Nice to see you again today. Let's turn in our Bibles, please, to John's Gospel, Chapter 2.
Thanks to Ralph for leading and the musicians. It's good to sing.
As we've started this term, we've been making our way through John's Gospel.
And today we're going to look at two events, two accounts in Chapter 2.
We're going to read it, then we're going to pray, and then we're going to listen and hear what God has to say.
So we're going to read John Chapter 2, verses 1 to 22.
On the third day, a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.
Jesus' mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him,
They've no more wine.
Woman, why do you involve me? Jesus replied.
My hour has not yet come.
His mother said to the servants,
Do whatever he tells you.
Nearby stood six stone water jars,
the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing,
each holding from 80 to 120 litres.
Jesus said to the servants,
Fill the jars with water,
so they may be filled to the brim.
Then he told them,
Now draw some out,
and take it to the master of the banquet.
They did so,
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 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.
What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee
was the first of the signs through which Jesus revealed his glory,
and his disciples believed in him.
After this,
Jesus went down to Capernaum
with his mother and brothers and his disciples.
There they stayed for a few days.
When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,
Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
In the temple courts,
he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves,
and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
So Jesus made a whip out of cords
and drove all from the temple courts,
both sheep and cattle.
He scattered the coins of the money changers
and overturned their tables.
To those who sold doves, he said,
Get these out of here.
Stop turning my father's house into a market.
His disciples remembered
that it is written,
Zeal for your house will consume me.
The Jews then responded to him,
What sign can you give
to prove your authority to do all this?
Jesus answered them,
Destroy this temple
and I will raise it again in three days.
Well, they replied,
It has taken 46 years to build this temple
and you're going to raise it in three days?
But the temple Jesus had spoken of
was his body.
And after he was raised from the dead,
his disciples recalled what he had said.
Then they believed the scriptures
and the words that Jesus had spoken.
Well, let's keep our Bibles open there
and we'll pray.
Our Father God,
help each one of us here today
to see Jesus more clearly,
to understand all he has come to do
and that we would be ready
to meet him.
Amen.
Signposts.
We were thinking about this
in our home groups during the week.
Imagine,
it's a beautiful,
hot, sunny day,
so you really do have to imagine.
We're going off to Muckras House
in Killarney for a picnic.
And as you drive along,
you see this huge,
big brown sign.
Muckras House,
350 metres,
next right.
In excitement of seeing the sign,
you stop the car
and underneath the sign,
you get out your picnic rug
and your sandwiches and your drinks
and you sit down there
at the busy road
and you say,
well, isn't this just great?
No.
Signs are not an end in themselves.
Signs are significant
because they point beyond themselves
to something else.
Well, in chapter 2 of John's Gospel,
we have two sign stories.
The first is a wedding.
The second is at the temple.
One is full of noisy people,
happy and laughing.
The other is full of noisy animals,
pooing and mooing.
At the wedding,
Jesus provides for the people.
And in the temple,
Jesus drives out the people.
On the one hand,
we have a party Jesus
and then we have an angry Jesus.
But these aren't just stories
for entertainment.
These are signs telling us
who Jesus is.
Have a look at verse 11.
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.
Or down at verse 18,
when Jesus was at the temple,
the Jews responded to him,
what sign can you show us
to prove your authority to do this?
And in verse 23,
now while Jesus was in Jerusalem
at the Passover festival,
many people saw the signs
he was performing
and believed in his name.
You see, the signs
are not the destination.
They point beyond themselves
to something better,
someone who is greater.
So let's take these two sign stories
in turn
and see what they teach us
about Jesus.
The first story
is the wedding.
Are we ready
for the wedding celebration?
Are we ready
for the wedding celebration?
The story at one level
is really quite simple.
Jesus is at a wedding
with friends,
they run out of wine,
and Jesus does a miracle.
Now the message is not,
if you come to Jesus,
he's going to fill
your wine cellar.
No, through the sign
of changing water
into wine,
Jesus is saying,
come to me
and I will clean you
for the wedding celebration.
Believe me,
trust me,
and I will clean you
for the wedding celebration.
Well, that's a big statement.
Let's see how that's true.
First, Jesus claims
to be
the bridegroom.
The wedding is going very well.
Everyone's having a great time,
but then,
disaster!
Look at verse 3,
the end of verse 3.
There's no more wine.
It's like us being invited
to a wedding,
and after the ceremony
in the church,
there's an announcement.
Sorry, folks,
the hotel has run out of food,
and the bar is closed.
But don't worry,
there's plenty of water
on the table.
I mean,
who wants to go
to that kind of wedding?
Well,
there was only one person
to blame,
and that was
the bridegroom.
It's his responsibility
at the wedding
to provide the wine.
His first job
as a husband,
make sure
there's enough wine.
Oh!
Well, thankfully,
he sorts it out.
At least,
that's what
the master
of the banquet
thought.
Look at the end
of verse 9.
The master
of the banquet
called the bridegroom
aside
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.
Well, of course,
it was a case
of mistaken identity.
It wasn't the bridegroom
at all who had
provided the best
wine.
It had been
Jesus.
Now, can you see
what's going on
here at the wedding?
In a way,
Jesus has taken
the place
of the bridegroom
at the wedding.
Jesus does
the job
of the bridegroom.
He takes
his place.
Jesus is saying,
I am the true
bridegroom.
You see,
through the Bible
as we read
the scriptures
of the Old Testament,
the image,
the main
big picture
that describes
God's relationship
to his people
is a
marriage.
God is the husband
and the people
are the bride.
God is pictured
as loving us,
pursuing us,
longing to be
in relationship
with us.
He is the faithful,
loyal,
steadfast husband.
And so at this
wedding here
in Cana,
we have but a
picture of God
coming to us.
Jesus is the
bridegroom,
pursuing us,
loving us,
so that we
could be
his bride.
Well,
if you are
the bride
of a wedding,
you need to be
ready,
don't you?
You need to be
looking the best.
You need to be
clean.
And that's
what Jesus
does.
There's a
cleansing
that takes
place.
Did you notice
at the wedding
this odd,
strange reference
to the water
jars?
Look at
verse 6.
Nearby stood
six stone
water jars,
so tall,
about as tall
as this,
and they
were used
by the Jews
for ceremonial
washing,
each holding
from 80
to 120
litres
of water.
That's a lot
of water.
You see,
under Jewish
religious
tradition,
the problem
was that
you could
become
unclean.
You could
become unclean
if you ate
the wrong
food,
if you touched
the wrong
person,
or if you
wore the
wrong clothes.
There was
all kinds
of rules
that if you
touched or
did,
you would
become
unclean.
And when
you became
ritually
unclean,
well,
you had to
go to
these ceremonial
jars,
and you do
your ritual
washing,
and you
would be
clean again.
But what
was meant
to remind
you for
a need
of a
much deeper
internal
spiritual
cleansing?
Well,
it just
became an
external
physical
cleansing.
It just
became an
outward show,
a pretense.
Whereas
Jesus comes
along,
and he
says,
I'm offering
you a
complete
cleansing.
You see,
Jesus could
have used
any water
from any
trough,
but he
deliberately
chose the
ceremonial
jars for
washing,
and he
commands the
servants to
fill them
to the
brim,
and he
turns it
into wine,
because Jesus
was replacing
the old
way with
now a
new way.
Jesus
was putting
an end to
the external
show,
and he
was offering
an internal
cleansing of
our sinful
hearts.
Jesus has
come to
make us
clean.
Later on
in John's
Gospel,
we find
Jesus with
his disciples.
Just have a
look forward
to John
chapter 13.
John
chapter 13.
Peter
says,
you may
remember this
account where
Jesus begins
to wash or
clean his
disciples'
feet,
and he
begins to
make his
way around
the
disciples.
We'll pick
it up in
verse 8,
John
chapter 13,
verse 8.
And Jesus
comes to
Peter to
wash his
feet.
And what
does Peter
say?
No,
you shall
never wash
my feet.
And Jesus
answered,
unless I
wash you,
you have
no part
with me.
Then,
Lord,
Simon Peter
replied,
not just
my feet,
but my
hands and
my head
as well.
Well,
Jesus answered,
those who
have had
a bath
need only
to wash
their feet.
Their whole
body is
clean.
And you
are clean.
Though not
every one
of you,
for he
knew who
was going
to betray
him,
and that
was why
he said,
not everyone
was clean.
Let's go
back to
John chapter
2.
Did you
hear what
Jesus said
to Peter?
Unless I
wash you,
unless I
clean you,
you can
have no
part of
me.
He wasn't
talking about
a physical
bath or
a shower
with soap
and shampoo.
He was
talking about
a spiritual
cleansing.
And the
only way
that we
can be
clean
inside
is that
Jesus
would die
on the
cross for
our sins.
A
cleansing
so deep
and full
that it
will clean
us
internally
and
completely
and fully.
No matter
your guilt
or your
shame
or your
sin,
Jesus
says,
I am
the one
who has
come to
clean you.
I will
make you
pure
and beautiful
like a
bride ready
for the
bridegroom.
so Jesus
does the
cleansing
work.
So,
they are
ready to
celebrate.
But why
wine?
Why is
there so
much
reference
to wine?
Why change
water into
wine?
Surely Jesus
could have
changed it
into sparkling
water.
Probably been
easier maybe.
Or what
about
orange
juice?
Why did
he change
the water
into wine?
Well,
wine itself
was symbolic.
Notice the
wine that
Jesus made
at the end
of verse
10.
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.
Not cheap
old plonk,
but well-aged,
the finest
and the
best.
You see,
the wine
was a
picture of
joy and
happiness.
The wine
was provided
at the
wedding to
celebrate
and feast
at the
wedding.
And this
is the
picture we
see through
the scriptures
as God
looks forward
to a
marriage
to his
people.
You can
follow with
me on
screen.
In
Isaiah 62,
God speaks
of his
relationship
to his
people as
a marriage.
And this
is what he
says.
No longer
will they
call you
deserted
or abandoned
or forgotten,
but you
will be
called
Hevespa,
which means
my delight
is in
her.
As a
bridegroom
rejoices over
his bride,
so will
your God
rejoice
over you.
It goes
on.
The Lord
has sworn
by his
mighty arm,
never again
will foreigners
drink the
new wine
for which
you have
toiled,
but those
who gather
the grapes
will drink
it in the
courts of
my sanctuary.
glory.
What a
wonderful,
beautiful
picture.
On
intimacy
on the
one hand
and security
on the
other,
a joyful
celebration
as God
the bridegroom
marries
his bride
the people.
well,
what God
had promised
to do,
Jesus
has turned
that into
a reality
for us.
You see,
if we stop
at the
sign,
we miss
the point
of what
the story
is all
about.
Jesus
is saying,
come to
me,
all of you,
whoever you
are,
whatever your
background,
whatever your
guilt or
sin,
come to
me,
and I
will make
you
clean.
I will
wash you
for the
ultimate
wedding
celebration.
So that's
story one.
Let's move
now to
story two.
Removed
from the
father's
house,
the
location
changes
from the
wedding
to the
temple,
the
imagery
and the
symbolism
also
change.
But at
one level,
this story
is also
very simple.
We find
Jesus at
the temple,
they've
turned it
into a
marketplace,
and so
Jesus comes
along and
gets rid
of all
the
sellers.
Now,
again,
this is not
a message
that Jesus
is on a
crusade
to free
all the
animals.
No,
through the
act of
clearing the
courts,
Jesus is
saying,
if you
refuse me,
I will
remove you
from my
father's
house.
Refuse
me,
and I
will remove
you from
my father's
house.
Well,
let's see
how this
is true.
First,
Jesus makes
the extraordinary
claim of
being the
temple.
The
temple,
of course,
was the
place where
you went
to meet
with God.
You went
there to
pray to
God,
to thank
God.
It was
the physical
sign,
center place
in Jerusalem,
the capital,
where God's
presence was
among the
people.
So,
if there
was no
temple,
there was
no access
to God.
Get rid
of the
temple,
no way
of meeting
God.
now,
when Jesus
arrived to
the temple,
he says
something
extraordinary.
Do you
see it in
verse 16?
He calls
it,
my
father's
house.
Jesus is
claiming an
ownership and
an authority
over the
temple.
In fact,
Jesus goes
even further,
verse 19.
He says
to them,
destroy
this
temple,
and I
will raise
it again
in three
days.
Huh?
Could you
imagine the
reaction?
Well,
we have it
in verse 20.
It's taken
46 years
to build
this temple
and you
are going
to raise
it in
three days?
How are
you possibly,
how could
you rebuild
a temple
if it was
all flattened?
It's
nonsense
talk.
You're
talking
stupid.
And
besides,
how will
we ever
get close
to God
without a
temple?
Verse 21.
But the
temple Jesus
was speaking
about
was his
body.
You see,
Jesus was
making this
extraordinary
claim.
He's saying,
see that
building over
there?
Look at
me.
I am
the true
temple.
I am
the one
who will
give you
access
to the
Father.
Come to
me and
you will
experience
God's
presence
personally
and
intimately.
Well,
they'd all
missed the
point
completely,
hadn't
they?
It would
take a
lot longer
before they
realized what
Jesus was
coming to
do.
Verse 22.
after Jesus
was raised
from the
dead,
so he
died three
days later,
he was
raised from
the dead,
his disciples
recalled,
they remembered
back to the
event in the
temple,
they believed
the scriptures
and the
words that
Jesus had
spoken.
It suddenly
dawned on
them that
yes,
it is through
Jesus,
through his
death and
through his
resurrection,
that we
could have
access to
God.
Now,
that meant
that anything
that hindered
access to
God needed
to be
removed.
A
cleansing
had to
take place.
And that's
what Jesus
was demonstrating
earlier on
when he
arrived at
the temple.
A
cleansing
was taking
place.
Look at
when these
events took
place.
Verse 13.
When it
was almost
time for
the Jewish
Passover,
Jesus went
up to
Jerusalem.
Now,
Passover was
this great
big annual
event when
they remembered
their liberation,
God setting
his people
free from
Egypt hundreds
of years
before.
And so
this one
time every
year,
hundreds,
thousands
of people
all left
and went
on a big
pilgrimage
and all
travelled up
to Jerusalem.
It was like
all-Ireland
final day
in Croke
Park
when every
county
was in
the final.
I mean,
everybody
went.
They came
to meet
with God.
people
were
coming
from all
barriers
and
obstacles.
People
were
coming
from all
kinds
of
places
and
were
pulling
out
their
wallet
ready
to pay
money
for some
animal
for a
sacrifice.
Oh,
well,
you've
got the
wrong
currency.
Let me
exchange
it and
well,
I'll
just
take a
bit
for
myself.
And
then
they
were
haggling
over
the
price
of a
cow.
How
much
is
that
sheep?
No,
too much.
What
about
the
dove?
Maybe
that's
cheaper.
You see,
those who
were selling
animals and
exchanging
currency
had turned
the temple
into a
place of
making
money
rather than
meeting
God.
Rather
than a
place to
worship
God,
it had
become a
place to
increase
your wealth.
And
Jesus
was
angry,
verse
15,
so he
made a
whip out
of
cords,
drove
all from
the
temple
courts,
both
sheep
and
cattle,
and he
scattered
the coins
of the
money
changers
and overturned
their
tables.
Have
you ever
known
Jesus
to be
angry?
Well,
let's
not mistake
things here.
Jesus
hasn't
lost his
temper.
No,
it was
a
righteous
anger.
Jesus
was
passionate
for his
father's
glory.
Verse
16,
to those
who were
selling,
he said,
get them
out of
here.
Stop
turning my
father's
house
into a
market.
You see,
Jesus
longed
that people
would be
able to
come and
give honour
and praise
and worship
to the
father,
for that
is why
God
had made
us.
It's the
purpose in
which God
had created
us,
that we
would
live for
him,
that we
would
worship
him.
So
anyone
that
obstructed
access to
God
was to
be
removed.
It
was an
act of
cleansing.
Jesus
cleaned it
all up
by clearing
people out.
You see,
it comes as
a warning
to us
that if
we put
obstacles in
the way
of people
coming to
God,
if we
put up
barriers
to stop
access to
the
father,
if we
become
those
who
obstruct
the way,
well,
there will
be a
cleansing,
a clearing
out of
all who
are opposed
to him.
You see,
this was a
cleansing that
God had
always been
concerned
for.
There was
a cleansing
which led
to a
removal
in
judgment.
Years
before,
the prophet
Jeremiah had
confronted
God's people
about the
way they
were behaving
and living.
And God
said to
Jeremiah,
you can
read it
there on
the screen,
God said
to Jeremiah,
stand at
the gate
of the
Lord's
house,
stand at
the entrance
to the
temple and
say to
the people,
reform your
ways and
your actions
and I
will let
you live.
You see,
they were
turning up
and doing
all the
worshipy
religious
stuff and
that was
fine.
The rest
of the
time they
were carrying
on and
doing whatever
they pleased.
God says,
no, you've
got to
reform your
ways.
But you
did not
listen.
I called
but you
didn't
answer.
I will
now do
to the
house that
bears my
name, the
temple you
trust in, I
will thrust
you from my
presence.
Well, God's
word was
clear, wasn't
it?
God says,
I am going
to remove
you.
I am going
to cleanse
my house
from all
who do
not repent
and all
who do
not listen
to me.
And so
when Jesus
arrived at
the temple
to his
father's
house, he
cleansed
it.
He enacted
God's
judgment upon
the people.
Well, you
say, that
sounds a bit
harsh.
Jesus being
so angry,
removing
people.
Well,
remember,
Jesus wants
a people
who will
worship
God,
who will
live for
him and
serve him.
And all
who oppose
him and
all who
reject him
will be
removed.
And Jesus
is making
this very
simple
statement that
if we
turn against
him, he
will remove
us.
We will be
removed from
his presence
forever.
You see, if
we look at
this story
as all
about Jesus
freeing
animals,
well, we've
missed the
point completely.
Jesus
says,
refuse me,
ignore me,
turn against
me,
and I
will remove
you from
my father's
house.
so two
signed
stories
pointing us
to Jesus.
At the
wedding, we
see the
welcome of
the bridegroom.
Come to
me, says
Jesus, and
I will
clean you
of all
your sin.
No longer
do you have
to put on
a pretense
or put on
a show.
You can
come as
you are.
I will
forgive you.
I will
give you
my purity.
I will
give you
my
righteousness.
I will
make you
as a
beautiful
bride.
And I
will be
your loyal,
faithful,
and steadfast
husband.
And as
we come
to Jesus,
so in a
sense we
enter into
a marriage
relationship
with God
that is
safe and
secure and
will never
be broken.
A wedding
feast where
we will eat
and drink
and be
happy and
be glad
and there
will be
no more
death.
It will
last forever.
But at
the temple
we see the
warning of
a judge.
And Jesus
is saying,
I am the
way to the
Father.
And I have
come that you
may have
access to
him.
But if you
hinder the
way, if we
do not
reform our
ways and
turn
back to
him,
Jesus
says,
well there
will come
a day
when I
will come
again.
And it
will be
in judgment.
And I
will cleanse
this place
from all
who do
not trust
me.
Which
Jesus
are we
going to
meet?
The party
Jesus?
The welcome
of the
bridegroom?
The
bridegroom?
The
bridegroom?
Or the
righteous
angered
Jesus?
Who will
remove us
from his
presence
because we
have ignored
him?
Two signs,
two stories.
What
Jesus
are we
ready to
meet?
Let's
pray.
Father God,
thank you
for your
word.
thank you
for its
simplicity,
its
clarity.
Thank you
that it
points us
to Jesus.
And
Father,
we pray
that each
one of us
here would
turn to
you,
that we
would come
to you for
that cleansing,
that we
would know
life with
you,
a relationship
with you
forever and
ever.
feasting
and joy
forevermore.
Father,
we pray
that we
would always
be those
who are
continually
changing
our ways,
confessing
our sin,
and seeking
to live a
life that
pleases
you.
Father,
help us,
help us
to trust
Jesus,
and help
us to walk
in his
way.
And it's
in his
name we
pray.
Amen.
We're
going to
sing
together.
What is
our hope
in life
and death?
Christ
alone,
Christ
alone.
He is
our only
hope.
He is
the one
who welcomes
us today.
Let's
stand to
sing,
if you're
able to.
Amen.