From the recording Gospel 2019

What a tragic beginning for any married life; to commence that journey together, short of wine; the Old Testament symbol of joy (Psalm 104:1). This wedding celebration had run short of wine, low on joy and had only the remnants of Jewish religious rituals; the 6 stone water pots for ceremonial washing (you'll find the 7th water pot in John's gospel in chapter 4 by the way). The Lord Jesus Christ was sent not primarily to someone's wedding but the whole of humanity and to the nation of Israel. It would seem that this wedding at Cana is but a microcosm of the Jewish religious system; stony, empty and joyless. Religion that fails to connect us in real and vital union to God must so be; cold, dead, empty and pretty boring. In this place of urgent need, the Lord Jesus is a tsunami of fresh air! This is new wine in new wineskins! Jesus did not come to merely instruct, point out the problems and make a few insightful suggestions; such as : 'there's no wine left... you'll maybe need to get some.' Jesus is the solution to the problem! Jesus has the power and the passion to bring joy in our melancholy, hope in our despair, fullness in our emptiness and yes a genuine experience of God in our lostness and sinfulness. maybe we ought to invite Him into our joyless, routine, empty lives too? It might be worth a go!
Yours by Grace in Christ
Dr J Stewart Gillespie
A free to download mp3 audio recording of a bible teaching message preached on John chapter 2.