Jesus' First Miracle Reveals a HIDDEN Message Most Christians Miss

 Jesus Christ' First Miracle Reveals a HIDDEN Message Most Christians Miss 

What is the relationship between John's Gospel and Genesis - and what does the wedding at Cana reveal about the New Covenant? 

In this focused exposition, one reads John 1-2 closely to show how John's prologue is an inspired exposition of Genesis, how the Logos (the Word) is the agent of creation, and how the water-to-wine miracle at Cana points to the Lamb, the New Covenant, ritual purification, and the recreation of creation in Christ. 

One ties John 1:1-18 to Genesis 1-2, explains the symbolism of light and darkness, counts the days from John 1:19 through John 2 to reveal the "seventh day / third day" pattern, and demonstrates why the wine (the fruit of the vine) points to Christ's blood and the better covenant ratified in that blood.

Chapter 1: Introduction - reading John 1 and John 2 

We're gonna start at John 1 :1, cause you're gonna see what's happening in John Chapter 1 and Chapter 2. But this is where I need your undivided attention.

 LISTEN carefully because I'm trusting the Spirit to enable me to plumb the depth of this miracle and try to dig out all the gems and the diamonds and the gold. 

Chapter 2: John 1 prologue: "In the beginning was the Word" (Logos) and creation theology

 John 1 :1 begins with the words, "In the beginning was the Word , the Word was with God and the Word was God. 

He was with God in the beginning. Now pay attention, in the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning, right.

He was in the beginning with God. They'll translate it variously. Then it says, "All things were made through Him and nothing has been made without Him. that has been made in Him was life and that life was the light of men. 

That's John chapter 1 verses 1 to 5. In the beginning there was this divine person, this eternal person called the Word. This Word was an intimate communion and fellowship with someone else who is called God, meaning GOD the Father in this particular context.  And he's been with GOD the Father from the very beginning. And then it says, "All things were made through Him," through the Word. The Father used the Word (Logos) to create the entire creation , to bring all creation into existence. 

All things were made through Him and nothing has been made without Him that has been made. 

Pay attention. And then it says, "in Him was life and that life was the light of men." 

What John is doing, he's giving you an inspired exposition of Genesis Chapter 1. We believe inspired because we believe the Holy Spirit inspired John. So the Holy Spirit fully incorporated John's unique personality and communicating the revelation of Christ through John.

Chapter 3: John as an inspired exposition of Genesis 1 (light, life, and the Word) 

So the gospel of John is inspired by the Holy Spirit. That's what we believe. John Chapter 1, verses 1 to 5 is an inspired exposition of Genesis chapter 1  particularly verses 1 to 5. John is expounding, explaining Genesis chapter 1, verses 1 to 5 and showing us where Jesus fits in Genesis 1.

 Everyone with me? 

John is trying to show you where we find Jesus in Genesis 1. The second connection with Jesus in John 1 and Genesis if you read Genesis 1 : verses 3 to 5. It talks about darkness and light and God separating the light from the darkness and He called the light day and he called darkness night.

 The second connection with John 1 is in Genesis 1 verses 3 to 5, where you'll find the mention of darkness and light. 

And God separating the darkness from the light calling the light day and the darkness night. That's in Genesis 1 verses 3 to 5.

Do you see that? That in Genesis 1 verses 3 to 5, if you see that, that's where you get John 1: 5 .

John chapter 1 , verse five, it says, "and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness could not comprehend it. Could not overcome it. 

Chapter 4: Darkness and light: theological echo of Genesis 1:3-5 

 So in John 1 verses 4 to 5, we are told in Him, the logos, the Word, Jesus, in Him was life. That life was the light of men. 

And verse 5 says, and the light shines in the darkness and the darkness cannot comprehend or overcome it. 

You see the echo to Genesis 1. Do you see the connection with Genesis 1? So what you find in John 1 is an inspired exposition of the Genesis account of creation where John shows you, where Jesus fits in Genesis 1 .

Here you see that John 1 clearly is echoing the Genesis account of creation. That's an arguable how many days did it take GOD to create the heavens and the earth.  Six days. There was evening morning, day one, day two, day three, day four, day five, day six and then He rested on the seventh day, right.  Six days God created heavens and earth, on seventh day He rested, right. Seventh day, right.

And then He created male and female to become one flesh, holy matrimony, right. Male and female come together, become one flesh, husband and wife, one flesh.

 In fact, when did God finish the creation and entered his 7th day rest. 

 When he created the female to become one with male, right. Did you get that? OK, but because now with that said, let's count the days. 

Chapter 5: Narrative counting: John 1:19 onward and the sequence of "the next day" 

 Are you ready now to count the days of John 1 and John 2 leading to the wedding at Cana in Galilee.   Because everything has been deliberately placed there by the Spirit for a reason. There is nothing accidental or coincidental in the Bible. 

Everything is deliberately designed by the Spirit to point to the glory of the One True God, to the glory of the God-man, Jesus Christ. John 1:19.

After the prologue in John chapter 1, verses 1 to 18. John 1:19  reads "and this is the record of John when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, who art thou?"

 So now John the Baptist (John 1:19). Now let us count the day. Count the next day, that's day 2. The next day, are you counting, the next day John the Baptist seeeth Jesus coming unto him and saith   "behold the Lamb of God, which take away the sin of the world" the next day so that's right John 1:35 again the next day, what day is that, that's day three. The next day John 1:43 the day following that's four days, isn't it, the  fourth day. Four days right the day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee and find the disciples and say unto them, follow me. John 1:43 describes how Jesus called Philip to follow Him the day after He had called Andrew and Peter. The day following, count four days. 

Guys, now let us go to John 2 :1 and the third day count the third day from the fourth how many is that third day from the fourth. 

Chapter 6: The pattern of days leading to the wedding at Cana (counting to the seventh day)

How many is that? Third day from the fourth,  the seventh day and there's a wedding Celebration.

An echo of the Genesis account of creation where God created all things and He ended with a wedding, male and female .

 Did it sink in. God ends creation with a wedding, Male and female. Seventh day, there's a wedding. Remember in Genesis chapter 2 verse 23 what did Adam call his bride. Genesis 2:23 and Adam said   "this is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man." Adam said, "woman." Pay attention here. What does Jesus call Mary? 

Chapter 7: The wedding at Cana: Mary, the servants, and the miracle 

In John 2:4 Jesus saith unto her, "Woman, what I have to do with thee; mine hour is not yet come."  Here is the revelation, the Holy Spirit speaking through Jesus to Mary. Genesis 2:23 "you shall be called woman, Isha, from out of issue came and in Genesis 3 she's called woman all throughout, "the woman you gave me" now let's read John 2 verses 1 to 4 again,  the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there right. And both Jesus was called and his disciples to the marriage, to the marriage okay. Now watch here , and when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said unto him, "they have no wine". And then Jesus said, "woman".  Jesus said unto  Mary, "Woman, what have I to do with thee, my hour is not yet come." Now notice,  like in Genesis 3 there was a woman who told the man what to do, to eat of the fruit of the tree. And in this account, you have another woman telling the last Adam what to do. But in this regard, this woman wasn't telling him to do something evil.  So you have two "women", contrasted the woman in Genesis 3 who tempted man to eat of the fruit of the tree, right. Thereby sinning and disobeying God. In John 2, you have another "woman" telling the last Adam, they have no wine but what she tells them, servants in the wedding feast, to do is not sinful because her request brought about the manifestation of the Glory of God in the life of Jesus.

 And what the first woman do, in Genesis , she ate of the fruit of the tree, right. What is this second woman asking Him to do? To turn water into wine, right. And we know wine is the fruit of the vine, the fruit of a tree. The fruit of a vine. Why do I say fruit of the wine ?

Chapter 8: Wine as the fruit of the vine and its connection to Christ's blood (Mark 14) 

 Let us go to Mark 14: verses 24 to 25. What did Jesus call the wine that points to his blood. Mark 14 24 to 25 and I am gonna tie it in with John 2 in a minute.

 And Jesus Christ said unto him, "this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many, this cup is my blood ."

But now notice what Jesus Christ calls that wine that points to his blood. "Verily I say unto you, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine until that day that I drink in anew in the kingdom of God."

 The woman of Genesis tempted the first man to eat a forbidden fruit from a tree. 

This woman, in John's gospel of the new creation tells the last Adam to provide the fruit of the vine something good. Not bad.

 OK , everyone with me, there so far, you seeing that John 1 is an inspired exposition on Genesis.

So you see this woman is telling him to turn this water. She knows he's gonna do a miracle. I am saying "water" because the text says Jesus Christ used water, to turn it into wine, to turn it into the fruit of the vine. And do not forget what the wine represents. The wine points to His blood. The wine points to his blood.

You are with me so far. Wine points to the blood of the lamb shed to purify us of sin, right. To cleanse us, to purify us, right.

Everyone got it or no. I just want to make sure because now I want you to see what is going to happen. Let' us read verses 5 to 10. "His mother saith unto the servants, whatsoever he saith unto you, do it." You get ready to get blown away. 

Chapter 9: The six stone water pots: ritual purification, Jewish rites, and their transformation 

And there were set there six water pots of stone. Six water pots of stone used for what? Used after the manner of the purifying of the Jews. 

This was the water pot that the Jews would use to cleanse them for ritual purity, ritual cleansing. 

Now pay attention. Why Jesus turned those water pots into wine and they filled them up to the brim and he saith unto them draw now and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and knew not whence it was but the servants which drew the water knew, the governor feast called the bridegroom and saith unto him, every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse you bring out. You don't bring out your best wine last but thou has kept the good wine until now. Do you know what that means?

 Jesus Christ has brought us a better way, a better covenant,, a better law, a better way than the old ways, than the ways of the Jews and a better covenant to the Old Covenant.

 So God saved His best for last.

 The best is not the Old Testament. 

The best is not the Hebrew scriptures.

 The best is not the Mosaic Law, the mosaic covenant.

 God's best is the New Covenant ratified in the blood of the Lamb.

So God saved the best for last, the better way.

 And here those water pots, pay attention now, the water pots that the Jews used to be richly pure. What you're being shown there is you are not purified by the rituals of Judaism.

Your purification comes only by the blood of the Lamb. The lamb which the wine points to. 

Chapter 10: "God saved the best for last": the New Covenant, better sacrifice, better law 

 So it is not a coincidence. The six water pots used for purification, ritual purification, ritual cleansing, Jesus Christ turned those water pots into wine.  

Because he was pointing to a greater spirituality: 

 "You are not purified by the ways of the Jews, you are purified in my blood which the wine points to." 

So what you're to get from this miracle is this: God has now saved the Best for last and His Best has now been revealed in Jesus Christ. Because he brings a better way, brings a better covenant, brings a better sacrifice, right. And a better law, a better creation , a new creation.

 There is really no significance in six here but you can say six is the number of man. 

So okay, let me explain again. You can say that six represents the number of man. This is the way of man. Man's ways. 

But the wedding takes place on the seventh day and the wine, the water transformed into wine on the seventh day. 

Because the seventh day is God's rest day. It is His provision of everlasting rest found in the Lamb   whose blood is shed for our purification. 

You see that John chapter 1 and 2, when you tie it in together is pointing to the Genesis account of creation and it's recreation in Jesus Christ.

 Because John's gospel is the story of Christ recreating the creation that He made at the beginning that has fallen, which He will now restore and purify all believers by His blood which the wine pointed to, right.

That's so far you got it, right. Six water pots, the number of man, right. Man's ways which cannot purify.

That is why the wedding takes place on the seventh day . Because cause the seventh day is God's rest. It is His provision of everlasting rest through faith in Jesus Christ , the Lamb whose blood is shed, which the wine points to. 

Is it making sense now? Now, if you still doubt that this is meant to point to Jesus' death and resurrection and his shed blood, I don't know if you paid attention to John 2:1. The wedding feast takes place on the seventh day, but it was also the third day.

Chapter 11: Third day / seventh day pattern - resurrection, recreation, and the last Adam 

 John 2 verse 1. Let's see how many of you paid attention.

 John 2 verse 1, on the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee , third day, the seventh day which is the third day. The third day is when the Lamb  of God rose victorious. You caught it? Now, if you start at John 1 verse 19 and you read all the way to John 2 verse 1, this was the seventh day which the wedding banquet took place, which was the third day / seventh day. 

Third day, no all coincidental , you see it is. Let it sinking in. Making sense, before I move on to the next point .

So now, notice the contrast. The woman of Genesis tempted the first Adam to eat of the fruit of the tree and sin. The woman of the new creation, right, the re creation of the heaven and earth, and the mother of our Lord  Jesus Christ asked him to provide wine, the fruit of the vine , which he did .

And in so doing, Mary, this woman became instrumental in bringing about God's timetable.

Time is one of the great paradoxes of the Bible. 

God exists in His own time in heaven. 

He created both our time, and our universe (1 Corinthians 2:7; Hebrews 1:2; 11:3). 

He can intervene at any point in our time. 

He also knows the outcome of human history and reveals it through the Bible. The Bible is spoken from both His and our frame of reference. 

Genesis 1 and 2 record the events of His first six creation days. 

The rest of the Bible records human time, which takes place during His seventh day of rest. 

Revelation 22 and 23 record His eighth day when He will create again. 

Moses, the author of Genesis, wrote in Psalm 90:4: “For a thousand years in your sight are like a day that has just gone by, . . ..” 

Psalm 90 is Moses’ only psalm. Thus, he desired that believers pay attention to the two kinds of days. 

But this does not mean that we can compare God’s time to our time by a fixed standard of measurement. 

Peter explained that our time has no meaning to Him. He is free to intervene at any time: “with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.” (2 Peter: 3:8(b)). 

This, however, does not mean that His time has no meaning to Him. 

He promises to forget your sins after Jesus Christ brings His believers to heaven (Hebrews 8:12; Isaiah 43:25). 

If He were forced to continually relive your past, present, and future sins for all eternity, He could not forget your sins in the future as He promises.

This study provides seven lines of authority to establish that the Genesis days are God’s days and not ours. 

First, in both the Old and New Testaments, God reveals that the universe and Earth are “old” or “ancient.” An old universe would only be possible if the Genesis days are His days and our corresponding “eras.” 

Second, the Bible declares that knowledge of God’s prior acts of creation can be revealed by studying star light. The Bible also proclaims that the universe began from nothing. Then, 12 separate times, the Bible proclaims that God “stretched” out the heavens like a text curtain. Thousands of years later, modern astronomy confirmed each of these claims. These facts also reveal that the universe is old, something which is only possible if the days are God’s days. 

Third, the absence of references to the Sun until day four and mankind until day six are also inconsistent with either a solar or a human frame of reference. 

Fourth, while the Genesis days are defined as “sunset until sunrise,” the Bible defines a human day as spanning from “sunset to sunset.” 

Fifth, when read together, the creation accounts in Genesis one and two preclude a solar 24-hour frame of reference. The number of activities that Adam undertook on the sixth day would not be possible for a human during a solar day. 

Sixth, the absence of an end to the seventh day and other Bible verses establish that mankind is living in God’s seventh day. On His eighth day, He will create again. 

Finally, until the seventeenth century, commentators mostly agreed that the Genesis days did not record days as we understand them.