We began this series examining an incident of the Lord Jesus cursing a fig tree.
It seemed so unlike the Son of Man who would a few days later sacrifice His own blood as perfect Passover sacrifice for the sins of man.
In the Beginning:
It is in Eden where we first hear of the leaves of the fig tree made to cover sin.
Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.
Recall that in the beginning, after the Lord created the heavens and the earth, He walked with man {adam} and the woman {Eve} He had created. He walked with them personally.
“Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” – John 2:4
A young Jewish man from an insignificant town of Nazareth in Roman occupied Galilee, though only thirty years old, begins to gain a following. He is unmarried and head of his family, consisting of a widowed mother and younger brothers. Disciples of this young likable rabbi, who had worked as a carpenter in his deceased father’s shop, joined Jesus at a nearby wedding in Cana.
Jesus had just begun to call disciples (or followers of a Rabbi/teacher) for His three-year earthly and eternal mission. A righteous man in everyone’s eyes, young Jesus is now called to a mission worthy of His Name.
49 Nathanael answered him,“Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”
Of course, Jesus’ mother knew well the divinity of Jesus. Mary knew from before conception that God alone was His Father!
In the great traditions of Jewish hospitality and celebration of the occasions and milestones of this earthly life, Jesus and His family (mother and brothers) accept the invitation to the wedding of a friend. Jesus and his family are guests just having a good time at this celebration. In addition to His family, Jesus had invited His new followers as well. Cana is a nearby small town. It was just a joyous, typical wedding celebration.
3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
The wedding, of course, is all about celebration. It is all about the joining of the bride and the groom in holy matrimony, a man and a woman pledged to each other for life. A father of the bride gives his beloved daughter to a man to have as his wife for the rest of their lives together. The father of the bride, the groomsmen, the hosts of the celebration are honored for their hosting of this grande wedding feast.
BUT, the wine ran out early. (Too many people.) What now? Dishonor? The widow Mary suggests to her friends that her son could help?
Jesus, his family and disciples are just invited guests. The celebration is not about them. In fact, it seems like just an interruption (a previous commitment, perhaps) to the beginning of our Lord’s mission. What to do?
6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.8 And he said to them,“Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it.9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”
11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.
He seemed liked just a popular guest at the local wedding. He seemed to be a teacher gaining followers (like John the Baptizer). He seems like just the kindest friend or son or brother you could ever meet. Yet by this interruption to Jesus’ work and daily life and travels, our Lord began ministering to the needs of those He loved in a most perfect way.
26 What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 27 This is he of whom it is written,
“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’
28 I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” 29 (When all the people heard this, and the tax collectors too, they declared God just, having been baptized with the baptism of John, 30 but the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected the purpose of God for themselves, not having been baptized by him.)
31 “To what then shall I compare the people of this generation, and what are they like? 32 They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another,
“‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance;
we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.’
See the contrast of walking into two very different churches and hearing the complaints of the ‘worshipers.’
33 For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’
We will have only grape juice (and only on occasion).
34 The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look at him! A glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’
We will have wine (and every time).
35 Yet wisdom is justified by all her children.”
One preacher is loud; one is soft. One place of worship is grand; another quaint. One has an organ and a choir; another only one with a guitar. One place they kneel; in another they jump up and down and fall to the floor.
And what do the multitudes say?
Jesus is not John… and John was not Jesus.
Perhaps they were pious before John, while they were joyful around Jesus. Yet they complained of John’s piety and Jesus’ lack of it. Two brothers of the faith; two sons of God — yet both were more than that.
God has a family of his own children. The speech and ways of one child of God will win the heart of another, while a very different way of witness will not win this soul. Our brother or sister of the family of God may win a soul that we cannot.
John and Jesus (even cousins) were so different in so many ways. And you are so different from me.
Wisdom is justified by all of her children (and God has many children). The words and ways and witness of the children are important, each for different times, different purposes and different souls for the family of God; but it is the Father and the wisdom of the Father to which all must yield.
Worship is not for the multitudes; worship is of the Father.
Wisdom is justified by all of her children.
John was one child of God (none greater, according to Jesus). Jesus was One child of God. They taught different. They had different purposes for our Father God.
Some children were chosen for the family of God long before their birth. (Jews.) Some children were chosen by adoption into the family of God before we were conceived in the womb. (Gentiles.)
I thank the Lord for my inclusion in the family of our Heavenly Father by His redemption for my sin. I thank God for all of my brothers and sisters in the Lord – the multifaceted family of believers who have eternal life in Christ Jesus.
And the merciful and Almighty God is justified by ALL His children.
God is NOT justified by those who refuse to worship Him and honor the Lord our God humbly as a child of God. Jesus, John, Peter, Paul, the Prophets have always pointed out that these are children of their father the devil.
Consider for just a moment the individual living souls of two witnesses:
Jesus was NOT John and John was NOT Jesus, yet both are children of the Father.
I am NOT my brother Ed nor my brother Ken nor my sister Jenny. I am NOT my wife Lissette. I am NOT my father Bill nor my mother Marie. I am NOT my daughter Rachel nor my step-daughter Ashley nor my step-son David. I am not even the same as any Christian brother or sister in the Lord.
Jesus asks John’s messengers (and the multitudes) to stop comparing one child of God to another and to take no offense.
Luke 7:23 KJV And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me.
It is good advice for ANY brother or sister, whether in the Lord at this time or not.
Do not be skandalizōby the teachings and miracles of your ‘brother’ Jesus or the right teachings of any child of God our Father.
The religious ones and outwardly righteous ones in the crowds (as recorded in Luke 7:30) were scandalized by the teachings of Jesus. The common sinners, tax collectors, drunkards and others (v. 29) repented when they heard John and changed their ways to continue to follow Jesus as their brother and our Lord.
My dear brother; my dear sister; my beloved wife and beloved children:
What is my message for you?
Do NOT be offended by the teachings of Christ Jesus.
