In this session of Crushing by TD Jakes, we sit down and discuss the culmination of a great work. From the beginning of this series we have gone from concept of a seed being planted and how it had going through the “process” of growing, maturing and then being used to produce a unique, valuable wine. But the wine was not meant to be simply put in a museum and admired for what it had become. But to be presented for others to be blessed and most importantly the Vintner to be honored for his work done.
Weddings are unique occasions of celebrations. Uniting tow families, these community events fulfill the promise of new love, new life, and new hope for the future. From ancient times to our modern, twenty-first century ceremonies, weddings provide the perfect opportunity for celebrating the power of God’s love to triumph over adversity. No wonder then that in the Bible we find Jesus’ first miracle to be a simple act tha transforms a wedding party into a one-of-a-kind celebration.
Jesus Comes to a Wedding
Now on the third day there was a wedding feast in the Galilean village of Cana, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples were all invited to the banquet, but with so many guests in attendance, they ran out of wine. And when Mary realized it, she came to him and asked, “They have no wine, can’t you do something about it?”
Jesus replied, “My dear one, don’t you understand that if I do this, it won’t change anything for you, but it will change everything for me! My hour of unveiling my power has not yet come.”
Mary then went to the servers and told them, “Whatever Jesus tells you, make sure that you do it!”
Now there were six stone water pots standing nearby. They were meant to be used for the Jewish washing rituals. Each one held about 20 gallons or more. Jesus came to the servers and told them, “Fill the pots with water, right up to the very brim.” Then he said, “Now fill your pitchers and take them to the master of ceremonies.”
And when they poured out their pitcher for the master of ceremonies to sample, the water became wine! When he tasted the water that became wine, the master of ceremonies was impressed. (Although he didn’t know where the wine had come from, but the servers knew.) He called the bridegroom over and said to him, “Every host serves his best wine first until everyone has had a cup or two, then he serves the wine of poor quality. But you, my friend, you’ve reserved the most exquisite wine until now!”
This miracle in Cana was the first of the many extraordinary miracles Jesus performed in Galilee. This was a sign revealing his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
John 2:1-11 TPT
What phrase or detail stands out to you in this passage?
How does it speak into your life right now?
What surprises you the most about this miracle?
The scene reminds us that so often God rescues us from what could have happened or even should have happened. Running out of wine at a wedding reception may not strike us as a crisis of epic proportions, but at that time, culturally and socially it was. Prompted by His mother, Mary, Jesus goes into action and produces the most exquisite bouquet of vintage wine ever tasted. And none of the guests even knew He was responsible.
Frequently, the Master Vintner’s power in our lives fills deficits we didn’t even know we had. Others may not realize that God is responsible for the changes in us until we tell them directly. They may have noticed how we have softened and grown wiser, stronger, and more resilient. But they may not grasp the catalyst for our transformation into eternal wine until we reveal our Vintner’s label.
Can you relate to Mary’s need to prompt Jesus into action? When was the last time you rushed to tell God what He needed to do?
We usually have the tendency to rush the Lord when we discover a problem in our lives. As soon as we have a need, a want, or a crisis, we pray and want immediate results. Form our limited understanding and perception, it’s almost as if we assume we need to inform God of our problem — as if He doesn’t already know.
Perhaps we see a glimpse of this urgency in the reaction of Mary when she realizes the wine has run out. Make no mistake, it’s not that Mary ever doubted her Son’s ability to provide new wine – it’s that in her haste she may have presumed to have a better grasp on the problem than He did. Like all of us, she may have felt inclined to prompt God to solve a problem based on our knowledge and experience of it.
But the Lord doesn’t need us to sound an alarm or inform Him of what needs to be done. He who formed the vast void of empty space into the heavens and the earth knows all, sees all, and accomplishes all HIs purposes – in His perfect timing. Even as we celebrate God’s healing presence in our lives, we must be careful not to rush ahead of what He’s doing with us and how He wants to use us.
When have you tried to run ahead of God and rush the outcome you believed He was producing? What did He teach you from the experience?
When have you experienced God’s perfect timing in your life? How did His timing differ from how you would have arranged the timing of this event?
Knowing all you have seen God do in your life, why is it still difficult for you to wait for His timing? In what ways is it easier for you now than it used to be?
IN such moments of depletion and urgent need, we must remember that everything God does is perfectly strategic. We will never witness God running late for any of His divine appointments with His children. Jesus did not need His mother to tell Him to change the water into wine. Perhaps, instead, God was doing something in Mary that required her to stretch her faith, as she called her Son to use His almighty power in that moment.
Therefore we cling to our faith and trust God to work in His vast omniscient wisdom – not in our limited human understanding of a situation. We hold fast in our belief that His timing is perfect – even when we want it sooner or fail to understand why He chooses to act when He does. God wants to develop us through a process of maturation into His wine, and so it seems likely that He then uses our new flavorful potency as only He knows best. While there are times in our lives when He instantly brings forth in us what is necessary at that moment, God also takes the time necessary for maximum eternal impact.
Is it easier easier for you to assure other people that God’s timing is perfect or to wait for God’s timing in your own life?
What accounts for the difference?
Do you consider yourself a punctual person who tends to be early to appointments? or are you usually running late because you’re pulled in so many directions? How does your own tendency skew the way you view God’s timing?
Without the intervention of the Master Vintner, we would all remain nothing more than water at a wedding where wine is needed. The wedding at Cana reminds us that our worth is not found in what we do and who we are when left to our own devices and desires. Instead, our priceless value derives from what God does with us. His new creation. Therefore, we continually grow in this realization, even after we’re fermented , and must resist the human tendency toward immediate gratification and instant solutions.
You may be struggling with such a tendency right now. Many here are. You have seen God’s hand in the process of your crushing and fermentation and know that He is using you to accomplish His purposes. So why would we dare assume that He doesn’t know when to serve us up to taste and celebrate? It is evident in scripture and in the lives around here, that God saves the best for last!
If Jesus can use the lack of wine at a wedding feast for His glory while preventing a family’s public embarrassment and shame, we must believe that He will use the smallest (or big thing) in your life to propel us forward as He advances His kingdom. His party has already started. The old wine has passed, and now His new wine, us, is being served. Our crushing is never the end because the best is yet to come.
When was the last time you celebrated God’s goodness in your life with the people you love the most? What did you love most about that occasion?
Make plans for future celebrations. Not necessarily about when you accomplish something, but when proper love and attention needs to be credited to God.
This week be attentive to timing. Watch how you spend your time and how your timing might reflect your thoughts of God’s timing. Continue to engage with others and remembering that Eternal Wine takes a process to make, and everybody is unique and in their own process, governed by the master vintner.
Jakes, T. D. Crushing: God Turns Pressure into Power. FaithWords, 2019.