From the recording Gospel 2019
The religious experience of God has generally fallen short of reality, often leading to disappointment, frustration and disilusionment; 'there you go I told you so.....' ; fill in the blank with some conclusion you have heard or perhaps even uttered in your own mind; 'religion is boring,' or 'all this religious stuff is totally out of touch with reality,' or 'there you go, told you so God isn't even there. Of course if we try to reach any destination by travelling in the wrong direction or by following the wrong road, it ought to come as no surprise to us if we end up in the wrong destination!
In John chapter 2 the Lord Jesus attends a wedding at Cana of Galilee. He is an invited guest to someone else's party! It is a wedding at which we find the first 6 of the 7 water pots in John's gospel. Water pots which played their part in the key religious duties and activities of religious Jewish observance. Like the religious washing rituals, these pots were dead, dry and made of stone! There was nothing vibrant nor alive about them; like the stony hearts of Ezekiel 26:36. Made of stone and most importantly very very empty! This was a wedding that had run short of wine, the Old Testament symbol of joy (Psalm 104:1). To this celebration running short of joy; Christ will bring vitality and reality, transforming water drawn from the well into wine. He has come that we might have life and have that life in all of its fullness. Christ has come that we might have fullness of joy in His presence forever more.
Yours by Grace in Jesus Christ
Dr J Stewart Gillespie
A gospel message preached at Bridgend Gospel Hall New Cumnock, free to download or listen to this audio recording online.