Surprised by His Mother

rJohn 2:1-11

John 2:2: A wedding in the first century was a community event. The entire village would have shown up. Weddings sometimes lasted up to seven days.

Jesus at a wedding is significant, as marriage is the highest form of “common grace.” (Special grace are gifts God only gives to those who believe. For instance, only those saved get the Holy Spirit.) Common grace is God’s gifts to all believers. A sunset is beautiful, even if you’re lost, it’s still God’s grace that you can enjoy a sunset. The greatest gifts God gives to all mankind (common grace) are life itself and marriage.

John 2:4: Jesus indicates his “hour” has not come. In John his “hour” is a reference to his mission to die on the cross.

John 2:5: Servants there is “diakonois” where we get our word for Deacons.

John 2:6: They were just ordinary stone jars of water.

John 2:7: I like it that the servants filled the water to the “brim.” The obeyed fully.

John 2:7: Water in the Bible is a common symbol of LIFE. Jesus called himself “life.” (I am the Resurrection and the life…) (I am the way the Truth and the Life…) (The water I give shall be a well of water) and so on. Six water jars might be just literally six water jars, or it may be a symbol of the earthiness of life. Six is “man’s number” meaning it is short of perfection. Everything about this water and their containers is just ordinary; earthly.

MESSAGE:

Jesus did two things with water:

1. He

He made it a new creation. John opens the first 2 chapters of his Gospel with a play on the creation week. So Jesus, the creator, is shown moving in his creation and having dominion over it.

–Day 1: John Baptist. (1:19-28)

–Day 2: John declared Jesus the Son of God. (1:29-34)

–Day 3: John declares Jesus the Lamb of God. (1:34-40)

–Day 4: Andrew, John, Peter follow Jesus. (1:41-42)

–Day 5: Philip and Nathanael follow. (1:43-51)

–Day 6: Travel to Galilee. (John 1:43)

–Day 7: Attends a wedding. (John 2:1)

Says: 3 days later. 3 days after he traveled to Galilee, seventh day. Christ is Creator. Now on earth: He is going to Create wine from water.

2. He

I like the scholar Leon Morris’ observation: “John does not say how or when the miracle took place. He simply speaks of the “water now become wine. He does not even tell how much water was changed into wine. It is usually held that it was all the water in the six waterpots, in which case Jesus was making a bountiful wedding gift to the couple, who were evidently poor. Not only did He rescue them from what might have been a crippling liability but he provided that they began their married life with an unexpected asset.”

John 1:9: The result of the transformed water is that the master tasted it and said it was better than ordinary wine. *** People are tasting the water of your life.

John 1:11: This is the first of seven signs where Jesus’ deity is put on display by God the Father.

Marks of People Transformed by Christ:

1. Have energetic John 2:3-4

• His hour refers to his death. John 7:30, 8:20, 12:27, 12:23. While Mary is focused on the wedding, he is focused on his mission.
• A Gospel Worldview. We see what God is doing in our world.
• A Gospel Selfview. We see ourselves the way the Gospel defines us. Saved. Forgiven. On mission for God.
• A Gospel Enemy-view. Jesus would go to the cross to save his enemies. A Gospel focus isn’t just preaching the Gospel to others, it is forgiving those who have hurt us. (Example: Rebecca DeMauro’s daughter was murdered. She could not release her rage. Until she saw victims of the Green River Killer speak. An old man stood up and forgave the killer. DeMauro says that at that moment, she realized the only way for her to be free was to forgive.)

2. Put a

• John 2:4: He calls her “woman.” Unusual in any culture. (Samons, Judg. 15:6 , David, 1 Sam. 22:3, Jeremiah 20:14, etc.) It’s creation language. He speaks to her as a creation, not his mother.
• John 2:4:”Woman, what does this have to do with me?” The phrase “τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί” occurs a number of times in the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament): Judges 11:12, 3Kings 17:18, 4Kings 3:13, 2Chronicles 35:21.) In the New Testament, the phrase “τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί” is used at Mark 5:7, Luke 8:28, and John 2:4. The variant from “τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοί” is used at Mark 1:24, Matthew 8:29, and Luke 4:34. It is typically spoken by demons. It means: Why are you in my domain? My territory. In this case, Jesus is saying to Mary, “You are stepping into an area that is not yours. This is none of your business.” She cannot direct his ministry.
• He must be directed by God the Father, not his human mother.

3. Have Speed

John 2:5: Mary’s instruction to the servants is to do whatever he tells them to do.

Here’s what a God who loves you wants you to know:

1. He cares about your problems.

2. He wants you to know him.