The  Messiah’s  Secret – The  Wedding  at  Cana.  (1)

          
Evening Readings following the Lectionary:  Isaiah 60: 1-9. John 2: 1-11.

At the end of John’s first chapter Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip and Nathanael made a commitment to follow Jesus, so they went with him to Galilee.

Jesus and his disciples were invited to a wedding in Cana. After the wedding ceremony as the feasting progressed, Mary Jesus’ mother informed Jesus that the wine had run out, and it would seem that she was looking to Jesus to do something about it.

Maybe Jesus was caught unawares when Mary called upon him to act. But Jesus was in that place, within himself where he was ready to respond.

Mary saw a need and responded to it. For us too when we see a need we should be ready to respond, but we are not always ready to take action.

Our Advent Course "Not a Fan, but a Follower' 2012 asked the question are we a fan or a follower of Jesus? Are we ready to respond to Jesus’ call on our life?

 “And Jesus died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come.”  2 Corinthians 5: 15-17.

In verse 15 of 2 Corinthians, “And Jesus died for all, that those who live might live no longer for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised."

 On the course, Eric’s Story.

As a fan of Jesus, Eric and his family were members of a church, but they lived their lives only to please themselves, that was until Eric had a heart attack.

At this point -  Eric did not re-assess his life, he had an encounter with Jesus.

I compared Eric coming to terms with the fact that he may die with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus wrestled with his own will of self preservation, His Father was asking him to die on a cross for the sins of others.”Father if it is possible take this cup from me, yet not my will but thine be done.” In these words we realize that Jesus died to himself. He handed himself over to Almighty God, for his Father to determine his life. As a result of his obedience after his death on the cross God raised him from the dead, a new creation, a new order of a resurrected life.

In the story Eric recovered and his life changed.

Just as Jesus was raised up by God, so Eric was raised up, a new creation in Christ. Eric having died to himself, he wanted to live his life to please God, for the Lord to determine his life. He felt led to remove the trappings associated with being a fan: the expensive clothes, the job that was full of deceptions, the status symbol of having a big house. Instead he saw what was really important, it became his priority to show the love of Christ, he was ready to fulfill his calling to the destitute of his city.

In the story some years later Eric had a heart attack that was fatal and he died.

At his funeral service people remembered his kindness, his love for others and his love for Christ. 

This course ‘Not a fan, But a follower ‘ of Jesus is about saying there is something more to a Christian’s life that the Lord wants us to have that will transform the way we walk as a Christian.

The wine running out.

The Lord may remove things from our life that will bring us to that point where we come to the end of ourselves, ‘the wine running out’ we can’t do anything to change a situation in our own strength. This were the Gethsemane experience becomes personal to us, we then realize that the Lord wants us to be dependent upon him and for us to look to him to determine our lives, not as slaves, but as children of God.

Gerry was a Christian he was taken very seriously ill and went into hospital, he thought he was going to die, he turned to the Gideon Bible in the locker at the side of his bed. He opened it up at random to the first chapter of Job. He read how Job had lost everything, but he believed in God. Gerry reading this chapter, he recognised himself and he woke up next day a changed man. Where he felt that ‘the wine had run out’ in fact he had come to the end of himself and turned to the Lord our God and had an encounter with Jesus Christ.

Mary knew that she could rely on Jesus to act, to sort out the problem. 

Mary's faith caused her act and speak to the servants, “Do whatever he says.” The servants were obedient, they filled the jars up to the brim with water and when they drew the liquid from the jars it was no longer water, but wine. In this we see the transformation of water into wine, like the transformation of a fan to becoming a follower of Jesus and it is the Lord’s doing and it is marvelous in our sight.

“From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once regarded Christ from a human point of view, we regard him no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, behold the new has come.”  
2 Corinthians 5: 16, 17.

 When we see a fellow Christian in this new wine skin, a new creation, we find that they are ready to respond and serve as followers of Christ.

The wine running out, has another meaning it symbolises the end of the old order and the bringing in of the new order, the new wine of the Messiah’s kingdom.

Jesus’ response to his mother’s request, “O Woman, what have you to do with me, my time has not yet come."

These words, ‘My time has not yet come,’ these words are linked to the reading in Isaiah. Isaiah 60: 1-9.

Isaiah’s vision.

The time of his coming the eternal city coming down out of heaven. “Belief in a transformed city goes with the belief in a resurrected body.” (New International Biblical Commentary Isaiah by John Goldingay)

Isaiah in his vision portrayed Jesus’ glorification as the embodiment of Jerusalem. The eternal city of Jerusalem being the Messiah.

Isaiah was seeing in the spirit the future time of Jesus’ glorification, the resurrection of Jesus’ body from the dead.

The Light of God

 “Arise, shine for your light has come.” The light is God, the same as in Genesis Chapter 1: 3 where the light was present before the sun, and the moon.

The eternal city of Jerusalem will be lit up with the glory of God’s presence.

“And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the lamb. By its light shall the nations walk; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, and its gates shall never be shut by day – and there shall be no night there.”  Revelation 21: 23-25.

Transformation of the Gentiles

At the wedding supper of the Messiah, the gathering of believers from every nation. When Jesus was in conversation with the centurion, Jesus marveled at his faith in him. “Jesus said to those following him, “Truly, I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such faith. I tell you, many will come from east and west and sit at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.”Matthew 8: 10, 11.

The people in the city and those coming into the city. All the branches of the sons of Abraham will be united. Isaiah mentioned the grandson Ephah of Abraham and Keturah, along with other descendants Midian and Sheba.
Jews and Gentiles are included in the resurrected body, the transformed city of Jerusalem because the church is the bride, the body of Christ. Jesus has fulfilled all things in himself.                                                                                                               

All nations will bring gifts to Jerusalem, these gifts will be greater and more numerous than those gifts brought by the Queen of Sheba to Solomon. They brought cedar, pine, algum-wood, bronze, gold and spices.1 Kings 10 and in verse 24 “And the whole earth sought the presence of Solomon,” verse 25 “Every one of them brought his present . . ."

Epiphany

In Isaiah’s vision he mentions gifts of gold and frankincense to beautify the house of God. As a forerunner to that, the wise men brought gifts to glorify Jesus, pointing to the king of kings, the kingship of the Messiah.