It’s clear from the New Testament that God greatly desires that you enjoy fullness of life in Christ. Lots of people would think that to be a Christian is really dull – you can’t do all the things you’d naturally want.
Can life as a Christian actually be more fulfilling than life for those who’ve never come to faith? Could it be that the reason so many people think that being a Christian is basically joyless is that so many Christians are so miserable? And if that’s true, might it be that you’re not only failing in evangelism, but you’re actually turning people away from Jesus? And that would be a terrible sin.
We’ll see in this well-known chapter just how every single one of us can enjoy fullness of life in Christ now and in the future.
These notes accompany a sermon on YouTube delivered at Bromborough Evangelical Church Wirral in June 2024. You can find more in the series in our sermon index.
Experience fullness of life in Christ (1-12)
Obviously, Jesus turning water into wine is so well-known it’s part of everyday speech. But there’s so much going on, don’t let your familiarity with it dull your thinking: You need to engage!
It’s worth noting at the outset that John calls it a “sign”. Read John 2:11.
There are no parables in John’s gospel. Miracles are never called miracles, but signs. In fact, John’s gospel falls loosely into two halves:
- Chapters 1-12 are sometimes called the “book of signs”, with miracles and teaching over time.
- Chapters 12-21 are sometimes called the “book of glory” – focussing on the death and resurrection of Christ, which is how he is glorified by the Father.
So these “signs” (like water to wine) are to point you to Jesus’ glory, and his glory is revealed through the cross. That rather ups the ante.
Mary & Jesus
Take a closer look. Read John 2:1-4.
It’s not clear why Mary told Jesus they’d run out of wine. Maybe she was just telling him, but you do get the sense that she was telling him so that he’d do something.
His reply is a Hebrew idiom that asks what the problem has to do with him and Mary: “What to me and to you?” It’s not rude, but it’s not warm either. Calling her “woman” isn’t rude, but it is unexpected.
The thing is, Jesus’ ministry has now begun. He’s been anointed as Messiah by the Holy Spirit, so his relationships with Mary and others has changed. The woman who nursed him, helped him learn to walk and talk, watched him grow, now has to see him in a new light.
And when he says, “My hour has not yet come,” he means the hour of his glory (which begins in chapter 12). He means the time of his death and resurrection.
But what he does give is a “sign” that points to it.
The wedding at Cana
Read John 2:5-6.
There’s a wedding going on, presumably with lots of people. Wedding feasts could take up to a week.
Jews wouldn’t eat without ceremonially washing their hands (and feet), so there were huge stone jars to hand for the whole group. You know what comes next: Read John 2:7-10.
As stone jars for ceremonial washing, they’d become redundant. Now the jars were filled to the brim with the very best wine – so much so that the headwaiter (the master of ceremonies) has a chat with the groom in his surprise!
And this idea of ‘new’ replacing ‘old’ runs through these early chapters.
But read John 2:11 again.
It’s a sign
How does the miracle become a sign? How is it a sign of Jesus’ glory?
In the Old Testament, wine is often a symbol of feasting and joy (in a good way). An abundance of wine is often a sign of the peace that Messiah will bring to the earth. E.g. Amos 9:14 I will restore the fortunes of my people Israel. They will rebuild and occupy ruined cities, plant vineyards and drink their wine, make gardens and eat their produce. Also Jeremiah 31:12 and Hosea 14:7.
The fact that it happened at a wedding shouldn’t be overlooked either. Jesus often used wedding imagery for his parables about the end times, when he will return. Revelation speaks of a future event called the Marriage Feast of the Lamb, when Christ will be the groom, and his church will be the bride.
His bride will be made beautiful, clothed in the brilliant white dress of Christ’s own righteousness. A day of the best wine, the fullness of joy and happiness for his bride.
How will his church be made beautiful? But Christ’s own death (atoning for sin) and resurrection (bringing righteousness and life). And that’s his glory.
The bigger picture
So what’s the bigger picture?
- The old systems of Jewish purifications were being made redundant.
- Something better, richer, was coming along in Christ.
- Through his death and resurrection, he would be bringing fullness today and a promise of a joyous union to come!
No-one who enjoys that marriage feast of the Lamb will deserve to be there. Notice it’s “of the Lamb” – the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.
For you to be there means that you have come to Christ in this life in repentance and faith. Turn from your sin, cry out to God for forgiveness, and he will forgive you. More, he’ll adopt you, bring you into his church, and include you in the most joyous wedding there’s ever been.
My marriage day remains the happiest day of my life. But it will disappear into the distance for both me and my wife on the day we see Jesus at that Marriage Feast.
But it’s not all “jam tomorrow.” As you come to Jesus today for forgiveness of sin, he reorients your life towards himself, to truth, and joy. You can put a foot in heaven now, today, as you experience Jesus more and more now.
How is that fullness?
- It breaks you free from seeking happiness and peace in things – even good things. Nothing lasts forever except the love of God in Christ.
- Knowing Jesus enables you to enjoy the good things in life for what they are: Gifts from God. You give thanks.
- And knowing him (and the future he has secured) brings hope in despair, comfort in grief, daily grace and strength.
Experience fullness of life in Christ now, or die in your sins.
Proclaim Fullness of Life to Everyone (13-25)
The other gospel writers give an account of Jesus clearing the temple in Jerusalem in the week before his crucifixion. John’s account makes it clear that he did it near the start of his ministry too!
What was the scene? Read John 2:13-17.
- If you were a Jew living far from Jerusalem, it was a big effort to get there for the Passover.
- You’d need a lamb for your Passover meal, and you might well offer other sacrifices while you were near the temple.
- And you’d need to pay the temple tax using temple coins.
- So it would be genuinely helpful to be able to buy animals in Jerusalem and to have money-changers to exchange currency.
So why was Jesus so upset? Those things were good, but they weren’t supposed to be in the temple grounds.
In fact, they were almost certainly in the part of the temple where Gentiles could go.
Gentile exclusion
In the centre of complex was the temple, or sanctuary. Then there was a courtyard where only Jews could go. And then there was a dividing wall, to the court of the Gentiles, and it’s likely that that’s where the sellers and money-changers were.
So Jesus could say, “Do not make the house of my Father a house of trade.”
Instead of the sound of prayer, maybe singing, reverent worship, there was the clamour of a market place, animals, and trade.
They had committed a double sin:
- Not only had they lost sight of the holy reverence and awe of being so close to God on earth, they also:
- Established things in a way that actually kept Gentile believers away.
Imagine having religious practices that concealed the truth and positively excluded unbelievers from coming to faith!
In 1 Thessalonians 2:15-16, Paul wrote about “the Jews who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and persecuted us. They displease God and are hostile to everyone, by keeping us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. As a result, they are constantly filling up their sins to the limit, and wrath has overtaken them at last.”
It’s a serious sin to keep others from belief.
I said at the outset that it’s one thing to be rubbish at evangelism, but it’s something else to keep unbelievers from the faith by what they see in you.
- As you compromise with sin, you cheapen your witness.
- When you seem to moan joylessly all the time, it seems that Christ can’t bring you any peace or joy.
- If you’re a Christian in adversity, unbelieving people should look at you and think, “I want the peace that they have.”
Jesus is as zealous for the purity of his church as ever.
“Give us a sign”
Back in Jerusalem, not everyone was impressed. Read John 2:18-22.
It’s notable that in this “book of signs” the people don’t like the signs Jesus gave. Or rather, they just didn’t want him.
The Temple system was a gift from God.
- It was where he dwelt on the earth among his people.
- He gave a system of sacrifice so that your sins could be atoned for, so that you could actually approach him.
- There was a High Priest who represented the whole nation before God.
- It was gracious of God to provide such approach.
Again we have the theme of ‘new’ replacing ‘old’ running through these early chapters.
To us readers, Jesus makes it absolutely clear that the only temple in town was himself!
- He would be killed, buried, and raised again on the third day.
- And he then ascended to heaven itself where he now is.
- So Christ has replaced that old temple system.
- He is the only sacrifice needed; the perfect man for sinful humanity. For you.
- And he’s now the risen High Priest, our advocate and intercessor, your representative at the throne of heaven!
- That old temple was redundant, and its destruction in AD 70 was timely.
And because Jesus is the ‘new temple complex’ (as it were), you don’t need to go to any particular city to be near God.
The greatest sign to Jesus’ glory
The sign that Jesus was right was his resurrection, and by that you know that all else is true.
Because of that, you can trust him now.
But note the word of warning that comes at the end: Read John 2:23-25.
- There are many ‘nominal Christians’ attending churches every week, but there are none in the kingdom of God.
- You might believe in his signs; you might believe all this is true. But that’s not the same as trusting him.
You might kid yourself that you’re a Christian, but Jesus knows what’s in a man; he’s knows your heart.
So what’s this chapter about?
- Jesus eclipsed the grace of the Old Testament with the astonishing abundance of grace that his death and resurrection brings.
- His water-to-wine sign made the ‘old’ redundant by replacing it with fullness of life with him now and a breathtaking fullness of joy with him (for his people) at his return – the ultimate wedding.
- Jesus’ statements about the temple reveal two things:
- He has become your way to God, both as sacrifice and living High Priest. There’s no other way needed; he is sufficient and glorious.
- Secondly, no-one is barred entry because of your background. He cleared out those Gentile courts so that all may come.
You may come to him. He desires that you do.
- Beware any false or superficial faith. Don’t try to play the part of a Christian.
- He knows you; he sees you.
- And he longs for you to come to him in repentance and faith, so that you can enjoy fullness of life in Christ today, tomorrow, and for all eternity as a child of God.
His hour has come. Now it’s your hour to go to him, and remain in him forever.