The Third Day

Click here to read John 2:1-11

A crisis arose on the third day in a wedding that took place at Cana: the wine had given out. Whether the crisis was due to excess demand or limited supply is anyone’s guess. The problem is reported to Jesus and He goes on to provide a solution which happens to be His first miracle. The wine had given out. There was no wine left. What does that infer? It infers that the wine jars or wine skins that carried this very wine (which had given out) were empty. I do not know how many wine jars or wine skins were at that wedding that day. But I do know that they were empty. So the problem is reported to Jesus and He suggests a solution:

“Fill the stone jars with water.”

“But Jesus you don’t understand!!! The problem I have here is NOT that that my water jars are empty. The problem here is that my wine jars are empty. Can you help me or not?”

“Fill the stone jars with water”

Has it ever occurred to you that you have filed petitions at the throne of grace regarding empty wine jars and His response has had to deal with the filling of your water jars? You think the problem here is A and you approach God for a solution to problem A, but God in turn seems to focus on B and you wonder where all this is leading to. Your heart says “God is in control” but your mind cannot help but wonder when and where the solution will come. You even wonder if God is ignoring your empty wine jars. “Maybe I went wrong somewhere” “Maybe I am not praying enough” “Maybe it is not God’s will” You alone know the battles that go on continually in the arena of your thoughts.

Imagine with me for a moment that I am at that wedding that day. I go across to the servants who have been appointed to work on a solution to solve this particular crisis.

“So what are you doing to replenish the wine? We need a solution real fast!”

“We’re filling stone jars with water”

“I beg your pardon?”

“We’re right now in the process of filling about 6 stone water jars which carry 20 or 30 gallons (90 or 136 litres) each with water”

“Are you out of your mind? And how is that going to replenish the wine?”

“Well, to be frank, we don’t know”

“We have a crisis on our hands here and you intend to revert it by filling stone jars with around 600 litres of water???”

Has it ever occurred to you that you have been lost for words when a someone has asked you what you intend to do regarding your current situation? You dare not open your mouth for an explanation because you run the risk of sounding absurd or in more contemporary language, crazy. “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, what will they think of me? They know I am your child and they see me struggling with no wine! Do something!!”

“Fill the stone jars with water”

I go back to have a chat with the servants who are filling water.

“Look it’s good that you trust Jesus to work on your behalf. But while you’re at it, filling those jars away with water, shouldn’t you perhaps send some people out to see if they can get some wine from somewhere? You know, it’s going to take a while to draw around 600 litres of water and fill those jars. Meanwhile, you should try and get some wine from somewhere and give that to the guests while Jesus works on His solution.”

Has it ever occurred to you that the solutions people suggest have thrown you into panic? “Lord what am I not doing? Should I try this? Or maybe that? This worked for her, so maybe I should try that.” “I could place a home delivery order for wine at a nearby restaurant!!”

“Fill the stone jars with water”

The servants filled the jars to the brim. Jesus did not speak a single word till then. Well if Jesus knew that He was going to make the water into wine, why didn’t He do that as soon as the servants started filling water? A few servants could keep filling water into those jars while others could draw the water that has now become wine and serve it to the guests. That would eliminate a lot of delay! (And not to mention embarrassment for the bridegroom's family) Has it ever occurred to you that you have pondered over how long it will take for your miracle to come to pass? How long did it take for the servants to fill the jars to the brim? We do not know. The Bible has not given us enough data either to make an approximate assumption. (The number of servants? The number of 20 gallon jars? The number 30 gallon jars? etc.) However we do know the servants filled the jars, till they could fill no more.

“Fill the stone jars with water”

The responsibilities God has given you today may not seem to have any connection or relevance at all with your personal needs. You wonder how this path you take today will ever lead you to your miracle. Do not lose heart. Persevere in it and you will be surprised at how God can do exceedingly, abundantly more than you can ever ask or imagine. Rejoice and be glad for you serve a God who knows the end from the beginning.

“But how does what I do now help me in achieving my dream? My dream is that I have surplus wine. However, what I do now is that I draw water and then fill stone jars with it. What I am now seems to paint a contradicting picture to where I want to be!”

Well there was this Nazorean from Galilee who was destined to be King forever over David’s throne. They tell me He was ridiculed and spat upon. I did not see how that would propel Him to be a King. They tell me He was stripped and then beaten with whips. I did not see the connection between the destiny and the bruised back. They tell me He was executed like a criminal – hung on a cross between two thieves. I did not see how that could fit into the résumé of someone who was destined to be King. He died and they sealed His body in a tomb. I did not understand how someone shut up in a tomb is destined to reign forever as King because where He is now seems to paint a contradicting picture to where He is destined to be. News began to spread that it has been two days since the corpse of the Nazorean who was destined to be King has been lying behind a large stone, the Roman seal and two soldiers.

As the audience were anticipating “THE END” to come up on the screen, something happened on the third day…

On the third day, there was a wedding… (John 2:1)