(John 2:9)
�When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,�
In today�s text verse we see that the person the world might have called important was confused as to just what was the truth. Meanwhile, those of the suspected lowest class, the servants, understood.
That is a picture of much of the religious scene of our own day. The problem is not of class, or status, or ability. Likewise, the solution is not of learning, or power, or position.
When we look at the picture of the group of people in our text verse we see that the �ruler of the feast� was an important person. All eyes were upon him as the proprietor of the situation. Even his own eyes, we would surmise, were upon himself as he realized his importance. I don�t wish to suggest anything that we would call �wrong� about this man. He was, in all probability, doing the best job that he possibly could for the bride and groom at the feast.
So, what was the difference? Why did this governor not understand the miracle of the water made into wine? Why did the lowly servants understand what the lofty governor did not? It is really quite simple. The servants had been in communion with Jesus.
What a lesson that is for all of us. If we would be truly spiritual, if we would truly understand the things of God, it is not a matter of our intellect or study. It is all a matter of a simple question: Have we been in communion with Jesus?
We first look, in our text, at the finding of the fact. �When the ruler of the feast had tasted��
As we have just noted, the governor, the one who first tasted the water made into wine, was an important person at the feast.
At this point I am reminded of a very old joke. It seems that a young man was passing a hall where a great party was taking place. Out in the front of the hall was a car decorated with writing. Old shoes were attached to the rear bumper. Also out in the front of the hall was a friend of his, sitting on the curb bruised and tattered.
He asked his friend, �What happened to you?�
The friend replied, �I saw the party and decided to go in. I was met at the door by a man who asked if I was an invited guest. I said, �And who are you to ask?� He said that he was the best man.�
�And,� his friend inquired.
��Well,� I said, �I�m going on in. I don�t believe you�re really the best man.� We scuffled for a while and� he was the best man. That�s how I came to be out here with black eye and bloodied nose!�
O. K. A very silly joke. But, the point is that both the young man in the story, and the governor of the feast, shared a common problem. They thought that they understood the situation and they did not.
Often we tend to be deferential to someone whom we consider important. A few years ago my wife and I had the honor of meeting the President of the United States. Later that day we went to our son�s school to pick him up after classes. One of the other mothers came up to Linda and asked if she could �Shake the hand that shook the hand.�
Big deal! Every single day Linda and I were able to meet Someone Who was much more impressive than the President of the United States. President Clinton is no longer president. But, when we approach the Throne of Grace in prayer we are privileged to have an audience with the Eternal Ruler of the Universe. God gives us the honor of stopping to listen to our petitions and praise.
Those whom the world might consider as important are nothing compared to the Person of Might and Majesty who the Christian is privileged to call his Heavenly Father.
The governor of the feast was important? No. The world has no conception of Who is important until the meet the Man from Galilee.
The governor of the feast was an informed person. He understood everything that was going on at this wedding feast. Well, he understood everything except one. He had no conception that the Truth, the Way, and the Life was in attendance. (John 14:6)
The governor might have thought that he knew it all. In reality he knew nothing of eternal importance.
I�ve been reading stories this past week that the great scientists and thinkers have decided that the theory of the �Big Bang� of the existence of the universe just might be in error. They are now, many of them, tending to look to another argument to explain the fact of the existence of all matter and life.
The entire situation of these esteemed scientists considering that which they can not possibly understand, takes me back to a simple Biblical principle. �Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.� (Romans 1:22)
These scientists are making a claim that they are examining �new� evidence as they postulate new theories to explain our existence. In so doing they have ignored some very important �old� evidence. Genesis 1:1 says, very plainly, �In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.�
The evidence is there for anyone willing to simply accept it.
�Oh,� we are told, �We can�t consider this. It is superstition.� �Professing themselves to be wise��
It is foolish to ignore the spiritual. The spiritual is every bit as true as the nose on my face. If you look at me you will realize that the nose on my face is an unmistakable fact!�
At least the governor of the feast was impressed when presented with the facts.
�O taste and see that the LORD is good�� (Psalm 34:8a)
Those who are willing to lay aside their prejudices and accept the Lord�s salvation will find that He is very good, indeed. The world can never understand this truth because they have tasted tainted wine from sinful cups. This is a truth which we, the blood bought believer, is blessed to experience and taste.
Not only was the governor of the feast allowed to find the fact, he was also allowed to experience the evidence. ��the water that was made wine��
Many years ago I was driving through the State of Missouri. This is still one of my favorite places to vacation and travel. But, this particular time I was feeling very fatigued and decided to get off the road for a short while. Not too far from the little store where I stopped to just get out and walk around for a while there was a winery which had a large sign, �Free Tours.�
�Free� has always been one of my favorite words!
I took the tour and was, for the most part, completely unimpressed by the experience. At the end of the tour each of us was handed a small, thimble sized, sample of the wine made at this winery. Except for a communion service at a military chapel while on active duty, this remains my only experience with any sort of alcohol.
Upon tasting the liquid, the people who were giving the samples asked, �Well, what do you think of it?�
My reply was that it tasted exactly as I suspected it would. It tasted like rotting fruit. To be factually honest, wine is a form of rotting fruit.
In the portion of Scripture we are looking at today, we see that Jesus turned water into wine. The word translated �wine� could just as easily been translated as �grape juice.� The word used makes no distinction between fresh and fermented.
Many argue, because of the reaction of the governor of the feast, that Jesus made fermented wine. I disagree. This was fresh wine: that is, grape juice. Jesus had just made the wine and it was not fermented. Fermented wine has the taint of death upon it as it is a rotting fruit drink. Jesus is the Author of Life. I could not accept that He took any part in death except to raise others from the dead and to die as a sacrifice for our sins.
In the days of the narrative, and in this location, the water was not always of a drinkable quality. Wine, fruit juice, would be consumed instead of this water.
Proverbs 23:31-32 warns us to �Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.� I can conceive of no situation in which Jesus would disobey the Scripture. Neither would He cause anyone else to do so!
Therefore, the wine which Jesus miraculously made was fresh grape juice.
Also, Scripture often uses wine as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. I�d like to look at this as an analogy for a short time. I don�t believe in regularly preaching analogy since that is a trap that will tend to use Scripture to bolster the preacher�s doctrine. I believe that the best, and the Biblical, preaching is done as an exegesis of the Words which are God breathed rather than man manufactured.
I would use the above as an illustration of just why the doctrine of the preservation of Scripture is an important doctrine. I would use the above as an illustration why God has preserved Words rather than simple thoughts and impressions. I would use the above to preach that the King James Bible is the best English translation since this Bible is founded on the inspired and preserved Traditional Text. But, I�ve decided not to do so at this time.
It is still important to note, however!
If we are to look at the wine as an allegory of the Spirit, we could well notice that the change in the wine was definitely noticed.
A wedding was an important festival. I am sure that the wedding party had purchased, or made themselves, the best wine that could be obtained. They didn�t go to the corner grocery store and buy the �house brand.� They ignored that nibbling thought that the grapes don�t know the difference between the cheap brand and the higher priced �major brand.� I�m sure that these people brought the best that they could find.
Still, the governor of the feast noticed that this wine was better than the best that could be produced by the wedding party.
If we look at the wine as a symbol of the Spirit of God we should not be surprised by this discovery.
There are hundreds, maybe thousands, of religious systems in this nation, alone. The Scripture would teach us that all are false except that belief that Jesus is The Only Christ and has died on the cross to purchase our salvation. All other views will lead to eternal disappointment.
Man made wine will fail. Man made wine will not settle our souls for the untold ages of eternity. Man made wine is the �cheap� brand which does not have lasting power. Only that Wine which is of the Spirit of God has the ability to salve our soul and produce the satisfaction of eternal salvation and peace with God.
That Wine is so much superior to the false bargain basements �knock offs� which will fail when we stand before the Throne of God.
Notice, also, that the chalice was nurturing.
You know, of course, that the word �chalice� is simply a fancy word for �cup.� It is a word with �airs� about it. It is a genteel word of a refined world. It is also an old word with the sense of stability and antiquity about it.
Since we are considering the wine as a picture of the Holy Spirit, in this present part of our discussion, this is a good word to consider.
The Spirit is not a pretentious Person. One who is pretentious is one who aspires to be viewed as more, or better, than he really is. This is not possible when we consider the Spirit. The very nature of the Spirit is the ultimate. He is God. There is no one, and no thing, above the Spirit.
What is important is that we consider this about the Spirit. Too often we are so �familiar� with God that we fail to stand in awe at the wonder, and grace, and majesty which is He. Words fail us to speak of the greatness that is God. What a glory it is that He seeks even our worship. What a privilege it is that He calls us unto salvation. What a wonder it is that He loves even us!
We also should consider the antiquity of the Spirit. He is of old and from old. He is the Everlasting from eternity past unto eternity with endless future. He is not a man that He will become �out of date.� He is our Constant Contemporary.
The same God Who provided for our fathers will carry us through any storm which life may inflict upon us. He is tried, tested, and ultimately The Truth.
What a great thing it is for us that He is in our lives, upholding us and leading us as we walk this physical, time centric, existence even as He is the surety of our eternal home in Heaven.
It is a great privilege that we can, indeed, taste and see that He is good.
There was no air conditioning in the time when this wedding took place. The land was dry and dusty. The good fresh wine was a refreshing drink to the thirsty bodies of the governor of the feast and the assembled wedding guests.
Jesus brought this wine to the wedding feast through the majesty of His wonder working power. Jesus, through the wonder working power of His sacrificial death on the cruel Cross of Calvary, brings refreshment to our souls as He saves us from our sins. The Spirit comes and energizes our bodies and souls to work the task which He has set before us to be a witness of His love to the entire world.
Note, again, that this chapter was not of, or from, the natural.
The water being made into wine was not something that was a natural occurrence.
I was having a discussion with an elderly gentleman this morning. He was talking about a newspaper article which he had read which said that the oceans would raise about one meter, thirty six inches, in the next one hundred years. He was marveling what this rise in the water level would do to the map of the United States. Large portions of what is now city, factory and farm would lie under water. Some of the most popular historical areas would be lost to the rising sea.
He was amazed at the prospect. My response was, �Well, the history of the earth has been one of climate change and shifting sands. It is a natural occurrence.�
Sometimes we marvel at the natural and confuse it for the supernatural.
There are many plans of salvation in this world today. There are many religions in this world today. There are many plans which claim to lead to peace in this world today. These, except for one, are simply natural explanations which seek to give peace and insight into the spiritual realms. These, except one, are doomed to failure because they are founded in a naturalistic solution to the soul problems of the spiritual.
That one is the Way of Peace from the Prince of Peace. If you have any solution to the ills of society and sin which is not founded upon the inspired and preserved Words of God, your solutions are doomed to failure.
We need the Wine of the Spirit rather than the flavored juice drink of the natural world.
This governor did not understand. His perception was clouded by things he did not know. He had understanding that was unknowing. ��and he knew not whence it was��
First of all, when it came to the spiritual realities the governor of the feast had an understanding that was darkened. This does not mean that he was stupid. Far from this thought. He was probably a very wise and respected man to be asked to take the responsibility thrust upon him. It may have been a primarily symbolic honor; but it was an honor.
I was speaking with the pastor of a local church this morning. We discussed the fallacy of the atheist. An agnostic might say that he does not believe that God exists. Still, the agnostic is not closed to the possibility; he is willing to be convinced.
The mindset of the atheist is that there is no possibility of the existence of God. This is a completely untenable philosophical position. The atheist has, normally, elevated the concept of science as the answer to all things. In a sense one could argue that the atheist has made science a god. (Small case intended.)
In accepting the argument that the physical is all that is existent, the atheist has accepted the proposition that matter, or energy, has always existed. He must accept this premise of eternality in the same manner as the Christian accepts the concept of the eternality of God.
The concept of the pulsing of the expanding and coalescing of matter and energy in the �Big Bang� concept must allow that the energy so expended would eventually begin to lose its force. As a for instance of this principle, our sun is said to have �only� about four billion years left before it �dies.� The concept of the eternality of matter and energy would argue that all of the suns should have died out long ago. �unless there is some sort of theory of a �young universe.� But, such a concept would argue against the eternality of matter and energy.
Along side the above absurdity in the argument of the atheist is the question of the vast empty spaces of the universe. What formed these? How did they begin? Are they also the process of eternality? Even as the scientist is looking for the �fingerprints of the creation of the universe� in a materialist manner, he must also answer these questions.
Also, for the arguments of the examinations of science to have any validity, the concept of stasis, that everything is operating now on the same natural laws, observable today, which have been in effect from this �eternity.� If this would not be true, the after the instance examinations of science would not yield a true result.
Science can have no answer to the above questions because the answer lies in the realm of the metaphysical. Science, tied as it is to some sort of observable investigation of the evidence, is unable to approach the concept of the metaphysical.
The metaphysical is the preserve of religious thought. The religionist�s construct that God created the Universe and all that is within, is a metaphysical concept which cannot be addressed by scientific theory.
However, philosophically, the concept that God stands outside the natural and observable is a reasonable construct when we consider those questions of origins which the natural sciences can not answer.
From the Biblical perspective, this would mean that God is the Author of those physical laws which we understand, and are bound to as physical beings. Should God decide to suspend those laws, or override them, in what we would witness as a miracle, would be a reasonable supposition if we accept the concept of God.
Since we are created beings and have no natural basis to understand the things of the spiritual we would not be required, philosophically speaking, to explain all of the many questions we might have concerning this situation. When pressed, under the concept of origins, as to the nature of God, we would only be able to answer that which He has made known in His inspired and preserved Words to us.
It is in this manner that the governor of the feast was darkened in his understanding. He could not understand the miracle performed by Jesus because he had no frame of reference to understand.
Nonetheless, we must note that his understanding was delighted.
I might not understand how a tree grows. Still, I am able to delight in the sight of a forest of trees. I can enjoy the goodness of God even when I might not understand all that there is to understand. This was the position of the governor of the feast as he delighted in the wine which was better than any wine he had tasted previously.
We can also see that his, the governor of the feast, understanding was deployed. He tasted and saw that it was good. Therefore, he went to tell the story of that goodness to others.
What a lesson in Christian witness we could learn from that governor.
Note, also that the servants were preserving the promise. ��but the servants which drew the water knew��
The servants undertook the message about the miracle by Jesus. But, what did they do with this information.
These servants knew what had happened. They had first hand knowledge about the changing of the water into wine. While the governor of the feast was in darkness about the miraculous facts which had produced the good wine, he would not have such information as did the servants unless they, or Jesus Himself, were disposed to tell him of these truths.
I have a van that is in very good driving order. It isn�t perfect; but it runs quite well enough to take me to and from any place in town I need to go. My son has a van that is probably in even better running order than is my van. My van has the advantage of having up to date license plates on it. Ethan, on the other hand, has just bought his van and it has no license plates on it at this time.
Today Jacinda and Ethan needed my van to get to her place of employment. I let them use my van. Meanwhile, I discovered that I had forgotten a task which I needed to perform across town. I went on the bus.
My lack of information, forgetting actually, about my appointment meant that I sent my van off so I would not have the use of it. The other van was also useless to me because it is not yet licensed.
This was the problem of the governor of this wedding feast. He had some old knowledge which was not appropriate to the situation. His understanding would not fit into the reality of the miracle of Jesus. There was other information available which he could not access because it was not properly conveyed to him.
These servants had the message of the Truth. But, they did not carry forth, as far as the narrative is concerned, that message so its information was useless to the governor of the feast.
These servants understood the miraculous. They knew what Jesus had done. They had seen the miracle. They had even taken part, in the filling of the water pots, in the miracle.
Had this been me, in the place of these servants, I�d have loudly proclaimed the fact of the miracle and the fact that I had produced the water from which Jesus had made the wine. �Look at me!�
Now, these servants may just not have been as prideful as am I. They might have just not felt comfortable in proclaiming their proximity to the miracle. They may have felt that they just did not deserve any of the glory. After all, that glory belongs to Jesus. Well, if that glory belongs to Jesus, how about telling the story so He can get that glory which is rightfully His!
Or, the servants may have just felt that no one would believe them if they told the true story. They may have even been embarrassed by the facts. After all, this was a miracle in a world of natural.
I don�t really know the reason why these men did not relate the story. I just know, as far as the narrative allows me to understand, that they did not tell the governor of the feast that Jesus had changed the water into wine.
It seems that these servants were under the burden of men rather than The Man.
Again, their failure to tell the story may have been fear that others would assume that they had partaken of fermented wine rather than sweet wine. They may have just felt that �their place� was lowly and they could not take the message of the miraculous to the governor of the feast. There could have been hundreds of reasons, each logical and rational, as to why they did not take the message to that governor.
The fact remains, again as far as the narrative informs us, that they did not.
This is such a picture of us as Christians.
We have witnessed the miracle of the New Birth. We have experienced the miracle of the New Birth. We are, indeed, products of the miracle of the New Birth. Jesus has given us a part in the telling of the story of the New Birth. Jesus has empowered our witness with the wine of the Spirit as we impart this message to a world which needs the nurture of this wine of the Spirit.
And� we keep our mouths shut.
Sad.
And, from the human standpoint, this silence is damning to the souls of those who need to hear! This governor of the feast only told a few others what turned out to be false. In many ways this could be called harmless. But, those who we fail to inform of the miracle of the New Birth will go to a Christless eternity.
Even though he did not have perfect understanding of the facts, this governor of the feast was willing to witness to the wonder. ��the governor of the feast called the bridegroom.�
We must take note that this man did not have a perfect understanding of all that lay at the base of his discovery. He did not understand that Jesus had performed a miracle that made this good wine out of, probably, bad water.
What he did know was that something very good had happened.
He witnessed to the fact.
He didn�t have a three point alliterated outline. He didn�t have four years of Bible College. He was not an expert on the significance of the kenosis on the mission of Christ into human history.
But, he did know good wine when he tasted it. He was so impressed by this that his first act was to go to another person and give a witness to the fact.
Doesn�t that sound like a lot of Christians when they first come to Christ. They might not understand everything; but they do know that something extremely wonderful has happened when Jesus saved their soul. Then the church sends them to a confirmation class. Then the church sends them to a study to prepare for baptism. Then they begin to understand that there is much they do not understand.
Then they begin to fail in their witness.
Those other things above are not bad. They are even useful. But, I still believe that we need to teach witnessing to the people. They do not need to know everything; it�s good if they do understand the cardinal doctrines, of course. But, the only thing we really need to understand is that Jesus Christ died in time so that others could live in eternity.
The governor of the feast wondered at the fortuitous. He had just been sitting at the feast and the servants had filled his cup with the best wine. It was unexpected. And, it was good.
Why did Jesus come into human history? Why did Jesus spend those years teaching about the fullness of life? Why did Jesus die on the cross to save my soul? Why did Jesus rise from the dead on that first Easter Sunday? Why? Why? Why?
We really do not have to understand it all. We really do need to accept it all on faith. Jesus did it for us. That raises a myriad of other questions. But, all those questions are summed up in a simple phrase: Jesus Christ died in time so that others could live in eternity!
Isn�t He wonderful!
Isn�t He loving!
Is He your Savior?
When the governor of the feast approached others with the story of good fortune, he warbled not a fable.
Jesus, and His great salvation, is not simply a good story from a �Good Book.� He is the Lord of Glory Who cast aside His robes of grandeur so that He could walk some dusty streets for years and then be led to the ghastly death of the Roman crucifixion.
And, He did this for a purpose.
He came to offer you salvation from your sins, a home in Heaven, and peace with God. All that He asks in return is that you accept this free gift He offers.
That is the central fact of the Gospel Message. Jesus came to die in time so that you could live in eternity!
Accept Him as your Savior.
Do it today!