John 5:31-45
In the short story "The Emporer's New Clothes", written by Hans Christian Andersen, two weaver's lead the emporer to believe that they can weave clothing invisible to those who are unfit for thier positions. The emporer likes this idea - those he should be rid of will be revealed. The weavers set to work and in time present their "suit" to the emporer. He looks in the mirror, but lo and behold - the clothing is invisible to him! Afraid to say anything, because he would be revealed as unfit, he parades about in his "new clothes". Those in his court praise the garments that they too are unable to see. It takes a child to declare the truth - the Emporer is indeed naked!
The praise of man might flatter the the one being praised, but it isn't always truth. We hear this person or that being lauded by the media one day - only to have the naked truth of a scandalous life revealed the next.
No wonder Jesus put little value on the praise of men. He knew the heart motives behind that praise. The religious leaders He is speaking to in this Scripture, "accepted praise from one another", but did not have the love of God in their hearts. They refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah God had promised to send them. They chose to praise man, rather than believe the truth staring them in the face.
There is One worthy of our praise - and He is the only one whose praise is worth seeking. Jesus rebukes the religious leaders for making "no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God." To confess Christ may have brought them disgrace, loss of income or position. Praising the men that were ready to kill Christ would allow them to maintain all they held dear in life - even if these men were wrong.
How can we obtain the praise that comes from God? God is pleased when we acknowledge the true state of our lives - we are sinners; and believe that He has provided forgiveness and restoration to Him through Jesus Christ, His Son.
Are we willing to be like the child in the story who confesses the truth? Or will we lie to ourselves for the sake of life's comfort? Jesus gives us the choice.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Monday, November 28, 2011
So Right - But Wrong!
John 5:16-30
Have you ever been so very sure that you are right - only to find out you are completely wrong? Sometimes you don't find out right away. You may go along upset at the individual who challenged you for days or weeks, then one day something is revealed to you, and there it is - you were wrong!
The men who became leaders in the Jewish religion studied the Scriptures devotedly; yet, they did not recognize the Messiah when He was standing among them. The Scriptures revealed Him, John the Baptist proclaimed Him, God testified that Jesus was His Son, and Jesus Himself confessed that He and the Father were One. The leaders remained unconvinced.
They were ready to kill Jesus for breaking the Sabbath - death was the proper penalty according to the Scripture (see Exodus 35:2). However, as Jesus pointed out, God was always at His work. We can see this to be true. People are born and die on the Sabbath. The crops continue to grow, rain falls, the sun shines. If the leaders did not see Jesus as Emmanuel, God with us, then we can understand why they believed Jesus was guilty of breaking the law.
In the verses following we find Jesus patiently teaching the men that persecuted and wanted to kill Him. He is giving them instruction on how they can find eternal life. They believe this comes from following the law. Jesus will tell them, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
Eventually we all must decide what we believe about Jesus Christ. We can choose to deny that He is the Messiah. For each one who is so very sure that Christ is not who He claimed to be, a day of revelation is coming. One of those days when suddenly you realize how very wrong you were! "...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11)
Have you ever been so very sure that you are right - only to find out you are completely wrong? Sometimes you don't find out right away. You may go along upset at the individual who challenged you for days or weeks, then one day something is revealed to you, and there it is - you were wrong!
The men who became leaders in the Jewish religion studied the Scriptures devotedly; yet, they did not recognize the Messiah when He was standing among them. The Scriptures revealed Him, John the Baptist proclaimed Him, God testified that Jesus was His Son, and Jesus Himself confessed that He and the Father were One. The leaders remained unconvinced.
They were ready to kill Jesus for breaking the Sabbath - death was the proper penalty according to the Scripture (see Exodus 35:2). However, as Jesus pointed out, God was always at His work. We can see this to be true. People are born and die on the Sabbath. The crops continue to grow, rain falls, the sun shines. If the leaders did not see Jesus as Emmanuel, God with us, then we can understand why they believed Jesus was guilty of breaking the law.
In the verses following we find Jesus patiently teaching the men that persecuted and wanted to kill Him. He is giving them instruction on how they can find eternal life. They believe this comes from following the law. Jesus will tell them, "I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life."
Eventually we all must decide what we believe about Jesus Christ. We can choose to deny that He is the Messiah. For each one who is so very sure that Christ is not who He claimed to be, a day of revelation is coming. One of those days when suddenly you realize how very wrong you were! "...that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:10-11)
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
A Law of Compassion
John 5:7-15
Does the man at the pool want to get well?
He doesn't ever answer the question from John 5:6! Instead, he explains why he isn't well yet. No one will carry him to the pool. Others get in front of him when he tries to get there. He's tried, and failed. Getting well is out of his control.
The man is where he needs to be in order to get well, he has tried to get well, and Jesus sees his feeble attempts as the answer. Yes, he wants to get well. Jesus tells him to, "Pick up your mat and walk." The man obeyed.
Imagine for a moment, having lived as an invalid for 38 years, that you are suddenly able to carry the mat you've been lying on and walk. The excitement and freedom you feel is overwhelming! The people you know are stunned by the miracle Christ has performed in your life. Or maybe not...
Hours after I made the decision to follow Christ, the phone rang. The caller proceeded to ridicule the profession of faith in Jesus I had just made that morning. The excitement I'd felt over the miracle Christ had perfomed in my life diminished a tiny bit. Perhaps that's how the invalid felt when he was stopped by the religious leaders for carrying his mat on the Sabbath.
The law being referred to in thier statement, "...the law forbids you to carry your mat." is found in Exodus 20:8. It states, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work..."
Should we obey the commandments that God has given us? Yes, we should. Was Jesus aware of this command when he told the man to carry his mat? Of course. Was it work to heal the invalid? According to the Jewish religious leaders it was. But Jesus advocates acts of compassion on the Sabbath, and reminds these leaders of thier own infraction of this law in Luke 13:15 when he states, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?"
The man, no longer an invalid, was asked the name of the one that healed him, and he didn't know. Later, Jesus finds the man at the temple and warns him to, "Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you." Something worse than being an invalid for 38 years. Sin can cause us to lose our freedom, our health, our peace of mind. Sin can separate us from God eternally.
Jesus cared about the man's physical condition and healed him. He also cared about the man's spiritual condition and took time to find him at the temple and give him instruction.
Obedience to the law is important, but Christ teaches us to temper how we follow the law with compassion.
Does the man at the pool want to get well?
He doesn't ever answer the question from John 5:6! Instead, he explains why he isn't well yet. No one will carry him to the pool. Others get in front of him when he tries to get there. He's tried, and failed. Getting well is out of his control.
The man is where he needs to be in order to get well, he has tried to get well, and Jesus sees his feeble attempts as the answer. Yes, he wants to get well. Jesus tells him to, "Pick up your mat and walk." The man obeyed.
Imagine for a moment, having lived as an invalid for 38 years, that you are suddenly able to carry the mat you've been lying on and walk. The excitement and freedom you feel is overwhelming! The people you know are stunned by the miracle Christ has performed in your life. Or maybe not...
Hours after I made the decision to follow Christ, the phone rang. The caller proceeded to ridicule the profession of faith in Jesus I had just made that morning. The excitement I'd felt over the miracle Christ had perfomed in my life diminished a tiny bit. Perhaps that's how the invalid felt when he was stopped by the religious leaders for carrying his mat on the Sabbath.
The law being referred to in thier statement, "...the law forbids you to carry your mat." is found in Exodus 20:8. It states, "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work..."
Should we obey the commandments that God has given us? Yes, we should. Was Jesus aware of this command when he told the man to carry his mat? Of course. Was it work to heal the invalid? According to the Jewish religious leaders it was. But Jesus advocates acts of compassion on the Sabbath, and reminds these leaders of thier own infraction of this law in Luke 13:15 when he states, "You hypocrites! Doesn't each of you on the Sabbath untie his ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water?"
The man, no longer an invalid, was asked the name of the one that healed him, and he didn't know. Later, Jesus finds the man at the temple and warns him to, "Stop sinning, or something worse may happen to you." Something worse than being an invalid for 38 years. Sin can cause us to lose our freedom, our health, our peace of mind. Sin can separate us from God eternally.
Jesus cared about the man's physical condition and healed him. He also cared about the man's spiritual condition and took time to find him at the temple and give him instruction.
Obedience to the law is important, but Christ teaches us to temper how we follow the law with compassion.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Do You Want to Get Well?
John 5:1-6
Hot Springs, Arkansas - for many years the destination of those seeking the curative powers of the mineral rich, thermal springs found there. In today's Scripture we see a pool in Jerusalem that was credited with healing powers. As the infirm have flocked to Hot Springs, in Jesus' day this pool in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate was filled with disabled people waiting for an opportunity to be healed by the water.
Out of a great number laying in the area Jesus notices one in particular. He makes inquiries about this one, and finds he's been disabled for 38 years. He walks up and asks the invalid, "Do you want to get well?"
The lame, blind and paralyzed are lying all around him. He's been here waiting in the only place he knows to offer healing for someone in his condition. Over time he may have witnessed one or another taken to the water, their life changed when a healing occurred. It's a place of hope for him, but after 38 years, he's most likely come to the conclusion that healing will never come about. Then a stranger walks up and asks, "Do you want to get well?"
For many years I attended church. I was in the right place to hear about the healing power Christ possesses, a place of hope for the spiritual invalid. One Sunday morning as I sat in the pew, people all around, it was as if Jesus singled me out and asked, "Do you want to get well?
Did I want to get well?
I could stay right where I was - comfortable in the sinful life I'd grown callous to, or I could choose to be healed. That's what Jesus offers each of us- healing in the form of forgiveness for the sin that keeps us blind, lame, and paralyzed. An opportunity for a new life filled with His presence. I chose to get well!
You also have a choice. "Do you want to get well?"
"...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10
Hot Springs, Arkansas - for many years the destination of those seeking the curative powers of the mineral rich, thermal springs found there. In today's Scripture we see a pool in Jerusalem that was credited with healing powers. As the infirm have flocked to Hot Springs, in Jesus' day this pool in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate was filled with disabled people waiting for an opportunity to be healed by the water.
Out of a great number laying in the area Jesus notices one in particular. He makes inquiries about this one, and finds he's been disabled for 38 years. He walks up and asks the invalid, "Do you want to get well?"
The lame, blind and paralyzed are lying all around him. He's been here waiting in the only place he knows to offer healing for someone in his condition. Over time he may have witnessed one or another taken to the water, their life changed when a healing occurred. It's a place of hope for him, but after 38 years, he's most likely come to the conclusion that healing will never come about. Then a stranger walks up and asks, "Do you want to get well?"
For many years I attended church. I was in the right place to hear about the healing power Christ possesses, a place of hope for the spiritual invalid. One Sunday morning as I sat in the pew, people all around, it was as if Jesus singled me out and asked, "Do you want to get well?
Did I want to get well?
I could stay right where I was - comfortable in the sinful life I'd grown callous to, or I could choose to be healed. That's what Jesus offers each of us- healing in the form of forgiveness for the sin that keeps us blind, lame, and paralyzed. An opportunity for a new life filled with His presence. I chose to get well!
You also have a choice. "Do you want to get well?"
"...I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10
Thursday, November 17, 2011
See It to Believe It
John 4: 43-54
Did Jesus answer my prayer, or was it my own hard work that landed the promotion? Is my friend feeling better because God intervened, or did the doctor coincidentally find the cure? When I was kind to a person who'd hurt me, was it the result of God leading me to forgive, or my own self-control?
Jesus was welcomed back to Galilee after many had seen all He'd done in Jerusalem at Passover. Immediately a royal official comes to Jesus begging for his son's healing, the son was near death. "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe", Jesus states in John 4:48. He knew their hearts. They weren't going to believe the Scriptures, or His testimony, but the miracles they could see brought them to believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
Jesus heals the official's son without seeing him. "You may go. Your son will live." , He tells the man. While the man is still making his way home, servants meet him with the news that his son was living. When he asks the servants what time his son got better, he can see that it was at the exact time that Jesus had told him, "Your son will live." The man and all his household believe.
Daily we bring our requests before Jesus. It's the best place to bring them. Just look at the royal official's son - Jesus was able to heal him without even making a house call. The things that we might call coincidence, hard work, self-control are really present day miracles. God listens to our prayers, and, as He alone knows the end from the beginning, answers them in love with the very best answers. No coincidence - a loving Hand. We may work hard - but who gave us health and opportunity to work? And self-control flies out the window when it really is our self in control and not the presence of God's Holy Spirit leading us!
Jesus knew the people had to see miracles to believe. May He open our eyes to the miracles He performs in our life each day to strengthen our belief!
Did Jesus answer my prayer, or was it my own hard work that landed the promotion? Is my friend feeling better because God intervened, or did the doctor coincidentally find the cure? When I was kind to a person who'd hurt me, was it the result of God leading me to forgive, or my own self-control?
Jesus was welcomed back to Galilee after many had seen all He'd done in Jerusalem at Passover. Immediately a royal official comes to Jesus begging for his son's healing, the son was near death. "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe", Jesus states in John 4:48. He knew their hearts. They weren't going to believe the Scriptures, or His testimony, but the miracles they could see brought them to believe that Jesus was the Messiah.
Jesus heals the official's son without seeing him. "You may go. Your son will live." , He tells the man. While the man is still making his way home, servants meet him with the news that his son was living. When he asks the servants what time his son got better, he can see that it was at the exact time that Jesus had told him, "Your son will live." The man and all his household believe.
Daily we bring our requests before Jesus. It's the best place to bring them. Just look at the royal official's son - Jesus was able to heal him without even making a house call. The things that we might call coincidence, hard work, self-control are really present day miracles. God listens to our prayers, and, as He alone knows the end from the beginning, answers them in love with the very best answers. No coincidence - a loving Hand. We may work hard - but who gave us health and opportunity to work? And self-control flies out the window when it really is our self in control and not the presence of God's Holy Spirit leading us!
Jesus knew the people had to see miracles to believe. May He open our eyes to the miracles He performs in our life each day to strengthen our belief!
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Basic Needs
John 4:27-42
We need food, water, shelter and clothing. Basic needs to sustain human life. So we get up in the morning and start working to provide for those needs. Perhaps you are also providing for other's needs to be met. Throw in the things you want besides your needs and it gets more complicated, requires more work. Sometimes we get to a point where our lives are consumed by work.
Jesus' disciples are concerned about Jesus need for food and urge Him to, "...eat something." in John 4:31. The Samaritan woman wonders how Jesus will drink from the well, "...you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep." Physical needs that must be attended to. In both situations, though, Jesus is not concerned with the physical. In the case of the Samaritan woman He talks about living water that comes from a "spring of water welling up to eternal life." Jesus answers His disciples concern over food with, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about....My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work."
Yes, meeting physical needs is important. God provided everything man needed in the Garden of Eden. It was sin that turned meeting those needs into a burden. "To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it', "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground,..." Genesis 3:17-19. From that point onward we would toil and sweat for sustenance.
Meeting spiritual needs was the reason Jesus came. We're focused on the physical. He knows that, and uses those needs to reveal our deeper need. our need for Him, and the abundant life He alone provides. We worry about the physical, but He tells us,"...do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25)
Jesus revealed Himself as Messiah to the Samaritan woman. Her response was to leave her water jar and tell the people in town to come and see. The people came, listened to Jesus and many believed.
Yes, there was still water to draw each day for the needs of her household. But can you imagine for a moment, how the woman viewed the well from that day forward? Perhaps the task became less of a burden, and the well a place of praise and thanksgiving for the day she met the Living Water there!
We need food, water, shelter and clothing. Basic needs to sustain human life. So we get up in the morning and start working to provide for those needs. Perhaps you are also providing for other's needs to be met. Throw in the things you want besides your needs and it gets more complicated, requires more work. Sometimes we get to a point where our lives are consumed by work.
Jesus' disciples are concerned about Jesus need for food and urge Him to, "...eat something." in John 4:31. The Samaritan woman wonders how Jesus will drink from the well, "...you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep." Physical needs that must be attended to. In both situations, though, Jesus is not concerned with the physical. In the case of the Samaritan woman He talks about living water that comes from a "spring of water welling up to eternal life." Jesus answers His disciples concern over food with, "I have food to eat that you know nothing about....My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work."
Yes, meeting physical needs is important. God provided everything man needed in the Garden of Eden. It was sin that turned meeting those needs into a burden. "To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it', "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground,..." Genesis 3:17-19. From that point onward we would toil and sweat for sustenance.
Meeting spiritual needs was the reason Jesus came. We're focused on the physical. He knows that, and uses those needs to reveal our deeper need. our need for Him, and the abundant life He alone provides. We worry about the physical, but He tells us,"...do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?" (Matthew 6:25)
Jesus revealed Himself as Messiah to the Samaritan woman. Her response was to leave her water jar and tell the people in town to come and see. The people came, listened to Jesus and many believed.
Yes, there was still water to draw each day for the needs of her household. But can you imagine for a moment, how the woman viewed the well from that day forward? Perhaps the task became less of a burden, and the well a place of praise and thanksgiving for the day she met the Living Water there!
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Exposed!
John 4: 16-26
How easy it is to agree with a sermon that tells us how to meet our physical needs, or gives us a list of rights and wrongs we have no trouble following. It becomes much harder when the sermon reveals sin in our lives, exposing personal rebellion against God's will for us.
The great King David listened carefully to a story of an offense told to him by Nathan the prophet. The story is found in 2 Samuel 12:1-13 and goes like this: There's a rich man with a lot of livestock, and a poor man with one little lamb. The lamb was dear to the poor man. A traveler comes to the rich man, and instead of feeding him from his flock, he goes and takes the poor man's lamb. David is outraged by what this rich man has done to the poor man, and declares, "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." Nathan answers him, "You are the man!" Nathan has just exposed David's sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah the Hittite, the whole story can be found in 2 Samuel 11. Until Nathan pointed out David's sin, it was easy for him to listen to the story - and even feel righteous anger towards the rich man!
Our Samaritan woman was enjoying her conversation with Jesus. The living water He spoke of was just what she needed to end the drudge of water hauling; so she asks Him to give it to her. And He replies, "Go call your husband and come back." In that sentence she is exposed.
Jesus knows everything about her. Though she will reply that she has no husband, Jesus knew the truth. The man she was now living with was not her husband, and she's had five previous husbands.What she tells Him is the truth, but it doesn't honestly reveal her situation.
She changes the subject to religious obedience - where should she be worshipping? Jesus tells her of a time that's coming when the place won't be an issue. Instead, "...true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit, and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
The woman admits to knowing that, "Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us." Isn't that exactly what Jesus was doing out there by the well? He knows her burden, He knows her physical need, He knows her sin, and most of all He knows her spiritual need.
She needs the Messiah - and Jesus declares to her, "I who speak to you am He."
We may be able to hide our sin from those around us, and even become outraged at someone else's sin. But Jesus knows us inside and out. He's not put off by our feeble attempts to cover up. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
Like the Samaritan woman, we all need the Messiah!
How easy it is to agree with a sermon that tells us how to meet our physical needs, or gives us a list of rights and wrongs we have no trouble following. It becomes much harder when the sermon reveals sin in our lives, exposing personal rebellion against God's will for us.
The great King David listened carefully to a story of an offense told to him by Nathan the prophet. The story is found in 2 Samuel 12:1-13 and goes like this: There's a rich man with a lot of livestock, and a poor man with one little lamb. The lamb was dear to the poor man. A traveler comes to the rich man, and instead of feeding him from his flock, he goes and takes the poor man's lamb. David is outraged by what this rich man has done to the poor man, and declares, "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." Nathan answers him, "You are the man!" Nathan has just exposed David's sin of adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah the Hittite, the whole story can be found in 2 Samuel 11. Until Nathan pointed out David's sin, it was easy for him to listen to the story - and even feel righteous anger towards the rich man!
Our Samaritan woman was enjoying her conversation with Jesus. The living water He spoke of was just what she needed to end the drudge of water hauling; so she asks Him to give it to her. And He replies, "Go call your husband and come back." In that sentence she is exposed.
Jesus knows everything about her. Though she will reply that she has no husband, Jesus knew the truth. The man she was now living with was not her husband, and she's had five previous husbands.What she tells Him is the truth, but it doesn't honestly reveal her situation.
She changes the subject to religious obedience - where should she be worshipping? Jesus tells her of a time that's coming when the place won't be an issue. Instead, "...true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit, and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth."
The woman admits to knowing that, "Messiah (called Christ) is coming. When He comes, He will explain everything to us." Isn't that exactly what Jesus was doing out there by the well? He knows her burden, He knows her physical need, He knows her sin, and most of all He knows her spiritual need.
She needs the Messiah - and Jesus declares to her, "I who speak to you am He."
We may be able to hide our sin from those around us, and even become outraged at someone else's sin. But Jesus knows us inside and out. He's not put off by our feeble attempts to cover up. "But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8)
Like the Samaritan woman, we all need the Messiah!
Monday, November 14, 2011
Need Water?
John 4:10-15
Turn on the faucet at your kitchen sink - water splashes out to wash your hands, fill a cooking pot, or get a drink. The effort required to accomplish this task? Just a flick of the wrist.
My grandmother lived in a home with an old well. There was a pump standing off the back porch. You would place a bucket under the pump spigot and raise and lower the handle until the bucket was filled with water, then carry the bucket - now heavy with water - to the kitchen. A lot more effort required to perform the same tasks!
Both scenarios look easy compared to the effort required for the Samaritan woman to provide water for her household. She needed a jar or bucket that could be lowered into the well, filled with water, pulled back up, then carried to her home. However heavy the vessel was, it was much heavier on the return trip. The task would be completed day in and day out.
Jesus met this woman as she went about the business of getting water. He surprised her by asking for a drink, and now tells her that He can give her living water, the kind that satisfies once and for all, and becomes a "spring of water, welling up to eternal life."
The woman is practical, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?" She understands Him to offer physical water - the kind she hauls out of the well daily. From the same well that Jacob, one of the Patriarchs, had drank from. She asks Jesus if He is "greater than our father Jacob"? You can almost see the puzzled expression on her face as she tries to figure out who Jesus is, and how she can get this "living water".
Jesus knew what the woman needed, to believe in Him as her Messiah. The life giving water He referred to was the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that would satisfy her spiritual thirst as she was filled with God's presence in her life.
The woman responds immediately to having her physical need of water supplied, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." She's tired of the heavy burden of carrying her own water.
We can relate. Everyone has burdens and hardships in life. We may wish God would take them all away and give us something that would satisfy our needs once and for all. It may be restored health, a million dollars, a healed relationship - or water that runs from a faucet. Any of those things are great! But God knows the real thirst we have is one that can only be satisfied by Him, through a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ!
"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified."
John 7:37-39
Turn on the faucet at your kitchen sink - water splashes out to wash your hands, fill a cooking pot, or get a drink. The effort required to accomplish this task? Just a flick of the wrist.
My grandmother lived in a home with an old well. There was a pump standing off the back porch. You would place a bucket under the pump spigot and raise and lower the handle until the bucket was filled with water, then carry the bucket - now heavy with water - to the kitchen. A lot more effort required to perform the same tasks!
Both scenarios look easy compared to the effort required for the Samaritan woman to provide water for her household. She needed a jar or bucket that could be lowered into the well, filled with water, pulled back up, then carried to her home. However heavy the vessel was, it was much heavier on the return trip. The task would be completed day in and day out.
Jesus met this woman as she went about the business of getting water. He surprised her by asking for a drink, and now tells her that He can give her living water, the kind that satisfies once and for all, and becomes a "spring of water, welling up to eternal life."
The woman is practical, "Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water?" She understands Him to offer physical water - the kind she hauls out of the well daily. From the same well that Jacob, one of the Patriarchs, had drank from. She asks Jesus if He is "greater than our father Jacob"? You can almost see the puzzled expression on her face as she tries to figure out who Jesus is, and how she can get this "living water".
Jesus knew what the woman needed, to believe in Him as her Messiah. The life giving water He referred to was the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that would satisfy her spiritual thirst as she was filled with God's presence in her life.
The woman responds immediately to having her physical need of water supplied, "Sir, give me this water so that I won't get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water." She's tired of the heavy burden of carrying her own water.
We can relate. Everyone has burdens and hardships in life. We may wish God would take them all away and give us something that would satisfy our needs once and for all. It may be restored health, a million dollars, a healed relationship - or water that runs from a faucet. Any of those things are great! But God knows the real thirst we have is one that can only be satisfied by Him, through a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ!
"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this He meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified."
John 7:37-39
Friday, November 11, 2011
Avoiding Someone?
John 4:1-9
A friend and I were talking about avoiding people the other day. You know who I mean - the ones that stop you as you are trying to dash in and out of the grocery store, and start a long conversation. So you see them and quickly head on to the next aisle. Or you don't pick up the phone when you see thier number. Sometimes you even drop stuff at thier doorstep, then call to say it's there - the "drop and run", I think she called it, and we had a good laugh - because I had recently found something from her on my front porch!
In today's Scripture Jesus leaves Judea and is on His way back to Galilee, which would take Him through Samaria on the direct route. I've read that the Jews had a way to travel all the way around Samaria, even though it took longer, just to avoid the desipised Samaritans. But look at John 4:4, "Now He had to go through Samaria." He had to. Even though He knew the way around.
At around noon He is tired and sits down by Jacob's well in the town of Sychar. A Samaritan woman appears - she needs to draw water out of the well. Imagine her surprise at finding a Jewish man sitting there. Then He asks her for a drink. "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can You ask me for a drink?", she replies. A Jewish man in Samaria willing to speak to a Samaritan woman. Unheard of!
Jesus had to go to through Samaria on His way to Galilee because there was this Samaritan woman He needed to spend some time with. He already knew that she would have questions about religion, the men in her life, and water. It was going to take time to answer those questions, and if He would've taken the path around Samaria He could've avoided the long conversation. The kind my friend and I were talking about avoiding.
The result of His conversation - the conversion of many Samaritans who now believed in Him because of the woman's testimony. (See John 4:39)
What if I, instead of looking at those long conversations as an interruption, saw them as an opportunity to share the love of Christ? That trip to the grocery store takes on a whole new meaning!
Jesus was never too busy too busy to spend time with people, no task I have could ever pass as an excuse for not doing the same. " A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master." Matthew 10:24
A friend and I were talking about avoiding people the other day. You know who I mean - the ones that stop you as you are trying to dash in and out of the grocery store, and start a long conversation. So you see them and quickly head on to the next aisle. Or you don't pick up the phone when you see thier number. Sometimes you even drop stuff at thier doorstep, then call to say it's there - the "drop and run", I think she called it, and we had a good laugh - because I had recently found something from her on my front porch!
In today's Scripture Jesus leaves Judea and is on His way back to Galilee, which would take Him through Samaria on the direct route. I've read that the Jews had a way to travel all the way around Samaria, even though it took longer, just to avoid the desipised Samaritans. But look at John 4:4, "Now He had to go through Samaria." He had to. Even though He knew the way around.
At around noon He is tired and sits down by Jacob's well in the town of Sychar. A Samaritan woman appears - she needs to draw water out of the well. Imagine her surprise at finding a Jewish man sitting there. Then He asks her for a drink. "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can You ask me for a drink?", she replies. A Jewish man in Samaria willing to speak to a Samaritan woman. Unheard of!
Jesus had to go to through Samaria on His way to Galilee because there was this Samaritan woman He needed to spend some time with. He already knew that she would have questions about religion, the men in her life, and water. It was going to take time to answer those questions, and if He would've taken the path around Samaria He could've avoided the long conversation. The kind my friend and I were talking about avoiding.
The result of His conversation - the conversion of many Samaritans who now believed in Him because of the woman's testimony. (See John 4:39)
What if I, instead of looking at those long conversations as an interruption, saw them as an opportunity to share the love of Christ? That trip to the grocery store takes on a whole new meaning!
Jesus was never too busy too busy to spend time with people, no task I have could ever pass as an excuse for not doing the same. " A student is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master." Matthew 10:24
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
An Example of Obedience
John 3:22-36
God called John the Baptist to "...make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:17). It is encouraging to see in this Scripture that John kept on in obedience to God's calling. After the privilege of baptizing Jesus, he didn't rest on that accomplishment, or consider his work finished.
John's disciples are quick to tell him (John 3:26) that there is competition. "...that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan- the one you testified about - well, he is baptizing and everyone is going to him." ( Please look ahead here to John 4:2 where it tells us that it wasn't Jesus baptizing, but His disciples). John's disciples are concerned - everyone is going to Jesus, instead of John.
Did they still think there was a possibility that John was the Messiah? John is quick to remind them, "You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him'."
He tells them, "The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice." John the Baptist knew his role - friend of the bridegroom - not the bridegroom. His joy is complete - he's heard the Bridegroom!
John the Baptist was diligent in obeying God's call. He continued to be "...the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord'." Jesus was there, John continued to point the people in His direction. He wasn't defeated by "everyone going" to Jesus because that was the eternal plan and John knew his part in it.
John's life is an example that teaches us to obey God's call, to keep serving diligently, and to always remember our part in the plan - pointing others to Jesus!
God called John the Baptist to "...make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:17). It is encouraging to see in this Scripture that John kept on in obedience to God's calling. After the privilege of baptizing Jesus, he didn't rest on that accomplishment, or consider his work finished.
John's disciples are quick to tell him (John 3:26) that there is competition. "...that man who was with you on the other side of the Jordan- the one you testified about - well, he is baptizing and everyone is going to him." ( Please look ahead here to John 4:2 where it tells us that it wasn't Jesus baptizing, but His disciples). John's disciples are concerned - everyone is going to Jesus, instead of John.
Did they still think there was a possibility that John was the Messiah? John is quick to remind them, "You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him'."
He tells them, "The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice." John the Baptist knew his role - friend of the bridegroom - not the bridegroom. His joy is complete - he's heard the Bridegroom!
John the Baptist was diligent in obeying God's call. He continued to be "...the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord'." Jesus was there, John continued to point the people in His direction. He wasn't defeated by "everyone going" to Jesus because that was the eternal plan and John knew his part in it.
John's life is an example that teaches us to obey God's call, to keep serving diligently, and to always remember our part in the plan - pointing others to Jesus!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
A Light Shining in Darkness
John 3:16-21
When our children were young it wasn't unusual to hear them cry out, terrified, in the night. My husband or I would race to their room and turn on a light, ask what was wrong, and comfort them till they could fall back to sleep. Their reason for waking was most often a bad dream, and waking up in a dark room compounded the fear.
We associate darkness with evil. The cloak of darkness is used by those who would cause harm, it's when they find the victim most vulnerable.
In John 3:19 Jesus shares with Nicodemus that He is the "Light that has come into the world". This Light would shine into the darkness and uncover the evil deeds of mankind. Those doing evil hated and feared the light. Look at who hated Christ while He was on earth - Matthew 26:3 tells us it was the "...chief priests and the elders of the people who assembled in the palace of the high priest" and plotted to arrest and kill Jesus. The religious leaders hated Jesus because He uncovered the wrong they were doing; thier greed, wickedness, refusal to do justice and love God, they were proud and burdened the people by hindering thier understanding of the kingdom of God (see Luke 11:37-53).
The people of the day were victims of this darkness, how terrified they must have been of their leaders. Enter Jesus - the Light that dispelled darkness, and comforted the people with this truth:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."
John 3:16-18
When our children were young it wasn't unusual to hear them cry out, terrified, in the night. My husband or I would race to their room and turn on a light, ask what was wrong, and comfort them till they could fall back to sleep. Their reason for waking was most often a bad dream, and waking up in a dark room compounded the fear.
We associate darkness with evil. The cloak of darkness is used by those who would cause harm, it's when they find the victim most vulnerable.
In John 3:19 Jesus shares with Nicodemus that He is the "Light that has come into the world". This Light would shine into the darkness and uncover the evil deeds of mankind. Those doing evil hated and feared the light. Look at who hated Christ while He was on earth - Matthew 26:3 tells us it was the "...chief priests and the elders of the people who assembled in the palace of the high priest" and plotted to arrest and kill Jesus. The religious leaders hated Jesus because He uncovered the wrong they were doing; thier greed, wickedness, refusal to do justice and love God, they were proud and burdened the people by hindering thier understanding of the kingdom of God (see Luke 11:37-53).
The people of the day were victims of this darkness, how terrified they must have been of their leaders. Enter Jesus - the Light that dispelled darkness, and comforted the people with this truth:
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."
John 3:16-18
Monday, November 7, 2011
First-hand News or Just An Opinion?
John 3:11-15
You're attending a dinner party at a friend's home. The conversation is general, until you hear the name of your hometown spoken at the other end of the table. You listen carefully to see what the speaker is saying - after all, your family is still there and that is where you grew up. Within minutes you realize this person is misinformed. You ask if he's ever been to your birthplace, and he admits he hasn't. You challenge with a "Well where did your information come from then?" " It's the opinion of someone who has studied the area,", he replies. Who knows the truth - you, or the person with no actual experience of the place, just an opinion?
Jesus came from Heaven to live on earth with mankind. He was the One to go to if you wanted to know about Heaven. In John 3:11 he states, " I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony." This is the equivelent of the dinner party guests believing the guy with no actual experience of your hometown over you - a native!
The mentality wasn't unique to the crowd of Jesus' day. Think of those who would deny the existence of Hell. It's a real place according to the Word of God. Yet, some would believe those that only have an opinion, over the words of our all-knowing God.
In John 3:14 Jesus refers to an incident with the Israelites and Moses (found in Numbers 21:4-9). The Israelites were complaining against God and Moses as they went through the desert. God sent venomous snakes that bit the people and many died. The people were sorry for what they had said and asked Moses to pray for the snakes to be removed. Moses prayed, God led him to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Anyone who looked up at the snake on the pole, lived. Those who believed that there must be another way besides the one God gave them, died.
This story from the exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt into the Promised Land was familiar to Jesus' audience. The story was about to take on a new significance in John 3:15. In His death Jesus would be lifted up on the cross, and anyone that believes in Him will have eternal life. The venomous bite of sin would no longer hold death, but would be overcome by Christ!
So, who do we believe? Someone with only thier own opinion, and no first hand knowledge? Or do we believe Jesus Christ - the One who knows the facts intimately?
You're attending a dinner party at a friend's home. The conversation is general, until you hear the name of your hometown spoken at the other end of the table. You listen carefully to see what the speaker is saying - after all, your family is still there and that is where you grew up. Within minutes you realize this person is misinformed. You ask if he's ever been to your birthplace, and he admits he hasn't. You challenge with a "Well where did your information come from then?" " It's the opinion of someone who has studied the area,", he replies. Who knows the truth - you, or the person with no actual experience of the place, just an opinion?
Jesus came from Heaven to live on earth with mankind. He was the One to go to if you wanted to know about Heaven. In John 3:11 he states, " I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but you people do not accept our testimony." This is the equivelent of the dinner party guests believing the guy with no actual experience of your hometown over you - a native!
The mentality wasn't unique to the crowd of Jesus' day. Think of those who would deny the existence of Hell. It's a real place according to the Word of God. Yet, some would believe those that only have an opinion, over the words of our all-knowing God.
In John 3:14 Jesus refers to an incident with the Israelites and Moses (found in Numbers 21:4-9). The Israelites were complaining against God and Moses as they went through the desert. God sent venomous snakes that bit the people and many died. The people were sorry for what they had said and asked Moses to pray for the snakes to be removed. Moses prayed, God led him to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Anyone who looked up at the snake on the pole, lived. Those who believed that there must be another way besides the one God gave them, died.
This story from the exodus of the Israelites out of Egypt into the Promised Land was familiar to Jesus' audience. The story was about to take on a new significance in John 3:15. In His death Jesus would be lifted up on the cross, and anyone that believes in Him will have eternal life. The venomous bite of sin would no longer hold death, but would be overcome by Christ!
So, who do we believe? Someone with only thier own opinion, and no first hand knowledge? Or do we believe Jesus Christ - the One who knows the facts intimately?
Thursday, November 3, 2011
A Second Time - How?
John 3:1-10
Nicodemus - a man who had everything! Knowledge, power, and according to history - wealth.
A simple conversation with Jesus would quickly show him there was something he lacked; something his knowledge, power and wealth were unable to attain.
John 3:2 tells us that Nicodemus went to see Jesus at night. Perhaps it was the only time he could speak with Jesus privately. He's already discussed Jesus with his colleagues, "...we know you are a teacher who has come from God." He then refers to the miracles that Jesus had performed.
The miracles were powerful signs to those who witnessed them. Back in John 2:11 the miracle just performed revealed Jesus' glory - and the disciples put their faith in him.
Nicodemus wants to talk to Jesus about the miracles.
Have you ever thought you had a situation completely figured out, and so you go to God in prayer and explain to Him exactly what needs to be done so the situation can work out the way you want it to? When God's answer comes, it's completely different than what you've asked for. Why? Because He knows what you really need.
Jesus knew what Nicodemus really needed - something we all need - to be born again. A confounding answer to an inquiry on miracles.
Can you imagine Nicodemus mentally changing gears - "How can a man be born again when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
Jesus goes on to explain that, " ...no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." All who are alive have been born in the first respect, those who believe in Christ as their Messiah would be born again in the spirit. Look at John 1:12-13, "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, not of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."
In John 3:9 Nicodemus asks "How can this be?" Jesus answers "You are Israel's teacher and you do not understand these things?"
Nicodemus - a man lacking something - and what he was missing was standing right in front of him!
Nicodemus - a man who had everything! Knowledge, power, and according to history - wealth.
A simple conversation with Jesus would quickly show him there was something he lacked; something his knowledge, power and wealth were unable to attain.
John 3:2 tells us that Nicodemus went to see Jesus at night. Perhaps it was the only time he could speak with Jesus privately. He's already discussed Jesus with his colleagues, "...we know you are a teacher who has come from God." He then refers to the miracles that Jesus had performed.
The miracles were powerful signs to those who witnessed them. Back in John 2:11 the miracle just performed revealed Jesus' glory - and the disciples put their faith in him.
Nicodemus wants to talk to Jesus about the miracles.
Have you ever thought you had a situation completely figured out, and so you go to God in prayer and explain to Him exactly what needs to be done so the situation can work out the way you want it to? When God's answer comes, it's completely different than what you've asked for. Why? Because He knows what you really need.
Jesus knew what Nicodemus really needed - something we all need - to be born again. A confounding answer to an inquiry on miracles.
Can you imagine Nicodemus mentally changing gears - "How can a man be born again when he is old? Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"
Jesus goes on to explain that, " ...no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit." All who are alive have been born in the first respect, those who believe in Christ as their Messiah would be born again in the spirit. Look at John 1:12-13, "Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God - children born not of natural descent, not of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God."
In John 3:9 Nicodemus asks "How can this be?" Jesus answers "You are Israel's teacher and you do not understand these things?"
Nicodemus - a man lacking something - and what he was missing was standing right in front of him!
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
The Right Picture
Perhaps you grew up with the same picture in your mind of Jesus that I did. The long flowing hair, perfect robes, uplifted eyes and a partial smile on His lips. The art museums I visited in Italy confirmed that this indeed was the way Jesus looked while on earth.
So the scripture today is surprising. The picture we have doesn't reconcile with Christ driving out the money changers and others who had turned the temple into a marketplace. This Christ had zeal for His Father's house, and in that zeal he was turning over tables and using a whip.
While the disciples watched we are told in John 2:17 that they were reminded of the words found in Psalm 69:9, "For zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me." They saw in Jesus fulfillment of Scripture.
The Jews demanded what authority Jesus had for his actions - though if they'd been listening, Jesus clearly stated it was His Father's house (see John 2:16). He was the Son going about the Father's business.
They asked Him for a miraculous sign, and He told them to destroy the Temple - meaning LHimself - and He would raise it in three days. This group took Him literally, though, and thought He was referring to the temple building that had taken 46 years to build. How confounding Jesus' words seemed at that time, but later, after His resurrection, they were recalled by the disciples. Those confusing words became words of hope that gave them reason to believe in the Scriptures.
In the pictures of Jesus I referred to at the beginning, He always looks kind of weak and puny. The picture from today's Scripture, however, shows us authority, and power. One who was not afraid to stand up for what was right. This is the picture I prefer!
"Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!"
The four living creatures said, "Amen", and the elders fell down and worshiped." Revelation 5:13- 14
So the scripture today is surprising. The picture we have doesn't reconcile with Christ driving out the money changers and others who had turned the temple into a marketplace. This Christ had zeal for His Father's house, and in that zeal he was turning over tables and using a whip.
While the disciples watched we are told in John 2:17 that they were reminded of the words found in Psalm 69:9, "For zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me." They saw in Jesus fulfillment of Scripture.
The Jews demanded what authority Jesus had for his actions - though if they'd been listening, Jesus clearly stated it was His Father's house (see John 2:16). He was the Son going about the Father's business.
They asked Him for a miraculous sign, and He told them to destroy the Temple - meaning LHimself - and He would raise it in three days. This group took Him literally, though, and thought He was referring to the temple building that had taken 46 years to build. How confounding Jesus' words seemed at that time, but later, after His resurrection, they were recalled by the disciples. Those confusing words became words of hope that gave them reason to believe in the Scriptures.
In the pictures of Jesus I referred to at the beginning, He always looks kind of weak and puny. The picture from today's Scripture, however, shows us authority, and power. One who was not afraid to stand up for what was right. This is the picture I prefer!
"Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
"To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!"
The four living creatures said, "Amen", and the elders fell down and worshiped." Revelation 5:13- 14
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Able To Do More Than We Can Imagine!
John 2:1-11
The hardest part of planning for a wedding can be the reception. The bride and groom have control over what they will wear, who will officiate, where the ceremony will take place, but there's one thing they can't completely control - the guests!
If you've ever worked on an event that required a response for attendance, you know this is true. The guests may fail to respond, respond with a "Yes", then change their mind, or reply "No" only to ask a few days before the event if they can come after all. This can make the arrangements with the caterer for food and drink quite challenging! I'm not sure of the invitation protocol for a Jewish wedding, but I can relate to the poor couple that finds themselves without the staple of their celebration here in John 2:1-11.
Jesus and his disciples were invited to a wedding, his mother, Mary was also there. Sometime during the festivities the wine runs out.
Wine is an important element in the Jewish wedding ceremony. As the bride and groom stand under the wedding canopy a glass of wine is blessed and both drink from it. The wine is symbolic of life - it "...begins as grape juice, goes through fermentation (during which is is sour), but in the end turns into a superior product that brings joy...", and "also symbolizes the overflowing of Divine blessing" as in Psalm 23:5 "...my cup overflows." (www.ohr.edu "The Jewish Wedding Ceremony" by Rabbi Mordechai Becher)
Mary makes Jesus aware of the lack of wine in John 2:3, and in John 2:5 tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. I wonder what was going through her mind - did she know He could perform a miracle that day?
Six stone jars were standing nearby. These were capable of holding 20-30 gallons of water that was normally used in the kitchen and for ceremonial cleansing. They were heavy - cut from a large piece of stone and the water had to be hauled in to fill them. (A picture of this type of jar can be found at www.facingthechallenge.org/stonejars.php).
The water in the stone jars was turned into wine - better than the best wine the host had previously offered. This was the first of Jesus' miraculous signs, revealing His glory and providing his disciples an opportunity to put their faith in Him.
We can't control events in our future. We can plan, and work, but the results belong to God. The bride, groom and thier families may have thought they'd provided all that was necessary for the celebration of the wedding, then ran out of wine. Jesus knows our needs and provides for us even better than we are capable of ourselves!
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21
The hardest part of planning for a wedding can be the reception. The bride and groom have control over what they will wear, who will officiate, where the ceremony will take place, but there's one thing they can't completely control - the guests!
If you've ever worked on an event that required a response for attendance, you know this is true. The guests may fail to respond, respond with a "Yes", then change their mind, or reply "No" only to ask a few days before the event if they can come after all. This can make the arrangements with the caterer for food and drink quite challenging! I'm not sure of the invitation protocol for a Jewish wedding, but I can relate to the poor couple that finds themselves without the staple of their celebration here in John 2:1-11.
Jesus and his disciples were invited to a wedding, his mother, Mary was also there. Sometime during the festivities the wine runs out.
Wine is an important element in the Jewish wedding ceremony. As the bride and groom stand under the wedding canopy a glass of wine is blessed and both drink from it. The wine is symbolic of life - it "...begins as grape juice, goes through fermentation (during which is is sour), but in the end turns into a superior product that brings joy...", and "also symbolizes the overflowing of Divine blessing" as in Psalm 23:5 "...my cup overflows." (www.ohr.edu "The Jewish Wedding Ceremony" by Rabbi Mordechai Becher)
Mary makes Jesus aware of the lack of wine in John 2:3, and in John 2:5 tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. I wonder what was going through her mind - did she know He could perform a miracle that day?
Six stone jars were standing nearby. These were capable of holding 20-30 gallons of water that was normally used in the kitchen and for ceremonial cleansing. They were heavy - cut from a large piece of stone and the water had to be hauled in to fill them. (A picture of this type of jar can be found at www.facingthechallenge.org/stonejars.php).
The water in the stone jars was turned into wine - better than the best wine the host had previously offered. This was the first of Jesus' miraculous signs, revealing His glory and providing his disciples an opportunity to put their faith in Him.
We can't control events in our future. We can plan, and work, but the results belong to God. The bride, groom and thier families may have thought they'd provided all that was necessary for the celebration of the wedding, then ran out of wine. Jesus knows our needs and provides for us even better than we are capable of ourselves!
"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21
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