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1/18/13. John 2:1-12. Jesus Turns Water Into Wine. –my devotional

1/18/13. John 2:1-12. Jesus Turns Water Into Wine. –my devotional

John 2:1-12                                                                           Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF

Key verse 2:10                                                                     1-18-13

“and 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.”

    Dear lord heavenly father. Thank you for this opportunity to participate in world mission. What a blessing it is to go and share about a mission strategy to send missionaries to NW Ontario. I pray that you may open our eyes to see your glory. Help us to be a blessing. Inspire our hearts for greater things. Show us what you see. Help us to know where we fit in. Grant us your wisdom and your spirit. Lord, please illumine my heart with your spirit and your word today. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: Come to Jesus With Expectation. (1-5)

Verses 1-5 read, “On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman,why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

At some point in our lives, we are guaranteed to come into a situation, which is beyond our ability to overcome. It is inevitable. Mary, the mother of Jesus, faced such a circumstance. Running out of wine during the wedding celebration was socially inexcusable. In her need, Mary turned to Jesus for help and demonstrated a faith that expected an answer. Although his response may have been discouraging she instructed the servants to obey whatever Jesus told them to do. When we bring our needs to Jesus, we must believe that he will respond. Our job is to listen and obey Jesus by faith.

I can see here that I need to come to Jesus in my need, I have many needs. I have needs for my kids, that I may be a good husband, dad and a spiritual leader in my family. One need I have is for the kids to stop it with the social networking and focus on what is truly important. I need to focus on reading and prayer. I need God’s strength to work and provide for the needs of my family. I need to have wisdom as an offsite missions coordinator. I need to keep my heart focused and pure so that God can work through me. I need God’s help to make my family a house church that can be used by God. I need many things. Most importantly have a great need to draw near to Jesus and dwell with him forever in the kingdom of God.

But I realize that I can pray to Jesus and I can expect him to answer. I don’t have to live in defeat. I don’t have to feel helpless. I can pray believing. That is where I have to grow. I need to pray believing Jesus will answer. I just plod along not caring if my prayers are being answered at all. I like a pastor in Rochelle. He prays big and plans big and God has been blessing him. I am going to pray BIG. I pray for KBC to be a training center for training American missionaries, funneling them up north to serve the aboriginal people of NW Ontario with the Gospel of Jesus. I am going to pray that all of my kids may be servants of God and pastors and missionaries. I pray that all of my grandkids may be saved. I pray for a native campus ministry in Sioux Lookout. I pray that I can be a man sold out to Jesus and the gospel. There are so many prayers. Pray big. Expect Jesus to answer. He can say yes, no or wait.

After praying what do I do? I can do what Mary did. She prepared the servants to listen to and obey Jesus. She made an environment through which God can work. I can pry and then make an environment. I can educate myself on the native issues. I can grow in cultural sensitivity. I can grow in my knowledge of the word of God. I can pray and love and serve those who God has brought into my life. I can do my part in the realm that God has put me into. Lord, help me to prepare an environment for you to work.

Part 2: The best Wine. (6—12)

Verses 6-12 read,Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and 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 10 and 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.” 11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.”

The servants obediently filled six stone jars to the brim with water and as Jesus said, they drew some out and took it to the master of the Banquet. . The water had been transformed into the best wine. When the master of the banquet tasted it, he was surprised and wondered where the choice wine came from. The servants knew that is was the work of God.

There are so many things to learn from this passage. First, we can see the benefits of obeying Jesus. There were many people there and they were all enjoying the banquet. It was a lot of fun. But it was those people who engaged in the work of serving and obeyed Jesus that knew where the blessing cam from. They knew also where to go back to get more blessing. We can sit on the side lines of the work of God and we may be saved. But we don’t know, from experience, where the blessing come from. May God raise up many servants of God who listen to an obey Jesus’ voice and through whom God may bring forth his blessings and great joy and salvation.

This miracle shows that Jesus is the Son of God whole rules over creation. Jesus has creating and recreating power. He created the heaven and the earth. He can change hearts. He can change societies, cultures, and history. There is nothing too impossible for Jesus to accomplish (according to his will.) God can make me a very effective off site coordinator. He can make KBC into a missionary training center to funnel missionaries up north. He can bear much fruit in my family and among my kids. He can take all believers to heaven to be with him forever, he can bring the new heaven and the new earth. Jesus can do it. I need to pray believing and trusting in Jesus’ creating power.

This is how we can pray and not fall into fatalism and despair. Despair knocks on the door of my heart when I think about all the barriers to ministering to the First Nations. In my humanness I just want to give up. But I have faith in God. Nothing is impossible because God can work. Even if I am off site he can work. Even if I step on so many landmines and booby traps, he can work. Lord, thank you for saving me from all despair and fatalism as I walk with you

Even more, it shows the quality of life that comes through him. In the past, our lives were like empty vessels, full of useless wash water. But now, by the grace of God, they are filled with the very best wine; the life and joy of Christ.

My life was like sullied wash water. I was lost in hedonism. All I knew how to do was have fun and pollute my mind and my body. But Jesus helped me. He made me born again. He made me into a new creation, “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation, the old has gone and the new has come.”  (1 Cor) he filled my life with hope and truth, love and joy. In the past 2 years I had allowed my heart to be like dirty wash water. I allowed it to be sullied with despair and fatalism. I was in tears, critical and judgmental and despaired. I was lonely and depressed. But God is working in my heart. He recreated my heart. He gave me and Julie and new lease on life and in our marriage. I was saved from despair, depression and all. My heart was made into fine wine and like all fine wine it will only get finer.

God can change the communities in NW Ontario into fine wine. It does not mean that their culture needs to be dismantled. He wants to make it even more fruitful. It will make it into more joy and life and hope. Jesus will do hi transforming power. What was impossible for man to do is not impossible with God.

Prayer; “Father, thank you for filling us with new life.”

One word: Jesus turned water into the best wine.




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