October 16 I Saturday
Isaiah 47-49
1 Thessalonians 4
“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.” —John 2:1-2
John 2 begins with “On the third day” but on the third day of what? From the context, we could deduce that it was on the third day after Jesus met His first disciples—Andrew, Simon, Philip and Nathanael. They, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, were attending a wedding. But there was one problem, they ran out of wine. Mary tells Jesus, “They have no more wine.” Jesus responds, “Woman, why do you involve Me? My hour has not yet come.” Afterwards, Mary says to the servants at the wedding, “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:3-5). This is probably the best advice anybody could ever give anyone: “Whatever Jesus tells you to do, do it!”
There were six stone water jars nearby. They are the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding about 80 to 120 litres. Jesus turns to the servants and tells them, “Fill the jars with water.” After, He tells them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet” (John 2:7-8). What Jesus tells the servants to do is very unusual, but as they poured the water that they had filled up into the glass, it had turned into wine. In fact, the master of the banquet comments, “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 2:10).
This was Jesus’s first miracle, a sign from Jesus to point to something else. Three days before, He told His disciples to “follow Me.” They were probably wondering what Jesus was up to. What they needed to do was take the advice of Mary and do whatever Jesus said. What they would discover is that all the old water in them, when poured out for the benefit of other people, would be transformed into wine. All they had to do was be available to Jesus and do what He tells them. Jesus can use ordinary people like us, with all our weaknesses and failures, as long as we are honest, recognizing that nothing good dwells in us, and humbly say to Jesus, “Lord Jesus, I am giving myself to You. As I do so, I invite You to pour me out where You want me to go.”
Are we willing to be obedient to Jesus and let Him pour out our life, so that “the old water” becomes “the best wine” to people that we are called to bless?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for still making water into wine. I surrender my life into Your hands with obedience and trust in You to bless others through me.
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