340-He Tells You What to Do#
340-Jesus Tells You What to Do
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Life of the Eagle)
John 2:1-11,
1 On the third day, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and His disciples were also invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
6 Now there were six stone water jars set there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now!” 11 This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee and manifested His glory. And His disciples believed in Him.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You for giving us this time to worship and praise You together. Today, You want to renew us through Your word. We will act according to Your word, for Your word is powerful, strong, and alive. We desire to receive Your life and strength to live through this new week. In this moment, You provide food for us in due time. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray, Amen!
Our topic is: Jesus Tells You What to Do
Brothers and sisters, the words of Jesus are very powerful. If you read the Bible carefully, you will see that every word Jesus spoke is unique, with no idle words, and each one brings life. He always hopes that we gain strength from Him.
Look at this passage of scripture, John 2:1, "On the third day, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there."
Cana is located on the west side of the Sea of Galilee, about 14 kilometers north of Nazareth. In the first century, Jewish weddings were very grand and lasted about a week. During this time, the hosts of the wedding needed to properly entertain the guests attending the wedding. As the hosts, they were responsible for providing everything the guests needed to eat, drink, and use. In that era, wine was very important.
Now, the environment in Israel has improved, but during Jesus' time, the conditions were quite harsh. Why does the Bible often mention, "They must carry bread and wine when they go out"? Because the water there could not be drunk directly, and there was also a severe water shortage. Even if a well was dug, the water might be yellow and unsuitable for drinking. So when they went out, they mostly used wine to replace water. The wine mentioned in the Bible generally refers to grape wine.
At a wedding feast, wine is essential and is a common beverage. At that time, it was customary to dilute the wine with more water to make it weaker. If the family was relatively wealthy, they could serve slightly stronger grape wine, which had a fuller flavor. If the family was not doing well economically, they would add water to the wine, making it inferior when served.
Getting married at that time was a very costly affair. We won't even mention whether it was at night or when, but the wedding lasted a full seven days. If all your relatives and friends came to eat for seven days, do you know how much that would cost? It is difficult to marry a daughter in China, but it is even more expensive in Israel! It is not the woman's family that pays, but the man's family. So generally, ordinary families were very cautious when facing such a large event, hoping nothing would go wrong.
Some might ask, why would God allow them to hold such a grand wedding? Because a person only gets married once in their lifetime; if they were to marry multiple times, they would likely go bankrupt. Because the money is all paid by the man, it is quite interesting.
What if, during the wedding feast, everyone was drinking happily, and suddenly there was no wine left? This would be very embarrassing for the hosts. Because it might be the only wedding they ever have, and it would leave them with a laughingstock that could not be remedied.
As Jesus began His ministry, He encountered such a situation. Did Jesus attend a wedding? As we just read, Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding in Cana. From this perspective, should we attend secular weddings and funerals? Many people ask me if they should attend a wedding of someone in their village who does not believe in the Lord. Should they go? Yes, they should.
Some also ask if they should attend the funeral of a relative who did not believe in the Lord. Yes, they should. Weddings and funerals are actually the same; strictly speaking, funerals are even more important. A person may get married more than once in their lifetime, but a funeral only happens once—just kidding.
I want to tell you that Jesus respects this wedding very much. Jesus' mother and His disciples were invited to the feast. According to some historical records, this family might be relatives of Mary, and naturally, they would also be relatives of Jesus. How many disciples did Jesus bring? Twelve. Do not think that Jesus favored only bringing James, John, and Peter; the other disciples stayed home. No, all twelve disciples went along. Could these twelve eat? Yes, they could. And now there was no wine left—how embarrassing!
There is a question we need to think about: Why did Jesus, upon starting His ministry, attend a wedding and perform His first miracle there, rather than healing the sick or casting out demons? In this marriage, He first turned water into wine, which was His first miracle. Why was the first miracle not raising the dead or healing someone, but turning water into wine? This has very important symbolic significance, which tells us that Jesus Christ places great importance on marriage.
Brothers and sisters, do you know who established marriage? In Genesis, the marriage of man is established by God. From this, we can see that Jesus also values marriage very much. Therefore, He acknowledges the establishment of this marital relationship among humans, respects marriage, and blesses it.
This family likely spent a long time preparing for the wedding feast, needing a week to prepare food and drink for everyone. This is human effort. But suddenly, in the middle of it, there was no wine left. We might complain, "What did you prepare? You knew you were getting married; this is a major life event. Why didn't you prepare a little more?" The reasons could be many, but one reason is that now there is no wine, which prevents the guests from enjoying themselves at the wedding feast.
What to do when there is no wine? This represents that the outwardly festive wedding feast has reached a state of dryness and withering. In fact, this serves as a foreshadowing of the condition of Judaism in Jesus' time; their wine had run out, but how did it appear outwardly?
Very well, there was a temple that took 46 years to build, with countless congregants coming to Jerusalem to worship three times a year, and even the inns were full. It looked very lively on the outside, didn't it? But where is God? The wine had run out because the Bible mentions that wine symbolizes the Holy Spirit, which can be said to represent God's work. Now it is all human work, but there is no wine left. So Judaism appears to be very prosperous on the outside, but there is no life within. It foreshadows that people under the law have reached the end, filled with falsehood. Why do I say this? Because when the bridegroom was called over by the master of the feast, the master said to him,
John 2:9-10
9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now!”
From this, we can see that the master of the feast had likely attended many weddings. The usual practice was to serve the good wine first, and when the guests had drunk enough, then bring out the diluted wine, as their taste buds would be dulled and they could not distinguish between good and bad.
The master of the feast had attended many weddings and knew that everyone did this. Brothers and sisters, if even at weddings they could serve inferior wine, it shows that this family truly had a lack and weakness. It also reveals that under the law, beneath the appearance of prosperity, there is a lack and weakness, and even falsehood within.
This family, regardless of the reason, may have done their best, because the master of the feast did not taste the inferior wine, and now there was no wine left. Perhaps this family really wanted to serve the best wine to their guests until the end, but unexpectedly, the guests drank a lot, and the wine they prepared ran out quickly. What to do when they could not supply any more?
Do not tell me to just go buy more! What if this family does not have the money? Another point is that in Israel, wine is also needed at night. If there is no wine, and it is late at night, where can they buy so much wine? Because it is not just one table of guests; many guests are drinking there, and there is no wine left.
A real problem has arisen; human efforts have reached their limit. What should be done at this time? Brothers and sisters, we may be doing our best in our own affairs, but unexpected situations always arise, interrupting the original supply, disrupting our plans, and leaving us in a state of uncertainty. Whether in business, family life, or interpersonal relationships, unexpected situations can occur. What to do? It seems there is no way out. We must learn to rely on God and let Him work.
The first miracle Jesus performed was at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, to manifest God's glory.
Who is this glory shown to? His disciples. John 2:11 says, "This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee and manifested His glory. And His disciples believed in Him."
Brothers and sisters, do you know that this miracle was primarily performed for His disciples? Do not think that Jesus was showing off. No, it was done for His disciples to recognize that He is the Son of God.
Today, there may be those who have just accepted Jesus or those who are accepting Jesus for the first time. How can we let them know that Jesus is God? How can we make them see? Is it by teaching them the way of life and training them? That takes time. How can we let them recognize that Jesus is the Son of God? By showing miracles, we can reveal that He is God. Amen! This glory is shown to His disciples.
When you see God's glory, your faith increases. Life changes take time, but if you frequently see God's glory in your life, your faith will continue to grow. Now it depends on how you manifest Christ's glory. If in your life, you show a change in life, they will see God's marvelous work in you.
Do not always blame others for not believing. We need to give others a point of entry to know this God. For example, if we have an illness, and Jesus heals us, others will see and say, "This is not something a person can do; this is God's work, revealing God's glory." When that person is sick, they can also rely on this God, and that is the faith brought by God's glory. You are merely revealing God's glory.
Brothers and sisters, it is clear here that the miracle was aimed at those who followed Jesus. These disciples, having just started following Jesus, did not know what kind of person this Lord was, and the path of following Jesus was very difficult. Many of Jesus' disciples were fishermen from the Galilee area.
Do you know what their master was doing? Jesus was a carpenter. These thirteen people gathered together, most of them were fishermen, and they could not read or write, while their master was a carpenter. What could a carpenter do with a group of fishermen? This carpenter said, "Come, let us do a great work; let us change all of humanity!" What kind of glory would it take to convince these disciples that He was the Son of God?
Because Jesus was born in Nazareth, how could He make His disciples believe that He is the Son of God? He had to show God's glory in Him. If they were not sure that He was the Son of God, how could they follow Him? Therefore, to increase the faith of these disciples, our Lord Jesus performed His first miracle, turning water into wine, to manifest God's glory. This is the thought process behind John's writing of the Gospel of John.
We can reflect on this: when Christians are weak, when they fall, or when they encounter difficulties, it is because they cannot see God's glory. If in weakness and falling, they see Jesus' glory, they will stand up.
If you only see the harshness of the environment and do not see God's glory, the harsh environment will overcome you. If you see God's glory, God's glory will overcome the environment you are in. Even though you are still in that environment, it is like today when we look at the cross; Christians see the cross as God's glory and Jesus' victory, while non-Christians see the cross as Jesus being stripped and nailed to it, having died. What they see is different from what we see.
What we believe is that although He died, He has risen from the dead, and that is God's glory, already revealed. This is also the reason for our victorious faith, peace, and joy. The real problems arise.
John 2:3-4,
3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
Was Jesus a wine maker? No. So why did Mary present this dilemma to Jesus? Faced with this immediate difficulty that needed to be resolved, Mary did not go to the master of the feast and say, "Do you have any solutions? Do you know any wine makers? Hurry and bring us some!" She should have gone to him, as he surely had connections! But now Mary went to her son Jesus and said, "They have no wine." At this moment, what identity was Mary seeking Jesus with?
Mary was a woman of great faith. The Holy Spirit had already told her, and the angel had told her, saying, "You will conceive and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus." So from the moment she conceived this child, she knew who this child was; He was not just hers.
Now that this child had grown up and had gone out with His disciples to begin preaching the gospel of the kingdom, Mary knew that this child was not an ordinary person; He was the Son of God. So at this moment, she was calling out to her Lord in the identity of a believer. Do not get this identity mixed up! It is like today when a son and father are both in church, and it is unclear how to address each other; the son might say to his father, "Brother!" It seems like the generations are confused.
Brothers and sisters, was their generation confused? The Chinese translation says, "Woman, what does this have to do with me?" In the original text, it refers to "woman." The Chinese may have changed it to "mother" to avoid ethical issues, but the original is "woman." This is the Creator speaking to a created being: "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come."
This shows that Jesus clearly knew what identity Mary was speaking to Him with. Jesus meant, "I will do this for you, but the timing is up to me." Although you say the wine has run out, we hope to solve the problem quickly and swiftly! We do not know how Jesus will do it, so when we encounter a difficulty, you tell God, and do not rush Him!
Too many believers pray and then say, "Lord, when will it be accomplished? Let me ask again." What is the purpose? They hope the Lord will accomplish it as quickly as possible. At this moment, was Mary feeling this way? But after Jesus answered her, Mary already had the answer: "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." Brothers and sisters, after Jesus said this to Mary, she actually knew in her heart that He would definitely accomplish this matter, so she did not need to worry. Therefore, she immediately began to speak to the servants,
John 2:5, His mother said to the servants... Did Mary believe? She already believed; she did not turn to Jesus and say, "What are you sitting there for? Hurry up and make wine!" No. She turned and began to speak to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it!"
Wow, this is Mary's faith! She knew that Jesus had heard her prayer, and this would definitely be accomplished, so she turned to the servants and said, "Listen to Him; you have no wine now, so do what He says."
Brothers and sisters, this is the core of this text—The words of Christ produce faith and miracles. At this moment, did Jesus give Mary detailed instructions on how He would turn the wine? Too many people especially want to know how God does things. I have told you my difficulties; how will you accomplish this? I will feel at ease after I hear your plan; otherwise, I will be uneasy! The problem is still in front of me; that group of people is still drinking, and soon there will not be a drop of wine left. How long do you want me to wait? Mary knew that the words Jesus spoke were His faith and His miracle.
Romans 10:17 says, "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ."
Mary knew that the words Jesus spoke were extremely important. Can you believe this? After you pray to God, you know that God will definitely accomplish it, so you must believe Him. What is the characteristic of faith? Do not keep pestering Him, saying, "Lord, did you hear my prayer?" Saying this is clearly doubting Him. Mary did not do this; she simply told the servants, "Do what He says."
There is one more thing I want to advise you: Do not wait until things are irreparable before seeking the Lord. We can think of this: What if this family had found Mary before the wedding began and said, "Our family's finances are not very good; we have exhausted our strength. I do not know if we can last until the end of the wedding. Do you have any solutions?" At that time, could Mary have gone to find Jesus? Yes!
Brothers and sisters, Jesus is a Lord who is always there when you seek Him. He will not say, "I am in a meeting; I am busy!" "I am sleeping right now!" No! Whenever you go to find Jesus, He is there. But this family did not seek Him in advance; they kept waiting until they found out that the wine was almost gone and told Mary, "We do not have enough wine." Actually, it is not too late at this moment.
This is also our problem; many Christians are far from Jesus during normal times, do not pay attention to Jesus, do whatever they want, do not show up in church, and have no habits of prayer or reading the Bible. One day, a problem arises, and before one problem is resolved, another one comes, and the problems pile up until they cannot bear it anymore. They remember, "Oh, there is Jesus! I can rely on God!" Brothers and sisters, is it too late now? It is not too late.
It is still not too late; what is scary is that you endure, you hold on, and you push yourself until you collapse, and then say, "Lord, why have You made me like this?" No, this difficulty is not given to you by God; this suffering is not given to you by God. It is because we have been relying on ourselves. There will always be times when we are insufficient and weak.
So, what is a better method? You should put Jesus first. "I am getting married tomorrow, and Jesus, I have this problem; please help me." You should seek Him first. Will there be a situation where the wine runs out afterward? Absolutely not. Perhaps the water-to-wine miracle would have happened earlier, and you would not have to worry about this problem at all. Therefore, I hope everyone develops the habit of placing God's word at the forefront of their lives. By living this way, many pains can be completely avoided; many worries and concerns can be completely eliminated. Persist in hearing the correct word so that your life is filled with joyful provision every day. Amen!
Another point is, why are our worries increasing? We hear too many empty and vague words.
Let us look at a passage of scripture, 1 Timothy 1:4-5
4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
When you do not focus on Jesus, when the center of your life is not Jesus, you will definitely be here. You will hear some empty and vague words, nonsense, baseless assumptions, saying whatever comes to mind, and talking freely. Some people listen to vague end-time theories, and the more they hear, the smaller their faith becomes.
If you are in business, and everyone around you tells you that business is hard to do, that there are more and more scammers and counterfeit goods, and that physical stores are going to die out, what should you do? If everyone around you says this, how can you still have faith? Unless you return to Jesus. When we send our children to school, if others tell you that the school is very dark now, how can you not worry when you hear all these negative things? Because these things do not establish a standard for us in faith, and such things are empty and vague words that only lead to arguments.
Today, you come here not to debate God's word, but to listen to His word and believe Him. I want to share with you the revelation I received from the Lord: God's word is given to us to believe, not to analyze.
Because how can you analyze the words of Jesus? Just take today's matter as an example; how do you analyze it? Can those servants analyze the words of the Lord Jesus? Because Jesus did not mumble incantations or set up an altar; you say, "This is like!" Is there any such set? Absolutely not; they just poured it in and drew it out, and that was the end of it! How can you analyze it? So what should we do with God's word? It is extremely important to hold fast to God's word and keep it. Again, do not wait until things are irreparable to rely on the Lord. Although it is possible at that time, we suffer many unnecessary pains.
Let us look at a passage of scripture, 2 Timothy 1:11-14
11 For which I was appointed a preacher and apostle and teacher, 12 which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me. 13 Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. 14 By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.
2 Timothy has reached the later part of Paul's life; he knows he will soon leave this world. So when he encourages Timothy, he mentions something: "I have been appointed as a preacher, apostle, and teacher." Although Paul encountered many sufferings in his life, the sufferings he endured were all because of preaching the gospel. He said, "But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed."
Do you know whom you believe? The one you believe in is not a Jewish God, nor a European God; the one you believe in is the Creator of the world. You can think about this: Since He can create the world, can He not solve your little problems in life? Therefore, when we entrust our matters to Him, believe that He can do it. The world came from His mouth; He still maintains this world. What is it that He cannot do? Paul knew whom he believed and was convinced that He could guard what I have entrusted to Him until that Day.
When we pray to God and entrust our matters to Him, can Jesus solve your problems? If you say He can, then you will not worry anymore. Just like Hannah, Samuel's mother, when she prayed, her face no longer had sorrow. That matter was already accomplished. Although she did not have a child at that time, she believed that her Lord had heard her prayer, and one day, when the time came, she would see the result.
Paul told Timothy, "Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus."
What attitude should we have towards God's word? We should guard the word with faith and love, regardless of what others say; I will believe this way. Jesus said it, so I will do it. It may seem silly, but do you know? You have already possessed the highest wisdom in the world. This is who we are as Christians! God has told us the way to victory and has given us the Holy Spirit to dwell in our hearts, empowering us to be victorious in life. This is what Paul wants to tell us: You must guard the good deposit entrusted to you by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us.
If there is no Holy Spirit, and you still rely on your efforts to meet God's standards, but now it is different; you have the Holy Spirit inside you, and it is the Holy Spirit who helps you understand God's word and increases your faith; you pray, and God accomplishes it. It is that simple. The one doing the work is not you; it is our God. You are merely receiving the results.
Just like today when Jesus turned water into wine, how complicated is this process? Very complicated! Go look at a winery; after the grapes are harvested, they are crushed, then various things are added, and it takes time. It is not that you mix it today and drink it tomorrow; it requires a long wait. This is a very complex process.
But in this complex matter, who did it? Jesus did. Jesus did not say to the servants, "Now go buy some grapes and crush them with your feet; is there still time for that?" The most difficult and complex things have already been done by Jesus. So what did these servants do? They drew water, poured water, and drew it out! It is that simple. Can you do it? Therefore, what Jesus gives you, the words He speaks to you, are things you can do; they are not difficult. The key is whether we can listen to His words.
John 2:7-8, we just mentioned that Mary said to the servants: "Whatever He says to you, do it." The actual meaning is, "Do not doubt; just do it!" The rest of the matter does not need your concern. Amen!
Jesus told the servants to fill the jars with water, and they filled them to the brim. This shows that these servants were quite competent. Jesus then said, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast." So they took it.
Brothers and sisters, how many words did Jesus say at this wedding? Three. First, He said to Mary, "Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come." What was the second? "Fill the jars with water." What was the third? "Now draw it out and take it to the master of the feast." The miracle happened just like that; simple, right, brothers and sisters!
It is too simple for us. If you were one of the servants, would you have doubts in your heart? There would be too many doubts! So when we believe in Jesus, do we have doubts inside? Yes, it is normal. If there are no doubts, it means we are not normal people. Having doubts is normal, but do not keep pestering your Lord with those doubts, saying, "Lord, please explain this to me; what is going on?" God has told you His word; can you first try to live it out, and then you will understand what it means?
Many people say, "Where is your God? Let me see your God, and I will believe in Him." It is not that you see and then believe; even if you see, you may not believe. It is that you believe, and then you see. This is our Lord, different from others.
You say, "Where is your God?" We say, "In life, in our work, in any place." How can you see Him? When you take His words, believe them, and use them, you will see.
When we believe and act according to Jesus' words, miracles happen. Just like today, can you do what Jesus asked these servants to do? It is very easy! If you do so, you will also see miracles in your life.
Let us look at a few examples, Matthew 8:13-17,
13 And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment. 14 And when Jesus entered Peter's house, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve Him. 16 That evening they brought to Him many who were oppressed by demons, and He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.”
In these four verses, you see that Jesus is doing things. Look at the first one: the servant of the centurion was sick. He traveled a day's journey to come to Jesus. How did Jesus heal his servant? He came to Jesus, and Jesus said, "Go; let it be done for you as you have believed." You say, "This is empty-handed; you let us go back empty-handed!" Shouldn't you give us some sign? Just like Gideon, I need to test it with fleece; I have traveled a day's journey, which is not close!
What did Jesus say? "Go back!" Can you go back? So this requires faith, brothers and sisters. "Let it be done for you as you have believed." This allows us to see spiritually that when Jesus said these words, his servant was already healed.
When did his master, the centurion, know about this? The next day, when he returned, he met his servant who was already well. At that moment, he knew that it was at that time, when Jesus was speaking to him, that the matter was already accomplished!
What is the extent of Jesus' power? He transcends time and space. Just now, when He turned water into wine, did He not compress all time and space? Making grape wine takes a long time, but Jesus' words directly compressed time and space, and the good wine was produced.
When faced with a sick servant, who might be very far away, Jesus only needs a word, and time and space are compressed, as if that person were right in front of Him, and the matter is accomplished. So brothers and sisters, when you pray for others, how great do you believe this power is? You tell our God about this matter, and if you completely believe that God has accomplished it, it will be accomplished over there. Just that fast!
Then, when Jesus entered Peter's house, His mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever. What did Jesus do? He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve Him. Is this simple? Perhaps at that time, fever was a very difficult illness to treat, but for Jesus, it was too simple. This is the Lord we believe in. He has already done the most difficult things for you. You cannot remove your sins; Jesus did it for you. He bore your sins on the cross, making you no longer a sinner but a righteous person.
He has completed the most difficult and greatest things; now He wants you to join Him in completing the simplest things. Do you know how convenient this is? Jesus has already planted the seeds; when the grain in the field is ripe, Jesus says, "Come, let us harvest together!" This is what we do; it is particularly simple. Jesus has completed the most difficult and greatest things, and now He invites you to follow Him and receive all the blessings He has prepared.
Let us continue to look at verse 16,
That evening they brought to Him many who were oppressed by demons, and He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick.
This is the power of Jesus; this is the Jesus you believe in, and He still has this power today.
Verse 17 says, "This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: 'He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.'"
Do you know what our weaknesses are? At the wedding, there was no wine left; that is your weakness. Your child is sick, and you see him coughing like that, and you are helpless; that is your weakness. You encounter a bottleneck in your career and cannot break through; that is your weakness. What did Jesus come to do? He took your weaknesses.
So how should you let Him take your weaknesses? Entrust your weak parts to Jesus, and He will become your strength in that part. Is it simple? Just like Mary, did Mary not tell Jesus about their weakness? What was their weakness? There is no wine. So you can directly tell Jesus, "There is no wine."
Can we pray directly? Do not pray like we used to believe, thinking that to get the Lord to accomplish a small matter, we must praise Him for a long time and belittle ourselves, then say, "Lord, look at how pitiful I am; please accomplish it for me!" Was this our prayer pattern in the past? Saying we are worthless, how many sins we have committed, and we do not deserve Your blessings... then finally saying, "Please have mercy on me!"
Today, can we just tell Him directly? "Lord, this is my weakness." Just like a small child when they are little, saying, "Mom, I want to eat that, but I can't reach it." What should be done? "You get it for me!" Is he asking his mother to do something for him? This is called prayer. We tell our God about our weaknesses, our problems, and our joys; we do everything this way, and you will be joyful every day. Hallelujah!
In our daily lives, we often encounter sudden events; the heavens may have unforeseen storms, and our lives may have shortages and many problems. We need this Lord to help us, and we may feel very poor and pitiful inside. But today, at that wedding in Cana, we see that the Lord Jesus did not stand by but helped them.
How did He help? Was it abundant? When the wine reached the master of the feast, he tasted it and said, "Wow! Incredible! You are a good man!" He said to the bridegroom, "You see, everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now." This proves that although Jesus turned water into wine in a short time, the quality was very good. Even the master of the feast could tell that this was good wine. This shows that although Jesus took a short time, He provided us with the best and most abundant blessings. Amen!
It was not just a little wine to satisfy everyone's curiosity; it was six large jars of wine.
Do you know that the Jews had six large stone jars at their door, and each jar could hold about 20 to 30 gallons of water? Each gallon is about 3.8 liters, so six jars of water would be about 200 gallons. When all this water turned into wine, it could fully meet the needs of this wedding, and there would still be leftovers. This is how Jesus does things; He prepares the best for us, and it is abundant and overflowing.
Later, when we see the feeding of the five thousand, was it not the same? Those 5,000 men were all filled, and there were still twelve baskets left; it was that abundant. So brothers and sisters, no matter what you encounter in your life now, you can come boldly before our Lord Jesus and let Him help you. Our Heavenly Father will surely bless you because He is a God full of grace, compassion, and abundant provision. This abundant provision is not only for your life but will also be manifested in your daily life.
Let us look at the scripture we just read,
John 2:11 "This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee and manifested His glory. And His disciples believed in Him."
Here, a word is mentioned: "sign." Do you know what a sign is? The original meaning is "mark." This is the first sign that Jesus performed. When God does things, He shows a sign, which is something you cannot do; it is God's mark. Do you know how many signs of God are in your life? Too many.
Today, many people like to use miracles, healings, and casting out demons to attract people to believe in the Lord. This is good in the early stages; it can help some people realize that our Lord indeed exists. However, we cannot always use this method to let people know Jesus; people need to return to His words.
The first miracle Jesus performed in Cana not only shows us that He is a supernatural Lord, but the Bible also tells us that His words are powerful, that His words govern all, and uphold all.
In fact, I want to tell you another thing: it heralded the formal beginning of a new era—Jesus began His ministry with miracles.
John 2:6 "Now there were six stone water jars set there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons."
The Jewish region has particularly strong winds and sand, so when they go out, they cover their heads with something, leaving only their eyes exposed, while their feet and hands are outside. Because that area is relatively hot, whether poor or rich, the first thing they do when they get home is to remove the dirt and sand from their bodies and purify themselves. The poor would place six large stone jars at their door, filled with water, and the first thing they would do when they got home is draw water to wash their hands and feet.
The rich, when they get home, would have their servants prepare the water for them, and then they would purify themselves and apply olive oil, just like women applying cosmetics after washing their faces, which is very necessary because of the strong winds and sand; otherwise, their faces would be very dirty.
Now, you see this family has six large stone jars at their door. Do you know that placing stone jars is a necessary thing? This is a requirement in the law; these jars are for fulfilling religious ceremonial needs.
Do you remember once when the disciples of Jesus were accused? The Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Why do Your disciples eat without washing their hands?" Do you remember this? Washing hands before eating is a rule in the law. Our country does not have this rule; if this were written into law, we would be in trouble. Washing hands before eating is a Jewish law. So those six stone jars can prove that this is a religious requirement, representing the law.
At the same time, we must note one thing: the water in the jars is used to cleanse people, and those who are cleansed become unclean after being cleansed. When you wash your hands directly in that jar, your hands become clean, but the water in the jar becomes unclean. So you will find another thing: when we sweep the floor, the floor becomes clean, but the broom becomes dirty. Right? It is the same. What does this indicate?
The Jewish law cannot truly change people; the law can only point out our problems and tell us our weaknesses and shortcomings, but the law itself cannot strengthen our failing and discouraged hearts, nor can it provide us with lasting cleansing.
Romans 3:20 says,
Therefore, by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
So you will find that every time you wash your hands, it proves one thing: your hands are unclean, and you need to be cleansed, which is one of the functions of the law—to make people aware of sin. Therefore, Jews can only repeatedly perform the cleansing rituals. Although the law points to the direction of cleansing, it cannot provide us with permanent cleansing. The ultimate purpose of the law is to bring us back to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith.
Galatians 3:24 says,
So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith.
Now, the one who can truly cleanse you and give you joy and peace is Jesus. Amen! Thank You, Lord! Now that Jesus Christ has come, He not only points us in the right direction, but He also gives us strength. His one sacrifice has made us forever complete, and all who believe in Jesus will be saved to the uttermost before God.
You can imagine this: the wedding feast of the kingdom of heaven is being prepared, and the bridegroom of the kingdom of heaven—our Lord Jesus Christ—who is the bride? All who believe in Jesus, that is, the church. If today you are still struggling in this world and find your own shortcomings, you can attend the wedding feast.
I can imagine this: in the Jewish region, if you are starving, eating one meal and not knowing where the next meal will come from, suddenly someone in your village is getting married. Within seven days, that is definitely a good thing for you because you can attend the wedding without spending a penny and enjoy free meals for several days. Their wedding is just the opposite of ours in China; they do not need to pay a wedding gift. You just come with your people and your stomach to eat because your presence is a joy to me; you just need to come and enjoy this joy together.
We in China have it reversed; now the wedding gift is increasing, and we feel pained by the money. We go to eat and must eat back what we spent. (Just kidding!) I just want to tell you that at the wedding feast of the kingdom, everyone can come.
If you say, "I am lacking now; can I attend this wedding feast?" Moreover, how long will this wedding feast last? Forever. After we go to heaven, this wedding feast in the kingdom will be permanently provided by the Lord Jesus; you will no longer need to labor for it; just go and eat! And will there be a situation where the wine runs out? It will never happen! The supply in the kingdom is always abundant. Hallelujah! This is where our hope lies.
So through the wedding feast in Israel, you can see that this is just a shadow on earth; the real wedding feast in the future kingdom will be much richer than this!
Brothers and sisters, you may endure suffering in this world and may have many problems. Jesus also invites you, "Come! Join me at my wedding!" Is it a good thing or a bad thing? So for those who have not yet believed in Jesus, you are welcome to come! Amen!
Finally, let us look at a passage of scripture,
Revelation 22:16-17 "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star." The Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!" And let the one who hears say, "Come!" And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.
This is a wedding feast, an invitation from our Heavenly Father to people around the world. This invitation has been sent out for a long time; now you are just one of them.
Now, for those of us in this marriage, you say you have eaten on the first day; that is great! Can you invite those around you to come together? Yes, you can. This is evangelism. So I hope that brothers and sisters, you first taste the flavor of this fine wine here, and then when you experience this Jesus, you will bear a good witness for Jesus, inviting more people to come in and taste this abundant feast of the kingdom of heaven together!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise You! Thank You for helping us today through this word. Our world is like this; beneath the bustling facade, people lack life. Jesus, please give us strength and help us, just as You helped Mary's relative, who is also Your relative. Today, when we are in need, I know You are our supply. So let us gain strength again through Your words.
As the new week begins, I know that no matter what I encounter, when I come before the Heavenly Father in prayer, He will surely hear my prayer. Please give me faith, let me firmly believe in Your words, no matter what others say, no matter what people in the world say, I will believe this way! Because Your words will surely be accomplished! You can turn water into wine; You can make the blind see; You can make the lame walk; You can raise the dead. I believe! I believe that Your words will be accomplished in my life.
Let me experience Your abundant power this week. Thank You, Lord! Give me eloquence, give me strength, let me bear a good witness for You, and let Your glory be manifested in me! Thank You and praise You! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray! Amen!