Second Sign

The second sign is similar to the first. It is an expression of God’s power that validates Jesus as Messiah, but there is not much teaching.

A man comes to Jesus, because his son is sick, and near death. He pleads with Jesus to come, and heal his son.

Jesus observes that the man won’t believe unless he sees a miracle. What is Jesus getting at? Expectations of his mission? The nature of faith? Mankind’s tendency toward empiricism – I won’t believe it unless I see it, hear it, taste it, smell it, or feel it?

The man is getting desperate, so he persists. And Jesus assures the man that his son will live. Scripture says the man believes Jesus. He expected that his son would recover, and live. So, he returns home.

But on his way, servant from his home find him, and tell him that his son’s fever broke suddenly, the day before. So, the man asks when. He found out it happened at the same time he was talking to Jesus. So, not only did Jesus re-assure the man, he healed the son. No fanfare. No hoopla. No glitz. Quietly, and almost in secret.

There seems to be an expectation, that when God acts, there will be fireworks, strobe lights, glitter balls, with “Pomp and Circumstance” playing in the background.

Jesus said, “My Father is always working.” If these expectations were correct, there would be fireworks 24x7, including Sundays and holidays. Instead, we miss the majority – the vast majority – of what God is doing.

There are many who follow Jesus today, who expect some sort of experience. I am not putting down experiences, or those who have them. But the Father is not bound by any agreement to necessarily provide one.

This sign shows that God has authority, and power, to complete his purposes outside of our expectations. Experience. No experience. Or a different experience.

But we do need to believe Jesus, and expect the Father to be always working.

Wedding and A Sign (2)

The gospel of John, the fourth biography of Jesus in the bible, is organized differently than the others. The others are fairly typical biographies, chronological descriptions of a person’s life. John, on the other hand, is organized around a series of signs, accompanied by a series of teachings.

We looked at the first sign at the wedding at Cana. It was different from other signs Jesus performed. And we asked, given that a sign is performed to demonstrate the validity of who the person is, and the truth of his claim, why did John include this, as the first? And I wonder, all the signs and teachings coordinated? That is, the sign and the teaching joined together purposefully, to point at each other. I don’t have a definitive answer to the second question. Maybe later.

But is there a link between the first teaching and the first sign? And, if so, what is it?

The sign, of course, was changing water to wine. But there was no obvious teaching, unless we include the short discussion between Jesus, his mother, and the servants.

As we observed, the groom’s family was about to experience a social catastrophe. And when Mary informed Jesus, he seemed to indicate that his purpose in the world was beyond what anyone conceived it to be. Then, he exercised God’s power in an act of creation, in loving service, and to protect people from shame and disgrace.

The first sign becomes a picture of Christ’s mission in the world.

He acts to create a new family of restored people. People transformed to live as they were designed. People transformed to be the best examples of mankind.

He acts in love. Indeed, the core fact of the universe, and all time, becomes an act of love, which radically overturns how the universe functions.

And he acts to re-connect the Father with his children. Any person who gives his allegiance to Jesus, no matter what he has done, or how low he has fallen, can be restored to the Father, can face his without shame, expecting to be received freely, warmly, and wholeheartedly.

Jesus came for all of this!

A Wedding and Signs

In Jesus’ time, a Jewish wedding was a big deal. The groom and his family would prepare a place for the new family. The would plan and prepare for the wedding celebration for a year, or more sometimes. They would gather, and store, food and wine for scores of guests, for a 3 or 4 day party. It was a disaster to run short of something.

Imagine someone has a year to plan and prepare for something, and it gets messed up. People could say that this particular someone was “inept” on so many levels. Or one could call them something less polite than “inept.” It was more than a logistical miscalculation. It was a social failure. It was almost impossible to live down the shame.

So, Jesus goes to a wedding. His mother is also invited, so there is a good change this is a family wedding. And the run out of wine.

Mary learns about the problem. And she tells Jesus. Scripture doesn’t seem to indicate if she intended him to solve the problem, or if she was merely expressing familial concern. And his response to her seems to be a reproof at first. Is he saying that even his mother doesn’t understand his mission in the world?

But she does tell the servant to follow his instructions. And he does give them instructions that solve the problem. He has them fill containers with water, and the water turns to wine. Moreover, the wine he provides is better that the best of what was provided.

Scripture calls this his first sign. By sign, Scripture means an attesting miracle. A miracle that demonstrates the validity of who Jesus is. From one perspective, all miracles point to Jesus, as God’s messiah, as the Promised One, as Savior and Lord.

Throughout Jesus’ ministry, the Jewish leaders consistently ask Jesus for a sign. And, in reality, he gave them a sign, several signs in  fact. But they did not accept his signs, not because they weren’t miraculous, but because they did not agree with their pre-conceptions of God’s intentions, and Jesus’ mission.

The Jews seemed to be hung up on their part in God’s plan. They recognized being God’s people, and the transmitters of God’s standards. They did not get that God was determined to restore all people to relationship, and fellowship with him. He would restore all people to live according to their original design, and to create a family from all peoples. And they didn’t get how the Father was going to accomplish his purposes.

Was this Jesus’ first sign, because it was a signal to pay attention? Something special is here. Something unexpected is here. Or was it a signal that God was beginning to establish that new family (weddings are the beginning of new families) that he had promised?

Forgiveness

It is the belief of Christians, that when Jesus died on the Cross, he satisfied God’s requirements for the wrongs of every person. The Father covered each person – past, present, and future – and each person’s sin – past, present, and future – with the blood of Christ.

Scripture says that when a person comes to the Christ, his\her sins are nailed to the Cross. His\her entire record. And God already knows our entire record.

The instruction for confession and repentance is not a substitute for the Old Testament sacrificial system.

If one is cognizant of sin, by all means, agree with God that you have done something wrong, and decide with God to live differently. Maybe even how to live differently.

But the guilt of sin, and the power of sin, have been handled by the Cross and the Holy Spirit. God’s primary concern is fellowship, and transformation. Rather, are we walking in relationship with him? Are we living as we were designed?