You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet!
Here we are! It’s the final week and I was not sure what to leave you guys on, but as I was reading through my daily devotion, John seemed to point something out. In John 2:1-11, Jesus performed his first miracle, turning water into wine at the wedding. For so long I have wondered why is this event so important. I mean, what is the significance of this not only in their world then, but our world today! I mean, agriculturally, water is turned into wine on a yearly basis at the wineries. But still, there is more to it. I’ve titled today’s sermon “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”…I know, grammatically incorrect as it is, (it is driving me nuts too by the way), there is something to be said for that phrase in this Scripture.
When we hire babysitters for our girls, we always warn them ahead of time about Hannah and her unusual ability constantly to stay moving and talking. As weird as it is, the first time she is with a new sitter or person, she is quiet, reserved and rather well behaved. I remember this one time a year ago or so, we hired a young girl to sit the kids because we had to work. The first day came around and Sherri and I were very nervous. However, when we got home, we had not received any phone calls through the day and Hannah and the sitter were quietly playing a game. We asked how the day went and the sitter piped up, “Oh she was so good for me!! She didn’t have any of the problems you said she would!” Sherri and I looked at each other and simultaneously said, “You ain’t seen nothing yet…just wait until next week at this time.” Sure enough next Monday rolled around and she found out just how energetic Hannah can get when she is familiar with you. Oh I wish I had half her energy….I’d be active for two weeks. I love my little bundle of energy!
By the time this sermon is finished, I pray that the words, “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” have a new meaning for you. If you would, let’s open our Bibles to John 2:1-11.
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “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.”
11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
So! Jesus and his disciples were invited to a wedding! One of things I love to ponder is who knew who in the NT. I wonder who got married that knew Jesus and invited not only him, but all of his disciples too. Hmmm…interesting to ponder on. Anyway, one of the things that caught my eye first off here was why in the world did Mary come to Jesus about the problem of wine? He hadn’t performed miracles yet so that wasn’t why. For some reason, she had faith that Jesus could indeed do something about this problem. Keep in mind that the weddings back in those days had a feast that lasted 7 days. This was the normal for most celebrations.
But in response, Jesus replies that it is not yet his time, but yet he does something about it anyway. The phrase not yet his time appears 5 other times, but I believe it to be a reference to making it known that he was the Messiah. Doing so would result in his immediate death for blasphemy. So, Mary went and told the servants to do whatever it was that he told them to do. She did not know what or how he was going to solve the problem, but she knew he would take care of it.
Quietly Jesus went and turned water into wine. The water he used was the water jugs for ceremonial washing. This was a ritual that they did prior to and after a meal. The servants were then told to take the new wine to the master of the banquet where it not only met approval, but was the best. He did not know that what he drank was the water for the ceremonial cleansing. He thought the bridegroom had saved the best wine for last, which usually was not the case.
I think it is important to see that the water used to make new wine was used for ceremonial washing. Jesus makes all things new, when we are baptized and make our confession, we recognize that we are a new creation in him. Not only this, but it puts the old ways of the law underneath the new “creation” he installed. Jesus has saved the best for last! Moreover, what Jesus offers is the best.
This miracle for me previously was one that was an important one, but really did not make much sense. However now after studying this more in depth, I see that it is full of symbolism, which is the case when Jesus performs a miracle or teaches. Now, this miracle stands out as the beginning of the institution of the new way he is about to invoke. Jesus is about to do away with everything everyone has ever known. Upset all the things that we thought were normal. Indeed, Jesus still does these things. He takes what we thought we knew and changes them like we could never have imagined. Things that we thought were normal are changed and given a new light in the name of Jesus. Jesus makes all things new.
As we take this story in, first, we can apply what Mary did to our lives. She did not know what Jesus was going to do, but she knew he could do something. She trusted and had faith in Jesus to solve the problems that faced them.
Too often we get going in our lives and put our trust in humans or things that are human made. Instead of placing our trust in man, we instead need to be trusting Jesus to solve our problems. We may not know what he is going to do, but we do know he can and will do something with the situation we have. In our situation here at this church, we weren’t sure what he was going to do a year ago, but he has indeed used it for his purposes and solved our problems.
Second, we already know that Jesus makes all things new. The water he made new by turning it into a delicious wine. With you and me, he wipes away our tears, comforts us and makes us holy and righteous before Father God. We are a new creation made perfect in God’s eyes…if only we trust Jesus.
Lastly, Jesus saves the best for what is to come. The longer we walk with Jesus, the sweeter the relationship gets. Our problems usually do not go away, but the relationship between us and he keeps getting better and better. We trust him with our future even more over the years and what he has promised, the best, has yet to come.
There was a brand new pastor and his wife who were newly assigned to their first ministry in Brooklyn. It was a church that was run down and was set to be reopened. Their goal was to have everything done in order to open on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. He cleaned up the mess on the floor, and reluctantly postponed the Christmas Eve service. On the way home he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity, so he stopped in. He found a beautiful, handmade, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover the hole in the front wall so he bought it and headed back to the church. It was now starting to snow and an older woman was running from the opposite direction trying to catch the bus, but missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he put up the tablecloth he had just bought. It was perfect. Then he noticed the woman walking toward him. Her face was like a sheet. “Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained the story and the woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials EBG were there. Indeed they were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. She then explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. They were forced to leave when the Nazi’s came and her husband was going to follow a week later. He was captured and never heard from him again. She insisted that even though her husband was probably dead, she still had faith that they would be reunited by God. Upon hearing the story, the pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. He drove her home instead of making her wait for the bus. What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full and the music and spirit were great. After the end of the service, one older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war. “How could there be two tablecloths so much alike?” the man exclaimed. He told the pastor the same story the woman had a few days earlier. He took the man to Staten Island, to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He then saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.
35 years it took to reunite the husband and wife…but if we trust our problems to Jesus, he can solve our problems, make all things new, still saves the best of everything for last. God has a way of turning our worlds upside down, then making them right again. No matter where you are in your life, continue to put your faith and trust in Jesus no matter what…because if you do, “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet…”
When we hire babysitters for our girls, we always warn them ahead of time about Hannah and her unusual ability constantly to stay moving and talking. As weird as it is, the first time she is with a new sitter or person, she is quiet, reserved and rather well behaved. I remember this one time a year ago or so, we hired a young girl to sit the kids because we had to work. The first day came around and Sherri and I were very nervous. However, when we got home, we had not received any phone calls through the day and Hannah and the sitter were quietly playing a game. We asked how the day went and the sitter piped up, “Oh she was so good for me!! She didn’t have any of the problems you said she would!” Sherri and I looked at each other and simultaneously said, “You ain’t seen nothing yet…just wait until next week at this time.” Sure enough next Monday rolled around and she found out just how energetic Hannah can get when she is familiar with you. Oh I wish I had half her energy….I’d be active for two weeks. I love my little bundle of energy!
By the time this sermon is finished, I pray that the words, “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet” have a new meaning for you. If you would, let’s open our Bibles to John 2:1-11.
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “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.”
11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
So! Jesus and his disciples were invited to a wedding! One of things I love to ponder is who knew who in the NT. I wonder who got married that knew Jesus and invited not only him, but all of his disciples too. Hmmm…interesting to ponder on. Anyway, one of the things that caught my eye first off here was why in the world did Mary come to Jesus about the problem of wine? He hadn’t performed miracles yet so that wasn’t why. For some reason, she had faith that Jesus could indeed do something about this problem. Keep in mind that the weddings back in those days had a feast that lasted 7 days. This was the normal for most celebrations.
But in response, Jesus replies that it is not yet his time, but yet he does something about it anyway. The phrase not yet his time appears 5 other times, but I believe it to be a reference to making it known that he was the Messiah. Doing so would result in his immediate death for blasphemy. So, Mary went and told the servants to do whatever it was that he told them to do. She did not know what or how he was going to solve the problem, but she knew he would take care of it.
Quietly Jesus went and turned water into wine. The water he used was the water jugs for ceremonial washing. This was a ritual that they did prior to and after a meal. The servants were then told to take the new wine to the master of the banquet where it not only met approval, but was the best. He did not know that what he drank was the water for the ceremonial cleansing. He thought the bridegroom had saved the best wine for last, which usually was not the case.
I think it is important to see that the water used to make new wine was used for ceremonial washing. Jesus makes all things new, when we are baptized and make our confession, we recognize that we are a new creation in him. Not only this, but it puts the old ways of the law underneath the new “creation” he installed. Jesus has saved the best for last! Moreover, what Jesus offers is the best.
This miracle for me previously was one that was an important one, but really did not make much sense. However now after studying this more in depth, I see that it is full of symbolism, which is the case when Jesus performs a miracle or teaches. Now, this miracle stands out as the beginning of the institution of the new way he is about to invoke. Jesus is about to do away with everything everyone has ever known. Upset all the things that we thought were normal. Indeed, Jesus still does these things. He takes what we thought we knew and changes them like we could never have imagined. Things that we thought were normal are changed and given a new light in the name of Jesus. Jesus makes all things new.
As we take this story in, first, we can apply what Mary did to our lives. She did not know what Jesus was going to do, but she knew he could do something. She trusted and had faith in Jesus to solve the problems that faced them.
Too often we get going in our lives and put our trust in humans or things that are human made. Instead of placing our trust in man, we instead need to be trusting Jesus to solve our problems. We may not know what he is going to do, but we do know he can and will do something with the situation we have. In our situation here at this church, we weren’t sure what he was going to do a year ago, but he has indeed used it for his purposes and solved our problems.
Second, we already know that Jesus makes all things new. The water he made new by turning it into a delicious wine. With you and me, he wipes away our tears, comforts us and makes us holy and righteous before Father God. We are a new creation made perfect in God’s eyes…if only we trust Jesus.
Lastly, Jesus saves the best for what is to come. The longer we walk with Jesus, the sweeter the relationship gets. Our problems usually do not go away, but the relationship between us and he keeps getting better and better. We trust him with our future even more over the years and what he has promised, the best, has yet to come.
There was a brand new pastor and his wife who were newly assigned to their first ministry in Brooklyn. It was a church that was run down and was set to be reopened. Their goal was to have everything done in order to open on Christmas Eve. They worked hard, repairing pews, plastering walls, painting, etc, and on December 18 were ahead of schedule and just about finished. On December 19 a driving rainstorm hit the area and lasted for two days. On the 21st, the pastor went over to the church. His heart sank when he saw that the roof had leaked, causing a large area of plaster about 20 feet by 8 feet to fall off the front wall of the sanctuary just behind the pulpit, beginning about head high. He cleaned up the mess on the floor, and reluctantly postponed the Christmas Eve service. On the way home he noticed that a local business was having a flea market type sale for charity, so he stopped in. He found a beautiful, handmade, crocheted tablecloth with exquisite work, fine colors and a cross embroidered right in the center. It was just the right size to cover the hole in the front wall so he bought it and headed back to the church. It was now starting to snow and an older woman was running from the opposite direction trying to catch the bus, but missed it. The pastor invited her to wait in the warm church for the next bus 45 minutes later. She sat in a pew and paid no attention to the pastor while he put up the tablecloth he had just bought. It was perfect. Then he noticed the woman walking toward him. Her face was like a sheet. “Pastor," she asked, "where did you get that tablecloth?" The pastor explained the story and the woman asked him to check the lower right corner to see if the initials EBG were there. Indeed they were. These were the initials of the woman, and she had made this tablecloth 35 years before, in Austria. She then explained that before the war she and her husband were well-to-do people in Austria. They were forced to leave when the Nazi’s came and her husband was going to follow a week later. He was captured and never heard from him again. She insisted that even though her husband was probably dead, she still had faith that they would be reunited by God. Upon hearing the story, the pastor wanted to give her the tablecloth; but she made the pastor keep it for the church. He drove her home instead of making her wait for the bus. What a wonderful service they had on Christmas Eve. The church was almost full and the music and spirit were great. After the end of the service, one older man, whom the pastor recognized from the neighborhood continued to sit in one of the pews and stare, and the pastor wondered why he wasn't leaving. The man asked him where he got the tablecloth on the front wall because it was identical to one that his wife had made years ago when they lived in Austria before the war. “How could there be two tablecloths so much alike?” the man exclaimed. He told the pastor the same story the woman had a few days earlier. He took the man to Staten Island, to the same house where the pastor had taken the woman three days earlier. He then saw the greatest Christmas reunion he could ever imagine.
35 years it took to reunite the husband and wife…but if we trust our problems to Jesus, he can solve our problems, make all things new, still saves the best of everything for last. God has a way of turning our worlds upside down, then making them right again. No matter where you are in your life, continue to put your faith and trust in Jesus no matter what…because if you do, “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet…”
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