Signs of Jesus 7 Miracles John 2:1-11

“John’s gospel is shallow enough for babies to wade in – but deep enough for elephants to drown in.”

A MIRACLE THAT MEETS SPECIFIC PEOPLE’S PHYSICAL &/OR SOCIAL NEEDS “SIGN” A SYMBOLIC ACT THAT REVEALS JESUS’ UNIQUE ABILITY TO MEET HUMANITY’S SPIRITUAL NEEDS

Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have (spiritual) life in his name. John 20:30,31

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE SETTING On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE SETTING “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE MIRACLE Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water;” so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine . . .

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE MIRACLE . . . He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” John 2:1-10

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE MIRACLE Jesus rescued the couple from social disgrace by supplying 150 gallons of fine vintage wine

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE “SIGN” 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

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE “SIGN” Jesus chose to perform this miracle in a way that affected this custom . . . six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing . . .

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE “SIGN” Ceremonial washing was a man-made religious ritual IT PRESUMED THAT THE MAIN SPIRITUAL PROBLEM IS EXTERNAL CONTAMINATION IT PRESCRIBED SELF-CLEANSING AS THE KEY REQUIREMENT FOR RELATING TO GOD

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE “SIGN” RELIGION: “You must clean yourself up in order to relate to God” FOCUSING ON RITUAL OBSERVANCE OBEYING DETAILED RULES OF EXTERNAL BEHAVIOR AVOIDING CERTAIN KINDS OF PEOPLE

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE “SIGN” Jesus’ miracle implicitly condemned religious self-cleansing . . . “No one pours new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins, and both the wine and the wineskins will be ruined. No, he pours new wine into new wineskins. Mark 2:22

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE “SIGN” Jesus’ miracle implicitly condemned religious self-cleansing . . . “Nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean.’ . . . For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, . . . greed, malice, deceit, envy, slander, arrogance . . . All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’” Mark 7:18-23

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE “SIGN” Jesus’ miracle implicitly condemned religious self-cleansing . . . “Woe to you . . . you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. Matthew 23:25,26

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE “SIGN” Jesus’ miracle implicitly condemned religious self-cleansing . . . . . . and replaced it with a picture of his gift of abundant spiritual life

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE “SIGN” On this mountain the Lord Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine-- the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever . . . In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us . . . let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:6-9)

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine THE “SIGN” “I am the Messiah, & I am offering you life & my presence instead of empty religion”

John 2:1-11 Jesus Changes Water Into Wine You don’t have to clean yourself up to come to God. You can come to Jesus as you are & receive his gift of spiritual life.