Sermons
April 25th, 2022 by Pastor Solley042422AM Why Did He Bother
Sub. Miracles of Jesus.
Theme: Miracle of turning the water into wine.
Text: John 2:1-12
“Why Did He Bother” John 2:1-12
Introduction
I want to bring a message this morning titled “Why did He bother” using the miracle recorded in John chapter two as our text. Jn 2:1-12 – This is the first recorded miracle preformed by Jesus during His first advent and one might wonder why this miracle first? Jesus calmed the troubled sea, walked on the water, cleansed the leper, opened the eyes of the blind, made the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, the dumb to speak. Jesus fed 5,000, fed 4,000 when there was no food to do so. Jesus cast out demons. Jesus rose the dead from the grave and gave new life. Why this miracle first? Compared to many others that seem much more important, why this miracle first?
I. Two things to point out before we begin to examine this miracle of turning water into wine: This is the first miracle preformed by Jesus for this specific purpose. – Jn 2:11 – The first to show He was the Messiah of Israel, the Son of God, the Savior of the world.
A. But this is not the first miracle preformed by Jesus: It is the first for this specific purpose. – Jn 2:11 – But Jesus is God and we have a God of miracles.
1. Who was it that spoke this world into being? Jesus created all things and by Him all things exist.
2. Who was it that parted the Red Sea so His children could walk through on dry ground? Jesus.
3. Who was it that stood with sword drawn in His hand before the walls of Jericho and then pressed them into the earth? Jesus.
4. Who sent fire to devour the water soaked sacrifice of Elijah? Jesus.
5. Who added fifteen years to the life of Hezekiah? Jesus.
6. Jesus Christ is God and we serve a God of miracles:
B. This miracle has nothing to do with any teaching on consumption of fermented wine or alcohol: Some try and use this miracle as a proof text that consuming alcohol is blessed by God. That is not true according to the Bible. This is the Word of God and our God cannot lie and does not contradict Himself. Consider what the Bible says in these few places concerning alcohol or fermented wine.
1. Prov 23:31-32 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.
32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. When it is fermented.
2. Prov 20:1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. Was Jesus deceived?
3. Prov 23:20-21 Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: 21 For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. Did the King of kings come to poverty?
4. Prov 31:4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Is Jesus a king?
5. Eph 5:18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
6. A series of messages can be preached on the dangers of fermented wine, alcohol, and why it is forbidden by God: The wone in this passage is unfermented.
II. But why this miracle first and why did Jesus even bother? The first time something is mentioned or occurs in the Bible often carries some special lessons about the people or places involved. This miracle has some special lessons about Jesus. In looking at some of those lessons this morning it will help us answer the question presented in the title of this message; Why did He bother?
PROP: Let us consider some lessons from this miracle at the wedding at Can this morning. TS. So we can answer the question of the title of the message this morning; Why did He bother?Body
I. Jesus bothered because He cared and cares about people: John 2:1-2 Why go to this wedding? This is at the beginning of the earthly ministry of Jesus and there is a lot going on at that time. This would be closely after the baptism of Jesus and the temptation in the wilderness. It was preached and becoming known who Jesus is. – Jn 1:29 – Disciples were being called. – Jn 1:38-47 – Jesus was revealing who He is. – Jn 1:51 Why take the time to go to this wedding and many of those weddings lasted many days.
A. Because Jesus cared and cares about people: John 2:1 Mary was invited to this wedding. It must have been a relative of hers, distant or near we are not told. But Mary was invited to the wedding. Even without Jesus the family would have been well represented. Jn 2:12 – His half brothers were there, most likely half sisters as well. So with all that was beginning to take place, all that was happening with Jesus, why bother to go to the wedding at all? Because Jesus cared and cares about people.
1. Jesus cared about Mary and His half brothers: How would they feel if Jesus had not attended? Jesus was the oldest of the family, the firstborn of Mary and as a result carried the responsibility of representing the family because Joseph had by this time passed and Mary was a widow. Jesus knew and cared.
2. He cared about the bride and groom: How would they feel if Jesus had not attended? Jesus knew and cared.
3. He cared about the family of the groom: How would they feel if Jesus had not attended? Jesus knew and cared.
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4. He cared about the family of the bride: How would they feel if Jesus had not attended? Jesus knew and cared.
5. Jesus was never too busy to care about people: No matter what else was going on Jesus was never too busy to care about people.
a. The lame man at the pool of Bethesda.
b. The woman with the issue of blood.
c. Legion and his many demons.
d. Jesus was never too busy to care about people.
B. And Jesus knows and cares about people today: I have heard many times people say that they are “All alone”, that “No one cares about me”, that “everyone has forgotten me”. That is never true and I have the Bible to back up that statement. – Ps 27:9-10 ; Isa 49:15 One might claim those verses speak only of the redeemed as does Heb 13:5. But here are some verses that speak of saved and lost.
1. Matt 9:1-4 Those were lost people and Jesus knew their thoughts.
2. Luke 6:7-8 Those were lost people and Jesus knew their thoughts.
3. John 1:47-48 Jesus knew all about Nathanael.
4. Jesus knows how many hairs on the head of the lost person as well as the saved person:
5. And what Jesus knows about, who Jesus knows about Jesus cares about: Is that true? Even the lost? – Luke 19:10
C. Never think that Jesus doesn’t care about you, that you are so insignificant that you don’t matter to Jesus, that He doesn’t know what you are going through, that He has forgotten you: When those feelings come upon you recognize that they are sent from Satan and that it is a lie. Jesus cares.
D. Jesus bothered because He cared and cares about people: John 2:1-2
II. Jesus bothered because there was a need: John 2:1-5 Those weddings did last several days. Guests would often come from a long distance and have a long distance to get home. They walked or rode carts pulled mostly by oxen and it was an ordeal to travel a distance. Those wedding feasts lasted days, some more than a week. So after that many days if one ran out of provisions it would not seem to be that great of a thing to me, it would be time for all to go home anyway.
A. But in the Hebrew culture this was a serious thing: To run out of provision would bring disgrace to the family. Jesus knew there was a need and he presented Himself to meet that need if called upon. Great or small Jesus is always there to meet a need when called upon. It may be that one never calls upon Him but Jesus is always there to meet the need great or small.
1. Daniel had a great need: Jesus was there to meet that need.
2. Gideon had a lesser need when he needed assurance: Jesus was there to meet that need.
3. John the Baptist had a lesser need when he needed assurance: Jesus was there to meet that need.
4. The disciples had a greater need when their ship was about to go down in a storm: Jesus was there to meet that need.
5. Jesus is always there to meet a need when called upon: But what if Daniel, Gideon, John and the disciples had never called out to Jesus? I wonder if those needs would have ever been met? Jesus is always there to meet a need when called upon.
B. And Jesus is there to meet any need today, great or small, when called upon: Eph 3:20 Let this verse sink in for a moment. Doesn’t this tell me that if I want to see the greatness of God in my life that I need to call out to Him in every situation? – Eph 3:20 – The Old Testament counterpart for this verse is Jer 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.
1. When the greatest needs in my life arise I need to call upon Jesus because He is there to meet that need: Needs that are to me just as great as the need Daniel had, or David had, or the disciples had. They are just as great to me.
2. And when the smallest of needs arise in my life in need to call upon Jesus because He is there to meet that need as well: Needs that to others would not seem great enough to even mention before the throne of grace I need to take to the one who is there for me.
3. How am I ever going to find that need met if I do not knock on the door? Luke 11:9-10
4. I wonder how many answered prayers I have left in heaven because I did not pray?
5. I wonder how many blessings I have left in heaven because I did not ask for them?
6. I wonder how many times I have hindered my personal supply chain? Phil 4:19
C. Jesus bothered because there was a need: John 2:1-5
III. Jesus bothered because there were those there that would obey: John 2:5-8 Faith is not just calling upon Christ, it is not just believing in Jesus, true faith demands obedience and Jesus bothered because there were those there that would obey Him.
A. Consider these servants: John 2:5 These are not His disciples, not His family, they were hired servants for the wedding.
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1. They took orders from the family of the bride or groom: Just like a wedding today. I will not for a wedding compromise Scripture or our doctrinal stand. Other than that I take orders from the bride and her mother. (When to do this, where to stand and so on.)
2. If they were not taking orders from the bride’s family it was from the family of the groom: They were not servants of Jesus.
3. But they are going to obey Jesus, they were willing to obey: John 2:5 Those seven words that Mary says they are going to follow. “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” Jesus found ones who would obey.
B. Consider what the servants did: John 2:6-8 Remember these servants knew the wine had run out, there was no more. But these seven words are going to ring true, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.”
1. Get six water pots: John 2:6 Not wine vats, water pots.
2. Fill each one with about 18 to 27 gallons of water: John 2:7 A firkin was about nine gallons.
3. Serve it to the most important guest: John 2:8 Not to the least important, to the most important guest.
a. They knew there was water in those pots, that is what they filled them with.
b. They knew they were not to serve water. If they could have done that there would never have been a need.
c. They knew that there was no room to put anything else in those water pots, they filled them to the brim.
4. Those servants had no reason to obey Jesus: Remember that Jesus had preformed no miracles before this time. They had absolutely no reason to obey Jesus.
5. But Jesus found some who would obey: Seven words they followed, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.”
C. What if we just did what Jesus commands today? Instead of questioning God, instead of getting bitter against God, instead of shouting why all the time, what if we just did what those servants did? “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” What if Jesus found in us men and woman who would obey. Are these sever words so hard to understand? “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.”
1. What if we just did what He said? John 14:15 Those are seven more words. “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” What if we just did what Jesus said?
2. Could it be that some of the circumstances in our lives would change of Jesus found in us one that would obey?
3. Could it be that we would see trials end if Jesus found in us one who would obey?
4. What if we just followed those seven words all of the time? “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”
5. What if we just followed the example of those servants and even though we know it seems impossible “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.”
D. Jesus bothered because there were those there that would obey: John 2:5-8
IV. Jesus bothered because with Him all things are better: John 2:8-10 Again this is juice, unfermented wine. But even in juice there is often a difference in taste. Different brands taste different.
A. When the governor of the feast tasted it was not just different, it was better: John 2:10 Imagine the stir this caused.
1. The family knew that wine had run out: How could better wine have been supplied?
2. The servants knew they served water: How could better wine have been supplied?
3. This would have caused quite a stir: How could better wine have been supplied?
B. Whatever is turned over to Jesus is always left better than it was before: Just like our needs, whatever is turned over to Jesus, great or small, is always left better than it was before.
1. The touch of Jesus always leads to a more abundant life: John 10:10 That Greek word means more than was before, above and beyond what was before.
2. Whatever area of life is turned over to Jesus is always better than it was before: Be it our spiritual life, our physical life, our family life, our social life, our financial life, our emotional or thought life, every area of life is better than it was before when it is turned over to Jesus. The touch of Jesus always make a difference.
3. Our problem is that we often choose to keep things back from Jesus: We refuse to place all in His capable hands.
4. Find the one thing in the Bible that was not made better after the touch of Jesus: I can’t find one.
5. Even when life is hard it is better with Jesus: Like the song writer stated “I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold”. Why? Because Jesus makes all things better and does all things well.
C. Jesus bothered because with Him all things are better: John 2:8-10
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V. Jesus bothered because these are things we need to know: John 2:11 The Bible is an amazing book, I think we would all agree on that. But too many people read the Bible in a detached way and I think we could also agree on that. The things that are in the Bible are for us. – 1 Cor 10:11 – We need to place ourselves in the Bible as we read and study.
A. The miracle of water into wine is recorded so we will know that Jesus did that for those ones: It is a record and I can see that Jesus did for them.
B. But it is also recorded and written down so that I will know Jesus will also do those same things for me:
C. Jesus bothered because these are things we need to know: John 2:11
Conclusion
What things then do I need to know from John chapter two and this miracle?
I. Jesus bothered because He cared and cares about people: John 2:1-2 Why go to this wedding? This is at the beginning of the earthly ministry of Jesus and there is a lot going on at that time. This would be closely after the baptism of Jesus and the temptation in the wilderness. It was preached and becoming known who Jesus is. – Jn 1:29 – Disciples were being called. – Jn 1:38-47 – Jesus was revealing who He is. – Jn 1:51 Why take the time to go to this wedding and many of the weddings lasted many days.
II. Jesus bothered because there was a need: John 2:1-5 Those weddings did last several days. Guests would often come from a long distance and have a long distance to get home. They walked or rode carts pulled mostly by oxen and it was an ordeal to travel a distance. Those wedding feasts lasted days, some more than a week. So after that many days if one ran out of provisions it would not seem to be that great of a thing to me, it would be time for all to go home anyway.
III. Jesus bothered because there were those there that would obey: John 2:5-8 Faith is not just calling upon Christ, it is not just believing in Jesus, true faith demands obedience and Jesus bothered because there were those there that would obey Him.
IV. Jesus bothered because with Him all things are better: John 2:8-10 Again this is juice, unfermented wine. But even in juice there is often a difference in taste. Different brands taste different.
V. Jesus bothered because these are things we need to know: John 2:11 The Bible is an amazing book, I think we would all agree on that. But too many people read the Bible in a detached way and I think we could also agree on that. The things that are in the Bible are for us. – 1 Cor 10:11 – We need to place ourselves in the Bible as we read and study.