Jesus turns water into wine

John 2:1-12

It's been awhile, but the Lord has brought me back to this project. His word is blameless, and blessed are they who walk according to it. May such blessing through obedience fall upon every eye that rests here.

Jesus' first recorded hand-made miracle during his ministry on earth was not planned.

Understand this: Jesus was fully man and fully God. And, in being fully man, he had plans for the future that did not always come to pass. However, being without sin, he always made plans with the Father--rather than himself--central, and so when his plans needed to change he was happy to roll with the will of the Father.

- - -

The story goes like this: Jesus and his growing crew of disciples were at a wedding, and so was his mother. But the wedding feast was running out of wine, and Mary went to tell her son.

Jesus spoke to his mother like this: "Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come."

Why did you talk to her like that, Jesus? I do not understand. Were you asking rhetorically? Of course you know why she involves you--you're the Son of God, and she knows that somehow you can make the bad situation good. She has taken pity on her hosts, who are in an embarrassing situation, and she has turned to God in the flesh for help. She is praying on their behalf, to you.

And yet you tell her that this is not according to your timing.

And yet again she responds, somehow getting an affirmative that to me your words do not communicate, by telling the servants to do whatever you tell them to.

It seems that, against your will, Mary assumed you would meet the needs of these people.

- - -

Perhaps infinitely perplexing is the situation between you and our Father. His will reigns supreme, and yet you were with him from the beginning and he delights in you being glorified. This instant in your life is truly a time of friction between your split nature of man and God. Though your plan is going to be changed by the needs of these people, God's plan was not changed here. There is a tension here that I cannot see into, Jesus. Will you teach me?

- - -

I can picture you thinking about your earthly mother's words and your carefully-thought plans. Surely you, who prayed constantly and often spent hours in prayer alone, made the most careful of plans. And yet here you saw clearly that your plans would need to be modified, that even though your time had not yet come, you would have to begin your work anyways.

Perhaps you felt nervous in that moment about what to do. Perhaps you were simply taking a minute to process the change, to consider those around you and how they would respond to what you were about to do.

But after what I can only imagine was a brief moment, you gave the servants simple instructions (fill the jars with water, then draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet). The master of the banquet tasted the drawn out liquid, only to find that it was a wine better-tasting than any thus far served at the banquet.

- - -

Your small group of disciples at the time, already pretty amazed by the short time they'd spent with you, were amazed at what you did. You revealed your glory--a major event--earlier than YOU, the Son of God, had planned. And your disciples, perhaps unsure before that, put their faith in you.

- - -

I wonder how often your disciples "put their faith in you." We haven't gotten there yet, but moments in your life come to mind where your disciples were dismayed by a situation and again shocked at how you came through. Perhaps this is a part of the nature of faith, that it must be continually renewed and relaid at your feet.

If this is the case, Jesus, please help me, for my faith is weak and my ways are impure. And yet, somehow, your Father doesn't see this, but rather sees You in me.

I am confounded by these great mysteries and wait for the right time when they will be revealed to me.

I want to be Your servant,
David