John 2:1-11
1 -3 Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there. Jesus and His disciples were guests also.
Jesus was on a mission to save the world, the greatest mission in the history of mankind. Yet He took time to attend a wedding and take part in its festivities. We may be tempted to think we should not take time out from our “important” work for social occasions. But maybe these social occasions are part of our mission.
When they started running low on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesus' mother told him, "They're just about out of wine."
Weddings in Jesus’ day were weeklong festivals. Banquets would be prepared for many guests, and the week would be spent celebrating the new life of the married couple. Often the whole town was invited, and everybody would come – it was considered an insult to refuse an invitation to a wedding. To accommodate many people, careful planning was needed. To run out of wine was more embarrassing; it broke the strong unwritten laws of hospitality. Jesus was about to respond to a heartfelt need.
Mary was probably not asking Jesus to do a miracle; she was simply hoping that her son would help solve this major problem and find some wine. Tradition says that Joseph was dead so she probably was used to asking for her son’s help in certain situations.
4Jesus said, "Is that any of our business, Mother—yours or mine? This isn't my time. Don't push me."
No one is certain why Jesus answered his mother this way. Maybe he thought she was asking him to do something miraculous; but that is not likely – this was one of the first miracles Jesus performed. Although Mary had not yet become acquainted with Jesus the Miracle Worker, she was used to him being a leader and person who is willing to help anyone in need.
We may never be considered “miracle workers” but how do people view us? In times of need would one say, “I can’t ask them because I know they will turn me down.” As a ministry, we have to strive to develop and maintain a Christ-like reputation. Do others think of us as leaders in this community? Are we forerunners in ministry and industry? Not because we wear the latest styles and sing top 40 music, but because we are always in posture of service.
The bride and groom of this wedding simply needed to be saved from embarrassment, but there are others with more serious needs. We can not let our fears, feelings of inadequacy or apprehensions keep us from helping anyone in need. (I am not saying at all that Jesus doubted Himself, but it is possible that his human nature made him nervous about beginning his miracle ministry. What ministry is lying dormant in you right now? When, not if, but when the opportunity comes for you to be used, are you going to say, “This is not my time or don’t push me?” Or will you walk boldly in your calling and meet the needs of God’s people.
I will say this, more than being afraid; I believe Jesus’ hesitation was about doing things in the right timing. Being in God’s time is important. We do not want to work in our giftings before the right level of maturity. We might cause more harm than help.
5She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, "Whatever he tells you, do it."
Mary submitted to Jesus’ way of doing this. She recognized that Jesus was more than her human son – he was the Son of God. When we bring problems to Christ, we may think we know how and when he should take care of them. But he may have a completely different plan. Like Mary, we should submit and allow him to deal with the problem as he sees best. Our part is being at the right place at the right time.
6 -7Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual washings. Each held twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus ordered the servants, "Fill the pots with water." And they filled them to the brim.
8"Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host," Jesus said, and they did.
9 -10When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn't know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, "Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you've saved the best till now!"
If it had been up to many of us, we would have looked for the most beautiful and expensive contains available – after all it was a wedding. But God couldn’t care less about aesthetics when He is looking for something to use. In any given situation, he is going to use what best will get the job done. The pots were large, durable and empty. When it is time for you to be used will you be large (mature) enough, durable (long-suffering) enough and empty (available) enough to be considered.
Just as the wine Jesus made was the best, so should our service be. We don’t want to expend our energy on our jobs and run around for our friends and family, then not have enough time or power to do the work of the Lord. We need to offer out best.
What can we do to be our best?
• Come to rehearsal and engagements on a regular basis.
• Attempt to be on time in every function of life.
• Practice and rehearse to enhance your crafts and abilities.
• Take your ministry and God-ordained jobs seriously.
• Push through the pain, push through the fatigue and push through the apathy to give God what He deserves.
If you are not giving God your best, don’t get upset or jealous when he is not using you. Yes, you may dress the best, sing the best, and dance the best, but seek God to find out why He is not choosing your for His service. Stop looking at the way God is using others and concentrate on being in the right place at the time to be use by God.
11This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
We can learn a lot about tactics of ministry from Jesus. The miracles showed his power over nature and revealed the way he would go about him ministry – helping others, speaking with authority, and being in personal touch with people.
This is NOT a Competition
John 3:22-30
22 -26After this conversation, Jesus went on with his disciples into the Judean countryside and relaxed with them there. He was also baptizing. At the same time, John was baptizing over at Aenon near Salim, where water was abundant. This was before John was thrown into jail. John's disciples got into an argument with the establishment Jews over the nature of baptism. They came to John and said, "Rabbi, you know the one who was with you on the other side of the
It is interesting how John’s followers got into the argument and not John. Questions come to mind: Did the Jews go to the disciples expressing their views. Were the disciples boastfully having conversations with the Jews? Why didn’t the Jews say something to John directly? How did the discussion get so aggravated that it turned into an argument? If the Jews were so established why did they feel the need to argue about it anyway? Why were the disciples with the Jews instead of helping John?
Let me pull out a few points here:
Jesus and His camp were not even thinking about John. They were just doing what they were supposed to do. It did not matter to them that John was baptizing too, or even that he was doing it first. There are ministries out there doing the same thing as us. Singing. Dancing. Acting. Spoken word. Outreach. Community service. We are just not that unique. The point is we may have come before them but they did not necessarily start or base their ministry after ours. They aint studin us. (Ebonically speaking).
John and Jesus were ministering in an area described as “abundant”. Truly we too are ministering in a place of abundance. I don’t just mean
John’s disciples got into an argument with the Jews. Why didn’t Jesus disciples get into an argument? They were doing the same thing. Nevertheless, the disciples should not have been arguing. We never want to argue with others about our ministry. We need to be secure. Have security in your leadership. There is no point in ever getting into an argument with some one else about me. If I am doing what I am supposed to, it doesn’t matter what others say.
When the disciples went to John he already knew about Jesus. Matter of fact, John told them about Jesus originally and supported His ministry. I already know a lot of the people in this community or industry. I knew of them long before I even started G2G. And I supported their ministries. So most times when I am told about someone or something they are doing, I already know.
The disciples viewed Jesus as direct competition and a threat – especially because He was doing more baptisms than John. Instead of getting jealous they should have considered the theory of seasons. Before Jesus started John was doing most of the baptizing. But now it was Jesus season. It happens like that for us too. There will be times when we are doing a lot. And then times where it seems like are doing very little in comparison to others. But we don’t need to compare our works to others’. We need only to do what we are supposed to do and find contentment in our season.
John the Baptist’s disciples where disturbed because people were following Jesus instead of John. It is easy to grow jealous of the popularity of another person’s ministry. But we must remember that our true mission is to influence people to follow Christ, not us.
Why did John continue to baptize after Jesus came onto the scene? Why didn’t he become a disciple, too? John explained that because God had given him his work, he had to continue it until God called him to do something else. John’s main purpose was to point people to Christ. Even with Jesus beginning His own ministry, John could still turn people to Jesus. One might ask why did I start G2G. There where plenty of choirs I could have just joined. But God gave me purpose, just like He did John. And we will ride this out until God says its over.
27 -29John answered, "It's not possible for a person to succeed—I'm talking about eternal success—without heaven's help. You yourselves were there when I made it public that I was not the Messiah but simply the one sent ahead of him to get things ready. The one who gets the bride is, by definition, the bridegroom. And the bridegroom's friend, his 'best man'—that's me—in place at his side where he can hear every word, is genuinely happy. How could he be jealous when he knows that the wedding is finished and the marriage is off to a good start?
29 -30"That's why my cup is running over. This is the assigned moment for him to move into the center, while I slip off to the sidelines.