January 19, 2025
Epiphany 2
Text: John 2:1-11
What are you looking for in Jesus?
1) Refocused 2) Encouraged, 3) Blessed beyond measure
She sits down at her desk at school. Her heart starts to race as she takes out her pencil. She needs to ace this test to keep her scholarship. She quick says a prayer, “Jesus please help me ace this test.” He finally gets called in for an interview. He needs this job to help support his family. “Jesus please help me get this job.” She grew up going to church every Sunday and then she went off to college. One of her professors ridicules Christianity and made a very compelling argument against the existence of God. She begins to question her faith and prays, “God are real?” He loved his wife. She was the half that made him whole. She blessed him with two beautiful children. Then the Lord called her home, leaving him to take care of their children. He thinks, “God, are you really a God of love that you would take her from us?”
I think that we can relate to these people in different ways and at different points in our lives. Each of them wanted Jesus for something… looking for something from him. Wanting him to help for a test or an interview, looking for encouragement to face their doubts.
So today I ask, “What are you looking for in Jesus?” Is he someone that you just keep in your back pocket and go to him to fix a problem in your life where we might need to refocus on why he came? Are you seeking encouragement to the doubts you have about your faith and the person of Jesus, who he claimed to be? Today as we look at the wedding of Canna, my goal is that we can answer that question as we are refocused, encouraged, and blessed beyond measure.
The very first miracle of Jesus took place at a wedding in Canna. Jesus’ mother was there. A few days earlier he had called his very first disciples. So Jesus and his new disciples were also invited to attend. A Hebrew wedding usually involved a procession from the bride’s home to the groom’s home and then was followed by a week-long celebration at his house. Wine was a staple for meals, and it would be a major embarrassment to be without it. And guess what? They ran out of wine.
Mary saw the need and immediately turned to the one person she absolutely knew who could help…her Son. The bible says, “When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, ‘They have no wine.’” She saw a problem and went to Jesus. I wonder what she thought Jesus’ purpose was or simply how she viewed Jesus. What was he here for?
I think we can relate with Mary. She knew Jesus. She knew he had the power and authority to work a miracle. She went to him to fix a problem and simply expected that he would. What do we expect from Jesus? Why do we approach Jesus with prayers and petitions? What am I looking for Jesus to do in my life?
Its interesting when we stop and think about it. When we pray, how often is it asking Jesus to help us face a given problem. Tight on money? Jesus please help. Family in dire medical need? Jesus grant healing. Jesus help me get through that test or interview. Its almost like Jesus becomes the person we go to when the check engine light of our life goes on and we take it to him to fix it.
A subtle change occurs. We see Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We know what he did. We have faith and we take our cares and troubles to him. The problems we face. And scripture encourages us to do so. But we have to be careful about a subtle change that can occur. When Jesus because our problem solver instead of our savior. When he becomes our problem solver do we only turn to him in times of need and when the problem is solved, the check engine light goes off, we don’t go to him again till it comes back on again.
Jesus’ answer reveals that Mary needed some gentle correction about who he is and the purpose for which he was sent and maybe we need something similar as well. He said to her, “Women, what does that have to do with you and me? My time has not come yet.” My time has not come yet. Its a theme that runs through the book of John. The time for what? To accomplish his purpose for why he was sent. The time three years later, where Jesus said in John 12:24 “The time has come for the Son of man to be glorified.” that he would go to the cross and suffer and die for the sins of the world.
The purpose for which Jesus was sent was not to simply take care of our earthly problems or needs but our spiritual problem. The problem of sin and its devastating consequence of eternal hell. He came to do so much more then to change water into wine. He came to forgive. Let us never forget why he came or what he did. With that in focus, we pray to him not only when we have problems but always. We don’t only come to Jesus when our check engine light is on but we come to him always seeing Him for who he is… our Savior.
Although Mary’s purpose was different then Jesus, his purpose would satisfy hers. He was going to reveal himself to his disciples, strengthening their faith in him, encouraging them. In John 2:1, John sets the scene for when this miracle took place, “Three days later.” Three days later from what? When Jesus first called his full-time disciples. He made a promise to Philip and Nathanial, “You believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that. Amen, Amen, I tell you: You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of man.” You will see greater things than that…
Think about it from the disciple’s point of view. These men left everything. Their family, their friends, their jobs. Jesus promised them that they would see amazing things. I don’t know what exactly they were thinking at this point. Were they second guessing their decision to follow Jesus? Were they wondering if they made a mistake? After three days, were there some doubts forming? Weather or not they had doubts about what they did, nevertheless, what Jesus did encouraged them. Strengthened their faith.
As you are sitting here today, do you need the encouragement that only Christ can give? Have doubts subtlety creeped into your heart and mind? Have you begun to question God’s goodness when you see and hear about the fires in California? Have you begun to doubt God’s compassion when you see the sick or dying? Have you doubted God’s existence when because of something that happened in your life, something that someone said?
There are just times where we need to be encouraged. My second half marathon one of my good friends from Mi who would run with me and coach me went to my race. He went and would cheer me on a different point during the race. Each time I heard him yell it would give me motivation to keep going. It seems to come a the right time when I was feeling tired and starting to slow I would see him again.
Sometimes our lives as Christians are like that. We get tired. We face doubts. We need to be encouraged. Christ encourages us. He strengthens our faith. The disciples got to see a miracle first hand. Now encourages us through is Word. With people who share his Word. He encourages us with The Lord’s Supper where we get to taste that forgiveness he gives. When we delve into his word and see his grace, we are encouraged because we recognize how much God has blessed us with.
When Jesus was at the banquet. He had the servants there fill 6 jars that were used for ceremonial cleansing each able to hold twenty or thirty gallons of water. He had the servants fill them up to the brim with water. Take a cup of water to the master of the banquet. As he tasted it, it turned into the best wine he had. Jesus blessed those there beyond measure. The Groom wasn’t disgraced that he ran out of wine. The guest received the best wine in abundance. The servants saw all that had happened. The bible says, “This, the beginning of his miraculous sings, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.” But most importantly, this served to strengthen the faith of these new disciples, and they believed in him.
God has blessed us beyond all that we can think and imagine. He provided a sign giving us a glimpse of who he is. Jesus has given us his life in our place and with that forgiveness, life and salvation. But also, we have something special. His Word. His word is where we can go to be encouraged. His word blesses us as we see what he has done for us. His word motivates us to follow him. His word reminds us that Jesus’ blessings extend far beyond a wedding here on earth, but the wedding feast in heaven which lasts for all eternity.
What are you looking for in Jesus? I hope that you leave here today refocused on what Jesus came to do. I pray that you leave here encouraged by what you have seen and heard. And I pray that you recognize that you are blessed beyond measure because of what Jesus has done for you and will do for you. Amen.