[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.24.1″ _module_preset=”default” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.24.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.24.1″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.24.2″ _module_preset=”default” text_font_size=”20px” text_font_size_tablet=”18px” text_font_size_phone=”16px” text_font_size_last_edited=”on|phone” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
In John\u2019s gospel there are seven miracles he called signs, because they point to something far greater than the miraculous event.<\/p>\n
The first sign was at a wedding in Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine.
While that miracle showed the deep compassion of Jesus for the bridal party, it also has a far wider meaning.<\/p>\n
In the Old Testament, marriage was often used to represent the relation between God and his people.
And wine was often used to symbolise fellowship, joy, and abundance of life.
The wine running out at the wedding was a sign of how Israel\u2019s life with God had come to a stop.\u00a0 Worship had become a hollow ritual, like washing with water from the stone jars.\u00a0 It had the busy appearance of religion, but without any real heart for God.
And God had not spoken to Israel through any prophets for 400 years, which is the time difference between Queen Elizabeth I and II of England.<\/p>\n
But Jesus came to heal our broken relation to God.
When Mary told him the problem of the wine, he responded in terms of what the wine running out really signified, and how mankind\u2019s separation from God could only be remedied through his sacrifice on the cross, the time for which had not yet come.<\/p>\n
Mary\u2019s response was a wonderful example of trust in Jesus; her advice was, \u201cDo whatever he tells you.\u201d<\/p>\n
No one could enter the marriage feast without using the water to clean away the dust of this earth.\u00a0 And we are not worthy to enter into relationship with God while we bear the sin of this world, but Jesus has provided true cleansing from sin.
Through his sacrifice on the cross, he took the penalty of death for our sin upon himself, in our place, that we might be judged righteous before God.
As we read in 2 Corinthians 5:21, \u201cGod made him who had no sin \u2013 to be sin \u2013 for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.\u201d<\/p>\n
And at the last supper, Jesus again used wine as a symbol, when he took bread and wine to represent his body and blood, or his life, which he gave up on the cross for each one of us, to win the victory over sin and death,<\/p>\n
And just as Jesus\u2019 mere presence was enough to transform the Jewish ritual cleansing water into the best wine of joy and fellowship, so his presence now, as he lives in us through his spirit, brings us into true abundance of life and fellowship with God.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
In John\u2019s gospel there are seven miracles he called signs, because they point to something far greater than the miraculous event. The first sign was at a wedding in Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine.While that miracle showed the deep compassion of Jesus for the bridal party, it also has a far wider meaning. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26857,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-26858","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reflections"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26858","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26858"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26858\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26862,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26858\/revisions\/26862"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/26857"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26858"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26858"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/questionsandbelief.org\/sw\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26858"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}