1st Sign: Wedding At Canna, Part 1

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhart challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ. Naturally, the power of these things that I had to take place in the crowd of people a lot and look at a mountain and made it disappear going on a perfectly sunny days and will make it rain.

You pick up rocks and turn them into butterflies that will that's not Jesus ministry. That's not a Adonis to talk about all these are signs that reveal the heart God joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhart now again he shows us God's word meets chapter 20 John 20 verse.

Listen to what John says he writes therefore many other signs. Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book.

But these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and that believing you may have life in his name and then if you go over to verse 25 of chapter 21 right at the end of the book John says this and there are also many other things which Jesus did, which if they were written in detail. I suppose that even the world itself would not contain the books that would be written John writing about all the things that Jesus did, but in 2030 and 31 he says the reason that I am writing this book and telling you about these things is so that you would believe. And then secondly that you would have life, what you think for a moment what would be like to be John is a very, very old man gray hair, wrinkled skin, his eyes were probably very dim, but for life and hope.

Matthew, Mark, and Luke their Gospels have been circulated throughout the church for decades. Here is this old man writing this book. The disciples are all long gone. They're all dead and had been dead for a long time.

He's on the island of Patmos. Just off the coast of modern-day Turkey.

He's 1000 miles away from where he would spend time with Jesus and Jesus did his ministry and John writes this gospel. It is very different than the other three.

The other three are called Synoptics there similar Johns is not. It's very different. The language and John is the simplest language in the New Testament is the most simple form of coin a great that you will find in fact, when I was a seminary. The first Greek class that you have to take in dealing with Scripture is John because it's so much easier to understand than any of the others. And yet he tells us, I'm writing this at this time for two reasons. One, that you would believe and to that you would have life, and I think often we think when John is using that term limits. I just want you to believe and then after you believe the get to go to heaven when you're dead but I don't think that's what he means. I think you mean something more than that tells me now, and John the John 10 verse 10 John 10 verse 10 John is giving the discourse that Jesus used of the good Shepherd. But that in verse 10 Jesus says something very profound. Jesus says the thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. Jesus is referring more to than just eternal life here that's only part of it, but I want them to have life and have it abundantly. So John decides I'm going to write my gospel and in my gospel. There are going to be seven different miracles. I'm going to write the seven miracles in a way that I can get people to responsible belief in having life abundantly. Now he's already told us at the end of the book how many miracles could John a pick from hundreds thousands. I don't know countless pretty pics seven.

The other thing is, John never calls the miracles because some signs same eon is the Greek word same eon means that something is going to be revealed. And he said that's why I picked these seven for very particular reason.

So it's pretty clear that the same eon. These signs reveal that Jesus has the power of God. But there's something else he wants to review.

He wants to reveal the fact that Jesus has the nature of God and what is the nature of God, like often when John is taught and I've even taught it this way, and was taught it the exact same way is that John's gives you seven miracles to prove that Jesus is God and that's what he did.

That is part of what he did but that's he did a lot more than that. It's not just the answer in and of itself effect if you just want to perform miracles.

The show that he was God. He had the power that of these things. What I had to take place. I mean, he could've taken a crowd of people a lot and look at a mountain and made it disappear.

He could think of going on a perfectly sunny days that'll make it rain. He could've picked up rocks and turn them into butterflies that proves God. But that's not what happens in Jesus ministry and that's not what John wants to talk about all these are signs that reveal the hard of God, and I hope as you go through these. With this in these next weeks that you come to the understanding that just how much God cares about you and loves you and wants to help you. That's with the signs reveal. That's the message and boy do we need that message today.

I mean I'm I'm just amazed how many people are so anxious and worrisome and fearful and lonely all these kind of things in the day in which we live, and John says look I want you to see something about me God's nature in the signs that he performs in the first one will get a look at the day is in John chapter 2 verse one John two verse one John starts out and just says on the third day there was a wedding on the third day there was a way the third day is from the third day after he had spoken Nathaniel ending up chapter 1, they take a walk and it says on the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee King is about 4 miles from Nazareth. That's were Jesus and his family came from, and then it says in the mother of Jesus was there so there's a wedding taking place now again just for background weddings in those days, and weddings. The data very different weddings their wedding. First of all, all weddings were prearranged.

The parents made a contract and prearrange the wedding this wasn't. We went out we dated for a few times, receipt of like the jet you not like that. The wedding is prearranged at citizens prearranged.

There's a contract it's prepared in both family side so the contract is finished and then they going. They take vowels in the synagogue so the young couple goes into the synagogue and they take their vials at that time when they take their vows. There are tokens exchange between the groom and the bride. It could be a ring but not necessarily.

Now that that is called that begins what is called betrothal. That's the betrothal. That's very important when you're studying Mary and Joseph and understanding that they were betrothed and all that.

So this betrothal. Could last anywhere from just add two months to about one year now.

What's interesting about it after you were betrothed and the synagogue. She went to her home and the groom went to his home and you did not socialize anymore. So you want dating going to betrothal.

And this really becomes interesting. If you're kind of a woman because after these two months to one full year, the groom would have friends almost always at night they would have tortures and then he would go to the bride's house to pick her up now is always unannounced soaked up what you ladies think about this.

Sometimes when I officiate a wedding and I mean this in it. I hope the right way, but the sometimes the bride the woman does the 100 look like a woman I know given I mean it's just like wool I meet. Why is that because the point of it is I want to look my absolute best that I possibly can on my wedding day would just imagine, from two months to one year. He can come by on any night that means that night. You have to be ready for him to take you so I can imagine will be like to be a woman at that particular time wondering when is coming and he would come and then he would take the bride to his house. When they got to his house there be speeches made by members of the families and then there was the wedding feast that would occur right then the wedding feast was usually three days to one week long. There been some little bit longer and recorded in some up a little bit short of it all. Always at least 2 to 3 days. This is what sort of the precursor were call reception, you know that's the wedding feast, but it's very very different than what we would call reception.

The groom's family pays for all this that's always what happens. That's what's happening at the wedding feast. That's the way this works so he says in the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there and that someone is going to one of the thing and when I had. I'm guessing for sure that the reason that she's there. And Jesus is it's a male member of their extended family somebody they know was a family member who's a male because the groom is the one paying and the way you think Jesus and Mary acted through this tells me they felt some sense of responsibility and it says in both Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well admit that that's not the 12 there's only five disciples at this time Jesus hasn't wants that ministry the 12 hunters just five of and they go with Jesus and that becomes a very important part of the story and then it says in verse three I when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to him, they have no way that's it than the one not again understand the way this works this is a serious social breach of etiquette.

Unlike anything you and I would probably imagine.

First of all, it's an insult to all the people attending that you run out of wine and thirdly another thing, it can happen is in some cases there's actually been people sued by the guest because they ran out of wine so you could just imagine what this whole thing must feel like or be like so I guess I should add one more thing about it is that you and I might be thinking now will back in those days, that's crazy. I mean if they had a wedding reception that lasted two days. This you know full week.

I mean everybody must just been loaded in a that's not true at not even remotely close to the truth understand that in Israel that time, the minimum you could cut wine and should cut it for events like this is 1 to 3. In other words, all wine was cut three parts water to one part wine. That was the way they cut you could cut it for other purposes one to 10, you could go that for the reason for this water was very hard to come by water that you could easily drink was hard to make sure so they cut it with wine. Now they had wine before it was cut much like our wine same alcohol content, but in Scripture that was called strong drink okay if your Levite for bringing the touching.

You can drink strong drink at all, strong drink is different than why not you could get drunk on wine but I I mean, you might have to drink gallons and gallons of it before you could possibly get drunk, but you could in that sense. But the point of it is as it was very different than the kind of language we talk about from from our point of view. Strong drink in the Bible is just simply uncut wine strong drink in the Bible is not bourbon vodka.

It's not that it's just uncut wine is called strong drink, so she just says that Jesus is clear she can.

They have no wine map that's kind of an interesting thing. The question is why some commentators but not many but some of said what. That's because she saw Jesus do the hundreds and hundreds of miracles almost every day of her life and knew he knew America, I don't believe that'll I don't think Jesus did that that wasn't the way Jesus lived, but I do believe this, she knew she could count on. She knew what kind of person he was Jesus as her firstborn son Joseph is likely dead by now, he may have been dead for some time.

By now she the lien on Jesus.

What kind of Sunday think he was seeing was real.

It was a resourceful was a bright, could you trust the he's every one of the things you could possibly imagine. That's Jesus as her she just looks at Jesus and said they have no wine no building to that, there seems to be some expectation in some way flex Jesus response Jesus says woman. What does that have to do with us. My hours. Not yet, it's a little brother. It's interesting though when the most interesting things is right in the beginning woman Goulet what he do that. I mean how many of you at 30 years of age or some would call your mother ma'am Miguel you think it's a mother might know saving you said to her all the way through his ministry. Goulet's there's a change or is about to embark on his ministry he always calls her Goulet. He doesn't call her mom. Her mother is not necessarily a derogatory term, it means like I said Mme. a man it's a somatic expression and after here's what he says after his very tip of the way that it says in English Bible. What does that have to do with us. Literally it says what to me and to you is this that's literally what it says what to me and to use this other with what's this have to do with me so that I don't want whose responsibilities the wine, the groom's family. Is this have to do with you and me and then he says my hours not yet come.

Not a lot of times in the New Testament.

Our means the cross, but also the general sense our means. The time is about to begin his ministry until it ends at the cross and other words that whole point of his public ministry is called is our is my hours not you come I haven't started the public ministry, and that's kind of an interesting thing. You know when you think about it all the things that Jesus is going to do it is ministry. This seems like it could have been something very very small, but he answers and kind of an odd way when you think about this. The Internet kind of a, there's one thing that Mary knew for sure. Her son was the Messiah and his father was God. She knew that her whole life, God told her she knew she was a virgin. She knew all this.

She always knew this she knows he's Messiah, so she just tells them the facts and maybe with the anticipation of me think of what Jesus did do.

Let's see we know for a fact that Jesus would say would you know that that the lame walk at the blind see, the lepers are made pure.

I raise the dead. Think of the miracles that Jesus does unbelievable minor miracles and and you're telling me they're out of wine me.

You see, that's what you want it that's that's the point, and is a very important point why John chose this and I get to that moment.

And so what ends up happening here is how does Mary react to this, his mother said to the servants. Notice the word mother John's very careful to tell you he said woman Dunay next verse mother so that's pretty clear he never said he wasn't just using another word for mother. He was careful not to say that Jesus called her goon a woman and then it says that that she said whatever he says to you, do it. That's it.

That's a conversation they're running out of wine whatever he says to you, you just that's a statement of incredible faith on her part. From my point of view, it's just I'm just amazed that it he's the Messiah is the son of God. Whatever he says you just how could he reacted. I mean she could stomped off that right.

She could sit on your mother. She could've said that clearly she could have she could have said, if you really love me. You do this or you know she could've even assessing I mean after all the things have done for you. Do you know what labor was like with you. You know how hard this is good for me should say any of her responses amazed the students I trust. I know you said becomes an extremely important part of this particular story and pastor broke your radio ministry or fellowship nor if you ever missed one of our broadcasting or maybe you just like to listen to the message one more time. Remember the good a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio programs as well Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous protest on this radio station by supporting a monthly fourth just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is of the sermon, the pastor will deliver during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and O LA.O RG at our website you will find hundreds pastor Bill sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sermon series are looking for, or you can search by title. Once you find the method you're looking for. You can listen online or if you prefer, you can download the sermon and listening and remember all this absolutely free of charge.

Once again our website is FVC Nola.org forecaster Bill Gebhardt, unseasoned heart. Thank you for listening to fellowship in order