Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Prayer Meeting Lesson Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/pm/pm19990707.htm

JOHN: TRIUMPHING IN LIFE'S MOST CRITICAL ISSUE
Part II: Presentation Of The Messenger Of Salvation
B. Christ's Credentials Exposed Unto Men
2. Christ's Authority And Ability Exposed To Bring New Life From Corruption
(John 2:1-11)
  1. Introduction
    1. If Jesus is the Messiah, then He should have God's authority to rule. If he is indeed the Son of God Who came to save man, He should have the power of God to save men out of corruption to newness of life.
    2. John's Gospel in John 2:1-11 reveals the great authority and power of Jesus of Nazareth to bring new life out of corruption so that men who are lost in sin can have hope of salvation by faith in Christ.
  2. Christ's Authority And Power Exposed To Bring New Life Out Of Corruption, Jn. 2:1-11.
    1. Jesus asserted He possessed great authority over His earthly family and earthly nation's order, Jn. 2:1-8:
      1. Christ asserted He had great authority over His earthly mother, 2:1-5:
        1. While at a wedding in Cana, of Galilee, Jesus' mother, who apparently had a major role in the wedding feast's organization, became concerned that the feast had run out of wine, John 2 :1-3.
        2. Hence, she came to Jesus with her concern fully expecting her son to help her meet this need, 2:3b.
        3. However, Mary's statement was a veiled order, and Jesus respectfully responded that He was no longer subject to her as an immature son, but was now subject t o His heavenly Father, John 2:4.
        4. Taken off-guard, but knowing that Jesus had to heed His Father, Mary shifted her authority over the household servants unto Jesus, showing her submission to Jesus on the matter , John 2:5!
      2. Christ asserted He had great authority over His nation's order as well, John 2:6-8:
        1. Jesus ordered the house servants to fill six stone waterpots used for purifying in the house, Jn. 2:6a.
        2. These waterpots were used for the washing of hands and vessels related to meals in accord with the extra-biblical rules of the day, Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus, The Messiah, v. i, p. 357.
        3. Now, each vessel carried between 17 and 25 1/2 gallons, totalling from 102 to 153 gallons! (Ibid.)
        4. Thus, Jesus' order to fill these vessels up to meet the need for wine, and then to give its contents to the head of the feast was in opposition to the rules of His people, Jn. 2:7-8: no Jew in Jesus' day would have thought of partaking of the contents of such ceremonially polluted vessels, Bib. Know. Com., N.T., p. 278. This event demonstrated Christ's claim to authority over His nation's culture.
    2. Having asserted His authority over family and countrymen, Jesus proved His claimed authority over family and nation by bringing bountiful, new, quality wine out of what was considered utterly corrupt, Jn. 2:9-10:
      1. When the servants obeyed Jesus, bearing water from the corrupted pots, and took it to the head of the wedding feast, the head tasted it without knowing it had come from the purification pots, Jn. 2:9a.
      2. That official then called the bridegroom to talk about what he had tasted. He frankly wondered why the bridegroom had saved the best wine until now when it was normally given out first, John 2:9b-10.
      3. Thus, what Jesus had created out of corrupt vessels was an abundance of between 102 and 153 gallons of wine that was of better quality than the best the bridegroom had to start with at the feast! Obviously, Jesus had the authority and ability to transform what was corrupt into bountiful, quality new life!
    3. The writer, John notes that this miracle signified the glory of Christ unto His disciples as follows:
      1. Since only the servants and disciples knew of the miracle, Christ's glory was privately shown, 2:1-7, 11.
      2. His glory was revealed, a glory full of great authority over all men and the grace and power to change corrupted sinners into saints of bountiful, uncorrupted, newness of life !
Lesson Application: (1) We can trust that Jesus has the authority and power to bring abundant, free, new life to corrupt sinners who put their faith in Him. (2) Also, what the Redemptorist Fathers of the Catholic Church claim about Mary is false: (a) In The Glories of Mary, p. 180 as cited in Boettner, Roman Catholicism, p. 139, they claim, "All power is given to thee (Mary) in Heaven and on earth . . . at the command of MARY all obey -- even God . . . ", Jesus has full authority over Mary, and that by Mary's OWN testimony, Jn. 2:3-5! (b) Also, a s the miracle at Cana reveals Christ's authority to cleanse men, opposite some claims in Catholicism, Jesus is sovereign over Mary re: man's salvation!