1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,280 Come along with me as I read from John chapter 2 verses 1 to 2 00:00:02,280 --> 00:00:05,840 25 to see how Jesus is the new temple. 3 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:12,520 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee and 4 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:15,520 the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus was also invited to the 5 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:19,280 wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the 6 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,240 mother of Jesus said to him, they have no wine. 7 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,120 And Jesus said to her, woman, what does this have to do with 8 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,480 me? My hour has not yet come. 9 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:32,159 His mother said to the servants, Do whatever he tells you. 10 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:35,960 Now there were 6 stone jar water jars there for the Jewish rites 11 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:38,920 of purification, each holding 20 or 30 gallons. 12 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,760 Jesus said to the servants, fill the jars with water, and they 13 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:46,400 filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, Now draw 14 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,280 some out and take it to the master of the feast. 15 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:52,720 So they took it when the master of the feast tasted the water 16 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:56,400 now become wine, and did not know where it came from, though 17 00:00:56,400 --> 00:00:58,040 the servants who had drawn the water knew. 18 00:00:58,480 --> 00:01:02,120 The Master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, 19 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,800 Everyone serves a good wine 1st, and when people have drunk 20 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:08,840 freely, then the poor wine, but you have kept the good wine 21 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:11,800 until now. This, the first of his signs 22 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:16,120 Jesus did at Cana in Galilee and manifested his glory, and the 23 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:19,320 disciples believed in Him. After this he went down to 24 00:01:19,360 --> 00:01:24,360 Capernaum with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, 25 00:01:24,360 --> 00:01:25,720 and he stayed there for a few days. 26 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,240 The Passover of the Jews was at a hand, and Jesus went up to 27 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,680 Jerusalem. In the temple he found those who 28 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,720 were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons and the money changers 29 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,920 sitting there and making a whip of cords he drove them all out 30 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,400 of the temple with a sheep and an oxen. 31 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:43,240 And he poured out the coins of the money changers and 32 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:46,520 overturned their tables. And he told those who sold the 33 00:01:46,520 --> 00:01:51,480 pigeons, take these things away. Do not make my Father's house a 34 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:54,600 House of trade. His disciples remember that it 35 00:01:54,600 --> 00:01:57,520 was written, Zeal for your house will consume me. 36 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:02,320 So the Jews said to him, What sign do you show us for doing 37 00:02:02,320 --> 00:02:05,200 these things? Jesus answered them, Destroy 38 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:07,600 this temple and in three days I will raise it up. 39 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,160 The Jews then said, It has taken 46 years to build this temple, 40 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:14,480 and will you raise it up in three days? 41 00:02:15,240 --> 00:02:17,200 But He was speaking about the temple of His body. 42 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,720 When therefore He was raised from the dead, His disciples 43 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:23,160 remembered that He had said this, and they believed the 44 00:02:23,160 --> 00:02:25,440 Scripture and the Word that Jesus had spoken. 45 00:02:26,440 --> 00:02:29,720 Now, when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many 46 00:02:29,720 --> 00:02:32,640 believed in His name when they saw the signs that He was doing. 47 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:36,960 But Jesus on His part, did not entrust Himself to them, because 48 00:02:36,960 --> 00:02:40,440 He knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, 49 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,560 for He Himself knew what was in man. 50 00:02:44,040 --> 00:02:51,560 It's the Word of God, Amen. We'll be Speaking of signs and 51 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:54,960 their purpose today. What are the purpose and meaning 52 00:02:54,960 --> 00:03:01,480 of signs? And for me this is This applies 53 00:03:01,480 --> 00:03:07,320 to real life because signs are never the destination signs, 54 00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,640 especially on. We make frequent Rd. trips to 55 00:03:10,640 --> 00:03:15,800 Surabaya as my wife's family is from there and I'm constantly 56 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:20,480 looking out for signs. You know once you pass Jakarta 57 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,840 you'll begin to see signs for Chitabon. 58 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:26,640 Once you pass Chitabon, you start to see signs for Samarang. 59 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:31,040 Once you pass Samarang you start to see signs for solo and only 60 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:34,600 then do you start seeing signs that say Surabaya. 61 00:03:36,040 --> 00:03:41,160 But obviously I don't stop at that sign, just passing solo and 62 00:03:41,160 --> 00:03:43,480 say we made it. This is where we want to be. 63 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:48,840 No signs only point to the destination, to the main event. 64 00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:54,200 And it builds our anticipation in a way, because whatever that 65 00:03:54,200 --> 00:03:59,280 sign is pointing to, it says it's near, it's not far, it's 66 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:06,520 close signs. That's the very purpose of signs 67 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:10,040 that we see in Scripture, specifically in the miracles of 68 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:14,560 Jesus. It's common even in Christian 69 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:20,959 spirituality today to stop at the signs and say the signs is 70 00:04:20,959 --> 00:04:24,240 what it's all about. I want more of the signs. 71 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:28,040 I want more of the miracles, which is then to completely miss 72 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:36,440 out on who Jesus is, the person that the signs point to. 73 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:43,000 Signs point to the revealing of who Jesus is. 74 00:04:43,280 --> 00:04:47,120 So we'll look at today's passage in two parts. 75 00:04:47,280 --> 00:04:49,160 If you're taking notes, you can write them down. 76 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:53,920 We'll see. The first sign is of glory of 77 00:04:53,960 --> 00:04:59,560 Jesus Christ in verses 1 to 12, and then the promise sign that 78 00:04:59,560 --> 00:05:04,240 is to come, promised sign of authority in verses 13 to 25. 79 00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:10,040 So let's get right into God's word, the first sign of glory. 80 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,440 John starts chapter 2 with counting of days that he has 81 00:05:13,440 --> 00:05:17,080 been doing in chapter 1. He covered four days at the end 82 00:05:17,080 --> 00:05:19,280 of chapter 1. So the third day after that 83 00:05:19,280 --> 00:05:23,000 brings us to the end of Jesus's first week of ministry. 84 00:05:23,920 --> 00:05:27,360 Now this isn't random counting. This isn't random storytelling. 85 00:05:27,600 --> 00:05:33,320 John has a purpose of noting the third day and what Jesus does on 86 00:05:33,320 --> 00:05:37,280 that third day at a wedding in order to reveal who Jesus really 87 00:05:37,280 --> 00:05:40,000 is. The significance of emphasizing 88 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:43,280 the third day will become clearer for us later in what 89 00:05:43,280 --> 00:05:51,230 Jesus says in verse 9. Says in verse even when our 90 00:05:51,230 --> 00:05:53,190 weddings today are just last for one day. 91 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:58,400 Back then, weddings during 1st century Palestine lasted several 92 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:02,640 days and running out of wine was like a social disaster. 93 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,600 Maybe it's like running out of rice at an Indonesian reading. 94 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,120 Maybe it's running out of parking spots. 95 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:13,520 But still it's much worse because there was disgrace and 96 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:18,640 humiliation upon the new family and even dishonour and insult to 97 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:21,360 the extended families, especially on part of the 98 00:06:21,360 --> 00:06:28,160 bridegroom who was not able to provide for such a feast, such a 99 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:35,560 celebration marking his his willingness to provide for 100 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:39,440 others to celebrate with him and his new bride. 101 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:44,840 It may be hard for us to realize how bad the situation was, but 102 00:06:44,840 --> 00:06:48,680 it was serious enough, we see for Jesus mother to tell Jesus 103 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:53,280 they have no wine. That's what she simply says in 104 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:57,040 in verse 3. It's interesting that she does 105 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:01,440 not make a specific request, but she only informs Jesus about the 106 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:04,600 need. And it's clear that she does 107 00:07:04,600 --> 00:07:09,640 indeed have an expectation for Jesus to do something about this 108 00:07:09,640 --> 00:07:11,680 problem. She was not merely telling him 109 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:14,560 information. She came with an expectation for 110 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:19,040 Jesus to be somehow the solution, even though she may 111 00:07:19,040 --> 00:07:24,480 not have known how she as the mother of Mary, as the mother of 112 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:29,360 Jesus, knew of the prophecies made over her child and and the 113 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:35,160 miracle of how she what gave birth that was given to her by 114 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:40,960 the Holy Spirit. So she knew obviously of the 115 00:07:40,960 --> 00:07:46,480 uniqueness of her son, but she would not know all the details. 116 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:52,440 So she comes with the problem. Now, if you could just pause 117 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:55,080 here for a moment. In this brief interaction, I 118 00:07:55,080 --> 00:08:00,080 think we can observe one model of prayer by simply coming to 119 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:04,000 Jesus, informing him of our needs and our problems. 120 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:08,200 It's not as if we're giving Jesus information that he 121 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:10,320 doesn't already know. He knows. 122 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:15,680 He knows our needs better than we do before it even comes off 123 00:08:15,680 --> 00:08:18,840 of our lips. He knows, He knows, and he knows 124 00:08:18,840 --> 00:08:25,600 how to provide. But in prayer, but in prayer we 125 00:08:25,600 --> 00:08:29,400 we, we come communicating our needs to Jesus with an 126 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:31,360 expectation that he will do what is right. 127 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:35,400 In verse 5, we see Mary's open handed trust as she tells the 128 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,280 servants to do whatever Jesus tells you. 129 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,919 Now if you're honest with ourselves, we are lacking in our 130 00:08:42,919 --> 00:08:46,840 prayer lives. We usually pray though when 131 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:50,360 there is a big enough problem that we feel like we cannot 132 00:08:50,360 --> 00:08:54,480 solve on our own. So then we finally pray, which 133 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,520 is better than not praying at all, don't get me wrong. 134 00:08:57,120 --> 00:09:02,200 But we all have a tendency to use prayer to demand God to 135 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:06,920 carry out our desires for God to do what we want done. 136 00:09:07,920 --> 00:09:12,600 But God gave us the grace of prayer not to dictate to God 137 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:17,720 what we want done. He gave us the gift of prayer to 138 00:09:17,720 --> 00:09:22,160 learn how to depend on Him. Who knows what is best? 139 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:28,280 So we come, come to lay down our cares and concerns and we trust 140 00:09:28,280 --> 00:09:31,760 Him to act according to his good and perfect will. 141 00:09:32,920 --> 00:09:36,560 Prayer without a willingness to trust God is nothing more than 142 00:09:36,560 --> 00:09:39,920 selfish requests, manipulative demands. 143 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:45,200 No, we must learn to pray with open handed trust to say Lord, 144 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:49,640 not my will, but yours be done. As we gather on Sundays and we 145 00:09:49,640 --> 00:09:53,560 lift up our prayer of petition, yes, we do pray for our needs. 146 00:09:53,560 --> 00:09:56,120 Yes, we lay our cares down before the Lord and say, Lord, 147 00:09:56,120 --> 00:10:00,480 have your way. We, we, we come to you for a 148 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:03,680 resolution for these problems, for our needs. 149 00:10:04,320 --> 00:10:10,320 But I also hope you hear how we express our trust that even if 150 00:10:10,560 --> 00:10:14,400 he doesn't provide in the ways that we desire, that we will 151 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:19,920 still trust that God is doing a good work even in our lacking in 152 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:23,240 our in our problems. We understand that the very 153 00:10:23,240 --> 00:10:27,480 reason for those problems may be so that we as God's people learn 154 00:10:27,480 --> 00:10:30,240 how to trust in him, learn how to come to him. 155 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:35,040 God getting our attention through our brokenness, through 156 00:10:35,040 --> 00:10:39,600 our unsolved problems, through our limited abilities. 157 00:10:44,800 --> 00:10:47,560 Let's read Jesus response to his mother's statement. 158 00:10:47,560 --> 00:10:52,040 Now verse 4 says this. And Jesus said to her, woman, 159 00:10:52,400 --> 00:10:54,120 what does this have to do with me? 160 00:10:54,640 --> 00:10:59,400 My hour has not yet come. Now Jesus's words would be 161 00:10:59,400 --> 00:11:03,600 surprising to us. First he doesn't call Mary 162 00:11:04,000 --> 00:11:07,240 mother, but instead he calls her woman. 163 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:13,600 And now we can't bring into the text our own cultural 164 00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:16,240 experiences. Perhaps we've tried to 165 00:11:16,240 --> 00:11:19,560 disrespect our mother and that didn't turn out well for us 166 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:24,320 growing up. But here Jesus is not meaning to 167 00:11:24,320 --> 00:11:28,000 be dishonouring or offensive. We know this because Jesus uses 168 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:32,160 the same word to call his mother in a deeply touching moment as 169 00:11:32,160 --> 00:11:35,040 he hung on the cross. If you remember that scene in 170 00:11:35,040 --> 00:11:39,320 John chapter 19, he's caring for his mother even in his suffering 171 00:11:39,480 --> 00:11:45,840 and pain, telling to his beloved disciple, Woman, here is your 172 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:50,360 son. So it is a respectful way. 173 00:11:50,360 --> 00:11:57,000 It's a respectful way to ask his mother, what does this problem 174 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:01,680 have to do with me? Why are you involving me? 175 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:07,600 It's a statement that calls Mary to consider what she expects of 176 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:13,360 him, what she desires of him, knowing who Jesus is as her 177 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:18,320 mother, as his mother, to consider who Jesus is still. 178 00:12:19,680 --> 00:12:22,480 Secondly, Jesus's word surprise us because it seems like Jesus 179 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,680 doesn't care about this wedding. Maybe it sounds like he doesn't 180 00:12:26,680 --> 00:12:30,600 care about people's problems. I don't care that the wine ran 181 00:12:30,600 --> 00:12:33,800 out. Why are you kind of bringing 182 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:35,840 this problem on me has nothing to do with me? 183 00:12:39,240 --> 00:12:42,400 But that's not the case either. Note the reason for his response 184 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:47,120 at the end of verse 4. My hour or my time has not yet 185 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:50,480 come. Though Mary knew her Son to be 186 00:12:50,720 --> 00:12:54,360 no ordinary person, she did not know of the divine schedule that 187 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,080 the Son of God had from God the Father. 188 00:12:57,760 --> 00:13:01,640 She had an expectation of Jesus to solve this serious problem, 189 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:05,000 wedding problem, but it would still be a small problem 190 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,520 compared to the one Jesus really came to solve. 191 00:13:11,680 --> 00:13:15,000 Perhaps a problem of wine running out could be resolved in 192 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:19,040 other ways, Friends gathering money going to purchase wine, 193 00:13:19,040 --> 00:13:21,080 and the celebration could continue. 194 00:13:21,280 --> 00:13:23,160 But Jesus would come to solve a problem. 195 00:13:23,360 --> 00:13:29,000 None of us have a solution for that problem. 196 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:35,480 Was our problem of sin a problem of eternal death that we will 197 00:13:35,480 --> 00:13:38,920 face forever, separated from God in hell for our sins? 198 00:13:39,400 --> 00:13:43,560 That was the problem Jesus came to solve, and it was not time 199 00:13:43,560 --> 00:13:45,560 for that problem. Yet. 200 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:49,200 Later, as Jesus approached the time of his death on the cross, 201 00:13:49,320 --> 00:13:53,960 only then Jesus would pray. Father, the time has come, the 202 00:13:53,960 --> 00:13:56,880 hour has come. So even though his hour had not 203 00:13:56,880 --> 00:14:01,000 yet come, that hour, that time, Jesus would take this 204 00:14:01,000 --> 00:14:06,640 opportunity still to show people a sign of what Jesus really came 205 00:14:06,640 --> 00:14:11,600 to do and who Jesus really is. He knows that by doing so, he 206 00:14:11,600 --> 00:14:15,920 would be taking another step toward that hour when he would 207 00:14:15,920 --> 00:14:18,160 suffer on the cross for the sins of his people. 208 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,840 And so that's why Jesus responds that way. 209 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:27,760 This leads us to verses 6 and 8A. 210 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:30,560 Familiar story. If you've grown up going to 211 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:33,840 church or heard various pastors or even attended Christian 212 00:14:33,880 --> 00:14:35,520 weddings, you've heard this passage preached. 213 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:40,840 But let's dive into it again, carefully reading verses 6 to 8. 214 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,960 Now there were 6 stone water jars there for their Jewish 215 00:14:43,960 --> 00:14:47,240 rites of purification, each holding 20 or 30 gallons. 216 00:14:47,600 --> 00:14:50,400 Jesus said to the servants fill the jars with water and they 217 00:14:50,400 --> 00:14:54,240 fill them up to the brim and he said to them, now draw some out 218 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:55,720 and take it to the master of the feast. 219 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:59,520 So they took it. So there happened to be there 6 220 00:14:59,520 --> 00:15:04,800 stone jars of Jewish for Jewish rites of purification. 221 00:15:04,880 --> 00:15:09,760 By Jewish law it required people to be ceremony ceremonially 222 00:15:09,760 --> 00:15:14,000 cleansed with water, to wash before eating, to wash before 223 00:15:14,240 --> 00:15:16,960 washing, all the tools washing before worship. 224 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:21,720 So each jar was huge. It says each jar could hold 20 225 00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:26,040 to 30 gallons of water. OK, just to be sure, this is not 226 00:15:26,120 --> 00:15:29,200 gallon Aqua, right, that you have at home, OK. 227 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:35,240 Each jar held about 70 to 100 liters per jar. 228 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:40,720 Multiply that by 6, anywhere from 300 to 600 liters of water. 229 00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:45,160 Jesus told the servants to fill them, and the servants listen to 230 00:15:45,160 --> 00:15:48,280 his instruction and fill them to the brim to the very top. 231 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:52,360 Verse 8, Jesus says take some to the master of the feast. 232 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:55,880 They did without knowing the point of what's happening. 233 00:15:55,880 --> 00:15:59,880 What's the point of bringing water for purification to the 234 00:15:59,880 --> 00:16:02,280 master of the feast? They obeyed. 235 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:06,080 The drama builds in verse 9 as the master of the feast drinks 236 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:10,400 some of the wine, he has no idea where it came from and he calls 237 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:14,280 the bridegroom who also has no idea where it came from. 238 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:19,160 And he said to him in verse 10, everyone serves a good wine 1st 239 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:22,000 and when people have drunk freely then the poor wine. 240 00:16:22,160 --> 00:16:24,520 But you have kept the good wine until now. 241 00:16:26,880 --> 00:16:30,920 What John is doing here as he writes these events, he writes 242 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:34,280 the details of these making sure first that we understand that a 243 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:41,280 real miracle took place. Jesus solution was not, oh, take 244 00:16:42,320 --> 00:16:45,920 whatever remaining wine and then dilute it with water and then 245 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:47,320 bring it to the master of the feast. 246 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:49,920 No, it's not. Go to another place and find 247 00:16:49,920 --> 00:16:53,120 more wine and fill it to the brim and then and then bring it 248 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:57,840 to the master of the feast. No, John wants to make sure that 249 00:16:57,840 --> 00:17:02,880 we understand that water really turned into wine. 250 00:17:03,160 --> 00:17:08,000 The servants who did the work of filling up all six stone jars 251 00:17:08,319 --> 00:17:11,280 knew they were filling it up with water. 252 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:18,680 But now somehow when water was taken out of that jar, it was 253 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:23,960 wine. If One Cup was 200 millilitres, 254 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:28,200 then you have about 3000 servings of wine, probably 255 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:31,240 enough to last the next several days until the end of the 256 00:17:31,240 --> 00:17:34,640 wedding party. It was a generous gift from 257 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:36,760 Jesus to the bride and the groom. 258 00:17:36,840 --> 00:17:41,200 But this clearly was about more, much more than just having 259 00:17:41,200 --> 00:17:44,280 enough wine at a wedding. We get the hint of what the 260 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:46,920 master of the feast. We get the hint from what the 261 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:49,920 master of feasts says about the quality of wine. 262 00:17:50,040 --> 00:17:54,120 We're called to attention the quality of the wine, because 263 00:17:54,120 --> 00:17:56,280 usually people will serve the good wine. 264 00:17:56,400 --> 00:18:00,640 And only once people began drinking, then they would serve 265 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:02,360 the poor wine, the cheaper stuff. 266 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:06,160 But this time it was different. No one did it like this. 267 00:18:06,560 --> 00:18:11,200 The master of feasts noted the good wine came after and it was 268 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:16,640 only when Jesus was there. This brings us to the meaning of 269 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:19,120 the sign. Again, the whole purpose of 270 00:18:19,120 --> 00:18:22,720 signs is to point. Signs themselves are not the 271 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:25,360 main event. They point our eyes to what we 272 00:18:25,360 --> 00:18:28,960 need to focus on. If we just get stuck on this 273 00:18:28,960 --> 00:18:32,960 miracle, then we will miss the point and make a completely 274 00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:36,880 different conclusion than what John intends and wants us to 275 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:41,240 come away with from this, from this narrative, He wants us to 276 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:44,200 look at the sign, and then he wants us to move on from the 277 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:49,360 sign to Jesus. The danger is if we get stuck on 278 00:18:49,360 --> 00:18:53,080 the sign, we'll think Jesus is simply our miracle worker. 279 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:59,880 It's easy to think like this, especially in our context where 280 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:05,800 there is a heightened spiritual awareness of spiritual things. 281 00:19:08,200 --> 00:19:12,400 There was times even in our outreach where we 282 00:19:22,630 --> 00:19:24,750 necessarily expecting it. Maybe that's a lack of faith on 283 00:19:24,750 --> 00:19:28,070 my part for God to hear our prayer, for we did indeed pray 284 00:19:28,070 --> 00:19:31,520 for healing in Jesus name. But what was devastating 285 00:19:31,520 --> 00:19:35,360 afterwards was that girl would not be open to hear more about 286 00:19:35,360 --> 00:19:41,000 who this Jesus is. She wanted to hear, she wanted 287 00:19:41,000 --> 00:19:45,080 to for us to write down the words of the prayer that we 288 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:48,520 prayed so that whenever she felt pain, she could then just simply 289 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:51,520 recite that prayer and then she'll be healed. 290 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:58,200 She was stuck on the sign. She was stuck and the miracles, 291 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:03,240 no matter how much we try to move her on to the one that sign 292 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:05,800 pointed to, she was stuck on the sign. 293 00:20:06,760 --> 00:20:09,520 It's easy for us, even for Christians, to think like this 294 00:20:09,520 --> 00:20:15,680 because we all selfishly want someone greater than us to do 295 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:19,360 things for us. It's tempting to look at this 296 00:20:19,360 --> 00:20:22,640 passage and say, see. Jesus wants to do something new 297 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,240 in your life. He wants to take the ordinary 298 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:28,240 water of your life and turn it into good wine. 299 00:20:30,600 --> 00:20:32,080 Please. That is not what this sign is 300 00:20:32,080 --> 00:20:33,600 about. You can erase that. 301 00:20:33,600 --> 00:20:35,040 I even said that from your memory. 302 00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:38,920 The purpose of Jesus miracle is here in verse 11. 303 00:20:39,040 --> 00:20:42,600 This the first of his signs Jesus did at Cana in Galilee and 304 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:47,360 manifested his glory. The first sign was to manifest 305 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:51,960 or to reveal the glory of God. That's the purpose of his 306 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:54,080 miracles. The signs that revealed that 307 00:20:54,080 --> 00:20:57,800 Jesus is no ordinary man. Yes, the son of a Carpenter, but 308 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,680 not only that, yes, a good teacher, but not only that 309 00:21:00,720 --> 00:21:04,160 either. Jesus, fully man and fully God. 310 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:07,480 The point of the miracles is to make people carefully think 311 00:21:07,480 --> 00:21:13,560 about who Jesus is. Remember back in Exodus chapter 312 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:17,480 33 where Moses had his encounter with God on Mount Sinai. 313 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:24,600 He asked God to show His glory and God said only he would show 314 00:21:24,600 --> 00:21:28,000 him a glimpse because no one could see God and, and and 315 00:21:28,160 --> 00:21:32,400 continue to live. And So what God started there 316 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:36,880 giving a glimpse of His glory, He completes here in the person 317 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:40,120 of Jesus Christ to fully show His glory to undeserving 318 00:21:40,120 --> 00:21:43,280 sinners. Here Jesus is Jesus revealed His 319 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,000 glory by turning water into good wine. 320 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:51,240 It showed first that Jesus is Lord over this material world. 321 00:21:52,160 --> 00:21:55,680 As God, who was before all things, who created all things, 322 00:21:56,960 --> 00:21:59,480 he is in control over all things. 323 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:03,680 Jesus is the one who is able to provide for our every need, 324 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:08,920 which is why Jesus taught us to pray, to depend on God even for 325 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,560 Our Daily Bread. The breakfast you had this 326 00:22:12,560 --> 00:22:16,280 morning, the dinner you had last night, Yes, you may have paid 327 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:19,960 for it, you may have got out, you may have cooked it, but it 328 00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:23,160 was God who was the one who provided it for you. 329 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:29,840 Consider for a moment that God is the one in control over every 330 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:33,600 aspect of our lives. Nothing happens outside of His 331 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:36,760 sovereign control. If for whatever reason, God did 332 00:22:36,760 --> 00:22:39,760 not want you to eat, you wouldn't have eaten anything. 333 00:22:42,840 --> 00:22:45,840 Consider for a moment if God wanted to give you every 334 00:22:45,840 --> 00:22:50,240 exquisite and exotic delicacy and luxury in the world, you 335 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:55,640 would have it. Jesus reveals himself as God who 336 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:59,960 was able to supernaturally provide for any human need. 337 00:23:00,600 --> 00:23:03,600 But the point of this is not so that we think Jesus as some kind 338 00:23:03,600 --> 00:23:07,520 of supernatural vending machine where we just put a coin or a 339 00:23:07,520 --> 00:23:11,000 few coins of prayer and outcomes everything that we ever wanted. 340 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:17,680 We should seriously repent if this is how we treated, viewed, 341 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:22,600 and approached Jesus. What is our proper response to 342 00:23:22,600 --> 00:23:26,440 such revelation of glory? The rest of verse 11 tells us 343 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,000 and his disciples believed in him. 344 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:35,440 That's it. The sign was for faith in Jesus. 345 00:23:36,360 --> 00:23:40,400 The Word does not say, and his disciples expected Jesus to 346 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:43,360 provide free flow wine at each one of their weddings. 347 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,080 It simply says his disciples believed in Him. 348 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:52,840 Friends, I know I'm taking some time on this, but it's because I 349 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:57,520 want you to be guarded from the wrong expectations of Jesus that 350 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:02,760 many Christians have, that many Christians might even claim or 351 00:24:02,760 --> 00:24:05,560 explain from passages in Scripture like this. 352 00:24:07,640 --> 00:24:11,600 We all have a tendency to cheat Jesus as if He were just a 353 00:24:11,600 --> 00:24:18,840 miracle worker and nothing more. We are driven. 354 00:24:20,120 --> 00:24:23,720 It's because we're driven more by our sinful desires for quick 355 00:24:23,760 --> 00:24:28,120 and easy fixes rather than persevering faith in God. 356 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:32,600 And so practically, if you think about it for your needs and the 357 00:24:32,600 --> 00:24:37,160 problems that you have, what is the first thing that you that we 358 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:44,080 asked for beside asking for God's provision, which we can 359 00:24:44,080 --> 00:24:47,600 do, obviously. Do you ask God for faith to 360 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:54,400 trust Him even when your needs are still there tomorrow, even 361 00:24:54,400 --> 00:24:58,680 when your problems are left unsolved next week, next month? 362 00:25:00,720 --> 00:25:06,400 I encourage you for the ongoing needs and problems, even for the 363 00:25:06,400 --> 00:25:10,680 next need and problems that you will have, bring it to God in 364 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:14,800 prayer, Yes. And as you do, also ask for 365 00:25:14,800 --> 00:25:19,760 deeper trust and faith in Jesus, for that is what the sign points 366 00:25:19,760 --> 00:25:22,400 to, even in the signs of provision. 367 00:25:24,600 --> 00:25:27,200 We can trust in Jesus Christ even if there's no miracle 368 00:25:27,200 --> 00:25:29,520 today. We can keep trusting in Jesus 369 00:25:29,520 --> 00:25:32,080 even if there are no dramatic supernatural changes in our 370 00:25:32,080 --> 00:25:35,160 lives tomorrow, because Jesus came not to make our current 371 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:36,640 lives easier and more comfortable. 372 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:40,960 He came to reveal His glory so that we believe in Him. 373 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:46,520 Believe not only what He says about Himself, but believe what 374 00:25:46,520 --> 00:25:48,880 the Old Testament Scriptures prophesied about Him and what 375 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:52,960 will happen when He comes. We read Isaiah chapter 25 verse 376 00:25:52,960 --> 00:25:57,960 6 to 9 earlier in corporate scripture reading of that great 377 00:25:57,960 --> 00:26:00,680 banquet to come. The Lord Almighty will prepare a 378 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:03,360 rich a feast of rich food and good wine. 379 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:08,400 Also in Isaiah chapter 62 verse 5, as the bridegroom rejoices 380 00:26:08,400 --> 00:26:11,520 over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you. 381 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:16,800 So Jesus here was fulfilling what Scriptures prophesied about 382 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:20,280 Him by supernaturally turning the water of Jewish rites of 383 00:26:20,280 --> 00:26:23,280 purification into good wine for wedding celebration. 384 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:27,880 Jesus was giving a preview of the greater wedding banquet to 385 00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:31,960 come. We see in Revelation chapter 19, 386 00:26:31,960 --> 00:26:36,200 verses 7 to 9 of the great marriage supper of the Lamb of 387 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:42,440 God. If I were to read it for you, 388 00:26:42,880 --> 00:26:46,080 verse 7, let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, 389 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:48,920 for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made 390 00:26:48,920 --> 00:26:51,400 herself ready. It was granted her to clothe 391 00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:53,440 herself with fine linen, bright and pure. 392 00:26:53,920 --> 00:26:56,440 For the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the Saints. 393 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:04,400 That's what Jesus came to do. Jesus came to give himself up, 394 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:08,840 to die on the cross for his bride, to purify the Church and 395 00:27:08,840 --> 00:27:12,840 prepare his bride to be without blemish, to be without the 396 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:17,520 filth, filth and stain of sin. Jesus would take away our sins 397 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:19,640 in ways we could never do on our own. 398 00:27:20,200 --> 00:27:25,080 It doesn't matter how many stone jars we prepare for ourselves, 399 00:27:26,280 --> 00:27:32,400 could never wash away our sins. Repeated rituals of cleansing 400 00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:35,320 was not the solution, was not the main event. 401 00:27:35,520 --> 00:27:44,040 Even those things, those actions were pointing to the one who 402 00:27:44,040 --> 00:27:46,640 would come to wash away their sins. 403 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:51,640 It was a reminder of guilt and how sinners need to be purified 404 00:27:51,760 --> 00:27:54,880 in order to be with God. It is only through Jesus 405 00:27:54,880 --> 00:27:58,960 sacrifice who died once for all sins and who is able to save 406 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:03,920 completely to the uttermost, those who draw near to God 407 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:08,000 through faith in Jesus Christ. Through Christ, God has richly 408 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:11,640 poured out the washing of regeneration and renewal of the 409 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:17,960 Holy Spirit, purifying His Bride Jesus Christ. 410 00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:23,000 The point of this all was to point to Jesus our Bridegroom, 411 00:28:23,320 --> 00:28:28,640 who supernaturally provides the good wine of joy of never ending 412 00:28:28,640 --> 00:28:33,360 joy for His people. He invites us into that 413 00:28:33,360 --> 00:28:40,400 celebration to as we repent of our sins and believe in Him, in 414 00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:43,960 all the ongoing struggles of faith, in all the present pains 415 00:28:44,160 --> 00:28:46,800 of of this world and the problems of our lives. 416 00:28:47,040 --> 00:28:52,840 Christ invites us to celebrate with Him now because there will 417 00:28:52,840 --> 00:28:56,120 just be a glimpse of that great celebration to come. 418 00:28:58,120 --> 00:29:01,560 Brothers and sisters in Christ, we are to be marked by such a 419 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:07,560 wedding joy through all seasons of our lives because we know the 420 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:11,440 bridegroom who has come and who will come again. 421 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:16,320 It's a joy that doesn't just last a week, but a joy that 422 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:21,400 lasts forever into eternity because we have received the 423 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:25,720 grace of God, the love of God, the mercy of God, all through 424 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:31,800 Jesus Christ who came to us, came for us to die in our place 425 00:29:32,480 --> 00:29:36,200 for our sins. So as we live our lives, as we 426 00:29:36,440 --> 00:29:43,200 go to work tomorrow, as we spend time with awkward family members 427 00:29:44,240 --> 00:29:47,640 and friends, we should be marked by this wedding hope. 428 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:56,080 Because we know by faith there is a greater joy to come. 429 00:29:57,440 --> 00:30:00,760 This text challenges us to look to what the signs point to, to 430 00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:04,040 Christ our Savior. Because even when more miracles 431 00:30:04,040 --> 00:30:08,800 don't happen today, we can say they don't need to because we 432 00:30:08,800 --> 00:30:11,440 know that our bridegroom is coming again. 433 00:30:12,560 --> 00:30:16,720 Believe in Him as you see the signs of Christ in Scripture. 434 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:20,400 And if you do not believe, look to how Jesus revealed His glory. 435 00:30:21,320 --> 00:30:40,320 Join us as you. Tiles a space where God fearing 436 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:45,520 people but non Jewish people could come from around the 437 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:49,040 world, especially on these special occasions to worship God 438 00:30:49,040 --> 00:30:51,080 and bring their sacrifices for their sins. 439 00:30:52,080 --> 00:30:58,320 It was an opportunity for them to interact and see the people 440 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:02,600 of God who were called by his name, see how they were shaped 441 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:06,600 by God's law and how they were shaped by God's love and mercy 442 00:31:06,600 --> 00:31:09,120 for them. But again, they were just 443 00:31:09,120 --> 00:31:12,360 limited to that space in the outer courts. 444 00:31:14,160 --> 00:31:17,280 But as Jesus entered, he found a marketplace. 445 00:31:17,800 --> 00:31:20,760 Now it's not wrong to sell animals, as there were 446 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:24,000 travellers and pilgrims coming from long distances so that they 447 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:27,880 could come and buy an animal that they can make, that they 448 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:31,600 can offer as sacrifice. The problem was not what they 449 00:31:31,600 --> 00:31:33,800 were doing. The problem was where it was 450 00:31:33,800 --> 00:31:37,840 happening. The Jews had converted a worship 451 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:42,200 space into a marketplace. And remember that for the Jews, 452 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:46,360 the temple was a divinely ordained meeting place with God. 453 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:52,040 There was no other place they could worship God with the 454 00:31:52,040 --> 00:31:57,440 promise of God's presence other than at the temple and through 455 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:01,040 the sacrificial system. It's not like today where 456 00:32:01,040 --> 00:32:05,280 churches rent meeting halls and in the same meeting hall we can 457 00:32:05,440 --> 00:32:08,320 eat lunch, have weddings, hold other meetings. 458 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:14,240 No, for the Jews, the temple was a sacred space designated for 459 00:32:14,240 --> 00:32:18,240 worship and sacrifices. The temple was the place, the 460 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:21,480 place for people to be in God's presence. 461 00:32:21,840 --> 00:32:25,760 So all the more, this situation was seriously wrong and 462 00:32:25,760 --> 00:32:30,160 offensive to God's honor. So Jesus was justified. 463 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:33,240 He was right in his actions. His actions are not out of 464 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:35,440 place. It's the Jews here that are out 465 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:40,320 of place, one commentator notes. Instead of solemn dignity and 466 00:32:40,320 --> 00:32:44,720 the murmurs of prayer, there is the bellowing of cattle and 467 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:48,040 bleeding of sheep. Instead of brokenness and 468 00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:52,280 contrition, holy adoration and prolonged petition, there is 469 00:32:52,280 --> 00:32:55,920 noisy commerce. So Jesus in his judgement he 470 00:32:55,920 --> 00:32:59,880 rebukes and he corrects the wrong behavior by driving them 471 00:32:59,880 --> 00:33:03,800 out. It was premeditated, 472 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:07,320 intentional. He made a whip of cords. 473 00:33:08,440 --> 00:33:11,720 I'm sure that whip was used for the animals and not the people. 474 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:15,360 Knowing Jesus, it's for the to drive out the the big animals, 475 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:19,160 the oxen and the sheep. But for the people, he was 476 00:33:19,160 --> 00:33:22,760 pouring out their coins, flipping over their tables, and 477 00:33:22,760 --> 00:33:26,640 Jesus tells them in verse 16, take these things away. 478 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:30,640 Do not make my father's house a House of trade. 479 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:35,960 Jesus is justified in his righteous anger against his own 480 00:33:35,960 --> 00:33:38,960 people. Note how he says my father's 481 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:42,120 house, not our father, my father's house. 482 00:33:42,120 --> 00:33:45,760 He's making a unique claim of special relationship with God 483 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:51,000 the Father as God the Son, because Jesus is God Incarnate 484 00:33:51,000 --> 00:33:53,800 in the flesh, fully God, fully man. 485 00:33:53,920 --> 00:33:57,280 So he takes any offences against the Father. 486 00:33:57,400 --> 00:34:02,600 He takes them personally because he is one with the Father. 487 00:34:05,400 --> 00:34:10,400 Just like how a son would defend his Father's reputation when 488 00:34:10,400 --> 00:34:14,920 people are out to slander against his Father. 489 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:21,800 So as a even better son, Jesus Christ stands defending the 490 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:25,639 honor of God the Father in Jesus judgement. 491 00:34:26,159 --> 00:34:28,880 Driving them out is the same as God's judgement. 492 00:34:28,880 --> 00:34:33,280 Here Jesus actions are also justified because he is 493 00:34:33,280 --> 00:34:37,440 fulfilling scripture. You notice in verse 17 it says 494 00:34:37,520 --> 00:34:39,719 his disciples remembered that it was written. 495 00:34:39,719 --> 00:34:44,199 Looking at the scene, looking at Jesus anger, they remember that 496 00:34:44,199 --> 00:34:49,159 it was written zeal for your house will consume me your your 497 00:34:49,239 --> 00:34:51,679 your Bible probably has a footnote mentioning that this 498 00:34:51,679 --> 00:34:56,480 quote is taken from Psalm 69. Now whenever there's a quotation 499 00:34:56,480 --> 00:34:58,480 and reference to an Old Testament verse in the New 500 00:34:58,480 --> 00:35:01,720 Testament like this, it is good practice if you want to be good 501 00:35:01,720 --> 00:35:06,480 students of the Bible to read the context of the reference as 502 00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:09,240 well. So the disciples were probably 503 00:35:09,240 --> 00:35:14,840 remembering in this case, not just Psalm 69, verse 9 where it 504 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:19,400 was mentioned, this this quote is mentioned, but they're all 505 00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:24,840 probably remembering the context of that song, remembering how 506 00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:28,080 Jesus fulfilled that portion of Scripture, not just that one 507 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:32,640 verse. So turn to Psalm 69. 508 00:35:32,760 --> 00:35:36,600 Let's do that. And I'll read for us just a few 509 00:35:36,600 --> 00:35:42,600 verses from 7:00 to 9:00 so that we get a context of what Jesus 510 00:35:42,600 --> 00:35:48,840 is fulfilling here in Scripture. Psalm 69, verse 7 to 9. 511 00:35:50,280 --> 00:35:55,480 For it is your sake that I have borne reproach, that dishonor 512 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:59,040 has covered my face. I've become a stranger to my 513 00:35:59,040 --> 00:36:01,760 brothers, an alien to my mother's sons. 514 00:36:02,200 --> 00:36:06,640 For zeal for your house has consumed me, and the reproaches 515 00:36:06,640 --> 00:36:10,280 of those who reproach you have fallen on me. 516 00:36:14,160 --> 00:36:19,360 Jesus was fulfilling Psalm 69 here in the temple, but he would 517 00:36:19,360 --> 00:36:22,560 fulfill it in greater ways that the disciples did not even 518 00:36:22,560 --> 00:36:26,520 understand at this point in Luke chapter in John chapter 2. 519 00:36:27,920 --> 00:36:33,120 Yes, zeal for zeal is is passion for His Father's honor. 520 00:36:33,120 --> 00:36:36,960 It consumed Jesus. But according to Psalm 69, it is 521 00:36:36,960 --> 00:36:41,120 also that same zeal, that same passion that caused Jesus to 522 00:36:41,120 --> 00:36:46,120 take upon the reproach, the insults that were made against 523 00:36:46,120 --> 00:36:48,880 God. He took it upon himself. 524 00:36:49,440 --> 00:36:54,480 This zeal is what led Jesus to his knees in prayer, in 525 00:36:54,480 --> 00:36:57,760 agonizing prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, where he prayed. 526 00:36:57,760 --> 00:37:01,320 Father, if you're willing, remove this cup from me, this 527 00:37:01,320 --> 00:37:06,560 cup of suffering, this cup of death, this cup of taking upon 528 00:37:06,720 --> 00:37:12,440 the sins of the world and experiencing shame and 529 00:37:12,440 --> 00:37:17,440 separation for the Father. Nevertheless, he prayed, not my 530 00:37:17,440 --> 00:37:24,200 will, but yours be done. It was zeal for his Father, zeal 531 00:37:24,200 --> 00:37:30,760 for God's honour, for God's worship that led Jesus to take 532 00:37:30,760 --> 00:37:35,240 upon his Father's insults and to die a criminal death on the 533 00:37:35,240 --> 00:37:39,760 cross in our place. Oh, what zeal, what passion of 534 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:44,240 our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ that has secured for us 535 00:37:44,440 --> 00:37:46,840 our salvation and forgiveness of sins. 536 00:37:47,800 --> 00:37:53,360 We can be assured of this because Jesus is zealous for His 537 00:37:53,360 --> 00:37:57,560 Father. Zeal here is a burning desire to 538 00:37:57,560 --> 00:38:01,760 please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the 539 00:38:01,760 --> 00:38:08,720 world in every possible way. Friends, what are you zealous 540 00:38:08,720 --> 00:38:14,280 for today? What fills you with such passion 541 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:19,600 and determination? What is the one thing that you 542 00:38:19,880 --> 00:38:24,960 burn for? Is it riches? 543 00:38:25,680 --> 00:38:28,360 Is it fame? Is it acceptance? 544 00:38:29,320 --> 00:38:32,080 Is it recognition? Is it comfort? 545 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:39,320 Is it satisfaction? Or do you love the things that 546 00:38:39,320 --> 00:38:42,200 God loves? Are you passionate about the 547 00:38:42,200 --> 00:38:47,320 things God is passionate about? He is passionate about making 548 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:51,360 His glory known. Are we zealous about making 549 00:38:51,560 --> 00:38:58,040 God's glory known that He may be worshipped and honored by the 550 00:38:58,040 --> 00:39:02,800 others in our lives? Are we passionate about 551 00:39:02,800 --> 00:39:07,240 worshipping God? That it's marked in how we 552 00:39:07,400 --> 00:39:09,800 anticipate what will happen every Sunday? 553 00:39:10,080 --> 00:39:14,840 It's marked in how we gather. I'm not talking about just empty 554 00:39:14,840 --> 00:39:19,680 hype and excitement, but this deep passion and longing and 555 00:39:19,680 --> 00:39:24,760 determination that burns for God and for God to be glorified. 556 00:39:30,000 --> 00:39:35,960 Is your zeal expressed in your prayers, where we don't spend 557 00:39:35,960 --> 00:39:40,160 the whole time in prayer asking and asking for things, but we 558 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:43,880 spend considerable amounts of time simply praising God, 559 00:39:44,080 --> 00:39:48,200 adoring Him for who He is and thanking Him for what he's done? 560 00:39:54,440 --> 00:40:00,560 JC Rile continues to explain, describing the zeal that 561 00:40:00,560 --> 00:40:05,800 consumes a Christian. He says the desire is so strong 562 00:40:06,840 --> 00:40:11,600 when it really rains in a man. It impels him to make any 563 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:16,320 sacrifice, to go through any trouble, to deny himself to any 564 00:40:16,320 --> 00:40:20,760 amount, to suffer, to work, to labour, to toil, to spend 565 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:25,520 himself and be spent, and even to die, if only he can please 566 00:40:25,520 --> 00:40:29,760 God and honour Christ. Whether he lives, whether he 567 00:40:29,760 --> 00:40:33,600 dies, whether he has health, whether he has sickness, whether 568 00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:37,320 he is rich or poor, whether he pleases man, whether he gives 569 00:40:37,320 --> 00:40:41,000 offence, whether he is thought to be wise or thought to be 570 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:44,720 foolish, whether he gets blame, whether he gets praise, whether 571 00:40:44,720 --> 00:40:46,760 he gets honour, whether he gets shame. 572 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:51,440 For all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. 573 00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:57,640 He burns for one thing, and that one thing is to please God and 574 00:40:57,640 --> 00:41:02,040 to advance his glory. And if he is consumed in the 575 00:41:02,040 --> 00:41:04,600 very burning, he cares not for it. 576 00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:08,680 He is content. He feels that like a lamp, he is 577 00:41:08,680 --> 00:41:13,240 made to burn, and if consumed in burning, he has but done the 578 00:41:13,240 --> 00:41:15,960 work for which God appointed him. 579 00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:22,320 End Quote Church, let's pray that this will be true of us, 580 00:41:23,000 --> 00:41:29,120 that we would be such zealous, passionate lights in this world, 581 00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:33,240 in this Dark World, burning bright for Jesus who is the 582 00:41:33,240 --> 00:41:38,840 light of the world, pointing to him that all may come to believe 583 00:41:38,840 --> 00:41:43,280 in His name and to be saved so that God will receive all the 584 00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:50,040 more glory, honour and praise from the lips and hearts of 585 00:41:50,040 --> 00:41:54,720 people from all nations. May God's glory be our 586 00:41:54,720 --> 00:42:01,280 motivation and driving force to do all that we do to approach 587 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:05,280 our work for His glory. I know Christians often say 588 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:07,600 that, but this here's what it means. 589 00:42:07,720 --> 00:42:10,880 That you see that in your occupation, in your vocation, 590 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:13,480 that God, you see it as God giving it to you. 591 00:42:13,680 --> 00:42:17,080 And you're seeking out ways where you can give God glory, 592 00:42:17,160 --> 00:42:21,800 make his glory known. Exalt Him as you work, as you 593 00:42:21,800 --> 00:42:27,840 meet with the people at work, even the most mundane aspects or 594 00:42:27,960 --> 00:42:32,480 activities of work become glorious moments to make God 595 00:42:32,880 --> 00:42:36,840 known. Same thing in our homes, in the 596 00:42:36,840 --> 00:42:43,600 mundane task of homes, morning to evening and then the next 597 00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:45,960 day. And it just repeats over and 598 00:42:45,960 --> 00:42:51,720 over again. See it as a place where Gods has 599 00:42:51,720 --> 00:42:54,440 placed you to make His glory known. 600 00:42:57,200 --> 00:43:01,320 And after all that we do, may we be able to look back and say, 601 00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:05,720 still, Lord, make me all the more passionate, all the more 602 00:43:05,720 --> 00:43:09,600 zealous for your glory. For what other purpose do I have 603 00:43:09,720 --> 00:43:12,880 to live? Let's make this our prayer. 604 00:43:13,280 --> 00:43:16,720 Pray this for one another. And I encourage you to talk 605 00:43:16,920 --> 00:43:20,200 about this even with each other over over lunch of this week. 606 00:43:21,120 --> 00:43:27,200 How can we make God's glory known in my places of work in 607 00:43:27,200 --> 00:43:30,160 your home? Let's discuss and encourage one 608 00:43:30,160 --> 00:43:32,640 another because this is our very purpose. 609 00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:43,440 We hope that many will come to respond as God has revealed his 610 00:43:43,440 --> 00:43:47,160 glory through Jesus the Son and that would come to faith and we 611 00:43:47,160 --> 00:43:54,120 know down in verse 20 verse later down in in in the final 612 00:43:54,120 --> 00:43:57,680 verses that many did believe, but he in verse 25 many did 613 00:43:57,680 --> 00:44:00,680 believe. But here is another response 614 00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:06,960 that we see among the Jews, God's Jesus's own people in 615 00:44:06,960 --> 00:44:09,400 verse 18. Here's this response. 616 00:44:09,480 --> 00:44:13,560 The Jews said to him, what sign do you show us for doing these 617 00:44:13,560 --> 00:44:16,400 things? What the what the Jews were 618 00:44:16,480 --> 00:44:20,800 doing here is that we're simply questioning his authority. 619 00:44:21,280 --> 00:44:24,240 They might have agreed with the people, they might have agreed 620 00:44:24,240 --> 00:44:26,640 that yeah, people should not turn a part of the temple into a 621 00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:30,280 marketplace, but that wasn't their main problem because they 622 00:44:30,280 --> 00:44:33,720 did never did anything about it. The main problem was Jesus. 623 00:44:34,480 --> 00:44:37,000 Who are you, Jesus, to do such a thing? 624 00:44:37,480 --> 00:44:41,080 They're asking for a sign, proof, evidence that Jesus has 625 00:44:41,080 --> 00:44:44,120 authority regarding matters of worship in the temple. 626 00:44:46,680 --> 00:44:49,640 Verse 19. Jesus answered them in an 627 00:44:49,640 --> 00:44:53,640 enigmatic way. In a parable he says destroy 628 00:44:53,640 --> 00:44:57,760 this temple and in three days I will raise it up. 629 00:44:58,160 --> 00:45:00,840 They obviously didn't understand what Jesus was saying. 630 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:05,400 And throughout Jesus ministry, he would speak in such ways in, 631 00:45:05,520 --> 00:45:12,560 in speaking forth of parables so that people would either desire 632 00:45:12,560 --> 00:45:17,720 to learn more of what his parables mean or to stay in 633 00:45:17,720 --> 00:45:21,040 their ways, stuck in their ways in challenging Jesus. 634 00:45:21,280 --> 00:45:24,480 What authority do you have to speak into my life? 635 00:45:24,560 --> 00:45:28,000 What authority do you have to tell me what I can do and what I 636 00:45:28,000 --> 00:45:31,040 cannot do? What authority do you have, 637 00:45:31,040 --> 00:45:35,800 Jesus to claim yourself to be king and Lord? 638 00:45:38,560 --> 00:45:44,440 That's what happens here. Verse 20 The Jews said it has 639 00:45:44,440 --> 00:45:47,640 taken 46 years to build this temple and you will raise it up 640 00:45:47,640 --> 00:45:52,560 in three days. Even the disciples would only 641 00:45:52,560 --> 00:45:55,400 later understand what this all meant. 642 00:45:56,320 --> 00:46:01,200 The temple was a place to meet with God for centuries. 643 00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:05,640 The temple was where God specially manifested His 644 00:46:05,640 --> 00:46:10,360 presence in the Most Holy Place where only the whole high priest 645 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:14,320 could enter to make sacrifices for sin, for the forgiveness of 646 00:46:14,320 --> 00:46:21,560 sin, and there God's promised presence his people would enjoy. 647 00:46:24,160 --> 00:46:29,320 But even all of that, the grandness of the temple of all 648 00:46:29,360 --> 00:46:36,360 it's it's glory was to point to the true temple, to the true 649 00:46:36,360 --> 00:46:40,480 place of worship. When Jesus says destroy this 650 00:46:40,480 --> 00:46:44,720 temple and raise it up in three days, we see in verse 21 he's 651 00:46:44,720 --> 00:46:47,480 talking about the temple of his body. 652 00:46:48,280 --> 00:46:50,960 And So what Jesus is saying here is profound. 653 00:46:51,200 --> 00:46:54,760 The disciples didn't get it yet, but only after they witnessed 654 00:46:54,760 --> 00:46:58,480 Jesus death and resurrection, where they come to realize and 655 00:46:58,480 --> 00:47:05,040 remember Jesus words saying the temple is no longer the physical 656 00:47:05,040 --> 00:47:10,440 temple is no longer the place of worship, but Jesus himself, the 657 00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:14,880 embodied presence of God, the fullness of God dwelling in the 658 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:19,960 person of Jesus Christ would be where people come to worship, 659 00:47:20,280 --> 00:47:22,720 where they come into the presence of God. 660 00:47:25,760 --> 00:47:31,040 All of the old temple and all of its sacrificial system and all 661 00:47:31,040 --> 00:47:35,400 of the tools for sacrifice and the place of of worship there 662 00:47:35,560 --> 00:47:41,200 pointed was pointing to Jesus, the new temple of God, the new 663 00:47:41,200 --> 00:47:48,560 place of worship through the evil intentions of the religious 664 00:47:48,560 --> 00:47:53,000 leaders. Later on, he would ordain his 665 00:47:53,000 --> 00:47:55,920 own body to be destroyed as he gave up his life. 666 00:47:56,200 --> 00:47:59,760 He gave up his life to the cross and he would gave up his life 667 00:47:59,760 --> 00:48:04,160 over to death. But in three days by the power 668 00:48:04,240 --> 00:48:07,960 of God, by the power of the Holy Spirit, he indeed did raise it 669 00:48:07,960 --> 00:48:11,120 up. And this is the good news of for 670 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:16,080 that Christians declare every Easter that Jesus did not remain 671 00:48:16,080 --> 00:48:22,320 dead, that his grave is still empty, that he is alive and 672 00:48:22,320 --> 00:48:27,720 reigning in bodily form now, and he will return the same way he 673 00:48:27,720 --> 00:48:31,920 was ascended into heaven. Jesus is the new temple. 674 00:48:32,400 --> 00:48:38,280 He entered into the holy place once for all, not by the means 675 00:48:38,280 --> 00:48:42,520 of blood of goats and calves like it says in Hebrews Chapter 676 00:48:42,520 --> 00:48:47,920 9 verse 12, but by means of his own blood, by his own perfect 677 00:48:47,920 --> 00:48:51,040 blood that he spilled. He secures an eternal redemption 678 00:48:51,520 --> 00:48:55,600 for people. The point of this all here of 679 00:48:55,600 --> 00:48:59,920 that promised sign of his authority was to declare that 680 00:48:59,920 --> 00:49:05,560 Jesus is the way of worship. He is the way to God, to be in 681 00:49:05,560 --> 00:49:11,960 his presence. We no longer are restricted or 682 00:49:12,160 --> 00:49:16,280 confined to worship or or to God's presence in a specific 683 00:49:16,440 --> 00:49:25,200 place, but we have access to God the Father in Christ all the 684 00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:28,280 more. This moves us and inspires us as 685 00:49:28,280 --> 00:49:31,080 His people today to come to worship God and treasure the 686 00:49:31,080 --> 00:49:36,440 times we can gather in His name knowing that he he is here with 687 00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:40,360 us. Even though this room doesn't 688 00:49:40,360 --> 00:49:42,720 look so grandiose, it's got problems. 689 00:49:43,240 --> 00:49:45,120 Can't really control the AC units. 690 00:49:45,720 --> 00:49:47,920 It's either too hot or it's too cold every week. 691 00:49:48,720 --> 00:49:52,800 But still when God's people gather because of Jesus Christ, 692 00:49:52,800 --> 00:49:57,160 his death and resurrection, we come into the very presence of 693 00:49:57,160 --> 00:50:07,450 God in verse 23 when he was in it says when he was in Jerusalem 694 00:50:07,450 --> 00:50:10,210 at the pastor fees. Many believed in His name when 695 00:50:10,210 --> 00:50:12,250 they saw the signs that He was doing. 696 00:50:13,880 --> 00:50:16,960 But here is the final take away for us in verses 2425. 697 00:50:16,960 --> 00:50:20,320 But Jesus on His part did not entrust Himself to them because 698 00:50:20,320 --> 00:50:23,840 He knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, 699 00:50:23,920 --> 00:50:26,280 for He Himself knew what was in man. 700 00:50:28,080 --> 00:50:32,960 What's happening here? There were many who saw the 701 00:50:32,960 --> 00:50:38,720 signs that were He was doing and they believed in His name, but 702 00:50:39,680 --> 00:50:44,320 Jesus did not trust Himself. He did not believe himself. 703 00:50:44,320 --> 00:50:47,600 To them it's the same word there because He knew what was in the 704 00:50:47,600 --> 00:50:51,800 hearts of people. He knew. 705 00:50:52,360 --> 00:50:54,600 When we see, we will see throughout Jesus ministry how 706 00:50:54,600 --> 00:50:58,600 the crowds would come just because they wanted another 707 00:50:58,600 --> 00:51:01,800 miracle, just because they wanted their problem to be 708 00:51:01,800 --> 00:51:05,600 fixed. They have yet to learn to come 709 00:51:05,600 --> 00:51:09,120 what it means to follow Jesus, where he would later explain to 710 00:51:09,120 --> 00:51:13,960 his disciples that you would need to hate your own father and 711 00:51:13,960 --> 00:51:18,320 mother, your brother and sister, that in that by saying your love 712 00:51:18,320 --> 00:51:21,400 for Jesus must be greater than all other loves in this world. 713 00:51:21,760 --> 00:51:23,200 That's what it means to follow Jesus. 714 00:51:23,280 --> 00:51:26,640 He would later explain to his disciples that you must deny 715 00:51:26,640 --> 00:51:30,360 yourself and carry your cross daily in order to be his 716 00:51:30,360 --> 00:51:33,520 disciple. He would continue to use 717 00:51:33,520 --> 00:51:39,560 parables to begin to bring division among this great crowd 718 00:51:39,560 --> 00:51:44,360 who initially would believe him, but believe them because they 719 00:51:44,360 --> 00:51:47,840 got some bread to eat, who believed them because they got 720 00:51:47,840 --> 00:51:52,280 some healing done for them. No, they would need to believe 721 00:51:52,360 --> 00:51:58,200 Jesus at his word. And Jesus knows what's in a man, 722 00:51:58,200 --> 00:52:05,000 what's what's in man's hearts for us. 723 00:52:05,120 --> 00:52:09,400 As you take away from this passage, we see that the 724 00:52:09,400 --> 00:52:13,520 disciples believed and they they believed by remembering the 725 00:52:13,520 --> 00:52:16,200 words of Jesus. But the religious leaders and 726 00:52:16,200 --> 00:52:20,680 the Jews demanded a sign and they would demand many more 727 00:52:20,680 --> 00:52:23,960 signs. What about us? 728 00:52:24,840 --> 00:52:28,680 Do we want more signs? Do we think signs are the main 729 00:52:28,680 --> 00:52:34,280 event, just more miracles? Or do we want Jesus because our 730 00:52:34,280 --> 00:52:39,240 hearts are burning for him, for who he is, and that all that 731 00:52:39,240 --> 00:52:43,680 he's done, the changing of water to wine at Cana and the 732 00:52:43,680 --> 00:52:45,200 cleansing of the temple in Jerusalem. 733 00:52:45,720 --> 00:52:48,520 At the very beginning of Jesus's ministry, they established the 734 00:52:48,520 --> 00:52:54,640 terms that Jesus would come to purify the sins of people and he 735 00:52:54,640 --> 00:52:58,240 alone would be the place of true worship for all those who repent 736 00:52:58,240 --> 00:53:03,520 of their sins and follow him. This is exactly what Jesus will 737 00:53:03,520 --> 00:53:09,800 be doing when he comes again. He would come once and for all 738 00:53:10,120 --> 00:53:17,000 to purify His bride and to hold a great marriage supper, a feast 739 00:53:17,720 --> 00:53:25,720 with overflowing joy as we feast upon Him forever, for all 740 00:53:25,720 --> 00:53:28,520 eternity. This was the first acts of His 741 00:53:28,520 --> 00:53:31,840 ministry. That's will be the first acts 742 00:53:31,840 --> 00:53:33,840 when He he does when he comes again. 743 00:53:34,080 --> 00:53:38,600 So may we look forward to that day with joy, with hope that he 744 00:53:38,600 --> 00:53:42,560 is coming as we desire for more of him and make his glory know. 745 00:53:43,160 --> 00:53:45,560 Let's pray together. Heavenly Father, we thank you 746 00:53:45,560 --> 00:53:50,760 for your word that challenges us to desire Christ more than 747 00:53:50,760 --> 00:53:53,560 anything in this world, for He alone is worthy of our praise. 748 00:53:55,400 --> 00:53:58,480 Lord, we pray that You will drive this truth deep into our 749 00:53:58,480 --> 00:54:05,720 hearts and may it bring forth gratitude, obedience, and joy to 750 00:54:05,720 --> 00:54:09,320 follow Jesus forever as His people have your way in US. 751 00:54:09,320 --> 00:54:12,120 Lord, in Jesus name we pray. Amen. 752 00:54:13,320 --> 00:54:19,480 Let's take a moment to consider God's Word for ourselves before 753 00:54:19,560 --> 00:54:24,240 we continue in a time of corporate response and singing 754 00:54:24,240 --> 00:54:24,680 together.