EPIPHANY 2
January 17/18, 2010
Pastor Timothy J. Spaude
Text: John 2:1-11

“JESUS’ TIMING IS ALWAYS JUST RIGHT!”

John 2:1-11 (NIV) “On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." 4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." 5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. 8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." 11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”

You have to kind of wonder what was going through Mary’s mind as she raised her Savior. The beginning was filled with such excitement and extraordinary happenings. Gabriel appeared to her. Shepherds came with the story of the angel choir they’d seen in the sky. Simeon and Anna at the Temple with their thrilling and chilling words of praise and prophecy. Wise men came guided by a miracle star with expensive gifts. The Lord spoke to her husband Joseph in a dream. A flight to Egypt. A more orderly return to Nazareth in Galilee. There, life must have settled down to a very normal and predictable existence of raising Jesus and her family. While Jesus was a perfect boy He appeared to others as very average, so much so that when Jesus returned to Nazareth as Messiah they stumbled over their familiarity with His commonness. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son?” Mary must have wondered when Jesus would do what He was supposed to do. When would the time be right?
Things began to change when Jesus was about thirty years old. John the Baptist did his work. Jesus was baptized. He called some disciples to follow Him. Then a wedding took place. It was in Cana, a village about 10 miles north of Nazareth. Mary was invited. Jesus and His disciples were there too. Your typical marriage of the time consisted of the public announcement of the marriage, a waiting period when plans were made, preparations done and then the marriage festivities. The groom and his friends would go to the bride’s home, pick her up and escort her to the groom’s home where the bridesmaids were waiting, the guests and family members were waiting. Then you had a feast, a party. It could last several days. The groom and his family provided food and drink that entire time.
Here’s where the problem arose. They ran out of wine. We don’t know Mary’s relation to the bride or groom or their families. We do know Mary tried to help. “When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine." What was Mary thinking? She had not seen Jesus do any miracles yet. Was this a subtle hint to get those guys following him to do something useful? We don’t know. We do know how Jesus responded. "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." Now even though the form of address, “Dear woman” might sound a little harsh to our ears as a way for a man to address his mother it really wasn’t. Putting that aside though Jesus’ answer to her had to feel like rejection. But it wasn’t rejection. The timing was not right.
When the timing was right great things happened. “Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. 8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now." Jesus did a miracle, His first miracle. He changed water into wine at just the right time with just the right result. “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” Jesus’ timing is always just right.
Friends, that is a great and comforting truth from God for you to take with you the rest of this day and the rest of your life. Jesus’ timing is always just right. It’s true for every aspect of your life. “Jesus timing is always just right.”
That’s the main point. There are several sub truths to take with you to help you to apply this main truth:
1. No problem is too small to take to God. Running out of food and drink when you are entertaining is embarrassing at the moment, something to laugh about later on. Yet Mary was right. She laid that need before God. Just as there is no problem too big for God to handle there is also no problem too small.
2. God’s answer might seem like rejection but it is not. Pray, people, pray, like Mary did, presenting a need without telling the Lord how to fix it. When you don’t see an answer that is not God’s rejection. He has a better way. Just wait.
3. The Lord will solve your problem in the way that is best and often not in any way what you were expecting. We are so limited and often only come up with very human ways of fixing things. Give room for God to be God, apply His wisdom in the way that is best.
4. Often the world will not recognize the miracles God does but His people do. Ah the master of the ceremony. His response to the miracle of Jesus was to observe an apparent breaking of custom. Most in that room were oblivious to the glory of God at work. Sadly that’s the way most people are today too. Can’t explain it. How did that happen? We don’t have to be that way. When a mother and baby both are pronounced dead at Christmas and then come back to life we don’t have to look for other explanations. God does miracles.
5. God’s number one goal in all He does or allows is that we trust in Jesus as Savior. When Jesus did this miracle it was to reveal His glory to His disciples and to build up their faith in Him. This is also God’s goal in all He does and allows in this world. People need to trust Jesus to be saved for heaven. Our sin and their sin condemn them and us to Hell. Only Jesus makes the difference. That’s why God does what He does, allows what He allows and waits when He waits. Jesus’ timing is always just right.
Hold on to that truth brothers and sisters. When you find yourself struggling against a sin you just can’t seem to beat or a family member is and you worry and you pray and the answer you are getting from God feels like rejection, remember, Jesus’ timing is always just right. At just the right time, in just the right way, for the right result Jesus will come through in your time of need. When you have ill health or a loved one is dying or has died and you are wondering why, remember, Jesus’ timing is always just right. What is the need, the problem, big or small on your heart today? Got problems with friends? Uncertainty at work? Debt out of control? Marriage problems? Lonely? Carrying some hurt on your heart? Take it to Jesus. Remember at just the right time Jesus went up on the cross for you. At just the right time, when all sins, your sins were paid for, He gave up His life. At just the right time He rose to rule as your Savior. Though as the children learned, our eyes may not be able to see it, Jesus’ timing is always, just right! Amen.