#DailyDevotion Do Whatever He Tells You
John 2:1–5 Two days later there was a wedding in Cana in Galilee, and Jesus’ mother was there. 2Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the people were out of wine, Jesus’ mother said to Him, “They don’t have any wine.” 4 “Will you leave that to Me, woman?” Jesus asked her. “It isn’t the right time yet.” 5His mother told the waiters, “Do anything He tells you.”
While our translation has two day later, the Greek tells us, “on the third day.” While they both mean the same thing I’m not sure if John in writing on the third day isn’t looking forward to the resurrection. You might be wondering the third day from what? There is a preceding time line. It starts in chapter one with the priests and Pharisees being sent to John to ask him who he was. Then starting with 29 John points out Jesus “on the next day.” In verse 35 we have another “on the next day” John points out Jesus again and two of his disciples start following Jesus. In verse 43 is another next day when Jesus calls Philip. This makes a total of 4 days so this wedding is the 7th day from John’s testimony about himself and the one who would come after him.
So why is this important? Well I guess it depends on what day of the week the priest and Pharisees went out to see John. I’m not educated enough on Jewish Sabbath traditions to which is more likely to happen on a Sabbath (Saturday), a couple getting married or the priests and Pharisees going out to question John as he was baptizing people in the Jordan. The priests and Pharisees could have traveled on a day not the Sabbath to where John was so they wouldn’t be breaking the Sabbath which I think is highly more likely then having a wedding on the Sabbath with all the work involved in a wedding. So what would be significant if the 7th day, the day Jesus to a wedding was a Friday? Well a Friday would be the 6th day of the week.
Well what is important about the 6th day of the week? It was on the 6th day of the week in Creation that God created man, male and female, the first wedding of our human race. Now Jesus is invited to another wedding with his disciples. His mother was there. By the way she comes to Jesus to ask him to do something, it could be she was matron of the wedding. Jesus may have been invited as a newly establish Rabbi to bless the lovely couple that day. Now he would bless this day in a way that was unexpected.
We all know the story. They ran out of wine. How embarrassing! Jesus’ mother doesn’t want the couple embarrassed by this. Jesus tells his mother it isn’t his time yet. Jesus indeed would bless this marriage. He blessed the first marriage and all marriages between an eligible man and woman since creation. God loves marriage. Nevertheless, Jesus acquiesces as his mother tells the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there is a program for living if you ever needed one, “Do whatever he tells you.” Jesus would indeed tell us in the Gospels, “He who keeps my word has eternal life.” Elsewhere he says, “He who hears my words and does them is like a man who builds his house upon a rock.” Hearing Jesus’ word and doing them flows from trusting him. Would that in marriages couples would hear Jesus’ word through Paul in Ephesians 5, “husbands love your wives as yourselves and wives respect your husbands.” In trusting these words they and their marriages would be blessed. We are also blessed as we listen to Jesus, all he says, trust his words and do everything he tells us.”
Almighty God and Father, grant us your grace to listen to Jesus and do all he says, that we may be blessed through our faith in him and his word. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.