“We have run out of…” five words no bride ever wants to hear on her wedding day!
In all the weddings I have attended and performed over the years I can honestly say I don’t remember anyone running out of anything except at my own wedding! We ran out of cake! I got one bite when we cut it and that was it!
This poor bride, on the greatest day of her life, is facing the most embarrassing moment ever. Her party had nothing to drink. There are no grocery stores. There is no way to send someone out to get any. There is nothing this poor girl can do but admit they ran out, apologize to the wedding party, send everyone home, and live forever with the stigma of the “girl who ran out of wine” on her wedding day. At this point, she is preparing an apology speech and about ready to call the party off a few days ahead of schedule. She knew she would be forever remembered as the “girl who ran out of wine” on her wedding day.
There is nothing worse than a shattered dream or a crushed hope. Disappointment has darkened the door for all fo us. Disappointment is something we all have learned to deal with since we were young. Disappointments might be something we are all used to but something none of us enjoys. Disappointments come in all shapes and sizes. Some can be as simple as not getting the player we wanted in the pack of baseball cards, to my fiancé walking out on me.
But maybe-just maybe-God orchestrated these disappointments. Maybe He had a plan all along. Maybe this is exactly what He wanted to happen. Maybe there are no maybes with God!
You see, God was setting the stage for something much greater. Something this bride could have never imagined. The full significance she probably never realized while on earth.
“‘They have no wine’ is not simply a comment by Mary about the panic of the wedding’s host. It is a theological statement about the Judaism that is now meeting its Messiah in his very first miracle. Technically, it is about messianic replacement and abundance” not the wine (Burge, 90).
For all of this to transpire the wedding party had to run out of wine. There was no other way. For God to do the impossible he must put us in impossible situations. God and only God can get the glory for doing the extraordinary and amazing.
It is not until the wine runs out that Christ can…
1. Comfort us with His compassion.
Even amid tragedy, the goodness of God is seen. He knows our pain of loss, humiliation, sickness, and hurt. Even in a random incident of running out of wine, Jesus chose to intervene and not let the situation go.
Our Lord Jesus is a God of compassion. It doesn’t matter the need or situation, He is a God who cares. He cared there was no wine. He would later care when the people were hungry and there was no food. Even Mary approaching Him showed her knowledge of His compassion in times of need.
2. Assure us of His awareness.
Jesus was not taken by surprise. He knew what he had to do. He knew his hour had come. He must do God’s work while it was yet day. He was aware of the need for wine before the bride ever was.
God knows what we are going through. God knows what has been taken from you. God is already taking steps to sustain you through your next journey.
3. Marvel us with the miraculous.
No one at the wedding party ever expected the best was going to be saved for last. God does not get the glory for the expected. God gets the glory for doing only what He can do. Water to wine? No way! Hurt to health? Pain to progress? Sorrow to singing? Yes! This is what God does. He specialized in taking your mess and working a miracle.
4. Takes our good to great.
The wine was fine. It was like any other at all the other weddings, that is until Jesus got involved. God is not necessarily interested in you just being good. He is not interested in your status quo spirituality. God takes, makes, and breaks for us to become great.
God made sure this poor girl ran out of wine for him to do a miracle that would set the course for his entire ministry. What is God doing right now that is setting the course for what he wants to do through your life and ministry for His glory?
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