Jesus in the Business of Change

“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 have no more wine.” “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My time 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 twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them 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.”” (John 2:1–10, NIV84)

This story is filled with grace and truth to change our lives, but take some time to reflect on a few basic life-giving principles that will open you up to receive the miracles of Jesus in your own life:

· Jesus has time for you. Mary, His mother, has a need and, in her time of need, she turns to Jesus. It speaks to her relationship with him, where she has learned that the one to go to when she needs help is Jesus. Even though Jesus responds to her request by reminding her that He is here to deal with bigger issues than her current crisis, He still takes the time to honor her request. For God, there are always needs bigger than mine or yours, but Jesus still always takes the time for me and you.

· Miracles come in all sizes. No need is too small. In this case, the need is helping out with a wedding party where they have run out of wine. A social faux pas, clearly, but worth the time and effort of the creator of the universe? In my view, it seems not. Nonetheless, Jesus does help out. The truth is, the miracles you will see in your life will probably be just as small and seemingly unimportant—a gas tank that goes a little further, a cupboard that lasts longer, a bank account with a few extra bucks, the right word/person at the right time, and so on. But, as insignificant as these things may be in the world, they are the very places that God reveals His love and care for you personally.

· A step of faith, trust and obedience from you is often what opens up the possibility for God to work a greater miracle. Mary told the servants, “Do what he tells you.” Then, Jesus told them to do some strange things: fill the jars with water, draw the water, take it to the master of ceremonies. Can you imagine how they felt taking some of this water to this guy in need of wine for the guests? Grounds for firing, I’m sure. Their obedience to do what Jesus said set up the miracle of water to wine. What would have happened if they didn’t do these simple things He asked them to do? What happens when we don’t do the little things God asks us to do? Do we miss out on the bigger miracle?

· Jesus is in the business of change. Jesus' first miracle recorded by His friend, John, is a miracle of transformation; a miracle of change. He transforms water into wine. Of course, there is the abundance of it, 120 gallons, which certainly points to the abundance of the good and beautiful life Jesus wants us to have (“I have come that you might have life and life to the fullest…”) And, then, the transformation also points ahead to the wine of the Lord’s supper which becomes a sign of the new covenant Jesus came to bring us, established by His shed blood on the cross. This new covenant is a covenant, not of works that we do to earn God’s favor, but of grace, mercy and love freely given to us through the work of Jesus on the cross. That truly transforms our lives, from the inside out.

May you be transformed today, from the inside out, as you experience the miracles of Jesus in your life.