Dear Explorer,
Re-Read John 2:1-12
I don't believe that Mary was telling Jesus to use His powers here. I believe that He had possibly just sold the carpentry shop or had some savings in His pocket from the shop and she was simply asking Him to run to the grocery store and get some wine.
But we see Jesus struggling with her request. Why?
I believe that between her asking and Him deciding to act there was an internal struggle between Jesus' SELF and God. I believe the Holy Spirit was telling Him to do this miracle – but His human SELF was resisting it.
What would be some good reasons to NOT do this miracle?
I believe Jesus knew that once He started healing and feeding and doing other miracles, the crowds would keep Him from teaching and training His new disciples. He might also have been worried that it might take away the focus on the bride and groom and bring Him too much attention.
You see, I constantly struggle with whether to do things my way (the “best” way (ha!), the logical way) or to be obedient. And I believe if we're not careful, we'll miss the fact that the Bible says in Hebrews 2:18 that Jesus was tempted and struggled with obedience just like we do.
Jesus was perfect. That meant that He followed obediently everything that God through the Holy Spirit told Him to do. But that does not mean that He did it without struggling with the decision.
Another point that we could make from these verses is that when God provides for His kids, He does a good job! He provided the best wine these people had ever tasted! He doesn't provide 2nd best.
Another point is that Jesus submitted to his earthly mother's request for help even though He was in public full-time ministry. Our responsibility toward parents or siblings does not disappear when we commit ourselves to God's ministry. In fact, it may increase!
The final point I see is found in the last 6 words of John 2:11. What is that phrase?
Jesus' miracles were almost always done to prove that He was the Messiah and that He fulfilled all the prophecies of the Jewish Scriptures (our Old Testament).
I've found by studying this book written by John that John strongly emphasizes that Jesus was no mere mortal. He was a supernatural being who was disguised as a human – but His power showed through over and over and over again.
John was amazed by Jesus' power and knowledge. Yet, Jesus was fully human. What John was trying to describe was what we've talked about before – the Holy Spirit of God on the inside. Sorta' like the TNT inside a Minecraft Creeper.
As we continue this study, you'll see more and more of the Holy Spirit's activity in Jesus' life. He was indeed supernatural and operated differently from anything anyone had ever seen before.
In His service, dale
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