The Best Is Yet To Come – Sermon 20 January, 2013

The Best Is Yet To Come

John 2:1-11

What an incredible story! It is the first episode in the three year ministry of Jesus. After hearing this story one can say: “If you are going to have a wedding invite Jesus, then you will not run out of drinks”.

But in fact the significance of Jesus’ miracle at Cana displayed His glory, and revealed Him as the Messiah and Son of God.

Jesus’ first miracle at the wedding brought JOY. Jesus can restore JOY to the one who has lost it in their Christian life. Hence the Wine is a symbol of Spiritual Joy.

God wants to perform miracles, signs and wonders in the midst of His people. He has saved the best for the last days, but we will only receive it if we prepare – believe in Him and Pray.

As Jesus turned the water into the very best wine, what He does for us is even more spectacular; He gives us the best heaven has to offer.

As human beings, we constantly look for the best in our lives and in the things we do.

• We want the best doctor, the best friends, and the best in our children, the best education, and the best holiday.

• We want the best in everything

Jesus always gives His very best to us, an example of which is in the story that we read.

Jesus and His disciples, along with Mary His mother were guest at a wedding in the small town of Cana in Galilee. When the wine ran out, upon the request of Mary, Jesus turned six jars of water into wine.

The miracles of Jesus are never singular or meaningless, they are always pointing us to a greater reality. This story points two ways: to God’s overflowing grace and the opportunities around us to be providers of that same joy and grace to others.

I believe that God wants to open the windows of Heaven and pour out blessings that we can’t even comprehend. The blessings poured out on us will bring blessings upon other people around us in our community, our state, our nation and around the world. What kind of blessings could we bring if we had the finances and the resources to reach out to the needs of many more people?

However, it cannot be achieved, if we have not prepared ourselves to receive the miracles.

God wants to bring miracles of healing, but we have to prepare ourselves with the building up of our faith through abiding by the Word of God, for it needs faith to see a miracle of healing take place. God wants to do great things in us, but we must prepare ourselves to receive them before he can send them. We must have patience and faith to receive the best that is yet to come in our lives and even here in St. Andrew’s.

The best was saved for the last at the wedding of Cana. The best was saved for last with Daniel in the Lion’s Den. The best was saved for last with Paul and Silas in prison. There’s no doubt in my heart that the best is saved for last with you and I here at St. Andrew’s. Just get prepared to receive the miracles.

The major theme of John’s Gospel is in fact John wanting the Jewish people to recognize that Jesus is the replacement of old Jewish rituals and institutions.

The old has passed and the new has come.

Here in the wedding story, Jesus metaphorically replaces the waters of Judaism with the wine of His blood. Christ was saying to His people, that their purification could not be achieved through water alone, but it needed His blood to cleanse them.

The replacement of water with wine represented the fact that Jesus offered “something more” than Judaism did. Jesus became the replacement of what Judaism offered.

On the cross of Calvary, Jesus became our replacement. The nakedness that Adam and Eve felt after sinning against God was replaced by Jesus’ nakedness. The sweat and suffering that was intended for all humanity was replaced by Christ when He shed His blood and suffered death. Our disgrace became His disgrace. Our death became His death.

The question is: Is there anything in our life that needs Christ’s replacement? Should our attitude toward others need to be replaced by the attitude of Christ? Is our way of speaking needing to be replaced by Christ’s way of speaking? Is our priority in life needing to be replaced by Christ’s priority? Is our faith needing to be replaced by Christ faith?

We should answer these questions personally.

Christ did everything for us and gave us the assurance that the best is yet to come.

The best comes last.

At the end of the week is the weekend. At the end of dinner is desert. At the end of the day is rest. At the end of the year is Christmas. At the end of the New Year’s fireworks is the spectacular finale with the new symbol on the Harbour Bridge.

1. In the Creation – The best came last

The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. God created the heavens and the earth and the best came last – MAN

2. In Christ’s Life – The best came last

The cross, the agony, the shame and the best came last – RESURRECTION

3. In the Unbeliever – Bitterness of repentance – followed by sweetness of forgiveness, the sadness of conviction is followed by the gladness of conversion.

The best comes last, no more sorrow – No more pain, no more tears, no more death. We only need to do what He tells us.  “Do whatever he tells you.” (v.5)

Then have faith. “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory; and his disciples put their faith in him.” (v. 11)

– This is the reason we remember the Lord around His table. We remember what He did for us and that He has prepared the best for the last.

Remember the best that is waiting for us and replaces our faults and condemnations – eternal and everlasting life through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To whom is the glory now and forever. Amen.

Krikor Youmshajekian