Let There Be LightНамуна

Day 2 - Sarah Stocks

(Calvary Port Moresby)

John Chapter 2

Title: Jesus’ First Miracle

Scripture: John 2:1-11

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.” “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 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. 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.” What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Thought:

The first and one of Jesus’ most iconic miracles is captured in John 2:1-11. You could describe it as the launching pad for His ministry. In the preceding chapter, He had just been baptised, anointed by the Holy Spirit, and ordained by the Heavenly Father to begin His service here on earth.

The Wedding at Cana was not an official part of this assignment. It was an invitation by family to partake in a time of feasting and celebration where work would have been the furthest thing from anyone’s mind. In fact, this could have also been the case for Jesus, as indicated in His response to His mother’s request in verse 4.

It appeared to have been an untimely intrusion into Jesus’ plans and an inconvenience, to say the least. Yet, despite this, Jesus put His plans aside to respond to His mother’s obvious need.

Changing the water into wine is, in some ways, like the miracle of Jesus walking on water. Very few miracles ‘personify’ Jesus’ humanity like these two miracles because, in them, we see Jesus moved by the pleas of those He loved to go beyond His own comfort, convenience, and even His own plans. Despite His unpreparedness or exhaustion, Jesus often put aside His feelings to respond in love.

Application:
How many of us can claim to do the same in similar circumstances?

Often, our plans get disrupted by life’s daily challenges or the needs of those around us, and this can become an excuse to respond in anger or to choose to put ourselves before the needs of others. Jesus’ simple act of love and sacrifice in an inconvenient moment should become an example for us to follow today. Because of it, one of the most beautiful and memorable miracles recorded in the Bible took place, and “… was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory...” (Verse 11).

Prayer:
Lord, help us to respond with love and sacrifice even when our plans are disrupted. May we follow Jesus’ example and put others’ needs before our own. Use us to reveal Your glory through our actions of love. Amen.