Cares

Do You Want to be a Miracle-Heir? (John 2:1-11) Jesus Cares (Matt. 9:35-36, Luke 19:41-42, John 11:32-36, 1 Pe. 5:7, Heb. 4:15) If You Want/Need His Help, Ask for It! (Ps 2:8, Matt. 7:7-11, 18:19-20, 21:22, John 14:13-14, 15:7 & 16, 16:23, 26-27, James 4:2, 1 John 3:21-22, 5:14-15) Mary trusted in Jesus’ ability to help and so approached Him Even though it was not yet “His Time”, he was persuaded to help by Mary’s request How should We Respond to God’s Direction “Do whatever He tells you.” (John 2:5) Wine as a Symbol Joy (Isa. 25:6, Joel 2:19, 24, 3:18, Amos 9:13-15, Ps. 104:15, Es. 1:10, 2 Sam. 13:28, Ecc. 2:3, 10:19, Zech. 10:7) The Jewish rabbis had a saying, ‘Without wine there is no joy.” Suffering (Ps. 60:3, 75:8, Jer. 25:15-16) Blood (John 2:4, 13:1, 18:11) Restorative Blessing (Joel 3:18, Amos 9:13, Zech. 9:17) The New Covenant (based on God’s Abundant Grace) Jewish custom was focused on the importance of being ceremonially clean. The water jars were mostly empty because each guest had been given water to wash their feet and hands as they arrived, but this was not so much for cleanliness as it was for ritual purity. The jars of water were there in order to fulfill the Old Testament requirements for ceremonial washing. In John’s way of mixing events with metaphor, the jars represented the Old Testament law and its inability to make a person truly clean. When Jesus came into contact with these jars used in ritual cleansing, he transformed their contents. He filled the jars with his new wine. The deadness of the Old Testament law was made alive with the wine of the new covenant that Jesus came to bring. Wine is the symbol of God’s grace that comes into our lives undeserved, and transforms us from the inside out. The transformation of the water into wine demonstrates Christ’s mission and power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. The best wine! The Bible says he gives “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us” (Eph. 3:20) The Effect of the Miracle (John 2:11)

Sign which revealed His glory (see also Ps. 77:11-15, John 14:11) Encouraged faith in Him from His disciples (See also John 20:3) Have you experienced any miracles in response to prayer? My examples (College car rescue, Serpentine belt incident (Jesus sometimes shows He cares through us/others!)) If so, how did they affect you?