Thoughts on Jesus’ Second Miracle

I’ve posted a couple of entries that were not a part of my current series on the Gospel of John, and today’s post would loosely be a continuation of yesterday‘s.  I’m trying to live up to the self-imposed challenge of writing something, even short, on each chapter of this particular Gospel every day, but find it more of a challenge than I thought it would be, so I’m going to expand it and not make a ‘deadline’, but just continue to do this and take however long I take, because I can’t seem to make these posts very short.  I keep finding such GOOD nuggets in them!

So today we find ourselves in the fourth chapter, and this is where the story of the woman at the well is located.  I have heard many a sermon and story written about it, and am not interested in focusing on it.  I want to remind the reader of something regarding how I’m approaching this Gospel;  first, remember, John was the only disciple who didn’t abandon Jesus at the cross.  Out of the twelve, he was amongst the inner three, and out of those three, he referred to himself as the one Jesus loved.  Some may find it arrogant if I were to refer to myself as “the one who rocks God’s world” or “His favorite one.”  But when you understand your place in God’s heart, you realize that those titles are true.  John had a revelation and understanding on a level the others didn’t.

Have You Heard What I’ve Heard?

As believers, and readers, we already know a lot of stuff when reading the Gospels.  We, the audience, know stuff the characters don’t.  We have pre-understanding.  Forget about that for a moment and pretend you’d never read or heard any of the other Gospel accounts and John’s is the first time we’re reading about Jesus’ life and actions.  I often hear people tell new believers to start reading the Gospel of John first before anything else in the Word.  Well, if we do, we realize in this chapter we’re about to see Jesus perform what John called his second sign.  If we’re given JUST this gospel account and don’t have knowledge of the other events, this makes the story very interesting.

The beginning of this Gospel, Jesus picks his twelve disciples, and then it would seem the events kick start to a short time before his death and resurrection.  The other Gospel accounts span the 3 year period or so of Jesus’ ministry.  But in John’s account, most of the narrative is a short amount of time leading up to the crucifixion.  The English Standard Version Study Bible‘s notes indicate that Chapters 1:19-2:11 represent the first week of Jesus’ ministry, and then after that seem to skip to a later period.  I’m not sure what the deal is, personally, but as I try to understand the way John laid out his Gospel, he documents 7-8 signs of Jesus (the number differs depending on who you ask).  The signs he selected for sharing, were to demonstrate that Jesus was Messiah.  And what was John’s first recorded sign–or evidence Jesus was the Son of God, deliverer of Israel?

Making water into wine (John 2:11).

With all the rage amongst some Christians in the west on the topic of alcohol, you would have thought God would check with them first and realize that would probably not be the most appropriate sign to demonstrate first.  Maybe calming a storm or raising a dead person, but making water into wine?  Pssssh!

Our introduction to the man Jesus, is regarding something taboo in our culture, just as my previous post on the second chapter touched on.  But not to Jesus nor the readers of John’s day.  But that was in that post, and may be for another future post.

I want to end by pointing out just one simple thing from the chapter we find ourselves in.

What Do People Hear About Him Through Your Life and Witness?

This is just one account, but John knew what he was doing when he included these details, for we read the following story:

So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him,  “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.”

As we read the rest of the account, we hear the man finds out his son got healed at the same hour he was talking to Jesus about this.  But, notice how Jesus told him “unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” I’ve heard evangelicals read that or talk about that statement (as mentioned in a few other accounts as well) in a way that seems to indicate like Jesus was sneering at people who need to see signs.  Signs and wonders, after all, testify or point to the fact Jesus was the Son of God.  Signs and wonders are supposed to follow the believer (Mark 16:17-18), and something is wrong when we’re chasing them.  They are for the unbeliever, that they might see and believe.  I think Jesus, just took a look at this man the same way he looked at the rich young ruler and told him “one think you lack” ((Matthew 19:21)  He knew this man needed a sign, so what did Jesus do?

Healed his son.

The only things the official appears to have known about Jesus are the few things I’ve mentioned in an earlier paragraph.  He had not heard of a miracle of healing yet (at least, according to John’s account), but had the faith, hope or expectation, or all of the above, based on what he had heard, that Jesus would do this for him.

Jesus knew it would take this man a miracle in his son in order to believe.  In the same way, with Jesus’ first sign, people believed in Him based on seeing water turned to wine at a wedding, and his disciples believed in him there (John 2:11).

And John felt this healing, and the making of wine, were both on the same level playing field of “signs” that Jesus was the Messiah.

More to come.