His Disciples Believed - Study 3/10/13
His Disciples Believed
My son Jonathan (7 years) would often ask me, “Where is God? I cannot see Him.” I would answer and say,” Yes, we cannot see Him now because God is a spirit but He is here and everywhere”. Jonathan would then say okay. What will it take us to believe that Jesus is God? Apostle John’s primary aim in the Gospel of John is “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name”. You can mingle and hang out with Jesus and still not know and believe in Him. We need a divine revelation of the Christ to believe and have a relationship with Him.
The first person to believe in Jesus is Mary, the mother of Jesus. She of all people understood without doubt who Jesus is and where He came from. You can doubt who Jesus is but Mary will never. She knew she did not sleep with Joseph (or any other man) to conceive Jesus. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. For years Mary has kept this in her heart but now no longer and that brings us to the marriage miracle – the first miracle of Jesus, turning water into wine.
The first miracle gave the disciples opportunity to believe more. “11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him”. Even then, we know now that not all of them believed such Judas who would later betray Christ. The miracle was not enough for the disciples to believe completely because as we study we would see their pockets of unbelief and wondering of who Jesus is. Where are you and I today in our belief? Are you waiting for a miracle in your life to believe in God, the savior? Like the disciples, it is comforting to know that our faith is progressive and grows as we encounter more of God through His Word and His workings of grace in our lives.
Are you hanging out with God’s people in Church, and “talking the talk” and still do not know Jesus? May be you have never been introduced to Jesus and therefore do not know and believe in Him. The real sin for going to hell is lack of relationship with God. “21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Mathew 7:21-23). Do you know God and does He know you as His son or daughter?
John 2: 1-12
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.
9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”
11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.
Did you see Mary’s faith? “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Mary believed in God and left the outcome or results in God’s hand. She was not into the “name and claim it” of today. We cannot twist God’s hand. God will do according to His will for His glory. So let’s obey and leave the consequences in His perfect hand. Let’s pray and ask God (not to Mary, sorry) for our needs. Don’t whine and complain; Mary did not. God loves and cares for His children.
Jesus said to Mary, “My hour has not yet come.” meaning the real purpose for my coming is not yet but I can do this. Jesus came only to die and pay for our sins. The sinner counted righteous in God’s sight is the ultimate miracle. Let’s not just settle for only “water into wine” which is like icing on the cake that is being preached today (the prosperity gospel).
Has the wine (symbol of joy) run out of your life? Can you let Jesus turn what you have into joy by doing what “he asks you to do”? True joy comes in knowing and believing in Jesus the Messiah, the Savior who takes away the sin of the whole world. The guilt of sin would ruin any party even a wedding. Let’s give our sins (the empty pots and shadows we pursue) to Jesus for the abundant life He only gives. God already knows our sins; we are the last to accept that truth and we need "Truth" to relate and worship God. “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:9-10).
Father, grant me faith to believe and trust in you. Please increase my faith in you and help remove every doubt and unbelief of who you and what you have done for me. Help me to know you and to do your will. Amen.
My son Jonathan (7 years) would often ask me, “Where is God? I cannot see Him.” I would answer and say,” Yes, we cannot see Him now because God is a spirit but He is here and everywhere”. Jonathan would then say okay. What will it take us to believe that Jesus is God? Apostle John’s primary aim in the Gospel of John is “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name”. You can mingle and hang out with Jesus and still not know and believe in Him. We need a divine revelation of the Christ to believe and have a relationship with Him.
The first person to believe in Jesus is Mary, the mother of Jesus. She of all people understood without doubt who Jesus is and where He came from. You can doubt who Jesus is but Mary will never. She knew she did not sleep with Joseph (or any other man) to conceive Jesus. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit. For years Mary has kept this in her heart but now no longer and that brings us to the marriage miracle – the first miracle of Jesus, turning water into wine.
The first miracle gave the disciples opportunity to believe more. “11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him”. Even then, we know now that not all of them believed such Judas who would later betray Christ. The miracle was not enough for the disciples to believe completely because as we study we would see their pockets of unbelief and wondering of who Jesus is. Where are you and I today in our belief? Are you waiting for a miracle in your life to believe in God, the savior? Like the disciples, it is comforting to know that our faith is progressive and grows as we encounter more of God through His Word and His workings of grace in our lives.
Are you hanging out with God’s people in Church, and “talking the talk” and still do not know Jesus? May be you have never been introduced to Jesus and therefore do not know and believe in Him. The real sin for going to hell is lack of relationship with God. “21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ (Mathew 7:21-23). Do you know God and does He know you as His son or daughter?
John 2: 1-12
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”
4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it.
9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”
11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.
Did you see Mary’s faith? “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Mary believed in God and left the outcome or results in God’s hand. She was not into the “name and claim it” of today. We cannot twist God’s hand. God will do according to His will for His glory. So let’s obey and leave the consequences in His perfect hand. Let’s pray and ask God (not to Mary, sorry) for our needs. Don’t whine and complain; Mary did not. God loves and cares for His children.
Jesus said to Mary, “My hour has not yet come.” meaning the real purpose for my coming is not yet but I can do this. Jesus came only to die and pay for our sins. The sinner counted righteous in God’s sight is the ultimate miracle. Let’s not just settle for only “water into wine” which is like icing on the cake that is being preached today (the prosperity gospel).
Has the wine (symbol of joy) run out of your life? Can you let Jesus turn what you have into joy by doing what “he asks you to do”? True joy comes in knowing and believing in Jesus the Messiah, the Savior who takes away the sin of the whole world. The guilt of sin would ruin any party even a wedding. Let’s give our sins (the empty pots and shadows we pursue) to Jesus for the abundant life He only gives. God already knows our sins; we are the last to accept that truth and we need "Truth" to relate and worship God. “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:9-10).
Father, grant me faith to believe and trust in you. Please increase my faith in you and help remove every doubt and unbelief of who you and what you have done for me. Help me to know you and to do your will. Amen.
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