On the third day a wedding took place in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’s mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well. When the wine ran out, Jesus’s mother told him, “They don’t have any wine.”
“What has this concern of yours to do with me, woman?” Jesus asked. “My hour has not yet come.”
“Do whatever he tells you,” his mother told the servants.
Now six stone water jars had been set there for Jewish purification. Each contained twenty or thirty gallons.
“Fill the jars with water,” Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim. Then he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the headwaiter.” And they did.
When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom and told him, “Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now.”
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
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Ask God to protect, energize, and grant wisdom to your campus staff, equipping them to lead the entire church body in obeying his calling.
In preparation for today’s sermon, read this devotional from Kraig McNutt, M.Div.
Enough to Believe
based on John 2:1-11
“He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him." —John 2:11b
John says the Word took on flesh and tabernacled—dwelt—among us (1:14). Then: "We observed his glory . . ."
What does John mean by "we observed his glory"? He answers it himself: "the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." Later, to Philip: "The one who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). Simply put, the "with God"—Immanuel—is now seen in the person of Jesus.
When we come to the wedding at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine, the sign does exactly that. It reveals his glory, and his disciples believe.
When we read the Gospels, it is easy to import everything we now know about Jesus, because it's all so familiar. Maybe we need to slow down a little and think about what it was like when we first started considering the claims of Jesus.
Maybe the stories and claims of Jesus are relatively new for you. It's okay. You have enough to believe now but not everything you will need to have later. Start with what you have. Act on it.
The disciples had enough to believe at Cana, but not enough to understand. Even John tells us this later. It wasn't until after the resurrection that the disciples "remembered . . . and believed."
Do you have enough to believe? What does that look like if you do?
First, it doesn’t mean you stop having questions. Living a fully devoted life as a follower of Jesus could mean newer and even harder questions arise. But it also doesn’t mean you stay on the fence until all your questions are answered either.
Second, it could mean that your inner circle of friends might need to change somewhat. What price might you pay if you share your growing conviction that you have enough to believe that Jesus is who he claims to be? Fair warning, not everyone might be excited about your conclusion.
Finally, following Jesus is not meant to be a solo experience. Earlier, in chapter one, John told us that to everyone who received him, “He gave them the right to be children of God” (1:12). Children are part of a family, meant to be cared for lovingly by others further along the way.
Do you have enough to believe? If you do, you were never meant to carry it alone.
Ask God for protection of your campus staff and for renewed energy and wisdom.
If you are also following the BibleProject’s One Story That Leads to Jesus reading plan, complete today’s reading.