TIMING KEEPS US RELEVANT & CURRENT ON GOD’S INTENDED TRAJECTORY
Chapter two is divided into three subjects: TIMING, TEMPLES & TRUST! Let’s start with timing.
John 1:1-12
At first it may seem a waste of time for Jesus and His disciples to go to a wedding. But they were invited! So, they went. Running out of wine at a wedding, in that day, was embarrassing. Why, you may ask, did this become Jesus’ first miracle? Look deeper. On the surface Mary’s alarmed. It’s a social debacle! But does Jesus rush to do this miracle? No! Almost in slow motion He moves. There is no rush, but there is timing, a Kingdom timing. Opportunity is prevalent. Moving on it is debatable. Jesus lived precisely on the Kingdom agenda. Can we?
Mary, with a sense of urgency informs Jesus: “They have no wine!” Gasp! Crisis! Panic!
Jesus nonchalantly asked Mary: “Woman what does your concern have to do with Me?”
The subtext of His words startle me. Is He rebuking her? Is He challenging her to think about the ramifications of her request? He gently informs her: “My hour has not yet come.” But the clock is ticking! Mary instructs the servants “Whatever He says to you, do it” and leaves the room!
We have to grasp the timeliness of this moment. Jesus lived His life on the Kingdom’s Agenda! His Father’s timetable strategically engineered His every move. Timing is a thread running through John’s Gospel, because being in sync with God’s timing, even in our lives, is a Kingdom priority. John learned this as a disciple. As disciples of Jesus, we too, must learn His timing.
This miracle changes everything, largely because it was timely for our Redemption. The Passion Bible’s paraphrase/translation of verse 4 deserves consideration because in the natural context of this wedding and in the subtext of God’s Kingdom, we need the liberty of its written text.
“. . . My dear one, don’t you understand that if I do this, it won’t change anything for you, but it will change everything for me! My hour of unveiling my power has not yet come.” PBT
God’s people were in a spiritual slump. Rituals and legalism were not hacking it. The old wine of the Old Covenant had become lifeless. Why? Because flesh had failed it. Paul writes to the Romans: “For what the Law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son…” (Romans 8:3a).
Have you ever been sent, as on a mission? If you have you moved in a timely manner. In John 2, the stage was being set for the Kingdom. Turning water into wine accelerated the trajectory of Redemption’s plan. His disciples saw His glory and believed in Him. John writes: “This ‘beginning’ of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.” Word spread quickly. People followed. The Kingdom was off and running.
Our challenge: To see His glory, live relevant & timely lives by following Him.
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