Sermon Title– Jesus has power over everything
Sermon Text– John 2:1-12
Sermon Date-Sunday, March 11th, 2018
Brief Introduction
Within the first few months to a year of Jesus’ earthly ministry, Jesus goes on a 40 day fast in the wilderness; He gets baptized by John the Baptist, and He calls His disciples to follow Him. In our passage this morning we will read about Jesus’ first performed miracle.
Ministry Contrast:
John the Baptist ministry was one of isolation and somberness —In the wilderness. Never goes to a celebration.Ect…
Jesus ministry was one of openness and celebration—Jesus’s ministry was public; Jesus goes to a wedding to celebrate with His disciples. Ect…
Matthew 11:18-19—“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon.’ 19 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ But wisdom is justified by her children.”
MPT—Jesus revealed His power to the disciples by turning water into wine.
MPS—Jesus has power over everything
- Jesus has power over all our problems—(Vs. 1-4)
A. The problem—“They ran out of wine.” —v.3
Why was this a problem? This wedding would have ended and both bride and groom along with their families would have been utterly humiliated.
Why did Jesus see the need to fix this problem?
- Jesus fixed the problem because he wanted to increase the faith of his disciples.
- Jesus fixed the problem because he wanted to display his compassion and goodness to the bride and groom of the wedding.
- This family would have been humiliated if the wine would have run out and in HIs kindness Jesus wanted them to avoid that problem.
- J.C Ryle—“We learn how honorable in the sight of Christ is the estate of matrimony.”
- The Main Reason Jesus fixed the problem of wine running out because he wanted to reveal his power over all things, to the disciples.
B. Mary’s Request—“They have no wine.”—v.3
What was Mary really asking Jesus to do? Mary wanted Jesus to reveal His deity to everyone so that they knew what she knew, that he was God in the flesh.
C. Jesus’ Response—“What does your concern have to do with Me? My time has not yet come.”—v. 4
In other words, Your request is not according to God’s timeline.
-It’s not time for me to fully reveal myself
-It’s not time for me to die
Did Jesus have the power to reveal His full deity at that moment? Yes, but that wasn’t the Father’s will, so He didn’t.
Jesus wanted to remind Mary that His timeline was the Father’s timeline and not anyone else’s, not even His earthly mother.
Mary’s confidence in Jesus—(V. 5)
“Whatever He says to you, do it.”
Notice that Jesus never said that he was going to turn the water into wine and yet Mary had the confidence that Jesus was actually going to answer her request in some way.
How could she have such confidence that Jesus would answer her prayer? Because she understood the character and nature of God.
In other words, she understood the goodness and compassion of God.
Although God may not answer our prayers in the way we want them answered we can be confident in knowing that He will answer our prayers according to His will, which is always better than our will.
Jesus would only perform this miracle in a way that was in alignment with His Heavenly Father’s will and not His earthly mothers will.
Pray to God that we would have the confidence that Mary had in our prayer request offered up to Jesus.
Our Prayer should be—“Meet our needs, according to your will, Oh Lord!”
- Jesus has power over the elements in liquid—He turns water into wine
- Jesus has the power to perfectly obey His Father’s will—“It’s not my time yet.”
- Jesus has the power to resist the desires of other people’s will for Him—Mary wanted Him to fully reveal Himself, Jesus said no!
II. Jesus has power over all obstacles —Vs.6-10
Because God is limitless and possesses all power, might, and wisdom there is no concept of an obstacle to Him.
There’s no more wine at the wedding?
You’re struggling in your marriage?
You’re not sure what the future holds concerning your job; your family; etc?
No Problem! Jesus has power over all our problems and obstacles.
In this text, Jesus wanted the disciples to see that He had power over everything and as a result that would believe on Him more and more.
Jesus desires the same for us! God wants to increase our faith in Him as we see Him work in the past and in the present.
V.11—“This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.”
Application:
What does this passage teach us about God?
God is good—There was a need and Jesus meet that need even though the people present were not all followers of Christ.
This is called common grace. God provides for the just and the unjust.
God is not opposed to alcohol—Jesus made wine so that the people would enjoy themselves at the wedding. Alcohol is not sinful in its self. The wine was used for times of celebration.
Jesus turning water into wine shows us that God is not bound by time.
He changed the substance of water to wine but not just any wine. It was the best wine at the wedding.
The fermentation process that takes years to produce the best quality wine with the most value took Jesus moments to accomplish.
God listens to our prayer request—Mary asked Jesus to make more wine and He did.
God does not work on our timeline when we pray but He is moved by His own Sovereign timeline—Mary asked Jesus to fully reveal Himself at the wedding and Jesus did not do it because His time had not yet come.
There would be a time when Jesus would fully reveal Himself to everyone and there would be a moment when Jesus’ time would come but now was not that time.
Jesus wanted His disciples to know that He had power over everything and Jesus wants us to know that He still has power over every problem and obstacle in our lives.
By faith, Believe in Him!
Closing Prayer