The Wedding at Cana: Part 2

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What I'd like to do is conclude this two -part series here on the wedding of Canaan.

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And what we have before us is a wonderful story of a wedding, but it's more than just a story that's being told.

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It is a reality, and it's also a great picture of a wonderful wedding that is to come in the near future, as the

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Lord wills. There's so many spiritual meanings behind this, and I'd like for us to look at that today as we look into God's Word.

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As we continue our brief series here, the wedding at Canaan, this particular section in the

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Gospel of John stretches all the way from 2 chapter 12,

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I should say, beginning right here in chapter 2. This particular section is known as the

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Book of Signs. The Book of Signs, after Jesus calls his first disciples, as which we've already looked at, he takes them along to a wedding in Canaan of Galilee, which is not far from his hometown,

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Nazareth, a small town very similar to Canaan here. It is roughly around,

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Nazareth was about 10 miles away, so it was pretty much in walking distance for them in those days.

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It is here in Canaan where he performs, our Lord performs his first miracle.

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And this miracle is very significant. It provides his followers with an initial glimpse of his messianic identity, of who he is.

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And really that is what miracles are for. They always point to the Lord Jesus Christ, his person and his works.

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Always, that's the purpose of a miracle. So Jesus is the Messiah. He's the

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Son of the Living God. He's the King of Israel. The Christ, the

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Anointed One, that's what Christ means. Yet, the question arises, do we really know what that means?

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Do we really know what that means? Well, keep in mind also that the evangelist desires for us to behold the glory of God in Jesus Christ.

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Also as we behold him, the King in all of his beauty and in his glory, he desires, he desires us to place our trust and faith in him.

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To believe in him. To love him. To obey him. Beloved, this is the very purpose of this wonderful gospel.

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John chapter 20 verse 30 and 31 says, And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book, but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the

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Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

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So actually this is the whole point of the signs which Jesus performed. That we may believe in the

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Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and have life in his name.

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That's the purpose of this wonderful book. So, now we come to the wedding at Canaan and Galilee.

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There's a lot of details I'd like to bring out. So I'm going to backtrack a little bit. We're going to begin at the first of it.

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And I'm going to run through it and refresh our minds. Because we're so forgetful to forget, aren't we?

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We forget from day to day and we need to be reminded. That's why we need to preach the gospel to ourselves.

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Because we forget it. Someone asked Luther one time, Why do you constantly preach on justification by faith alone?

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He says, because people forget that constantly. That's why I preach it every

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Lord's day. And he preached it constantly. It was the pillar of the gospel. And without it, we don't understand what salvation is.

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But I'm going to remind us of details here in this wonderful wedding. And it begins his public ministry.

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So let me read it to you starting in verse 1 of chapter 2. Chapter 2, verse 1.

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And we'll read through verse 12. I'm reading from the New King James Version.

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In the third day there was a wedding in Canaan of Galilee. And the mother of Jesus was there.

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And now both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to them,

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They have no wine. Jesus said to her, woman, What does your concern have to do with me?

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My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servants,

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Whatever he says to you, do it. Now there were set there six water pots of stone according to the manner of purification of the

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Jews, containing 20 or 30 gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, fill the water pots with water.

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And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, draw some out now and take it to the master of the feast.

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And they took it. And when the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and did not know where it came from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew, the master of the feast called the bridegroom.

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And he said to him, Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine.

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And when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now.

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This beginning of signs, Jesus did in Canaan of Galilee and manifested his glory.

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And his disciples believed in him. And after this he went down to Capernaum. He, his mother, his brothers, and his disciples, and they did not stay there many days.

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Please bow with me in prayer as we seek God's face and his blessing within this hour of worship.

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Our Father and our great gracious Lord, we do thank you for your word this morning.

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Father, we thank you for the revelation that you have so wonderfully preserved down through the ages.

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Such a bloodstained book. Such a bloodstained book. It's all about yourself.

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It's all about your glory. It's all about your son Christ. So Lord, the story really is all centered in you.

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Even this wedding of Canaan. It's not about the couple here. It's not about necessarily the wedding here in Canaan, even though you chose it, to use it in your providence and time.

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Because your glory was manifested. But Father, we just pray that as we hear your word,

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Lord, Lord, that you would give us fresh fire from heaven. Open our understanding and open our ears that we may hear what the

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Spirit is saying to the church. Create, Lord, faith within us that only you can do as you turn the water into wine.

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Lord, create in us a new heart. A clean heart. Lord, give us faith because faith comes by hearing and hearing by your word.

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That faith within us that we may lay hold of Christ and as Christ has laid hold of us.

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So Lord, teach us your ways through your blessed Holy Spirit so that we may see

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Jesus and Him alone. Father, I pray, hide me behind the cross.

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May your word be proclaimed in power and truth. My prayer, Lord, is be exalted,

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O God, above the heavens and let your glory be above the earth. Satisfy us only in Jesus.

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Sanctify us in your truth this morning. And we'll be careful to give you all the glory and honor.

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And we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Verse 1 gives us the event.

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On the third day there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee. The mother of Jesus was there as we looked at last

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Lord's day. The marriage actually took place on the third day after Nathanael.

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Nathanael is also known as Bartholomew. After he had his encounter with Jesus.

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Verse 43 tells us this. Chapter 1. The following day

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Jesus wanted to go into Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, follow me. So we do not know exactly where Canaan was situated.

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It doesn't tell us the exact location. But we do get a hint from verse 12 of this chapter.

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That it was near Capernaum. And Capernaum was on a higher ground of elevation. At this wedding in Cana in Galilee.

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On this particular day, the third day. Which actually ends up to be the seventh day after the

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Sabbath. The mother of Jesus was there, Mary. Interesting to note that it was brought to my attention.

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Which I really appreciate that Joseph was not mentioned here. Joseph is not mentioned.

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Where is Joseph? Stalked by most commentators that he was already dead.

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In fact, most commentators that I have read on this subject. Including Alfred Ederschein.

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Which is a wonderful Jewish historian. Thinks that he had been dead for many years.

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Jesus being the older child had stayed home to take care of his family. Until the other children were old enough to go out on their own.

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So we see Jesus and his disciples attending the wedding at Canaan. Marriage was a very very joyful occasion.

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As it is for us. But it was a bigger deal in those days. And as Pastor John MacArthur says this.

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And I quoted a lengthy quote last week. But I want to give you a small quote from him today. Marriage, he says, is a condition of life designed by God.

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Ordained by God. Authenticated. And an open public covenant.

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It is the highest and noblest and best of all human relationships. No other human relationship is as wonderful as marriage.

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End quote. It's sad to say. Let's go on. He goes on in the lengthier part of that quote.

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But it's between a man and a woman. I have to say that very clearly today.

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Because the abomination that has been legalized in our country.

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That it's okay for two men to marry. And two women to marry. And we know that is absolutely an abomination to God.

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But God. And I tell people this all the time. They look at me and say, well I never thought of it this way. But I heard it years ago in my marriage and family class.

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In seminary. First time I heard it. By a wonderful teacher.

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But he said, God created Adam and Eve. Not Adam and Steve. And that's well put.

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But it is between one woman and one man. And Jesus is always the one that makes a marriage honorable.

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Because he's the one that is invited. Jesus is honored. He honored marriage. He demonstrated his approval.

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And he honored it in two ways. Number one. By attending the marriage.

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He comes to the marriage and he attends it. He attends the marriage feast. He wasn't a recluse.

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Like John the Baptist. So to speak. He loved to mingle in with people.

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Because he was there to reach people. But he came to seek and save the lost.

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So he mingled in with people. So he goes to this wedding here. And second.

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By meeting the urgent need of the bridegroom. As Jesus attended this wedding.

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So Jesus graced and blessed the marriage. Because he was called to the marriage feast.

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He was called there. Jesus has to be genuinely invited into a marriage before he can bless it.

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You know. And a Jewish wedding in those days was a very very big deal. A very big event.

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Let me give you some of the details here. That takes place in a wedding in the east.

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And the ceremony actually included three major events.

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Let me give you briefly these three major events that took place. At a marriage feast.

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The marriage feast and ceremony. Which were held on the same evening.

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Was the first thing. It was all held on the same evening. Second. There was the escort of the couple through the streets to their home.

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The procession usually took place at night. Flaming torches were used.

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And the longest route to the home was taken to attract more attention.

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And to allow the whole community to share within that joyful event. So the whole community was actually involved or shared within that wedding feast.

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Could you imagine that? Wherever you are located and we are located within this particular place.

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The whole community and surrounding place would invite and so many people would show up.

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Third. There was an open house event. Which lasted for an entire week.

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Could you imagine that? A Jewish wedding. Ceremony involved a large and long celebration.

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It was a big event. And let me give you a little footnote here. It wasn't the bride groom that would prepare and pay for it as it is in our culture.

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The groom had to pay for all of it. He was the one that was responsible and that has more of a biblical spiritual meaning.

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Doesn't it? Remember when Jesus says to his disciples. I go to prepare a place for you.

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And I will come again. He is actually telling his disciples. I am the groom.

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And you are the bride. And I am going to go prepare a place for you to live forever in eternity.

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He is the one that does it all. Has a biblical spiritual meaning. Doesn't it?

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So there was a happy festive spirit that swept through the entire community here.

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And surrounded the couple. All week long the couple would actually wear their wedding garments.

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You know here we do it only just for a few hours. The groom and the bride would wear their garments for an entire week.

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Before they changed. Robe and gown. And as they entertained all their guests.

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The whole community was expected to participate and celebrate within the couple.

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With the couple I am sorry. And their new found happiness as they entered into this marriage.

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So the wedding in those days were big big events. Verse 2 says now both

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Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding. Now if you think about that for a second.

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This suggests to us that Jesus and his disciples were invited because of Mary. There is a hint there.

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That more than likely it was Mary. And as we looked at last Lord's day. That Mary felt responsible when the wine ran out.

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So she is the one that is trying to do something. Her forwardness in asking

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Jesus to help when they ran out of wine. May indicate that she was in some way related to the family.

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Possibly holding the wedding. Look at verse 3. When they ran out of wine.

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The mother of Jesus said to him they have no wine. They have no wine.

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So here we have a problem. It was running out of wine at a wedding party.

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That was a big deal and it was a catastrophe. It was a crisis. Why? Because in those days and even today.

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Hospitality was a very big deal in the east. And was a sacred duty according to the

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Jewish culture. A wedding feast often lasted for an entire week as I said.

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And to run out of that much wine. To entertain the guest. At such an important event would have been really not only a catastrophe.

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In a crisis it was humiliating. It was humiliating for the bride and for the groom.

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So Mary informs Jesus of the problem. And I am sure he is aware of it.

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He is God right? But in the process of disturbing the male guest as I was reading this.

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It was interesting. I didn't think about this. But there was separation rooms in a wedding.

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You had the men in one room. And the females, the ladies in the other room.

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One commentator says this. By the name of commentator Williams. Comments that there is no indication that Mary enters into the public space of the main dining room.

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Where the men were feasting. Or that Jesus enters the private space of the women in which the bridegroom's house were.

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Though some transitional space near a door or a porch is most likely here.

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In the physical location for this private and discreet interaction.

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As well as for storing the water jars. Now that is interesting.

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I didn't think about that. But Mary comes to the Lord Jesus. And it is at a wedding here.

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And so you are thinking. She is not doing something dishonorable. So it had to be possibly like the commentator says.

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More than likely a location near the door or the porch. A very embarrassing situation if they ran out of wine.

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The whole community not having wine to drink is actually an important part of the wedding.

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Because this is how they make Mary. Nothing there about getting drunk.

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It is just a cultural thing. That wine is to be used.

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That is not fermented. But it is actually like in our day. Like very sweet pure grape juice.

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This is a very very big deal. Because it could have been very embarrassing to the bride and the groom.

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So Mary did not come to Jesus with a manner of just a minor inconvenience.

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She came with a serious crisis didn't she? Again the question arises.

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Why did Mary even go to Jesus at all? Did you ever think of that?

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Why did Mary go to Jesus? Well let's look at that. Jesus wanted to know that too.

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Woman he says in verse 4. Woman what does your concern have to do with me?

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My hour has not yet come. My hour has not yet come. Beloved think of this.

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I am sure she did not understand this. Notice how he addresses her woman.

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Let's look a little bit more into this. Alfred Erichson again. I got a quote from him. In his wonderful book

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Jesus the Messiah. I highly recommend you to read that. It's got some very good details.

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Because he is a Jewish historian. He asked the question this. How are we to understand the implied request of the mother of Jesus?

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And how his reply? And what was the meaning of the miracle? He says this.

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Although we have no absolute certainty of it. We have the strongest internal reasons for believing that Jesus had done no miracles these 30 years in the home of Nazareth.

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But lived the life of quiet submission and obedient waiting. That was the then part of his work.

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So we got good reason to believe right here. This is

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Jesus' very first miracle. Because all those years up until this point. There was no miracle.

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So really as Mary approaches the Lord. I don't believe that she is expecting him to do a miracle.

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We can believe that. Jesus' response to Mary is interesting.

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Is really very interesting. In verse 4 Jesus said to her woman. What does your concern have to do with me?

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And again I like to mention. The word term woman is not necessarily implied. He is not being rude.

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But it does have the effect of Jesus giving some distance to his mother. Because his public ministry is just beginning.

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And now he is concerned about his father's business. Not his mother's business. His business is the will of the father.

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The will of the father. A transition is actually taking place right here. And a very meaningful one.

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The reply of the Lord to his mother seems to be cold and distant to us. But it is not.

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It is not a strong rebuke as would seem to us.

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The word woman as we looked at last Lord's day. Is used here of a title of respect.

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Similar to the word ma 'am or lady. When the Lord asked to marry woman.

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What does your concern have to do with me? It means that we really have.

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What do we have in common? And the answer is implied right?

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Nothing. What do we have in common? Nothing. MacArthur notes here.

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Let me give you a quote from him. The phrase ask what is shared in common between the parties.

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Is the thrust of Jesus' comment. Was that he had entered into the purpose for his mission on earth.

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So that his subordination of all activities to the fulfillment of that mission.

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Mary had to recognize him. So that not so much as the son that she raised.

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But as the promised Messiah and the son of God. That's the importance here.

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That Jesus is the Messiah. Verse 5. His mother said to the servants.

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Whatever he says to you do it. Do it. Keep in mind that Jesus just told her.

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The answer to his question. As he questions her. What does your concern have to do with me?

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Nothing. Nothing. Jesus is commissioned to do the father's will. So he gives

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Mary the answer. My hour has not yet come. His hour.

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His hour. His hour was God the father's divine schedule. And his sovereignty.

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That was actually decreed before the foundation of the world. And this is what's so incredible. And this is.

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And of itself shows and proves that he is God in the flesh.

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This is decreed. This has already been decreed before the foundation of the world. It's the eternal decree of God.

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And what was that? Jesus Christ came to die. On a

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Roman cross. To become sin for us. That's the point. That's what really needs to be said.

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That's what is being said here. 2 Corinthians 5 .21 Paul says for he made him who knew no sin to be sin for us.

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That we might become the righteousness of God in him. And in eternity past Jesus Christ was slain before the foundation of the world.

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Would become history and time. And Christ our Passover as Paul says. His death. His burial.

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His resurrection. His exaltation. All together. This is his mission.

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And he's focused on this. And this is where his mission begins. Here in his public ministry.

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So that's why he is saying this to Mary. Even though Mary did not fully understand everything in detail.

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Or know the revelations that we know of. About his coming death. She did understand that Jesus was her

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Messiah. So in that sense we already as we looked at. He becomes.

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The relationship changes. It's not like as a mother that raised him. But now she becomes the believer to look to the

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Messiah. So even Mary needed a savior. That's why the teaching of Catholicism is so blasphemous.

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Because they actually worship Mary. She's a created being from God. She bore the

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Lord. She is honored. But she is not to be worshipped. We tell our

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Catholic friends that right? Nothing in scripture supports that. So she instructs the servants to do whatever he commands them.

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In verse 6 to 8 we see the resolution. The resolution. Now we reach the story's climax.

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Where Jesus' glory is revealed and a miracle is performed. The details that John includes are very important.

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Look at verse 6. Verse 6. Now there were set there six water pots of stone.

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According to the manner of the purification of the Jews. Containing 20 or 30 gallons apiece.

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Now these jars of stone were a symbol of Old Testament law and ritual. This is very important.

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There's a reason. Everything here has a purpose and a reason for us to understand.

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They were stone because it was believed that stone could not contract uncleanness.

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The uncleanness. Also this made them suitable to the ceremonial washing. These ceremonial washing jars were used by the

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Jews as they went into the worship of God. They were symbolically washed with water.

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Proclaiming their sinfulness as they have need for cleansing. As water always represents a need for cleansing.

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So in the story's context they represent the old ways of Jewish law. And a ritual that Jesus is about to change something here.

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A change is about to take place. This is wonderful.

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Everything that Jesus does points beyond just the mere facts of the story. We need to keep this in mind.

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So in other words, out with the old and in with the new. This is actually what's taking place.

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The water pot symbolizes this. And Jesus came not to destroy the law as the scripture says.

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But he came to fulfill the law. But a transition takes place and as you well know when Jesus died on the cross.

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God the Father tore the veil from top to bottom. And telling the world that there is a change that takes place here.

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No need to sacrifice all animals no more. Jesus is the one sacrifice once and for all.

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A change takes place. Out with the old in with the new. Jesus came not to destroy the law but to fulfill the law.

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A lot of people think here, yeah it means we throw out the law altogether. No, Paul said the law is good.

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It's holy. There's a purpose for the law. The law cannot save us.

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It only condemns us. But it does show us a need of a savior because it's holy.

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And it shines upon us because it shows us our sin.

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And as the law of God is preached and the beauty of God's holiness is expounded.

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It shows us we need to run to the cross for the remedy. That's the purpose of the law.

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We do not throw it out. That's why we still have the Old Testament. The 39 books. Christ has fulfilled it.

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But everything in the Old Testament points to Christ. Jesus is about to give us and show us our great need of a new birth.

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That we must be born again. That's the purpose of changing the water into wine.

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Wine symbolizes the new birth. The blood of Christ. Only the blood of Christ can bring us into the kingdom.

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A miracle was a parable. And miracles are parables. Always intended to instruct us, to guide us, to show us as a sermon to the eyes.

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A sermon to the eyes. And Spurgeon said this, whereas spoken sermons, discourses to the ear.

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But the sign always points to Christ. It's a sermon to the eyes.

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The sermon today, verbally, is to the ears. Now Jesus is going to give a sermon by demonstration.

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By changing the water into wine. Look at verse 7. Jesus said to them, fill the water pots with water.

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And they filled them up to the brim. Fill it to the brim, he says. Keep in mind that this water in these jars, these pots, were not for drinking.

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The water is for purification. Now if you read Mark 7 verses 3 and 4.

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You read that the Jews always would purify everything. Right? Everything.

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Everything. They would literally wash everything. Externally. They were big on the external washings.

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They would literally wash. And we would call them the OCDs of washing habits.

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And they would wash their hands, utensils, and their plates, and their pans, and the copper pots. Literally everything had to be washed and cleansed.

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But yet this is not about cleanliness, is it? It's about ritual. It's about ritual.

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Purification rites and rituals and ceremonies that they had developed. So the water, the

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H2O here, was literally used for that. Because people were going to be there and it was a custom.

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And they would go through ceremonial ritual washings before every single meal. So Jesus gives the instructions to fill the water pots to the brim.

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He said, fill them up. Now here's a practical lesson for us, beloved.

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The Lord used the facilities. He used the means that were available when

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He was about to perform this miracle. It kind of reminds me also when you go all the way to John chapter 11, what does

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Jesus instruct them to do at the gravesite of Lazarus? What does

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He say before He does the miracle? You remember? He says, remove the stone.

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He has them to remove the stone. Here He has them to fill the water pots.

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Don't you love that? There's a means. There's the lesson that He allowed the men, the servants, to provide the water pots and to fill them with the water.

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God is sovereign, but God does the miracle. God does what men cannot do.

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But He gives them the duty to do what they can do. There is a responsibility to us on our end, as it is said and commanded, that we are to go into all the world and preach the gospel, to make disciples.

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We are to do that. And as we do that, God does the miracle of new birth.

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God does the miracle. He does what we cannot do, but He allows the servants here to do what they can do.

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God does the impossibilities. And He makes sure that they know this.

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But most important, Jesus did what no man could ever do. He changes the water into wine.

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No man could do this. Only Jesus. He's the

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Messiah. It shows that He's the Son of the living God. So interesting, it was the servants here and not the disciples.

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Notice that. It wasn't the disciples necessarily that filled the vessels of water. It was the servants.

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So in this way, the Lord avoided the possibility of any change of trickery. That's the reason why

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He did not have the disciples to do it, because some people might have said, oh, the disciples somehow played a trick and changed that water into wine.

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And they said it was no miracle at all. He had the servants to do it. Also, the water pots were filled to the very brim so that no one could say that wine had been added to the water.

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Verse 8. He said to them, draw some out now. Take it to the master of the feast.

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The master of the feast is mentioned several times here. They took it. Who's the master of the feast?

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The master of the feast is like really the head waiter. He's the head waiter.

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He's the head chef. He's the man that is the main servant here.

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He tasted it, and he was amazed. He knew what good wine was.

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He knew what bad wine was. He was the guy in charge of arranging the tables and the food.

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It's like we hire somebody to orchestrate or be in charge of a wedding.

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He was the man that was in charge pretty much. He's the head waiter.

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He's the master of the feast. Verse 9. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, the scripture says, and did not know where it came from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew.

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The master of the feast called the bridegroom. Now right here, I'm going to give a small portion of time, and let me ask a very important question since wine is mentioned time and time again here.

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Let's talk about wine, okay? This is a very controversial issue among Christians, among evangelicals, and I know a lot of conservative, godly

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Christians that are okay with drinking wine. And let me ask the question, what should be our attitude as Christians toward wine today?

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That's a good question, isn't it? What should be our attitude toward wine?

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You know, because there's several scriptures that actually, it does not condemn the drinking of wine, such as Psalm 104 .15

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says this, And wine that makes glad the heart of man, oil to make his face shine, and bread which strengthens a man's heart.

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What about Proverbs 31 .6? It actually says, Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those who are bitter of heart.

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And actually, if you read the New Testament, I believe it was the

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Apostle Paul that says, Give a little wine for sickness. So, the drinking of wine is not condemned.

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What is condemned is the drunkenness of it. It's over -consumption. It's taking too much of it.

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Even Ecclesiastes 10 .19 says, A feast is made for laughter, and wine makes merry.

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But money answers everything. Now, a lot of people could take that out of context. The scripture tells us the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil, but here it says,

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For the feast, for laughter, wine makes merry. It makes a merry heart. So, the drinking of wine is not condemned.

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So, we are to use wine and not abuse wine, just like anything else that can become abused.

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It's not condemned. Do these verses concern wine, condone it?

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Does it condone drinking alcohol? Well, let me answer that question in this way.

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Regarding its use at the table, Christians ought to act prudently in moderation.

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In all situations, in all cultures, by the way, if you're in another culture, because there are some cultures that do drink wine, such as we drink water at a restaurant.

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Seeking before all, beloved, the one thing I would highly recommend for any

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Christians, and I wish this place was full to hear this, because so many people I've heard of down through the ages, and down through my years, has always tried to condone drinking alcohol beverages, and they always go to this, and I say, yes, the

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Lord does not condemn it, but the one thing I would ask them is, does the glory of the

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Lord, is the glory of God the most important thing to you? It's one of these gray areas, right?

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The glory of the Lord and not self -centered gratification of their own desires should not be in focus here.

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Never rejecting the good gifts of God, because it is a gift of God, we don't reject that, but the believers should always remember the warnings of Scripture that speak against drunkenness, that even drinking a little wine can cause a problem of addiction, and especially people that have been, that I know believers that have been delivered out of a terrible lifestyle of drinking and drunkenness, that it could be a temptation for them to drink a little in moderation.

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Next thing you know, they're back into slavery to it. That's a problem.

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You see this addressed in Romans 13, 13, Galatians 5, 21, Ephesians 5, 18, 1

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Peter 4, 3. So the Scriptures are very prevalent and very clear about this, against all lack of moderation in general, actually.

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So finally, the saints of God are saints of God. We need to remember that.

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We're separate from the world. We're in the world, but we're not of the world. We're to be a different breed of people. We're holy ones, we're separate from the world, but yet, we're to reach the world.

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And we're not to be legalistic and pharisaical. I always tell my good friends and brothers in Christ, always, never compromise the truth.

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And the truth stands firm. But let's be gracious about it. Let's have Christ -likeness and gentleness and grace, as the

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Scripture says. We're to give an answer to the hope. That's where we get the word apologetics.

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We are to give grace and an answer for the hope that's within us in a gracious way, in a loving way, in a gentle way.

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Not to beat people over the head. So, even though we are to refrain from such behavior that would cause someone else to stumble and sin, that's the point.

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And you see this in Romans 14. Go with me to Romans 14 very quickly. I like to just look at this very, very quickly since we're here at the topic of drinking wine.

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Look at verse 21 through 23. Very important.

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Actually, Paul is covering grounds here on Christian liberty in the right context.

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He says, It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine, notice, nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.

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Do you have faith, he says? Have it to yourself before God. Happy is he who does not condemn himself in what he approves, but he who doubts is condemned if he eats because he does not eat from faith.

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But whatever he is not, whatever is not of faith, from faith, is sin.

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He gets right to the point. So, what's here? It's a word on Christian liberty, actually, and even the strongest

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Christian can bring harm to himself in this area of Christian liberty by denouncing or belittling the freedom of God as given him, or even by being careless or flaunting his liberty without any regard to how he might affect others.

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You see this addressed also in 1 Corinthians 10, 22 to 32.

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So, really here, in essence, Paul is urging the strong believer to understand his liberty to enjoy it, there's nothing against that, and to keep it between God and himself.

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Now, in that, strong believers maintain a strong and clear conscience.

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Why? Why, I would ask. Because he's not allowing the weaker brother to stumble in sin.

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That is the seriousness of it there. It's to cause even a strong Christian can flaunt something that is a liberty and it becomes an abuse of it and he's causing a weaker brother to fall in sin.

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Verse 23, but he who doubts is condemned. Meaning, what does that mean? Well, it means when a weak brother violates his conscience and his sins.

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We as believers must maintain a clear conscience before God and men. I believe that is priceless.

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That is worth more, and we are to walk worthily of the vocation which the

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Lord has called us. To walk holy and worthily. Now, look back a few verses here, and before someone says something, well, if this is between God and yourself, what about that?

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Well, Scripture answers that too, because we need to be careful in the way we live only before God in secret.

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Right? That's important, because notice in verse 7, look at what he says in verse 7.

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For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the

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Lord. If we die, we die to the Lord. It's before the face of God.

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Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. Basically what

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Paul is saying, you've been bought with a price, you've been purchased by God, you've been redeemed, you belong to Him.

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You will give an account, and that's where he goes. Verse 9, For to this end

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Christ died, and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.

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In other words, He is the Lord over the both dead and the living. And then he says this in verse 10,

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But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother?

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And then he gives the answer, folks. For we shall all stand, no exception, not some, all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

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We're all going to give an account to God on the day of judgment for everything that we do.

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Even though we would not be condemned to hell, there's no condemnation to those in Christ Jesus.

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And I like the way Tozer put it. He says you're justified, but you're on probation. We don't hear that anymore, do we?

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Because preachers are so afraid of getting up and telling people about the judgment, they think that, well, I'm going to run people off and they don't want to hear me no more.

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I want to tell them good and nice things and I want to scratch their ears. But like Ravenhill says, I have no commission to scratch ears.

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Itching ears. For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

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He answers that in verse 11, For it is written, he goes to the scriptures in Isaiah, As I live, says the

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Lord, every knee shall bow to me, every tongue shall confess to God. And then he says in verse 12,

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So then, each of us shall give an account of himself to God. We're going to all stand before God Almighty and give an account for our life and the way we used it and the gifts that he's given and the time that he's given us and we're going to give an account for every gift that he has given to us and how we used it or abused it.

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Doesn't that kind of cause you to be more careful? Yes. And then he says this,

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Therefore let us not judge one another any more, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way.

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That's the point of that whole chapter. That's the major sin is abusing Christian liberty to cause another brother or sister to fall and stumble into sin.

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That's the seriousness of it. Now, let's go to this wine.

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So, properly, rightly dividing the word of truth and concerning wine, we need to remember this.

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Let's go back to the story. Verse 10. Verse 10, And he said to him,

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And this is the... Let me find my place here.

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This is the master of the feast. Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior, you have kept the good wine until now.

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In other words, apparently Jesus makes the best wine and he saves the best to last. It's a great meaning, isn't it?

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Jesus always saves the best to last. That's a great... That's a whole sermon, folks.

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That's a whole series of... You know, as hard as things are today, Jesus always saves the best to last.

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To assure this, it was unfermented wine, the very best tasting wine.

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It was almost like the kind of wine that comes out of the Garden of Eden before the curse even came.

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There's no telling... Some of the greatest wine testers could taste this and they said, this is the best ever wine.

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So, we have the testimony here of a creative miracle from Jesus in the mouth of people who have no stake in trying to prove anything about Jesus.

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Absolutely. Amazing. Look at verse 11. Shows us the purpose. Shows us the purpose.

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John comments here, this beginning of his signs, Jesus did in Cana in Galilee and he manifested his glory in his disciples.

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And they did what? You see what the text says? After his glory was manifested, what did they do?

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Believed in him. They believed in him. That's the purpose of the miracle.

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It's to bring them to believe in who he is. You know, so many people in the charismatic...

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I call them charismatic acts. In the charismatic act movement, they are so focused on the miracle and they miss the miracle worker.

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The one that is all about Jesus Christ and him crucified. Believed in him. Now, once again, we are seeing the purpose of the gospel of John.

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These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the anointed one, the son of God, and believing have eternal life in his name.

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That's the purpose. It's to believe in Christ. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the

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Lord shall be saved. And then it talks about, confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead.

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Believe in your heart unto righteousness. That's the scriptures. John 1 .14,

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We beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten father, full of grace and truth. Notice in verse 11 that the apostle

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John doesn't call this a miracle. Even though it is a miracle, what does he call it?

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He calls it a sign. He creates something out of nothing.

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He calls it a sign. What do signs do? Well, if you go out there and we drive, we see signs everywhere, don't we?

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Signs point to something. Signs always point to something or someone. It gives us direction.

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Right way, wrong way. Left way, right way. It's a sign. Well, actually,

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Jesus' first sign points to something very important here and it's very significant. And let me give you this. It speaks of a wedding and it's bigger than this wedding here.

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Maybe it has something to do with the truth that the Bible opens with a wedding in Genesis in chapter 2 and their book ends.

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And with the glorious wedding we find all the way to the end of the book of Revelation in chapter 19, there's a wedding.

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God is the one that instituted wedding and Jesus is going to have a wedding. Actually, the wedding theme runs all the way through the entire

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Bible and helps us to understand what is taking place here. So what was Jesus doing at the wedding?

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He was performing a sign. He was performing a miracle. And before that,

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He was just an invited guest. But what do you think

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He was thinking about? Did you ever think of that question? What is Jesus thinking about?

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Let's look at this. Have you ever been to a wedding yourself? Of course. I love weddings, don't you?

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They're joyful occasions and their focus is on something far greater than just the husband and the bride and the groom.

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It's focused on God, right? Because God is the one that instituted it. He's the one that was the first one that brought the woman after God took

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Adam into a deep sleep and He made a woman. Because He said it was not good for man to be alone.

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And He made this woman out of His flesh from man. And God is the one that actually brings her to Him.

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The Father. Bringing the woman to the man.

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God. It's God's idea, isn't it? Well, you know, you're probably thinking what was Jesus thinking in the future?

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In the future wedding maybe, but you wondered when it would come or it would ever come.

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What if Jesus was thinking about His wedding that day? Do you think that could be a possibility? I think that's a very good possibility.

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His wedding day with His bride. And what does that tell us about what

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He's doing here? Well, it has great significance. According to the Scripture, throughout the Old Testament, God refers to Himself as the bridegroom of His people.

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We see this in an example in Isaiah 62 and Hosea chapter 2 and Ezekiel 16 and Jeremiah chapter 2 and then throughout the

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New Testament it's referred to as the bridegroom in Matthew 5 and Luke 5 and Mark 2.

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Excuse me. Ephesians 5 and Revelation 21. The image of God and His people is the bridegroom.

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And the bride runs throughout the entire length of the Bible. Now think about this. Why was

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Jesus even there in that day of Canaan and Galilee? You know, it's providence. Providence of God that Jesus was there at this wedding.

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And it was a mission. And I believe it was a deliberate act of grace to save His people from their sins and to wed them to Himself.

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And all that was there when Jesus manifested His glory pointed to something far greater that's going to happen.

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Him being the bridegroom. John the Baptist even speaks of Him like that. That He rejoices and we're going to be moving into that in chapter 3.

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But Jesus performed the sign at this wedding not only because it was a tragedy and that a crisis took place to fix that tragedy, but more truly because it was a foretaste of the kind of wedding that was going to take place in the future, folks.

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In this glorious. He was thinking about His own wedding day with His bride.

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The church. The church. He was thinking about the wine of that day after the last drink at the last supper when

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He says, this wine represents what? My blood. My blood.

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When He would drink it anew again in the kingdom to come with His Father.

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And He's going to serve us. He was thinking about what it would cost Him and how much love on the cross

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He would give Himself up as a sacrifice as the Lamb of God offering in our place to wash away our horrible sin before God.

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He was always thinking about His death on Calvary's cross because that was why

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He came. And the reason He came because in that death He would purchase and redeem a bride.

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He would pay for that bride in redemption because they would belong to Him.

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Beloved, this was the thinking about the wedding supper of the Lamb here. Whereas the people of God would reign with Him throughout all eternity.

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And He was thinking about when He would come one day to restore the universe back because the curse had thrown it into a tailspin.

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And Jesus would do it all in His life and what He accomplished in His life and His perfect works and His perfect righteousness and on the cross.

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And that is called the active works of obedience and His perfect works of obedience.

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And set all things right. And in one day He would govern the world in righteousness and the government would be upon His shoulder and He would rule and reign on this earth.

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And holiness unto the Lord would be unto Him. And He would reign as King of kings and Lord of lords.

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And He would make His dwelling place with His people and He would wipe away all their tears from their eyes.

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And there would be no more sin and no more pain and no more sorrow and no more death ever again, ever again.

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Aren't you looking forward to that day? I am. He was thinking about a day when the bride would never break

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His heart because in Him they would now be perfect and glorified forever. Let me close with this.

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Now let me bring it right down to you. What does this mean for you? What does this mean for you?

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Well, if you're a believer in Jesus it means that that day in Canaan and Galilee Jesus was thinking about you.

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What did He do that day in Canaan? Well, in Galilee, because Jesus was doing this so that you might come to Him and receive

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Him in faith to put your trust in Him alone. In childlike trust and faith and humility and brokenness.

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And repent. And turn from our sins of all the great goodness that Christ has wrought through His death.

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He did something significant. What did He do? He changed the water into wine. You notice what

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I said? Change. What does that mean? That means He makes everything new.

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This is new wine. It represents new birth. Jesus says, unless you are born again.

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He says, truly, truly, I say unto you, unless you are born again you shall not enter into the kingdom of God.

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You shall not see the kingdom of God. He repeats Himself. He shall not see it or enter into it. We must be born again.

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And this right here represents the new birth. New joy. Everything is new.

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And Christ, doesn't Christ make everything new? Scripture says in 2 Corinthians 5, 17, if any man be in Christ he is a new creation.

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Old things have been passed away. Behold, I make all things new. Don't you love that?

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All things become new. He gives us a new mind. He gives us a new heart. He gives us new desires.

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He gives us everything new. And that means we don't love the world, folks. And the

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Bible says if we love the world the love of the Father is not in us. Our first love is

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Jesus Christ and Him alone. Oh, don't you love Him this morning. Jesus makes all things new.

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And here He made new wine. He brings regeneration. Not reformation. Even though we are constantly reforming in our sanctification.

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But when it comes to regeneration He makes everything brand new. That's what He told Nicodemus. He said, you gotta start all over,

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Nicodemus. Throw out all your religion. You need a relationship with me and you must be born again.

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He makes the end of the party better than the beginning of the party. In other words,

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He takes the tragedies and He turns it into triumphs. He takes the sorrow and turns it into joy.

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And how do we know this? How do we know this? And I'll close with this. I promise.

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John 16, 20. Listen to this very closely. John 16, 20. Jesus told

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His disciples about His coming death and He said this. Truly, truly. Amen, amen.

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I say to you, you will weep and lament. You will be sorrowful. But, but your sorrow will be turned into what?

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Joy. Celebration. How will their sorrow be turned into joy?

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Because on that cross of Calvary where Jesus would give

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Himself up as a sacrifice, as the Lamb of God for His people, He would lay

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His life down for His bride and His blood, His precious blood would become the wine that we partake of in communion with Him which reminds us of His great love for us.

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Isn't that wonderful? Isn't that wonderful? His precious blood would become the wine that sustains us and cleanses us and remakes us and renews us and that saves us until the day that we're with Him forever and ever and behold

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Him face to face in all glory. All glory to Him.

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And this is what it's about. All this miracle, this miracle is the signs, this beginning of the signs

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Jesus did in Canaan and Galilee and manifest His glory and His disciples believed in Him.

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Folks, we do not need to miss that. That's the purpose of the miracle is to believe in Him like we sung today.

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I know whom I have believed in and I'm persuaded that He's able to keep that which I've committed unto

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Him against that day. Hallelujah. Let's pray. Father, what a glorious day that it would be one day we could sit down at that great wedding feast supper in Your kingdom to behold the

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Lord Jesus Christ and to drink wine of the Father's kingdom. Oh, Father, we thank

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You for Your deep, deep, vast love that is so vast and so measureless beyond all measure and that You should give

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Your only Son to make a wretch Your treasure. Father, we thank

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You and we praise You and we love You, Lord. And we thank You for the great goodness that You have showed to us in Jesus Christ and the salvation that You have wrought for Your glory.

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Oh, how You love us, Lord. A love that is so deep and so profound and that You would even send

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Your Son to redeem us and to purchase us a bride to wash and cleanse us and purify us and please

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You in all that we do. Father, we thank You for Your Son.

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We thank You for the salvation that You have wrought in Your Son for the ultimate price by shedding

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His precious blood by giving this great love gift to us so that we can now be born again born anew, born from above by Your Holy Spirit.

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Knowing that, Lord, as the Scripture says, we were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver or gold or from an aimless conduct received by the tradition from our fathers but with the precious

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Lamb the precious blood of Christ as of a Lamb without blemish, without spot.

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He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of this world but was manifest in these last times for us.

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And through Him, believe in God. We believe in You who

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You raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory so that our faith and hope are in You, O Lord.

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So we thank You, we praise You for Your unspeakable gift the Lord Jesus Christ and we pray in His name in Jesus' name.