The greatest invitation is to “Come and see Jesus.” John told his disciples, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).Then the gospel of John introduces us to seven signs or actions that point to Jesus and who He was. The first one, may seem as a bit of a surprise, at least for a modern audience, was the wedding at Cana. This sign, His first miracle, shows that He was the Messiah. Remember that John stated his purpose was: “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).John is inviting us to “come and see Jesus.” But everything about this first miracle seems so ordinary. It was the wedding most likely of a family relative; Jesus’ mother is being a bit bossy; and the guests never knew what had happened.Perhaps John wrote this simple story as a reminder that Jesus cares about our ordinary, everyday lives. For us, we should know that He is always near. He wants to be part of all of our lives, not just some religious part!Mary knows that her son is no ordinary guest at this wedding. So she presents an embarrassing situation to Him. The host (a family member? Friend?) has run out of wine. The groom’s family was expected to provide enough food and drink for everyone at the party. So running out of wine was an embarrassment.Jesus is not presented with a spiritual need, nor a life-necessity, nor a theologically important moment — it was just that someone needed compassionate help.Our message is that Jesus is compassionate about our cares, hurts, struggles, and pains. So He shows compassion to a thirsty woman at a well, an anxious tax collector in a tree, a soldier with a sick son, an apostle whose mother-in-law was ill. Your concerns and cares are important to Him. The compassion of Jesus gives us strength to face all the trials of our lives.Therefore, we are to cast “all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).Miracles of Jesus are not just impressive, but important. They demonstrate his ability to manipulate the elements. But more importantly, they show His care and willingness to act on behalf of others. They give hope to those who need hope and ...
