The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse reading–John 2:1-22 (day five) And Jesus *said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” 

Why the harsh words to his mother?  Especially since Jesus was going to do what she had asked. It points to a deeper question, “Why does God give us what we ask for?”  Is it because we asked? Kind of.  More specifically, it is because we asked for the right thing (God’s will). Jesus was clearly stating that God is not like a genie in a bottle- granting us whatever we ask. Do you see the danger?  For us?  For others? He is protecting (pride/ego) and also teaching (a bigger/better perspective) to look and ask for God’s will.  “The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing.”  Does this perspective sound familiar? ‘Your kingdom come.  Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Re:Verse reading–John 2:1-22 (day four)

This is the first of seven ‘sign’ miracles that John writes about.  In John, a sign is an event that symbolizes a meaning greater than itself.  Jesus has just been baptized by John the Baptist and has begun His public ministry.  He is just setting out to proclaim His deity and to tell of His mission of salvation.

When Jesus appeared on the scene, Judaism was an empty religion.  The Jews had drifted so far from the truth of God’s Word that they not only didn’t recognize God’s Son, the Messiah, but they would also soon seek to kill Him.  Into this emptiness and void (no more wine), Jesus brought abundant hope (180 gallons of wine).  Commentator William Barclay said no wedding party could possibly drink that much wine.  Jesus’ abundant blessing and provision was above and beyond the recognized need.

Have you ever experienced God’s rich provision?  Maybe to a need that you didn’t even know about?  Paul wrote to the church at Philippi, “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 4:19)  Give God the glory!

Re:Verse reading–John 2:1-22 (day three) 

“Why do you involve me?”

Sometimes Jesus’s questions sound like he’s annoyed: “Who made me an arbiter between you and your brother?” or “Why are you afraid, you of little faith?” or “Why do you involve me?”  Well, is he irritated?  Maybe.  I mean, come on.  He’s not going to pretend to cherish every request that rolls off your brain.  Any displeasure with us isn’t born of pettiness, though.  What gives him concern is that we often ask for things as a shortcut for growing: I don’t want to do the hard work of finding peace with my brother, or I want somebody to tame the universe for me instead of learning to live confidently in it, or I’ve taken on responsibility for others’ happiness.  Make requests, absolutely.  But know that every response will call you to learn Jesus’s kind of life.

Re:Verse reading–John 2:1-22 (day two) 

So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken. vs. 22

If I had known then what I know now…Have those words ever come from your mouth? Sometimes when we look back on the paths we have taken we wince to think of the choices made or the opportunities squandered. More often we can look backwards and see the wisdom offered by others that seemed foolish at the time becomes much more profound when life experience and our own wisdom builds. (All parents just shouted: AMEN!) John, the disciple Jesus loved, captures this moment early in his gospel account. After clearing the Temple he describes what is to come in his own life and ministry. The other disciples remembered these words and had a clearer understanding after Jesus demonstrated his words through the cross.

There are lessons that can only be taught by time. The point is to treasure the words of Jesus. What you are reading and praying through will, in time, prove a wonderful truth that was there all the time.

Re:Verse reading–John 2:1-22 (day one)

“This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and He manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”–v 11

It was an unexpectedly small start.  Not a big splash on some large stage. (That will come next.  See v 12-22)  His first miracle was humble.  Local.  IMMANUEL–God with us. As present and involved in our homes/marriages/jobs as He is at church.

John (and most of the prophets) were distant.  Detached.  Separated.  Men of the desert.  Jesus is different.  God at the dinner table.  Same prophetic power.  More accessible.

And if God is near us, we are to get near others.   To be “in the world, but not of it” is a hard assignment.  No argument.  Even so, the example and command of Christ is clear.  “Go into all the world.”

What good is salt except in contact with corruption?  As we get near them.  He will be with us.

Re:Verse reading–John 1:1-18 (day seven)

He (John the Baptist) came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.  He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.  – John 1:7-8

Did you notice that John the Baptist is “a” witness, not THE witness?  To be clear, John the Baptist holds a critical place in the proclamation of the Gospel bridging the gap between the Old Testament and the New, but he is not the only witness, and certainly not the last.  That task has been handed down for millennia through the church.

Following the legal analogy John the Baptist was a critical witness in verifying the truth of Jesus’ case, and so are we.  We carry on that same purpose of testifying to the truth of Jesus Christ as Lord.  We are witnesses of Bethlehem, we are witnesses of Golgotha, we are witnesses of the ever-building Kingdom of God on this earth. To this we testify.

Re:Verse reading–John 1:1-18 (day six)

In the beginning…

John knew what he was doing; he was very intentional in echoing Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning, God …” These words are a literal explosion of reality: God is, and God speaks. John’s words millennia later are intended to be no different, an explosion of universe altering reality: the Word (Jesus) is God. There are no greater truths than these, and they demand from us our greatest response. Without exception, every human being must and will respond to these two realities.

How will you respond today?

Re:Verse reading–John 1:1-18 (day five) 

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory,” John‬ ‭1:14‬ ‭

When you study religions and compare them to Christianity, there are important questions that show the differences.  What are the holy writings?  How is salvation accomplished?  How was the world created?  The most crucial question that must be answered is, “Who is Jesus?”

John leaves no doubt about the answer from the beginning of his gospel. Jesus is fully divine and fully human. Jesus is preexistent with God. Jesus is God. Jesus became a human.

Each of these statements is vitally important to the gospel message. How would you answer this crucial question, “Who do you say that I am?”

Re:Verse reading–John 1:1-18 (day four)

Our new study of the book of John is called “Grace and Truth”.  Verses 14 and 17 tell us that Jesus was full of grace and truth and that they were realized in Him.  John focuses on these two character qualities of Christ as being most closely associated with salvation.  John’s focus is on Jesus’ full deity and full humanity…the truth of God’s plan for grace to mankind, resulting in salvation.

This week’s passage provides a prologue for the rest of the book.  Jesus existed in heaven with the Father, came to earth in the fullness of grace and truth to bring salvation to man.  The rest of the book of John expounds on how all this took place.  No richer book can be found to deal with the person of Christ.  Find someone to read this treasure with you this quarter.  Read and discuss together under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Introduce them to the Christ!