LIFE OF CHRIST
John 2:1-11
INTERACTIVE MINISTRY
Life of Christ #9
Let’s look at the first miracle that the Lord
performed and 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.
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
Vs. 1 – This would have been two days after
the calling of Nathaniel. There was a marriage in Cana, of
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.
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
·
Jesus is interested in you.
He promises to always be with you. Matthew
28:20
·
Jesus is interested in you.
He hears and answers prayer. John 14:13-14
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 INVOLVED – Vss. 6-9
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
·
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.
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
·
Those who trust Christ are given a new life now. 2
Corinthians 5:17
·
Those who are given abundant life. John 10:10
·
Those who filled with His Spirit bear fruit. Galatians
5:22-23
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
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