Water to Wine: A Miracle of the Will - John 2:1-11

"And on the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; and Jesus also was invited, and His disciples. And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, 'They have no wine.'

And Jesus said to her,'Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come.'

His mother said to the servants,'Whatever He says to you, do it.'

Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification,

containing twenty or thirty gallons each. Jesus said to them,'Fill the waterpots with water.'

And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, 'Draw some out now, and take it to the headwaiter.' And they took it to him.

And when the headwaiter tasted the wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, and said to him, 'Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely, then that which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now.'

This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him."

(vs 1-11)

In these eleven verses I could spend alot of time dwelling on Christ's presence at a wedding which shows His blessing upon the institution of marriage. I could write about His gentle reproof of His mother - which shows that she is not the sinless saint that Rome would like us to believe - and which does convict me that familiarity with Christ should not breed presumption upon Christ. (Just because we're "tight" doesn't mean He is there to do our bidding. We would do well to get that in our heads - Christ owes us nothing and is not obliged to act according to our whims but according to His sovereign will.) I digress.... I could dwell on the wine controversy - was it wine? was it Welch's? Come on - the text is clear.

This morning what has struck me the most is the way in which Christ performed this miracle. There is no record of His ever looking at the water pots. He doesn't touch them, or command them, or even pray over them. He simply willed it and it was!! This is power and in this act He "manifested His glory."

Ryle brings this home to us in a greatly encouraging fashion. He writes in His commentary on John:

"It is a comfortable thought that the same almighty power of will which our Lord here displayed is still exercised on behalf of His believing people. They have no need of His bodily presence to maintain their cause. They have no reason to be cast down because they cannot see Him with their eyes interceding for them, or touch him with their hands, that they may cling to Him for safety. If He 'wills' their salvation and the daily supply of all their spiritual need, they are as safe and well provided for as if they saw Him standing by them. Christ's will is as mighty and effectual as Christ's deed. The will of Him who could say to the Father, 'I will that they whom Thou hast give Me be with Me where I am,' is a will that has all power in heaven and earth, and must prevail."

This Christ of such divine, determinative and dynamic will is the Lamb of God who has come to take away our sin. His will has accomplished that for all who believe. His will has caused us to believe. This omnipotent Christ is the One who is ever living to make intercession for us. It is He who stands as our Advocate at the right hand of the God the Father Almighty. It is this Powerful Shepherd of the sheep who stands watch over our souls and keeps us from the treacherous schemes of the wolf. It is the Sovereign King who subdues us and all of our enemies.

The same will that changed water to wine changes us! Oh, friends - how safe and secure we are - no matter what things look like. The same Christ who attended this wonderful wedding feast has an even greater feast prepared for us and NOTHING shall stand in the way of our reaching that event. He has willed that He shall lose none of us - and He shall not. Rejoice, you fainthearted. The will of Christ will keep you!

Humbled that I am kept and longing for the wedding,

Lori