lenten 40: day 17 - icing on the cake

image 17.

scripture.

Jesus Changes Water to Wine

¹On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, ²and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. ³When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."

⁴"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."

⁵His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."

⁶Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.^a]">[a]

⁷Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.

⁸Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."

They did so, ⁹and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside ¹⁰and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

¹¹This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

~John 2:1-11

reflection.

His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (NASB) John 2:5

Jesus was prepared to help, not according to Mary’s plan, but according to what fit the purpose of God. God does the same thing for each of us. We may be discouraged, feeling unloved, or feeling all alone, but Jesus has not ignored us. He may be saying, “Not yet! This is not the best time. “I will accomplish it another way.” God is in the business of answering our prayers. Sometimes the answer is, “No” and other times the answer is, “I will do it another way.”

So Jesus tells the servants to fill six large waterpots.

The waterpots were able to hold twenty to thirty gallons (76-114 liters) of water each. It must have taken the servants a long time to fill them; but once they were filled, Jesus did His first miracle. Jesus turned water into wine (vs. 8-10)

This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him. (NASB) John 2:11

Through it He displayed some of His glory. He let us see Himself. By this simple miracle, we are able to see not only His power but His heart.

Little Things.
One of the wonderful truths in this passage is not that Jesus did a miracle. It is that Jesus cared enough about the hosts of the feast to rescue them from social embarrassment and possibly legal trouble. He cared enough to make wine! He cared enough about the guests that He made the best wine. He cared enough about Mary’s distress that He rescued her.

Have you ever wondered if God cares about the little things in our life such as what you drink? Have you ever been lonely and wondered if God cared about how you feel? Have you ever wondered if God just simply cared? The answer is found in the simple, little miracle of making water into wine. God cares about even the little things. Jesus turned water into wine!

Just like Mary, we can come to Jesus and ask for help. He may make us wait. He might comfort us another way, but He will not disappoint us. If He cares about even the little things in my life, how much more the major events and crises. He cares about lonely feelings, and cuts on little fingers. He cares about the little things in your life; and when He does He displays His glory.

from www.neverthirsty.org

thoughts.

Jesus saved the best for last. what a way to begin his ministry to the world. reminds me that the best is always yet to come.