John Chapter 2:1-7

When Jesus tells you to do something, He gives you the power to accomplish it.

He's all the time in Scripture telling people to do impossible things. He goes up to a guy with a withered hand and says, Stretch forth your hand. Well, that's not nice. Can't he see the man's hand is withered? Well, if that's not enough, he goes up to a lame man and tells him to get up and walk.

Well, that's not very considerate. Can't he see he's lame? But when he tells him to do something, he gives him the power to do it. So when Jesus tells you to do something, He gives you the power to be able to do it. So I can't.

It's no longer a valid excuse, because if He's told you to do something, guess what? You can. Whether you're in here and you're 12 or you're 75, make a difference. Take a stand and make a difference. Welcome to Cross the Bridge with David McGee. David is a senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina, and we're glad to have one of David McGee's associate pastors, D.A. Brown, here with us as Pastor David continues through the book of John. Bob, we've all been apprehensive about something that God has called us to do. We can trust that if He's called us to do it, He's going to give us the power to do what He's asked. How about those guys that He called to bring water into this wedding when the wine ran out, wondering what in the world is this guy getting ready to do?

Hey, it takes faith, and it's an adventure, and it's exciting. So let's listen as David McGee begins teaching in John chapter 2. John chapter 2, verse 1. And on the third day, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now, both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. In the busyness of life, Jesus took time out to go to this wedding.

That intrigues me. Guys, sometimes we underrate social activities of getting together. Now, I strongly feel the church should not be a social activity, but an activity geared around the Word of God. But let me encourage you, when you come here to fellowship with other people, to perhaps go out to lunch with them, because something happens as you're fellowshipping with people, as you're spending time with one another, that you encourage one another.

Don't schedule out those times. Make sure you're spending time with family, you're spending time with friends, and enjoying the fellowship with one another. It's also interesting how much marriage is in the Scriptures. And to be honest, I thought this morning's teaching was going to be mostly about marriage, and yesterday I got some change orders from the Lord. But we're going to talk about marriage this week, and we're also going to talk about marriage next week. But to understand the Jewish marriage, there was three phases to the Jewish marriage, if you will.

The first phase was the arrangement, or the proposal, and the acceptance. And we've talked about that before, but let me mention again, the way that that went, you didn't date as a young Jewish person. Your first date was when you got married.

And the Jewish saying is, because everybody marries a stranger anyway. So you would go to the lady's house, sit down with her father, you would pour a cup of wine and set it before her. If she accepted your proposal, she drank from the cup. If she rejected your proposal, she did not.

You're going to see a lot of Scripture open up in the next 60 or 90 seconds. Then what you would do is you would leave a deposit or earnest money to say that, I am coming back, and you would also leave a written contract with your bride saying that you would be back. You've got that written contract that your groom would be back sitting on your lap now. Then the man would leave, and he would go to prepare a place for his bride.

Now, it was interesting the way this worked, because as a young Jewish man, you couldn't decide when you were finished with this place, because let's be honest, and guys, be real with me here. You know, if you were a young Jewish guy and you're getting married, you know you go to dad's house, you lean a sheet of plywood on the side, and you go, all right, it's ready, let's go get her. But the father would say, no, son, that's not an appropriate house for your bride to be. So the son didn't know when the wedding day would be. As a matter of fact, if you ask him, when's the big day, he would say, I don't know, ask my father. Even as Jesus said, no man knows the day of his coming except the father. Then what would happen, the young man would come back when he had prepared a place at any time, usually at night, and the bride and the bridesmaids were expected to be ready at any moment, at any time. Again, you see so much prophecy in that. And then after he went and got his bride, then the marriage feast happened. Well, again, we see the prophetic time clock of the church being raptured with Jesus, and then what happens? The marriage supper of the lamb, the marriage feast. Guys, from Genesis to Revelation, the book is just filled consistently with some of these themes. Jesus begins here his ministry at a wedding, and in some degrees ends it with the wedding, the marriage supper of the lamb. I think it's fair when you start to think about this stuff.

I think it's fair to say we don't understand the full spiritual significance of the marriage relationship, because obviously, according to Scripture, according to the Lord, there's a great deal of importance and spiritual mystery, if you will, to it. Verse 3, and when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to him, they have no wine. And Jesus said to her, woman, what does your concern have to do with me?

My hour has not yet come. Now, let me explain that it comes out to our ears in the English language a little harsher than it's meant to be. The phrase woman was a term of respect.

It wasn't a term of warm fuzziness, but it was a term of respect. Jesus uses it again, if you remember, in John chapter 4. But Jesus, in speaking to her, we can see a couple things that, to me, are very intriguing.

Number one, Jesus is obviously not realizing that Mary is the co-redemptress, but he's not disrespecting her. And it also shows that Jesus didn't do miracles on a whim. They were spiritual statements, if you will. He did them as a part, and this is intriguing to me, he did them in part of a teaching. See, we're told that signs and wonders will follow believers, but you know what happens oftentimes is believers follow signs and wonders.

Chasing them around here, there, we hear this is going on there, and that's going on there, and that's not supposed to be. He says his time has not yet come. Now this, I think this points to a couple things. Number one, and you'll see this phrase a lot in John, and we saw it in Luke, when he says his time has not yet come. I think one of the things that happens is it points forward to a day in history where his time is come. Now if you remember, if you've been with us a little while, when Luke 19, we looked at the prophecy of Daniel, which foretold hundreds of years before the very exact day Jesus would come into the gates of Jerusalem.

It's incredible. It is so staggering in its implications that many liberal scholars have said that, well, obviously Daniel was written after the fact. And then, you know, God loves to mess up plans like that, and then portions of the book of Daniel were discovered at the Dead Sea Scrolls dated to 140 to 180 BC, before Jesus came in that day. But he was predicting that very day when he said, it is my time, and you're not recognizing my time. Well, you can read it in Luke 19. And again, I think it's also pointing to the point that at some point in the future, his time does come, and everybody does realize who Jesus is.

See, a lot of times we go around with the mistaken impression that some people are never going to figure out who Jesus is. Oh yeah, they will. Yeah, they will. One day. If they wait until they die, it's going to be a sad meeting. But if you're meeting him again because you've met him here, it's going to be a glorious meeting. We'll be right back with more from David McGee on Cross the Bridge. Right now, here's a word from associate pastor D.A. Brown.

Hey, Bob. We want to take a minute to pray for our listeners in these cities. In California, we have Joshua Tree, Lake Isabella, Lakehead, Las Cruces, Laurel, Lompoc, and the San Jose area. God, we thank you for these cities. We pray for the leaders in these cities, that you would give them wisdom and discernment. We pray that people would be following you with all their heart, all their soul, and all their strength, and they'd be sharing with others the hope that they found in you. We pray that many would accept that offer of hope and eternal salvation, and that they would get plugged in Bible-teaching churches, and they would begin to grow in their relationship with you and be a blessing to other people. In Jesus' name, amen. Amen.

Thank you, brother. And now, let's get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse. Verse 5, his mother said to the servants, whatever he says to you, do it. So we see here, and there's been some people who have attempted to say, oh look, there's problems between Jesus and his mother. And sadly enough, some Jewish people have said, well see, he was disrespecting his mother in this place. Again, he's not disrespecting his mother.

And if you think about it, you know, she's just reporting that there is no wine. I don't think she has a clue what he's about to do. He is going to do above and beyond what she is able to ask or think. But I love Mary's advice here. Listen to Jesus.

Whatever he tells you to do, do it. Isn't that good advice? Mothers, you know, that's great advice to give your kids. If you're not sure of what to say or what to do in any given situation, you don't have to read Dear Abby or Dear Emma or whatever it is. You don't have to read that stuff. You don't have to watch Oprah.

You don't have to listen to Dr. Phil to tell your children what to do. You can look to the book and say, you know what, do what he says to do. Takes all the mystery out of it, doesn't it?

And I think that's a good thing. And you know what, if you consider yourself, and I want to be tactful here, if you consider yourself a Catholic or used to be a Catholic or you're listening to the message and you're a Catholic, you would do well to listen to these words of Mary. She says, listen and do what my son says to do. Understand, these are the last scriptural recorded words of Mary in the New Testament. The last thing she said to do was to listen to Jesus.

Jesus who is proclaimed as the one mediator, not two, not half, but the mediator. See, we don't see in Scripture any teachings about Mary being co-redemptress. We don't see anything in there that she was born without sin. We don't see anything in there that she ascended. You don't see anything in here about praying to Mary or having idols of Mary.

You don't see any of those things. And there's a couple of things that bother me, to be honest, about Catholicism. Number one is the way they always have statues of Mary as an adult and Jesus as a little baby. Now, I'm not even going to get into the probable pagan origins of a maternal deity figure.

You can dig some of that up for yourself. But notice that Jesus is a small, helpless baby compared to Mary. Another thing that bothers me, and if you weren't aware of this, don't feel condemned if you've got this type of cross. The other thing that bothers me is that their cross always still has Jesus on it. Jesus is not still on the cross. I've been to the tomb. It's empty.

He's not there. Praise God. And see, a lot of times Catholics still have Jesus on their cross, still suffering. You may not realize part of the reason they do that is because they believe every time at communion, Jesus still suffers so that they can be forgiven through the act of communion. Again, that's inconsistent with the clear teaching of scriptures. These are only a couple of things. And I realize that there's a lot of Christians out there that are in this big ecumenical thing, let's embrace the Catholics.

Wait a minute, guys. We have a lot of people, a lot of heroes of the faith that died because they felt there was a distinctive difference between Catholicism and evangelical Christianity. Do you really think they died in vain?

They died for no apparent reason? No, they felt the differences were such that they were willing to die for the differences. So before you look for an intermingling or an ecumenical embracing of Catholicism, you need to be aware of these things. I know what I'm saying is not popular. It's not politically correct, but it is scripturally correct.

And we have to be able to take a stand for the truth. The whole concept of Mary being without sin is totally rejected. In Luke chapter 1 verse 46 in what's called the Magnificat, Mary said, and Mary said, my soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. Ask you a question. If you're without sin, do you need a Savior?

No. That's a hypothetical question, guys. I mean, I know we all have sin. We are all sinners. But if you didn't have sin, you wouldn't need a Savior. Now reality is we are sinners. We do sin, so we do need a Savior. But you can see here that Mary is saying my Savior. So obviously, I don't think it's a stretch or quantum leap in logic to say she realized she was a sinner. Now I've said that.

Let me say this. I think we also need to hold as Protestants, as evangelical Christians, I do believe that Mary was blessed among women. Among women, not above women. And to imagine what she went through. Remember what she was faced with. Her betrothed husband was going to leave her. I'm sure the whole town was talking about her. You heard about that Mary girl? But she held firm. She stood firm. And guys, she was probably a young teenager, maybe as young as 14 or 15 years old. And she went to her husband, her betrothed husband. That means that it's after they have agreed to Mary, but before he's come back and taken her away to the place he prepared a place for. Can you imagine, I mean, put yourself in that position where you've got this young Jewish bride you're going to marry and she says, hey, I got something important I need to talk to you about.

We need to discuss some things. You're like, oh great, man, I'm so excited about the marriage. And she comes to you and she says, well, I'm pregnant, but it's okay. What?

Got your attention right off, didn't it? Well, yeah, I am pregnant, but I'm still a virgin. What? Yeah, I'm pregnant. I'm still a virgin. Don't worry about it.

The Father is the Holy Spirit. Guys, let's be honest. At that point, are you struggling or what? I mean, Mary, I'm going to need a few minutes here. And she wasn't sure what was going to happen, but she trusted the Lord. She wasn't sure in this passage what Jesus was going to do, but she trusted the Lord.

That's challenging. Especially at such a young age. And even if she was older, she was not a lot older, see, because by 19 or 20, almost all Jewish ladies were already married. So she was older.

It was only by a couple years. See, and you know what? A lot of heroes, guys, in the Bible are young.

Do you realize that? Mary is one. Daniel is another.

There's several others. They were very young when they took a stand for the Lord. I think that's a challenge to young people. I think a lot of times we think, well, you know, when you get older, then you can take a stand for the Lord. Then you can stand up and you can make a difference. You know what?

That is so bogus. If you wait till you get older, you're wasting time. If you're a young person sitting in here today, you know what? Make a difference. Stand up for your faith. Don't try to fit in. Try to stand out for Jesus. I remember the story.

I love the story. I was a young Christian girl in school, took a public stance of purity, and everybody would make fun of her. Called her Snow White and da-da-da this and da-da-da that. She cried out before the Lord, Lord, give me something to tell these people, to say to these people, to proclaim your goodness.

She went into class one day and they started in again, and she said, you know what? I want to tell you guys three things. Number one, God has given me this gift of life. Number two, my purity is my gift back to God. Number three, any weekend that I choose, I can go out and become like any of you and lose my purity.

But you know what? You can never, ever, ever again be like I am now. Kids, you got to remain pure. It's a special gift that the Lord has given you. Be very selective about who you give that gift to. Now, if you've already blown it, there's mercy, there's grace.

You can have the Lord restore you and heal those wounds that perhaps you've inflicted upon yourself. But if you're on the fence or you're messing with fire, guys, don't do it. Don't do it.

I've never met anybody that did not regret giving themselves away so cheaply. But I want to make a difference, guys, make a difference. Whether you're in here and you're 12 or you're 75, make a difference. Take a stand and make a difference. Get a hold of God and make a difference in the world. If you're not happy with your world as a teenager, and you probably shouldn't be, make a change.

Begin to see things around you change. God wants to use you now. Don't think God wants to use me in a few years. God wants to use you right now if you do what He says, just like Mary's advice.

And you know what? If you're a youth here, you have this church's love and support and are backing. And understand, when Jesus tells you to do something, He gives you the power to accomplish it. That's life lesson number one. When Jesus tells you to do something, He gives you the power to accomplish it.

He's all the time in Scripture telling people to do impossible things. He goes up to a guy with a withered hand and says, stretch forth your hand. Well, that's not nice. Can't he see the man's hand is withered? Oh, if that's not enough, he goes up to a lame man and tells him to get up and walk.

Well, that's not very considerate. Can't he see he's lame? But when he tells him to do something, he gives him the power to do it. So when Jesus tells you to do something, He gives you the power to be able to do it. So I can't – it's no longer a valid excuse, because if He's told you to do something, guess what? You can.

You can. It's great advice to do what He says. Verse 6. Now, there were set there six water pots of stone according to the manner of purification of the Jews containing 20 or 30 gallons apiece. And Jesus said to them, fill the water pots with water, and they filled them up to the brim. Now, what these were is these were pots for purification, as it says, and they would take this water. They believed that you were contaminated through various things that you did during the day and there was special water that was set aside that you would purify yourself with. And then also what they would do, because gnats were uncleaned animals, unclean animals, they would strain the gnats out, because they didn't want to get a gnat on their hand. So when Jesus said, you strain it a gnat and you swallow a camel, that's what He was referring to.

But you know what's cool here? Again, we see Jesus using what they had. He didn't say go out and get some pots.

They are head pots. See, how often we think, well, if I had this, Jesus could use me. No, no, no, no. Jesus wants to use you just right now, just as you are. He's going to change you, but He wants to use you right now with what you have. See, and as long as you're thinking, well, if I get that, if I do this, then I can help Jesus.

No, no, no. Jesus wants to use you right now, right where you are. The Lord uses what is on hand for a miracle. And the pot, the pots. There's something here, guys, because we are referred to as pots in a lot of different places. In Jeremiah chapter 18, verse 6, it says, the Lord, look as the clay is in the potter's hand, so are you in my hand. Isaiah chapter 64, verse 8 says, but now, O Lord, you are our Father. We are the clay and you are potter, and all we are the work of your hand.

Romans 9, 20 says, but indeed, O man, who are you to reply against God? Well, the thing formed, say to him who formed it, why have you made me like this? Does not the potter have power over the clay from the same lump to make one vessel for honor and another for dishonor? We're the clay.

He's the potter. I have not made clay pots or anything, but I don't think when the potter's sitting there with a clay, making something, that the clay looks at him and goes, you're not going to make me a cup, are you? I don't want to be a cup. I want to be a bowl. I don't think the clay says that to the potter.

Well, guess what, guys? We're the clay. He's the potter. And how often we look at somebody else and go, oh, I wish I was like that, or I wish I was like this. I wish I was like, I see him, I see her, boy, I wish I had that gift. I wish I could do.

No, God has given you special and unique gifts. And when you look at somebody else going, I wish, I wish, I wish, you're saying to the potter, I wish you made me different. Mike Roussel, who's a good friend, it's a neat ministry. His wife sings while he spends pots. And one of the things he does that's so cool is he makes this big face. I mean, it's gorgeous, it's like this big, and you're going, oh, wow, that is so beautiful. And then he takes this instrument and cuts the vase in half. And when he does that throughout the room, it's like, ah, and you're thinking, he just messed up.

But then he says, guys, what you didn't know by this looked like a vase the whole time I was making a bowl. See, we have to be able to trust God with what he's doing in our lives and allow him to have his way with us. Friend, do you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven?

You can know right now. I want to lead you in a short, simple prayer, simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. Now, God wants you to pray this prayer so much that he died to give you the opportunity and the ability to ask him to forgive you.

Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now. Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me, that I could be forgiven. And I believe you were raised from the dead, that I could have a new life and I've done wrong things. I have sinned and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things. Please give me the power to live for you all of my days in Jesus' name.

Amen. Friend, if you prayed that prayer, according to the Bible, you've been forgiven. You've been born again. Jesus said he would not turn anybody away who comes to him, and he came for those people who knew they needed forgiveness, those who were sick, not the righteous. So congratulations, friend.

You just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you. If you prayed that prayer with David for the first time, we'd love to hear from you. You can visit crossthebridge.com to receive our First Steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ, or you can write to Cross the Bridge at PO Box 12515, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27117, and share how God is working in your life. Well, DA, before we go, what are some ways that we can bless our listeners? Each day you can wake up with encouragement from Pastor David through the Word of God with his email devotional, life lessons to consider, a daily reading plan, and a thought to meditate on throughout your day from the heart of David McGee.

That sounds good, Pastor DA, and again, it's been great to have you with us on the program today. But tell us, what else can our listeners find on crossthebridge.com? If you're not able to make it to your home church this Sunday, why not join us for our live stream at 10 a.m. Eastern Time, or on Thursday nights at 7 p.m. Eastern Time? Just visit crossthebridge.com and click on our live stream link. There you'll experience a live service from David's home church, The Bridge, in North Carolina – again, that website is crossthebridge.com. Thanks again for listening, and join us next time as David McGee continues teaching verse by verse in the Gospel of John.