Interactive sermon with the congregation contributing their views:
what is this bible passage saying to you:
1 about God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit)?
2 about yourself (as an individual, a follower of Jesus, a member of God's church)
3 about what practical things you might pursue as a result of your discernment of this bible passage (eg. is there a word needing to be spoken, a delayed action to be undertaken, a sin to avoid/overcome, a promise to claim/be fulfilled, a request to obey, a prayer to press into, forgiveness to be asked for or offered? etc etc)
Jewish wedding celebration – could go on for a week!
Very embarrassing for hosts to run out of wine!
Jars that Jesus asked to be filled with water were normally used for ceremonial washing of people before they partook in any honourable (religious) rituals.
State the Obvious from the passage:
1 Jesus celebrated and enjoyed a wedding – be sure to take time out from ‘saving the world’. Relax, be refreshed. Yes be passionate and focused but there is no need to be unusually over-zealous in one’s pursuit of the will of God to the detriment of not having some fun along the way (see point 5 below)
2 Jesus responded to a heart felt need – no wine > very embarrassing for wedding hosts! Jesus knows our every need – trust Him to provide > Psalm 23
3 Interaction between Mary and Jesus < Mother/Son relationship > love and obedience; how is your relationship with your Parents? Always honour ones’ Father and Mother. Is there a need for reconciliation to take place? If so, don’t delay.
4 Mary/Jesus discerned some Holy Spirit promptings at the wedding
Mary trusted Jesus to do what needed to be done – ask God and then trust Him to do it but not necessarily in the way you might want.
5 Jesus made the best wine - God is not ‘dull and lifeless’ as non-believers might imagine! People look everywhere but to God for excitement and meaning in life - why wait trying everything else in life before trying God? God is the real deal – he’s the living God, full of life and vitality. With God, there is always more to come, in fact, the best is yet to come!
Discerning the not so Obvious things in the passage:
1 Wedding feast > symbol of (Marriage) relationship between Christ and His Bride the church > He will provide the very best for her. She is to make herself ready for Him.
2 Humanity of Christ versus divinity of Christ (His reluctance to act, and yet He acted and did what was necessary)
The writer of the gospel, John the evangelist, was writing to principally a Jewish audience. He wanted to convey the truth to them that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Son of God. He used signs and wonders performed by Jesus as one way to describe this amazing person amongst them.
