The Life of the Party - Part Four
SCRIPTUREJohn 2:1-11
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
LESSON
In verse 11, we find a significant phrase, "This beginning of miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee." This is important because it simply rules out numerous traditions about Jesus' early life. Back in the early centuries, many people wrote pseudo-gospels telling fantastic stories about the boyhood of Jesus. In one story, the boy Jesus is playing with some companions. One of them throws a stone and hits a playmate in the neck, accidentally killing him. Jesus stops the game, goes over and raises him from the dead, and then they all go on playing. In one of the other gospels, the Jordan River catches on fire when Jesus was baptized.
"Well," someone says, "how do we know these things didn't happen?" "This beginning of miracles ..." God had safeguarded the reputation of His Son by telling the time and the place of the first miracle of Jesus' public ministry.
Water could not take the place of wine at the wedding feast. When touched by the power of God, the six pots, symbols of human inadequacy, were changed from the ordinary to the extraordinary. The result of this miracle was that the disciples "believed in Him." And that is the response that John would have us take too. Today, He waits for us to share our needs with Him. He waits to provide His strength in our areas of weakness. He waits to bring joy and abundance to our lackluster, humdrum lives.
One of the biggest hindrances in our prayer life is our unwillingness to let God do things His way. Mary's desires were first rebuffed, but after she told the servants, "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it," there was divine action.
"Yes, I believe in prayer," a rough old sailor admitted at the mission. "But my old mother once heard me praying and told me: `Son, don't bother to give God instructions; just report for duty."'
In those simple words lies the secret to real power in prayer-and lasting change in lives.
STUDY QUESTIONS
- How does the phrase "This beginning of miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee." prove the unreliability of the pseudo-gospels? Explain your answer?
- Is it true that “one of the biggest hindrances in our prayer life is our unwillingness to let God do things His way”?
- What is the evidence that you believe in prayer?
