00:30:23.100 --> 00:30:24.200 It was also your retirement plan. 00:30:26.240 --> 00:30:27.620 It was also your health care plan. 00:30:28.900 --> 00:30:29.500 It was your welfare plan. 00:30:31.620 --> 00:30:34.450 You depended on a family for all of those things. 00:30:35.140 --> 00:30:42.400 And I'm not saying that's not true today, but I know within our culture today, we have other avenues where those things are supplied as well. 00:30:44.000 --> 00:30:47.420 But in Jesus's day, that's what family represented. 00:30:49.200 --> 00:30:53.580 And that's why the book of Ruth is such a big deal when Ruth's sons and husband die. 00:30:54.080 --> 00:30:56.300 Ruth looks at her life and says, "That's it. 00:30:56.500 --> 00:30:58.560 My life's done." Not... 00:30:58.960 --> 00:30:59.300 Naomi. 00:30:59.600 --> 00:31:01.400 And Ruth partners with Naomi. 00:31:01.400 --> 00:31:06.760 Ruth goes with Naomi and helps care for Naomi, so that Naomi doesn't die. 00:31:08.340 --> 00:31:09.020 Beautiful story. 00:31:10.060 --> 00:31:14.420 But that's how family was viewed in Jesus's day. 00:31:15.240 --> 00:31:17.420 It was an identity of belonging. 00:31:18.200 --> 00:31:24.940 It was looking towards your present, but also thinking about the future and all that family could provide. 00:31:27.260 --> 00:31:28.400 What does that have to do with us? 00:31:30.520 --> 00:31:37.580 I would say for us, this story is probably more important than in any time in our history as a people, as 00:31:37.580 --> 00:31:38.220 a nation. 00:31:39.680 --> 00:31:47.260 And the reason I say that is because when it comes to our culture, our culture has a massive identity 00:31:47.260 --> 00:31:47.500 crisis. 00:31:50.660 --> 00:31:57.830 The moment you divorce yourself from God, you separate yourself from your purpose as a human being. 00:31:59.280 --> 00:32:00.520 Because God made you for his purpose. 00:32:02.240 --> 00:32:03.550 And what are you left to? 00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:09.020 To find the value, worth and meaning of who you are apart from him, and how in the world can you ever do that? 00:32:09.060 --> 00:32:09.940 Well, the answer is you can't. 00:32:11.000 --> 00:32:14.340 Temporarily perhaps, but ultimately never. 00:32:16.340 --> 00:32:18.100 And so you think about in our culture today... 00:32:18.100 --> 00:32:25.170 I think as a young person, there were options as a teenager growing up of different groups that you could be a part of to find your identity, 00:32:25.800 --> 00:32:26.100 right? 00:32:26.120 --> 00:32:30.840 I mean, I could have been a part of the nerd group, the jock group, the skater group, right? 00:32:30.860 --> 00:32:32.380 The grunge group, the druggy group. 00:32:32.380 --> 00:32:38.460 I mean, sometimes they cross, but there were a few options of a group that I could find an identity in as a young person. 00:32:40.020 --> 00:32:41.390 But I look and think, young people today. 00:32:44.240 --> 00:32:46.480 Talking about all the ways you can identify yourself. 00:32:48.760 --> 00:32:50.800 I can't even keep up with it. 00:32:51.640 --> 00:32:55.620 And how does a young person find their true identity, worth and value and meaning? 00:32:57.320 --> 00:33:02.040 I mean, temporarily, yes, they might find some acceptance and love and belonging in some group. 00:33:04.520 --> 00:33:06.860 But does it ultimately satisfy? 00:33:08.100 --> 00:33:13.760 Parents, that makes me think of your own relationship with Jesus and what you model for them. 00:33:16.540 --> 00:33:23.290 How important to find who you are in the one who made you. 00:33:25.860 --> 00:33:27.560 That's what this wedding of Cana is about. 00:33:30.320 --> 00:33:32.580 It's the groom coming for his bride. 00:33:34.500 --> 00:33:39.080 It's the place to find identity and belonging and worth and value and meaning. 00:33:40.780 --> 00:33:47.820 It's the place to see where Jesus paid the dowery, that Jesus gave it all for you to be loved and 00:33:47.820 --> 00:33:53.680 to belong and to be accepted and to find the reason for your existence in this world. 00:33:55.180 --> 00:33:57.560 It's the greatest invitation you could ever have. 00:33:59.300 --> 00:34:05.980 Not the temporary fixes of this world, but something deeper in the longing of your heart for which you were designed for. 00:34:08.540 --> 00:34:15.139 So the wedding of Cana for us as a church is something that we have opportunity to live out every day. 00:34:17.179 --> 00:34:24.440 Every day we get a place to help people understand the invitation of this God who wants them to know him and to 00:34:24.440 --> 00:34:25.520 walk with him. 00:34:25.659 --> 00:34:30.790 I don't want to go far into this, but I just want to say, even for us as a church. 00:34:32.080 --> 00:34:37.400 And one of the things that I have just loved over the last few months is the food pantry that we do here. 00:34:38.280 --> 00:34:46.179 I find, I'm not able to be here every Tuesday night, but when I'm here I always find one person that's here that I 00:34:46.179 --> 00:34:48.469 get to hear their story when they come through our doors. 00:34:49.900 --> 00:34:53.340 And I even think of the person that came last week, that just shared their story with me. 00:34:53.380 --> 00:34:55.580 I mean, I cannot tell you the number of people that... 00:34:57.000 --> 00:34:58.970 Their lives are being wrecked by something. 00:34:59.260 --> 00:35:02.250 There's a handful of people come through that are in the middle of battling cancer. 00:35:04.020 --> 00:35:08.810 And the food pantry gives them a place to be able to get food in order to pay for their medications. 00:35:11.340 --> 00:35:18.340 And I love being able to meet a physical need, but in the middle of that, being able to talk 00:35:18.340 --> 00:35:19.880 about a God who gives us greater hope. 00:35:21.460 --> 00:35:28.830 I talked to a guy last week, who in caring for his wife before she died, being able to pay for that medically, he lost everything. 00:35:32.000 --> 00:35:33.060 He lost home. 00:35:33.060 --> 00:35:34.160 He lost his wife. 00:35:34.180 --> 00:35:35.780 He loved her to the end, but he lost everything. 00:35:37.500 --> 00:35:38.540 And he comes through our doors. 00:35:39.840 --> 00:35:40.680 And what do we say to that? 00:35:44.740 --> 00:35:50.640 There is a God who knows where you are and he loves you. 00:35:52.200 --> 00:35:56.830 And he walks with you through the storms and he's given his life for you. 00:35:57.440 --> 00:36:04.660 And he invites you in that dowery he paid for you to come to him because one day he will reconcile all 00:36:04.660 --> 00:36:10.720 things and there will be a feast that will endure all of eternity in celebration with this king. 00:36:12.660 --> 00:36:13.860 That's the wedding of Cana. 00:36:15.440 --> 00:36:20.790 And that's what you have as a church to be able to embrace and to share with this world.