Faith and Obedience: Lessons from the Miracle at Cana

 

Summary

In reflecting on the miracle at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine, we are reminded of the profound truths embedded in this event. This miracle, recorded in John 2:1-11, is not just a historical account but a parable meant to teach us about the fullness available to us through Christ. The miracle's purpose was to manifest Jesus' glory and to deepen the disciples' faith. It serves as a reminder that miracles are not ends in themselves but are designed to lead us to a greater understanding of Christ's nature and the fullness we can receive from Him.

The key lesson from this event is the importance of obedience to Christ's commands. Mary, the mother of Jesus, instructs the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them, highlighting the necessity of submission to His will. This obedience is not about grand gestures but about faithfully fulfilling the ordinary tasks He sets before us. The miracle at Cana teaches us that the blessings of God often come through simple acts of obedience and faithfulness in our daily lives.

Moreover, the miracle illustrates the balance between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. While the power to perform miracles lies with Christ, there is a role for us to play in His plans. We are called to act under His guidance, trusting in His timing and methods. This balance prevents us from falling into the extremes of either self-reliant activity or complete passivity.

The miracle also challenges us to move beyond mere obedience to the commandments and to venture into the realm of faith. Filling the water pots with water, though seemingly unrelated to the need for wine, was an act of faith that led to the miraculous transformation. This teaches us that faith often requires us to act on Christ's promises, even when we do not fully understand how they will be fulfilled.

Finally, the miracle at Cana encourages us to trust in Christ's ability to do the impossible. Just as He commanded the servants to draw out wine from water-filled pots, He calls us to trust Him to accomplish what seems impossible in our lives. This trust and obedience are the keys to experiencing the fullness of life in Christ.

Key Takeaways:

- Obedience in the Ordinary: The miracle at Cana teaches us that God's blessings often come through simple acts of obedience in our daily lives. We must be willing to do whatever Christ commands, even if it seems mundane or unrelated to our needs. [09:47]

- Balance of Divine and Human Roles: There is a delicate balance between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. While Christ has the power to perform miracles, we are called to act under His guidance, trusting in His timing and methods. [13:52]

- Faith Beyond Understanding: Faith requires us to act on Christ's promises, even when we do not fully understand how they will be fulfilled. The act of filling water pots with water, though seemingly unrelated to the need for wine, was an act of faith that led to a miraculous transformation. [43:29]

- Trust in the Impossible: Christ calls us to trust Him to accomplish what seems impossible in our lives. Just as He commanded the servants to draw out wine from water-filled pots, He invites us to trust in His ability to do the impossible. [48:01]

- The Path to Fullness: Experiencing the fullness of life in Christ involves keeping His commandments, realizing the possibilities of His promises, and acting in faith when He speaks. This path requires both trust and obedience. [49:35]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [00:13] - Introduction to the Miracle at Cana
- [01:07] - The Purpose of Miracles
- [02:32] - Realizing the Fullness in Christ
- [03:42] - The Condescension of God
- [04:50] - The Sovereignty of Christ
- [06:47] - Listening to the Saints
- [09:30] - Obedience to Christ's Commands
- [13:52] - Balance of Divine and Human Roles
- [18:44] - Faith in the Ordinary
- [22:02] - Keeping the Commandments
- [31:46] - Details of Obedience
- [43:29] - Faith Beyond Understanding
- [48:01] - Trust in the Impossible
- [49:35] - The Path to Fullness

Study Guide

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
- John 2:1-11
- John 14:21-23
- 2 Timothy 2:5

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#### Observation Questions
1. What specific instructions did Mary give to the servants at the wedding in Cana, and how did this reflect her understanding of Jesus' authority? [00:50]
2. How does the miracle at Cana serve as a manifestation of Jesus' glory according to the sermon? [02:15]
3. What role did the servants play in the miracle, and how does this illustrate the balance between divine sovereignty and human responsibility? [14:12]
4. How does the sermon describe the relationship between keeping the commandments and experiencing the fullness of life in Christ? [22:33]

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#### Interpretation Questions
1. In what ways does the miracle at Cana illustrate the importance of obedience in the ordinary tasks of life? How might this apply to modern believers? [19:00]
2. How does the sermon explain the concept of divine sovereignty and human responsibility? What are the potential pitfalls of emphasizing one over the other? [13:52]
3. What does it mean to have faith beyond understanding, as demonstrated by the act of filling the water pots with water? How can this be applied to personal faith journeys? [43:29]
4. How does the sermon suggest believers should respond to Christ's promises, even when they seem impossible or unrelated to their immediate needs? [48:01]

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#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on a time when you felt called to obey a seemingly mundane or unrelated task. How did you respond, and what was the outcome? How might this relate to the concept of "obedience in the ordinary"? [09:47]
2. Consider the balance between divine sovereignty and human responsibility in your own life. Are there areas where you tend to rely too much on your own efforts or, conversely, become too passive? How can you find a healthier balance? [13:52]
3. Identify a promise of Christ that you find difficult to understand or believe. What steps can you take to act on this promise in faith, even without full understanding? [43:29]
4. Think of a situation in your life that seems impossible. How can you begin to trust Christ to accomplish what seems impossible, as the servants did at Cana? [48:01]
5. How can you incorporate the practice of keeping Christ's commandments into your daily routine? What specific changes might you need to make to align more closely with His teachings? [22:33]
6. Reflect on the role of community and fellowship in your spiritual journey. How can you engage more deeply with others to encourage mutual growth in faith? [35:21]
7. What practical steps can you take this week to cultivate a deeper trust and obedience in your relationship with Christ, as encouraged by the sermon? [49:35]

Devotional

Day 1: Obedience in the Mundane
In the miracle at Cana, Jesus turned water into wine, demonstrating that God's blessings often come through simple acts of obedience in our daily lives. Mary, the mother of Jesus, instructed the servants to do whatever Jesus told them, emphasizing the importance of submission to His will. This obedience is not about grand gestures but about faithfully fulfilling the ordinary tasks He sets before us. The miracle teaches us that the blessings of God often come through simple acts of obedience and faithfulness in our daily lives. By being attentive to Christ's commands, even when they seem mundane or unrelated to our needs, we open ourselves to the possibility of experiencing His miraculous work in our lives. [09:47]

"Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." (Romans 12:11-12, ESV)

Reflection: What is one ordinary task in your life that you can approach with renewed obedience and faithfulness today, trusting that God can use it for His purposes?


Day 2: Harmony of Divine and Human Roles
The miracle at Cana illustrates the balance between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. While the power to perform miracles lies with Christ, there is a role for us to play in His plans. We are called to act under His guidance, trusting in His timing and methods. This balance prevents us from falling into the extremes of either self-reliant activity or complete passivity. By recognizing our role in God's plans, we learn to cooperate with His divine purposes, allowing His power to work through us in ways that bring about His glory and deepen our faith. [13:52]

"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13, ESV)

Reflection: In what area of your life do you need to find a better balance between trusting God's sovereignty and taking responsibility for your actions?


Day 3: Faith Beyond Understanding
The act of filling water pots with water, though seemingly unrelated to the need for wine, was an act of faith that led to a miraculous transformation. This teaches us that faith often requires us to act on Christ's promises, even when we do not fully understand how they will be fulfilled. Faith is not merely intellectual assent but involves trusting in God's promises and acting upon them, even when the outcome is uncertain. By stepping out in faith, we open ourselves to the possibility of experiencing God's miraculous work in our lives, as He transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. [43:29]

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." (Hebrews 11:1, ESV)

Reflection: What is one promise of God that you find difficult to understand or believe? How can you take a step of faith today to act on that promise?


Day 4: Trust in the Impossible
Christ calls us to trust Him to accomplish what seems impossible in our lives. Just as He commanded the servants to draw out wine from water-filled pots, He invites us to trust in His ability to do the impossible. This trust and obedience are the keys to experiencing the fullness of life in Christ. By placing our trust in Christ's power and promises, we open ourselves to the possibility of experiencing His miraculous work in our lives, as He accomplishes what seems impossible in our circumstances. [48:01]

"Ah, Lord God! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you." (Jeremiah 32:17, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you feel something is impossible? How can you begin to trust Christ to work in that area today?


Day 5: The Path to Fullness
Experiencing the fullness of life in Christ involves keeping His commandments, realizing the possibilities of His promises, and acting in faith when He speaks. This path requires both trust and obedience. By aligning our lives with Christ's teachings and promises, we open ourselves to the possibility of experiencing the fullness of life that He offers. This involves a willingness to trust in His guidance, even when the path is unclear, and to act in obedience to His commands, knowing that He is faithful to fulfill His promises. [49:35]

"And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, so that you should walk in it." (2 John 1:6, ESV)

Reflection: What is one commandment of Christ that you struggle to keep? How can you take a step today to align your life more closely with His teachings?

Quotes


Now we are considering this incident, as I was explaining last Sunday morning, not merely in and of itself. It is history; it is the record of a miracle. A man who claims to be a Christian and who has trouble with miracles needs to have his thinking attended to. If you believe in God and if you believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son of God with all power, there should be no difficulty about miracles. People who don't believe in miracles ultimately are defective in their belief in God. [00:01:17]

The first of course is that our Lord is always Central. He dominates the whole position. The moment he comes to this marriage Feast, you see him, and that is his position in life. Whether people believe in him or not, they have to accord him that. This is 1965, and that tells us that Jesus of Nazareth dominates the history of the world. Well, here he is, and now the fullness is in him. [00:04:02]

We must be clear about that. You're in his hand. You are nothing but a pauper. You have no claim upon him at all. It is all of his grace that we get any benefit whatsoever. We therefore must take our place in the dust, humbled to the ground. We are suppliant. We are not dictators. We have no demands. We have no rights. We can present no bill. We deserve nothing. [00:06:14]

If you are desiring, as I'm sure you are, to know and to receive more and more of this fullness, what are you to do? Well, I'm going to tell you in detail in a moment what to do, but this I think is a very valuable piece of preliminary advice: listen to those who have trod this path before you. This is a great lesson needed by modern man in his self-confidence and his assurance. [00:07:29]

There is his part—that's the vital one—but there is our part also, and this is vital. Now the danger, of course, is always to emphasize the one or the other and to emphasize the one at the expense of the other, and many go astray at this point. We've all at some time or another probably gone astray ourselves on one side or the other. [00:10:03]

The moment we realize that it is his activity through us or our activity under his control and guidance, it'll get rid of what you may call the fussiness, the fussiness of so much spiritual experience and activity. What a terrible thing fussiness is. Fussiness is the most unpleasant thing in every realm, isn't it? [00:14:48]

We must submit ourselves entirely to his method. There is a method in these methods, a glorious method, and as long as we are fighting it, as long as we are trying to insinuate a little of our own ideas into it, we shall always be going astray. And of course, what happens is that we've got our ideas about this, and we generally expect that this blessing will come to us in some direct and immediate and marvelous and spectacular manner. [00:16:17]

Generally speaking, these blessings come in the Christian life along the line of ordinary duty. Here it is, you see: fill the water pots. There's nothing more ordinary than that. Fill the water pots. What a menial job, what a menial task, something that they done so often. What Mary expected, I don't know, but obviously she was expecting something much more dramatic than this. [00:18:51]

It is useless to expect any great blessing from God if we are disobedient. It is as simple as that. We, of course, are ready to indulge in heroics. We'll go to the ends of the Earth. There's nothing we won't do in order to get this great thing, this dramatic thing, but it is of no value, so no value at all, unless we keep the Commandments. [00:22:51]

He that hath my Commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself to him. Now what we are out for, isn't it, is this: the manifestation of the Son of God. He has said, I will manifest myself to him. That's what we want. That's the fullness that we are seeking together. [00:26:14]

Fill the water pots with water. It doesn't seem to have much relevance to the problem of the need of wine, does it? But that's what he says, and the command is whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. What does this mean? Well, now I'd like to put it like this to you: this is the point at which, having seen the truth about the way of salvation and having become Christians and having seen that we are to keep the Commandments in all things, we now come to the realization of the great possibilities of this Christian life. [00:43:29]

Keep the Commandments, realize the possibilities, the precious promises, and when he speaks, act. He speaks, and listening to his voice, new life the dead receive. What's it mean? Well, here it is: trust and obey, for there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey. Venture on him, venture; let no other trust intrude. [00:49:33]

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Transcript
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