Belonging (S2) : WK 3 - WED
(John 2:6-8 NLT) [6] Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. [7] Jesus told the servants, "Fill the jars with water." When the jars had been filled, [8] he said, "Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies." So the servants followed his instructions.
This is the first miracle Jesus performs. John refers to them as signs in his gospel. There are seven significant signs in the book of John. Biblical scholar and historian, NT Wright, says we need to understand these signs as signposts pointing to what God is doing in fulfilling His covenant through Jesus. They are moments when, “Heaven and earth intersect with each other.”
Remember the scene, everyone at this wedding celebration is deep into rejoicing and feasting when the wine runs out. Jesus’s mother, Mary, has made Him aware of the problem and trusts Him to do whatever He sees fit to do about it. She tells the servants to do whatever He tells them.
Our text tells us there are six stone water jars there, which are used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Jesus boldly tells the servants to fill, not the vessels that were being used for the wine, which would have been made of clay or a substance other than stone, but the stone ones, which were used for Jewish ceremonial purposes. By instructing the servants to fill the jars used for ceremonial washing, Jesus was making an unequivocal statement. Given that there were six jars, each capable of holding 20 to 30 gallons, the total would be 120 to 180 gallons of wine. (Some have estimated this would be about 800 bottles of wine!) He was here on earth to fulfill everything the Old Testament ceremonial laws and practices had been pointing to. The Apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Colossians, says it this way. “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” [Colossians 2:17] The actual reality and fulfillment of everything in the Old Covenant was coming to life and fulfillment in Jesus. The Kingdom of God has come, on earth as it is in heaven, in and through the life of Jesus.
Jesus will later institute what we refer to as The Lord’s Supper on His way to the cross. In this divine meal, He will say the wine represents His blood shed for us, for the forgiveness of our sins.
This is the first miracle Jesus performs. John refers to them as signs in his gospel. There are seven significant signs in the book of John. Biblical scholar and historian, NT Wright, says we need to understand these signs as signposts pointing to what God is doing in fulfilling His covenant through Jesus. They are moments when, “Heaven and earth intersect with each other.”
Remember the scene, everyone at this wedding celebration is deep into rejoicing and feasting when the wine runs out. Jesus’s mother, Mary, has made Him aware of the problem and trusts Him to do whatever He sees fit to do about it. She tells the servants to do whatever He tells them.
Our text tells us there are six stone water jars there, which are used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Jesus boldly tells the servants to fill, not the vessels that were being used for the wine, which would have been made of clay or a substance other than stone, but the stone ones, which were used for Jewish ceremonial purposes. By instructing the servants to fill the jars used for ceremonial washing, Jesus was making an unequivocal statement. Given that there were six jars, each capable of holding 20 to 30 gallons, the total would be 120 to 180 gallons of wine. (Some have estimated this would be about 800 bottles of wine!) He was here on earth to fulfill everything the Old Testament ceremonial laws and practices had been pointing to. The Apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Colossians, says it this way. “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.” [Colossians 2:17] The actual reality and fulfillment of everything in the Old Covenant was coming to life and fulfillment in Jesus. The Kingdom of God has come, on earth as it is in heaven, in and through the life of Jesus.
Jesus will later institute what we refer to as The Lord’s Supper on His way to the cross. In this divine meal, He will say the wine represents His blood shed for us, for the forgiveness of our sins.
- When you think about how lavishly Jesus provided the wine for this couple’s wedding, how might you imagine how lavishly He wants you to experience His love and care for you?
- Given the grandness of this miracle and the statement being made by Jesus, how serious and determined do you think God is for you to know you belong to Him?
- Take 1-2 minutes right now to sit still and imagine being completely covered in your belonging in Christ. What would this feel like? What thoughts do you notice?
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