There are many biblical catch phrases we use in our English language today that many may not realize where they come from such as; “turn this water to wine then tell me how good you are” or “bless it to stretch it” meaning if we ask for God’s blessing on the amount of food we have hastily prepared for guests, maybe it will be enough.  Our attitudes border unholy thinking with a bit of arrogance thrown in.  Yikes!

Today we get the real story from John, the beloved disciple of Jesus, who saw Him turn water to wine at the request of Mary so that the hosts of a family wedding would not be disgraced for running out.  Weddings in that culture lasted more than a few hours.  The celebration might go on until the next day!  Guests would have traveled by foot to get there—like Jesus and his followers along with his mother, so the hosts must “have enough” to accommodate them.  At the urging of his mother, whose heart went out to the hosts who were probably family, Jesus intervened.  Everyone in the “know” that day learned that Jesus is truly more than enough for every life circumstance.

Jesus is the One who can and will provide more than enough as His Father God provides the power. According to John, this “act” was Jesus’ first miracle used to declare God’s glory and show his disciples who He really is; Son of God.  Mary already knew.

John 2, The Message

From Water to Wine

2 ^1-3 Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. Jesus and his disciples were guests also. When they started running low on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesus’ mother told him, “They’re just about out of wine.”

⁴ Jesus said, “Is that any of our business, Mother—yours or mine? This isn’t my time. Don’t push me.”

⁵ She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.”

^6-7 Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual washings. Each held twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus ordered the servants, “Fill the pots with water.” And they filled them to the brim.

⁸ “Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host,” Jesus said, and they did.

^9-10 When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn’t know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, “Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you’ve saved the best till now!”

¹¹ This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

¹² After this he went down to Capernaum along with his mother, brothers, and disciples, and stayed several days.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

“Whatever he tells you, do it.”  Mary has lived her days know who Jesus is from birth!  She knows His Father God as well as she knows His Son. She knows, without doubt, that God can do anything and that nothing is impossible with God.  Mary is devoted to God and His Son.  She has staked her upon believing in all that God says.  She watched as God provided for her family all these years.  Now, Jesus is coming into his own ministry—with followers who are learning from Him.  Mary knows Jesus can help, but the help must be done as God directs.  “Whatever He tells you, do it.”  This statement of command carries a strong, unflappable faith in Mary in the One who can. 

Weddings were an important part of Jewish culture. An entire village or town often participated in the festivities. Mary seems pushy, yes, but she knows Jesus well. Mary’s love for Jesus and for others is displayed by her request.  Why allow others to suffer humiliation when you know Who can help?

“Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.”

“Why would we go to a wedding?”  This might have been the question on the minds of Jesus’ new followers…is this a big deal?  Max Lucado offers: “I think so. I think it’s significant that common folk in a little town enjoyed being with Jesus. Jesus was a likable fellow. And his disciples should be the same. I’m not talking debauchery, drunkenness, and adultery. I’m not endorsing compromise, coarseness, or obscenity. I am simply crusading for the freedom to enjoy a good joke, enliven a dull party, and appreciate a fun evening.  Jesus wants us to rejoice and enjoy life. Celebrate!”

Just make sure there is more than enough food and drink!

But, let’s go deeper…remembering that all scripture, “old and new”, point to Jesus! 

Warren Wiersbe writes;

“Jesus would certainly have a special message here for His people, Israel. In the Old Testament, the nation is pictured as “married” to God and unfaithful to her marriage covenant (Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 31:32; Hosea 2:2). The wine ran out, and all Israel had left were six empty waterpots! They held water for external washings, but they could provide nothing for internal cleansing and joy. In this miracle, Jesus brought fullness where there was emptiness, joy where there was disappointment, and something internal for that which was only external (water for ceremonial washings).

Whoa, let that settle in. Everything God does through His Son is significant for living our lives to the full!  Do you long for an abundant, joy-filled life to replace the emptiness you feel? God provides many verses in His Word to us about how to live life to the fill!  Here are a few:

“…Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land…” Deuteronomy 30:19-20 

“You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” Psalm 16:11

With the knowledge of choice found in Deuteronomy we may wonder how exactly to follow through on that choice. The beautiful truth is that God clearly lays out the path of life for us. We are not left to guess His will for our lives. His very presence blesses us with fullness of joy and pleasures evermore. 

Remember, God’s idea of joy and eternal blessing is different from what the prosperity gospel teaches. It very well might be forged through times of fire in our lives. Remember also that God always without a doubt knows what is best for our hearts. He knows the path we will each take. As we walk through challenging seasons of life, we must not lose sight of the full life He longs to provide and will—because HE is the One who can and will.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

“Delight yourself also in the LORD and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Since it is human nature to battle against self-worship, we are tempted to focus on the latter half of this verse which seems to promise that God will give us whatever our little heart’s desire.  Delight in the heart desires of God, then pray that God’s desires match our desires for He knows what we need most and knows what lies ahead.  As we grow in our relationship with the Lord, the closer we come near to Him to know Him better.  Our hearts begin to beat like His and our desires reflect what He would have for us.

“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”  Matthew 6:33

“Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.’” Mark 8:34-35

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” John 10:10 This is perhaps one of the best-known verses when it comes to the abundant life. Jesus clarifies what God wants for us versus what the enemy plans for us. Satan’s desire is for us to be destroyed, he has a target on our backs as believers. That is the cold hard truth. He will fight against us to distract, deceive, with allusions of what is best until the day we die.

The good news Jesus is the One who can and will always have the final victory. While our fullest life will be found in heaven, the promise of abundance plays into our time on earth as well. “My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world. These people belong to the Christ-denying world. They talk the world’s language and the world eats it up. But we come from God and belong to God. Anyone who knows God understands us and listens. The person who has nothing to do with God will, of course, not listen to us. This is another test for telling the Spirit of Truth from the spirit of deception.” 1 John 4:4-6

Or in the NIV— “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4

So, like Mary said, ““Whatever he tells you, do it.”  This is our response to live life to the full.

Lord,

Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds.  Fill our emptiness with life to the full that can only be found in You.  Transform us from the waters of merely getting by in this world to the new wine of your salvation at work within us that produces the joy and peace of abundant living with You!  I’m listening, ready to do what you tell me.

In Jesus Name, Amen! Yes!  I believe!