Our reading for this morning is John 1:40-50 and 2:1-11.
If I asked you to name Jesus' first miracle recorded in the New Testament, what would you say?
Most of us would say that it was the turning of water into wine at the marriage in Cana. In this story Jesus and his disciples had been invited to a wedding. It does not say whose, but most likely it was the wedding of someone important to Mary (because she intervenes in the crisis) or John's, because he is the only gospel writer who records it in his book. Also, apparently, the family was not wealthy, because there was not an abundance of wine. The "caterers" ran out. I've heard (and can well imagine) that this would have been a tremendously embarrassing situation for the family. Mary seemed pretty appalled - - - so concerned that she asked Jesus to "do something", and was confident that, out of love for her or for the family, He would. I find this interaction somewhat peculiar - - - not that Mary knew her son's gifts, but that He seemed reluctant to grant His mother's request, yet did. Of course, none of us has the slightest idea what it was like to be God's mother.
The disciples mentioned are not named; so, it is unclear whether all 12 had been called by this time or not. The events of Jesus' life, recorded in the four gospels, are not necessarily always given in chronological order. Nor, as we have seen, do all the writers record exactly the same events. John makes this assertion about the events at the Cana wedding:
"What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him."
John 2:11
This statement is what leads people to say that this event was Jesus' first recorded miracle. But, I disagree. I would agree that it was His first recorded public miracle, but that His first miracle is recorded in John 1:40-50.
Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. 41The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). 42And he brought him to Jesus.
Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas” (which, when translated, is Peterg ).
The next day Jesus decided to leave for Galilee. Finding Philip, he said to him, “Follow me.”
44Philip, like Andrew and Peter, was from the town of Bethsaida. 45Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”
46“Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked.
“Come and see,” said Philip.
47When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
48“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.
Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.”
49Then Nathanael declared, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel.”
The central point I'm trying to make is in verses 47-49, and we see it again and again in Jesus' interactions with people. He knows them. Inside and out, good and bad, He knows them.
In the past, I used to believe that it was possible to truly know another person. But, I learned the hard lesson that this is not possible. Oh, you can know a lot about another person; but, you can only know them to the extent that they are transparent with you. And even then, you cannot know them fully. But, Jesus, being God, who knows all things, pointed out to those He was calling: Simon (Peter the Rock), then to Nathanael and then to Philip ... that He knew them.
This was and is Jesus Christ's first miracle recorded in the Bible, a private miracle - - - a miracle much more wonderful than several jugs of wine.
He knows us, each and every one. Look at what he said to each of these men. In each case, he pointed out a character trait that was wonderful. Oh, I'm sure he could have chosen one of their dearly-held, "pet sins" - - - liar! cheat! slanderer! - - because no doubt He saw those too. But, He didn't. He looked at each one and pointed out the BEST in them. Nathanael was so amazed that he immediately confessed that Jesus was the Messiah, although he had just met Him.
Jesus still does that today. He sees the image of God in each one of us, as well as seeing our sin, but He LOVES us, in spite of our sins, and He calls us to spend our lives in an intimate relationship with Him. This is what Love does, and God IS love.
If you have not met Him, seen Him, truly seen Him for who He is....He is pursuing you today. Stop running. Let the love of God overtake you. Look at Him; lay down your sin and rebellion. Confess Him as Lord and Savior, so that you can begin to walk resplendent with Him today.
Some of us...we refuse God's words about us. You think I'm talking about unbelievers here, but I'm not. Oh, of course, unbelievers do that. But, here I'm talking about Christians - - redeemed, saved ones, who drag along down the path of life, burdened by their own self-images. These dear brothers and sisters only see their sins, their "failures", their inadequacies. They cannot grab hold of God's pure, perfect love for them. And, by not embracing God's total acceptance of their saved souls, they walk in chains.
These are my friends and readers who are offended by the title of my blog. Oh, they don't tell me so, but sometimes they harrumph, "She thinks she is 'all that'!" NO! I truly know that I am not "all that", but that my Jesus IS ALL THAT! And, the reason that I can walk resplendent every day is because of Him, not because of me. The resplendent walk comes from allowing His love to replace any enslaving self-loathing I may harbor, because that kind of crippling belief wounds the Holy Spirit. It slaps God in the face.
Let me tell you something, Beloved. Until you can allow the incredible love of God to completely overwhelm you, you will not break free of the chains of sin that bind you. I want you to think about your soul being represented by a dirty clear glass from your kitchen. Perhaps you drank a smoothie out of it last night, and it is now sitting crusty in the sink. How can that glass be cleaned? What if you fill it halfway with water (the water representing the love of God). What if you fill it to the brim? Will the glass then be clean? BUT, what if you allow that running water to flow over the brim and flow and flow and flow? The moving water will loosen the particles of yuck (sin) and the glass will become clean.
The love of God is like that. That was and IS Jesus' first miracle: His knowing us and giving His amazing love for us.
See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! 1 John 3:1
Believer: that.is.what.we.are. Embrace it!
"O Love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee;
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be." George Matheson
Dear Love of My Life, I apologize for those times that I do not walk worthy of the love You have lavished on me. I can't fully comprehend it, actually. But, I am grateful. There are times when I focus on my failures instead of on Your completeness. Help me to confess my sins and then draw close to You, to hold on to that Love that will never let me go, to see You as you are, and to see myself as You see me. In Jesus' name, amen.
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