No book on earth has a more profound beginning as the prologue of John's
Gospel in verses 1 through 18. He takes his readers back to peer into eternity
past where we never see God the Father alone. Always there has been another
with him who is to God what thought and word is to man. He is the Word. Through
him through the Word God acts. God expresses himself. That Word became flesh
and dwelt among us in the prison of Jesus Christ. John wrote the Gospel that
bears his name with the object that the reader might come to a fuller understanding
of the prison of Jesus Christ. He planned his writing around seven miracles
which Jesus performed in John's Gospel. Yet there is an even more potent term
for miracles in John that confronts us in the pericope this morning. The word John
uses that is not used in Matthew, Mark, and Luke is the word sign. In classical
Greek signs refer to a distinguishing mark, a token, or a signal. That's why
fraternities and sororities are called Greek organizations because each of
them have a distinguishing mark, a distinguishing token, or signal, or sign.
In the Septuagint which is the Greek Old Testament, the Septuagint is the Old
Testament written in Greek. Its meaning is often linked to a special part of
prophetic activity which is a symbolic anticipation or showing forth of a
greater reality which the sign is nevertheless itself apart. John prefers
the simple word sign because the miracles of Jesus are never simply naked
displays of power, but rather significant works that point beyond
themselves to the deeper realities that could be perceived only through the eyes
of faith. That Jesus first sign of his divinity takes place at a wedding and is
designed to prevent serious social embarrassment marks Jesus out as far
removed from the monastic asceticism of hermetic communities like the
Koumran community in that day. Jesus in the text, there's a snap a snapshot of
Jesus in the text seen in all of his humanity because he is concerned with
the everyday situations of ordinary life. Jesus knows whether there is no line
there is no joy. You're trying to be all Christian here this morning, but I need
one or two believers to help me testify where the wine is. The joy is. Talk back
to me if you can. There is no party without the wine. There is no good time
without the wine and Jesus is not here talking about Welch's grape juice. That's
the stuff we drink over here at Lily Grove, but but Jesus changed water into
real show enough for true boons for home.
Mad dog. Wine. Walk with me around the text. In John chapter 2 verses 1 through
11 in these first couple of verses we see that there is a problem. The problem
is that they're at a party. They're at a wedding party and they run out of wine.
But before I delve into a homiletical unfolding and an exegetical
presentation of the text, I want you to see something else. Look with me in
these verses again. Now that was on the third day there was a wedding in Cana of
Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples also had
been invited to the wedding. I want you to get this. Mary was there, but Jesus was
invited. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was already there, but Jesus was invited. At
your wedding, make sure you have a DJ. Make sure you have some wine. Make sure the
mother of the bride is there. Make sure the bride maids are all arrayed. But
before you send out invitations, make room for Jesus. I think sometimes the
reason our marriages don't work, mine included, is because there are times when
we invite everybody else and leave out Jesus. There would be less divorces in
our country if we forgot about the expensive invitations and invited Jesus.
I wish I had time to stay right there, but Mary is there. Jesus is invited.
A wedding celebration in that culture could last as long as a week and the
financial responsibility lay with the groom. It's always embarrassing to run
out of food and drink at a public occasion. Here at a wedding it was a
catastrophe. In some instances, the offending family could be fined money
because they ran out of wine. Additionally, to run out of supplies would
be simply dreadful for it may have been that the groom had not planned well and
had not provided for all his guests, which is purely unthinkable in Judaism
because in the Jewish culture, just like in the African-American culture, when you
run out, it's a shame. Let me see if I can unpack that. The Jews, just like
African-Americans in America, we are or we used to be a shame culture. There used
to be some things in our culture that made us shame. For the Jews to run out of
food and drink would be like black people to invite somebody to your house
and there's no more food. There's no more to drink. That would be totally
embarrassing. We black folk would rather have food left over than to not have
enough food because we are a shame culture. So much so that when we hear of
some terrible thing that happens in the news, the first thing we want to know
was it black?
Lord, I sure hope it wasn't no black people doing that. Somebody ought to help me
preach here. If a black woman gets on an airplane with a bonnet on her head, we
put our head down. Lord, look at that car walking in here with that thing. Now that
ain't got nothing to do with you but you're shame because you used to be
shame of going out in the street with your nasty house slippers on. You used to
be ashamed to walk in HEB in your pajamas. You used to be ashamed of going
to store with your hair not comb. Somebody ought to help me preach it. But we
have lost our sense of shame because we've taken God out of our situation.
Those of you here who was raised right, your mom and dad had a sense of shame.
And they say when you leave this house you act like I raised you. Put your shirt
in your pants. Say yes ma'am. Say no sir. And when we go to these people's house
you better not say you want something to eat.
In this shame culture they ran out of wine. They planned it but they ran out.
And brothers and sisters you will help me testify that life does not always go
the way you planned. Job chapter 14 verse 1 says man that's born of a woman is
of a few days and they are full of trouble. John chapter 16 verse 38 says these
things I have spoken unto you that in me you might have peace. In the world you
shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world.
Edna St. Vincent Millay. Edna St. Vincent Millay said it is not true that life is
one thing after another. It is the same thing over and over. The philosopher
Schopenhauer said that life is an endless pain with a painful end. Ecclesiastes
2 and 203 says for all his days are sorrows and his trivial his travail is
grief. Yeah his heart taketh not rest in the night. This is also vanity. But
brothers and sisters the good news this morning is that it is good to know that
when problems come our way we can take them to Jesus. He knows our troubles and
he feels our needs. Hebrews chapter 4 verse 15 and 16 says for we have not a
high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but
was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin. Let us therefore come
boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help
us in the time of need. When you run out go to Jesus. When life runs out. When
friends run out. When health runs out. When money runs out. Find your way to Jesus.
Problem in the text was they are at this wedding feast in this shame culture and
they had more week than they had wine. They were running out of wine and when
all the wine is gone Mary brings it to Jesus. The problem now leads to a
procedure in verses 3 4 and verse number 5. 3 4 and 5 when the wine gave out the
mother of Jesus said to them they have no said to him they have no wine and Jesus
said to her woman what concern is that to you and to me my hour has not yet
come his mother said to the servants do whatever he tells you. In these verses a
great gulf a great gulf must be fixed between the mother and the Messiah. A
great gulf must be fixed between the mother and the master. A great gulf must
be fixed between mother and mediator. We must not avoid the conclusion that Jesus
by rebuking his mother however courteously declares at the beginning of
his ministry his other freedom from any kind of human advice agenda or human
manipulation. He has embarked on his public ministry and the purpose of his
ministry and his coming is not to do the will of his mother but to do the will
of his father. Family ties have to be subordinated to divine mission. Now Jesus
said woman in the text to address his mother as a woman sounds harsher in
translation than it is meant in the original language. Woman is not as cold
in the Greek as it sounds in English. It is a token of respect and affection. The
term was a polite and common form of address for an elderly or older woman
akin to our speaking to our mother or to our elder by saying ma'am. Jesus said ma'am
mother ma'am mama ma'am. I know that but but but that doesn't have anything to do
with you and I because my hour has not yet come. But Mary said don't don't don't
don't don't pay no attention to that. Whatever he tells you to do do it.
Because I don't care what you tell your mama. She gonna do what she want to do
anyway. I wish I had somebody here who's who's still trying to raise a
old person. They will tell you that they ain't gonna eat certain things. Soon as
you leave the house they cooking bacon and fat back. Stuff they got no business
eating then they call you at three o'clock in the morning. I don't feel good.
Mama what you ate? I don't I don't I don't remember. They will do whatever they
want to do. Jesus has just rebuked her and Mary said I heard what you said but
whatever he tells you to do do it. Mary shakes off the gentle rebuked and
exemplifies the best kind of persevering faith. She approaches Jesus as his mother
and he rebukes her. But when she approaches him as a believer he honors
her faith. Do whatever he tells you. Do whatever he tells you. That's in the
heiress imperative which means do it at once. Do it without question. And I'm
gonna tell somebody in here this morning who's struggling in your faith.
However strong the act may seem to you. However foolish it may look in your wise
eyes. No matter how useless or trivial it may seem. Whatever God says to do. Do it.
I think that's where Nike got that from. Just do it. But Reverend they gonna laugh
at me. Just do it. Reverend I'm gonna be criticized. Just do it. Pastor folk ain't
gonna like me. Just do it. Because if God told you to do it. He will empower you
to do it and protect you in it. The Bible says I will keep you. I wish I had a
witness here. In perfect peace. If you keep your mind. Stay it on me.
Listen to me. In making that statement of faith. Mary shows us two steps that we
should always take when we run out of whatever we need. Mary shows us two
steps that we ought to always take whenever we run out of whatever we need.
Step number one. Flee. F-L-E-E. Hurry. Go to Jesus. And once you get there. The
second step. Follow what he's saying. Flee. Run as fast as you can. And get to
Jesus. Because Jesus has the answer. Wait a minute. He does not just have the
answer. Yes. He is the answer. And once you get your answer. Follow what he tells
you to do. I need somebody in here this morning. Who's been in some tight spots.
You got yourself in the jam. Or somebody else got you in a situation that
looked like you could not extricate yourself from. But some way. Somehow.
God just showed up. Right when you needed him the most. And made a way out of no
way. You can't understand it. You can't figure it out. You don't know how it
happened. You're not smart enough to wrangle yourself out of it. You don't
have enough money to buy your way out of it. You're not pretty enough to switch
your way out of it. You just put it in the Lord's hands and say Lord I can't handle
it. I can't do anything more about it. But I'm trusting you to make a way out of
no way. I'm running to you with my troubles. Because my pastor said. If I call you.
You gonna show up. If I stretch my hands to you. You will come to my rescue. And
you in this church this morning testify. He showed up. He made a way. He opened
the door. He answered a prayer. He brought my wandering child back home. He
put food on my table. Because he's no shorter than his word. Ask and it shall
be given. See. You will find. And the door will be open. And if God doesn't open
the door. He's getting ready to open a window. And if he doesn't open the window
our door. Don't go through it. Because he's got something better for you down
the road. You think you lost something over here? God's got something for you
over there. You think you have run out over here? God has supplies over the
cattle on a thousand here. I'm trying to hold myself because I've been in some
tight spots. I'm trying to keep from shouting and jumping off this pulpit.
Because I've been in some situations where I've had to quote the scripture to
myself. And pray the Psalms to myself until God could come to my rescue. The
earth is the Lord. I wish I had a Bible reading. The fullness thereof. The world
and they that dwell therein for he has founded it upon the seas and established
it upon the flood. Who shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand
in the holy place? He that had clean hands and a pure heart who has not lifted
up his soul unto vanity nor sworn deceitfully but he shall receive blessings
from the Lord and righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the
generation of them that seek him. That seek your face. Oh Jacob lift up your
head. Oh he gates and be lifted up. He everlasting doors and the king of
glory shall come in. Who is this?
Hey, king of glory. The Lord strong and mighty. The Lord mighty in the battle. My
back has been up against the wall and I've had to pray the Psalms. The earth is
the Lord's. God has everything under control. My enemies had me trapped and
then I had to leave Psalm 24 and go to Psalm 27. The Lord is my life and my
salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life. Of whom shall I
be? When the wicked even my enemy and my foes come upon me to eat up just
before they got to me. They stumbled and they failed. Though a hoax
shouldn't camp against me and this will I be confident. One thing I'm trying to
hurry here but one thing have I desired of the Lord. That will I seek after that.
I'll be as well in the house of the Lord all my days. I've been trying to get to
this all the morning. In the time of trouble. Anybody here ever been in
trouble? Anybody here ever needed the Lord to come to your rescue? Anybody here
ever been down to your last time? In the time of trouble?
He shall hide me.
Wait on the Lord. Be of good courage. He's will strengthen your heart. Wait I say.
On the Lord. Has God not known? I'm really trying to get finished here. Has
God not heard? Did they ever last in God? The father, the creator of the ends of
the earth. That's no such thing of his understanding. He gives it power to the
faint and to them that have no might. He increases their strength. Even the youth
shall faint and grow weary and the young men shall utterly fall. But they that
wait, I wish I had a witness upon the Lord, shall renew their strength, shall
mount up with wings as eagles, shall run and not get weary, shall walk and not
free. I want you to notice something. Lord, I'm running out of time. I want you to
notice something. It is not until all the resources are depleted. Jesus works a
miracle. If you got a little bit left, he won't show up. If you think you can do a
little bit to help it, he'll stay out of it. But the minute you acknowledge all
my wine is gone. And I'm not talking about drink now. I'm talking about all my
spirit is gone. All my hope is gone. All my character, all my integrity, all that I
built my life on is gone. It's not until then that Jesus shows up. Mary was telling
him what to do. But Mary is not co-redeemer. I said, Mary is not a co-redeemer.
Mary just told him go get and do whatever he says. Just go do what he said.
But now the redeemer speaks. He says, go get some water pots that are designed,
that are made built for ritual purification. They were not clay jars because some
impurities could have gotten in. They were stone jars because they contain water
for purification. They are empty. Jesus said, fill them not halfway. But fill them
to the brim. And I can tell people in here this morning who's been filled to
the brim. Because I can hardly read the scripture before they start shouting.
Because they don't have to come to church to get happy. They feel to the brim at
home. I was watching some of y'all when we were singing the congregational songs.
Y'all were sitting down there all cute, not opening your mouth. But some of us
was just about to run all over this church. Because when we start talking
about all to be kept by Jesus, I can't keep my mouth closed about that. When we
start singing, blessed assurance, Jesus is mine. You can't get cute about that.
Because you can't keep yourself. The Lord had to keep you. The Lord had to
secure you.
You don't have time to do it right now. We don't have time for you to do it
right now. But next Sunday, find you a section of people who are filled to the
brim.
Because let me tell you what happens. And I'm gonna get back to my little word.
But let me tell you what happens when you feel to the brim. You got to walk
slow. Because something is gonna spill over.
And so when you come to church, you want to be next to somebody who feel to the
brim. Because you want something.
Get out of that dead section. Find somebody who is filled to the brim. And
if they don't have enough, you turn down. Feel my cup.
Let it overflow.
He'll come to your hospital room and make it overflow. He'll go to court with
you and make it overflow. He'll go to your human research sources office with
you. They were trying to fire you and you get in there and they give you a raise.
Because God just made it overflow.
I'm through.
But we move from the problem to a procedure. In verses 6 through 11 is the
provision. The sign of turning 180 gallons of water in the wine is the first
sign in John's gospel that is that Jesus, here's the first sign, here's the
meaning, here's the significance, here's the meaning of the first sign. Jesus is
Lord of nature. The usual 12 month process of turning grapes into wine was
shortened in a moment.
They didn't have to go to Napa Valley. They didn't have to go to Spex.
Am I on your street yet? They didn't have to go in the truck?
They didn't have to go in the purse? Jesus just looked at it. John, what John wants us
to know is that whatever Jesus touches, he transforms. What John wants us to see is
not that Jesus wants to turn 180 gallons of water into wine, but that whenever
Jesus comes into a life that comes a marvelous new quality of life, which is
like turning dull water into sparkling wine, Jesus adds color to your life,
flavor to your life, joy to your life. And what he did once in Cana of Galilee, he
has repeated countless millions of times and is still doing in the lives of
people who accept his rule and his authority right now. Jesus turns the
useless into the useful. He turns the dull and colorless into the sparkling and
vital. He turns a blundering fisherman named Peter and makes him into a rock
like stable character. He takes a thunderbolt fiery tempered man named John
and changes him into the Apostle of Love. He takes a greedy grasping tax collector
named Levi and sets him to write by changing his name to Matthew and he
writes the gospel. He takes a demon possessed woman like Mary and makes her
the first herald of the resurrection. He takes all of Tarsus, the great
menace of the Christian church and turns him into the great missionary of the
Christian church. Now I'm gonna try to pronounce this word in Latin and if I
mess it up you won't know because you don't speak Latin either but here is
what happened. The modest water saw the God who made it and blushed.
Now we hear who are saved. When we stand next to God we got to testify like
Isaiah did. Whoa is me for I'm undone. I'm a man of unclean lips and I dwell in
the midst of a people of unclean lips and then once the Lord touches us and
saves us and redeems us the modesty of my sinful nature looks at the sweet God
who made me and my spirit blushes in the new wine. I want you to get this and
I'm through. Jesus could have made it wine by just speaking it but he told the
servants go get the water pots. Jesus is gonna make the wine but you got to go
get the water pots. Jesus is gonna feed the multitude but you got to have the
fish in the load. Jesus is going to heal that impotent man but you got to tie up
the roof to let him down. Jesus is going to heal that nobleman son but the
nobleman got to come to ask for the healing. Jesus is going to heal that
man at the pool of salam but the man got to tie Jesus I want to be made whole
and God will save anybody in here this morning but you got to tell God you want
to be saved. Now the miracle of salvation is no less a miracle because you
participate but if you participate in it it makes it all the more sweeter wine.
I'm through. Here's what happens at the end of the story. After Jesus turned that
water in the wine he said now draw out some of that wine and bring it to the
master of ceremonies and the servants drew out some wine and took it to the
governor of the feast. He tasted it and did not speak to Jesus because Jesus was
there to keep the bridegroom from being embarrassed. Jesus took a back seat
because he didn't want the bridegroom to be embarrassed and the reason Jesus took
a back seat to that bridegroom is because one day he's gonna be the bridegroom.
When you know who you are you ain't got to beat your chest and stand out in the
front and brag on it. If you know who you are and who God made you to become
the bridegroom you don't need anybody's approval. Just do your work. Stand back.
The governor of the feast didn't talk to Jesus. He called the bridegroom and he
said hey bruh. I've been at a lot of parties and I drank a lot of wine and
we've had a lot of fun and usually at these kinds of gatherings they serve the
top shelf stuff first and then after everybody is high and glad to be in the
service one more time. Then they bring out the old crow
and that flat Budweiser. When everybody's had a good time then they bring the low
shelf wine like Morgan David and Guggenheim. You know stuff you can get at
at 7-eleven. Stuff you can get at the neighborhood still. He said but I see
you have reversed this thing. You've saved the best wine the most extraordinary
wine. The most sparkling, tasty, vital wine because people who drink wine when
they taste it they know if it's good wine. I'm not gonna ask you to raise your hand
but there's some wine drinkers in here this morning who know what kind of cask
the wine has been in. They know what region it came from in Napa Valley. They
can look at the bottle the name and tell what rather than it's a good wine. I'm
not gonna ask you to raise your hand but to those of us who know that you know
that you know you know good wine when you taste it and this governor said this
ain't this ain't this ain't this ain't this ain't what they've been serving
over there. This is the real stuff. You saved the best for the last. I'm through.
I really am this time but wait. Can we lift that up a little higher? You think
we having a good time in here this morning?
You think we praising God in here today? He's saving the best for last.
I wake up early in the morning. I'm an early rising and sometimes when I wake
up no new program is on television so I just channel surf looking through
through channels trying to find something to watch and and and every once
in a while I run up on a an infomercial and on these infomercials they're
trying to sell you some knives or they're trying to sell you some pots or
they're trying to sell you some cups they're trying to get you to buy
something and if you buy it right now they will double it and you will get
the same amount of things for two different amounts of things for the
same price and then if you if you ask for it right now they'll ship it with no
cost because they're trying to lure you in and then when they almost got you
don't think that you have already bit the hook the announcer say what wait
there's more if you buy now we'll ship to for the price of one but wait there's
more we'll throw in here come in with some other kind of stuff to get you
well here's where I'm trying to go with that the Lord saved you and you have a
blessed assurance right now but wait there's more in my father's house a
mini mansion if it weren't I so I would have told you I go to prepare a place
for you and if I go I'm gonna come again and receive you under myself that
where I am there you will be also but wait there's more eyes have not seen
ears have not heard neither has it entered into the hearts of men the good
things that God has in store for them that love him but wait there's more the
streets are paved with gold the walls are made of Jasper the doors are made of
solid pearl but wait there's more there's a river running through the city and in
the midst of a river is a tree called life and on the tree that's 12 manner of
fruit but wait there's more God shall wipe all tears from the eyes but wait
there's more that's no more crying no more death no more pain but wait there's
more now are we the sons of God and it does not appear what we shall be but we
know that when he comes we shall be like him but we shall see him as he is but
wait as one more I show you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall all be
changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye for the trumpet of God shall
sound and the corruptible bodies of those who sleep in him shall be changed
this marvel must put on immortality this corruptible must put on in
corruption and when Marvel has put on immortality and corruptible has put on
incorruptible then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written death is
swallowed up in victory death where is your sting grave where is your victory
the sting of death is sin the strength of sin is the law but wait there's more
thanks be to God who just gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ
wait there's more therefore my beloved brother be ye steadfast
unmovable always abounding in the work of the Lord for as much as you know that
your labor is not in vain in the law