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Good morning my global “Walking with Jesus” friends;
The news continues to be frightening, from almost every city in the world, every world stock market, every society. I wonder how it is affecting YOU, personally, each of you my friends? I want you to know I am praying, and asking God to touch each of you and draw you to Himself in powerful ways…calming your troubled hearts and helping you know how to help your friends and families.
I’m happy to announce that to help us all stay in touch and share with each other what God is doing in our lives and our part of the world, a dear friend of mine has developed a “Walking with Jesus” facebook page! At the end of this page is the link:.
It’s intended just for all of us, to share what God’s doing in the places where we are living. May I urge you to join with us and let’s get a movement going as we encourage each other!!
Here’s another powerful word for these troubled times, today from Psalm 19. “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Day after day they pour forth speech, night after night they display His knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world.”
No matter where you are at any moment, anywhere on the face of this planet earth, if you can see the sky, you can see the fingerprint of God and His Majesty. Do you agree? Blue sky, clouds, sun by day, stars, moon, shooting stars by night. And of course the majesty of both sunrise and sunset! This Psalm says the sky speaks to us as we humans look up in amazement of God’s handiwork.
What does the sky say? GOD MADE IT ALL! God is majestic, glorious, creative, and very detailed in His creation. God makes it all function in perfect order. And therefore we can take hope that this same God understands all that is going on in our very confused world right now and if we will turn to Him, trust Him, repent of our rebellious way, invite Him into our chaos, He will respond by His power!
The rest of Psalm 19 shows us that God’s power is supreme, His creation works according to His control, His truth is reliable, and should be the guiding truth of our lives. When we reject God and His truth, we will find ourselves in chaos, societal dysfunction, floundering leadership, and eventually hopelessness! All the while, the sky by day and night invites us to recognize God’s Majesty, God’s Sovereign power and His readiness to help us! Look up and find confidence that Almighty God is still in control of this universe!
Finally, do you see the last verse of this great Psalm of hope? “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O LORD, my Rock and my Redeemer.” There is hope my friends! Your words and mine can be of great help and hope to the people all around us TODAY, in this frenzy of fear the Coronavirus is causing in the world.
Now let’s turn again to John’s Gospel in the New Testament, to continue following Jesus and His new friends, on the journey toward Easter. John chapter 2 is a story you may have heard before. As you can see John is continuing the story chronologically, for he says “On the third day a wedding took place in Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding.”
When it says ‘3rd day’, it means we’re following a story told by John. You see he uses “the next day” in vs. 29, 35 and 43, and now evidently we skip a couple of days and then the story continues. May I offer you this map again, so you can see WHERE this story is taking place? Do you see Cana, in the north, just west of the little lake in Galilee province?
Jewish weddings were big deals, then as they are now. In a small town like Cana, the entire town would be welcome. The young couple would have been engaged for more than a year, allowing plenty of time for the groom to prepare a place for his bride, and the community to watch their integrity as an engaged couple, making sure the young woman does not become pregnant. Finally the big week, which included the glorious wedding ceremony, and lots, and lots of celebration, for several days! There was always food and wine in abundance, for many people would come and spend a whole day or two in celebration. Some would travel a great distance and thus overnight with friends or even at the wedding house if need be!
In this case, as we see, Mary was invited, and we presume her whole family, which would include Jesus. Jesus was just beginning to have some followers, in particular the 5 men we have met in the past three days… Andrew, John, Simon Peter, Philip and Nathanael. While they are referred to here as Jesus’ ‘disciples’, in fairness, they’ve only just met him and begun spending time with him.
As you read this story, you find the unthinkable has happened. They’ve run out of their supply of wine at the wedding feast! Please don’t be troubled by the exchange of words between Mary and Jesus: “Jesus’ mother said to Him, ‘they have no more wine’. ‘Dear woman, why do you involve Me?’ Jesus replied, ‘My time has not yet come’. (John 2:3,4)
What do you hear in these words my friends? Do you hear a mother who believes her son could do something about this situation? Do you hear Jesus respecting His earthly mother, but at the same time re-aligning their relationship with the words “Dear woman“? What do you hear in Jesus’ words “My time has not yet come.”?
As we’ve discussed before, Jesus knew He had been sent to earth by God the Father on a specific mission… the Redemption of humanity, which would require His death! Jesus knew from the time He would begin to do public miracles, attitudes toward Him would change, crowds would grow, things would move forward very quickly. Jesus was cautious about not starting His public ministry too early. Timing was important. In order for Jesus to be fully understood as the Jewish Messiah, but also Savior for Gentiles and the world, Passover weekend would eventually be critical. Timing was important.
Do you notice what Mary said to those serving at the wedding feast? “Do whatever He tells you.” I just love that, don’t you? Can you see it happening? Jesus has just said it wasn’t His time yet. I can see Mary giving him a motherly hug, then turning to one of the servants and whispering… “just do whatever he tells you to do, it’s going to be alright.”
So let’s watch carefully what happens next…be careful friends, don’t stand too close you might get splashed with water! John writes next in vs. 6, “Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing… ‘Fill the jars with water,’ Jesus said…” Evidently Jesus’ heart was moved with compassion, and even though He had said it was not yet His time… Jesus decided to respond to the need of this wedding. As you read the rest of the story may I ask what strikes you most about this miracle, that Jesus performed that day?
Is it that Jesus turned ordinary water into excellent wine without a touch or a word, and in a moment of time? Do you know how long it normally takes to make really excellent wine? Are you amazed by the fact that the water-wine Jesus made was better than the store-bought wine the wedding had purchased? Does the amount of wine Jesus made amaze you?
Stand there among the people at the wedding, watch it happen… and watch the response. How do you explain it my friends? What does it mean about Jesus and His miraculous abilities? What does it mean about Jesus’ compassion and care for the people in this situation? What does it mean for you and me, 2000 years later, and Jesus’ full awareness of our needs today, and His abilities to meet those needs?
Let’s get specific and personal. Do you believe Jesus understands the Coronavirus, COVID-19? Does Jesus know its source, and what could kill it? Of course He does! Do you suppose there are some scientists right now working on an antidote who are praying as they work, asking God to give them divine guidance and insight so they can discover what God will show them and find a cure?
Notice, in closing, the last line of this story…“This the first of His miraculous signs Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory and His disciples put their faith in Him.” (John 2:11) We’re standing at another ‘defining moment’. 5 ordinary guys, Andrew, Simon Peter, John, Philip and Nathanael, have just witnessed something illogical, something beyond explanation. Water is poured into stone jars and then dipped out as wonderful wine a few moments later! Why did Jesus do it?
Jesus had given them a brief glimpse of His greatness, His divine glory! For five men who are just beginning their relationship with Jesus, they each took a first major step of faith, believing this Jesus just might be who John the Baptist declared Him to be... “The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world…the Son of God.”
And who do you say Jesus is my friend? And what miracles has He done in your life? Do you need a miracle today? Is He capable? Does God understand your need? Do you trust Him enough to ask Him to do a miracle in your situation?
Oh Lord Jesus Christ, we praise You today and we do declare that You are a miracle working God! What miracles do You see that we need in our lives today? Jesus, do you see we have faith big enough?
Click to read today’s chapter: John 2. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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