History is silent about revivals that did not begin with prayer.
- Edwin Orr
Mary, as the mother of Jesus, was unquestionably "blessed among women." Among the many gifts her legacy gives is an amazing yet routinely overlooked lesson, in regards to successful intercessory prayer.
With the overall practice of prayer declining throughout the First World and even modern Christianity, her example of prevailing with God through perfect submission in a seemingly trivial matter should stimulate and encourage us to wait on and even wrestle with God over issues vital to ourselves and others.
The Bible is unique and interesting in many ways. Among them are subtle yet important messages embedded within stories, parables and typology. In the first recorded miracle of Jesus we may find all three teaching a crucial lesson for those seriously seeking God in the last days:
- "On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” Now there were six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” 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. 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!” This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him." John 2:1-11
Observations on Christ's First Miracle
Beyond the obvious importance of the first miracle of Jesus, this passage is filled with curious and perhaps important dialogue including the following points:
1. "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?": Politely, Jesus seems to put Mary in her place while declining her implicit request to perform His debut miracle.
2. "My hour has not yet come": Christ explains it is not yet the time for Him to publicly begin demonstrating the reality and veracity of the Kingdom of God. He would later tell His disciples that such "times and seasons" where at the sole discretion of the Father.
3. "Whatever He says to you, do it": Mary seems to skillfully press, rather than withdrawal, her request. Howbeit in perfect submission.
4. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast: Given the lofty reason for His initial "no" Christ's acquiescence in stunning.
5. “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!: While it might be expected that the water turned to wine by the first miracle of Christ would be superior in every regard, fully grasping the embedded meaning may be essential.
It appears that hidden within the Wedding Feast of Cana, as occasioned by the first miracle of Christ, are two crucial messages for His Church. The first is a perfect example of "wresting with God." Even more importantly, the second may be an overview of the entire Church age!
Jesus Himself likens the Kingdom of God to a wedding feast. Additionally, the concept of the Bride of Christ is well developed in the New Testament. Seen in this way, the birth and ministry of Jesus were a kind of betrothal with the supreme price He paid for our atonement a kind of dowry.
From this point of view, the wedding feast has lasted two millennia with the official ceremony and consummation soon to take place at Christ's return. Followed by a glorious one thousand year honeymoon!
Terrible and Wonderful Prophesy
Like Mary, many have noted the wine, or power and presence of the Spirit, seem in short supply. So much so, that were the Book of Acts being written today in might at best be entitled, "The Book of Words." Not that correct words are without importance. Yet even these are often lacking in the many Christs and versions of the gospel embraced by hundreds of various modern denominations.
In this passage, the large pots filled with ceremonial water may be a metaphor for the religious duties of modern Christianity, or perhaps even the word of God. Even so, this is far from the necessary wine for which Mary so eloquently persevered!
Christ's refusal to change the timing for His first miracle may also have an end time parallel. Sadly, the discipline of prayer is in decline and dedicated intercessors are in even shorter supply. Of these, a small percentage are aware of the promised "Latter Rain" outpouring of the Spirit. Yet few understand the prophesied time line for this last great revival. Best explained in the Old Testament Book of Joel, the very passage Peter chose as his text when the Spirit was given at Pentecost, the final fulfillment will be during the Tribulation Period.
From Joel 2:1-27 goes to great lengths describing this time of maximum suffering:
- "Blow the ram's horn trumpet in Zion! Trumpet the alarm on my holy mountain! Shake the country up! God's Judgment's on its way—the Day's almost here! A black day! A Doomsday! Clouds with no silver lining! Like dawn light moving over the mountains, a huge army is coming. There's never been anything like it and never will be again. Wildfire burns everything before this army and fire licks up everything in its wake. Before it arrives, the country is like the Garden of Eden. When it leaves, it is Death Valley. Nothing escapes unscathed. The locust army seems all horses—galloping horses, an army of horses. It sounds like thunder leaping on mountain ridges, Or like the roar of wildfire through grass and brush, Or like an invincible army shouting for blood, ready to fight, straining at the bit. At the sight of this army, the people panic, faces white with terror. The invaders charge. They climb barricades. Nothing stops them. Each soldier does what he's told, so disciplined, so determined. They don't get in each other's way. Each one knows his job and does it. Undaunted and fearless, unswerving, unstoppable. They storm the city, swarm its defenses, Loot the houses, breaking down doors, smashing windows. They arrive like an earthquake, sweep through like a tornado. Sun and moon turn out their lights, stars black out. God himself bellows in thunder as he commands his forces. Look at the size of that army! And the strength of those who obey him! God's Judgment Day—great and terrible. Who can possibly survive this?" Joel 2:1-11 MSG
In just these few verses we are told to blow the trumpet and alarm the God's people to His coming judgment. Like in the parable of the Ten Virgins, the church is apparently asleep at their post and must be warned that "Doomsday" is fast approaching. Taken literally, the huge army, the likes of which has never been or will be again must be the 200,000,000 Asian calvary described in the Book of Revelation. The Apostle John warns they will kill over a third of humanity! No wonder Joel directs:
- "Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to God, your God. And here's why: God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot, This most patient God, extravagant in love, always ready to cancel catastrophe. Who knows? Maybe he'll do it now, maybe he'll turn around and show pity. Maybe, when all's said and done, there'll be blessings full and robust for your God! Blow the ram's horn trumpet in Zion! Declare a day of repentance, a holy fast day. Call a public meeting. Get everyone there. Consecrate the congregation. Make sure the elders come, but bring in the children, too, even the nursing babies, Even men and women on their honeymoon— interrupt them and get them there. Between Sanctuary entrance and altar, let the priests, God's servants, weep tears of repentance. Let them intercede: "Have mercy, God, on your people! Don't abandon your heritage to contempt. Don't let the pagans take over and rule them and sneer, 'And so where is this God of theirs?'" Joel 2:12-17 MSG
- "And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days. I will show wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the survivors whom the LORD calls." Joel 2:28-32
"And Afterword..." Sadly, as has so often been the case, it appears even God's people refuse to see calamity coming until it's arrived. Like Samson, even the Lord's anointed may be so deceived that only after a misspent life ending in captivity will the repent the error of their ways.
History Repeats Itself
The wise Bible student will recognize that this verse has already been partially fulfilled, not once but twice. First, when God so severely judged His people at the time of the Exile that it drew a Book of laments from Jeremiah and Habakkuk's complaint. The second was during Pentecost recorded in the Book of Acts. Yet, as terrible as the Exile was, killing a third of Israel, taking a third captive and scattering a third to the wind there were no signs in the heaven. The same can be said about Pentecost. Wonderfully important, in some ways it marked the birth of the Christianity and the Age of the Church. Even so, once again there was no fulfillment of Joel's prediction that there would be "blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD.
It's been said that history is cyclical. Like a hawk circling ever wider and higher, each fulfillment of prophecy is greater in scope. Clearly this passage refers to the Great Tribulation of last days, and in so doing pinpoints the time for this sorely needed repentance and revival. Also, once again, scripture would seem to indicate a Pre-Wrath rather than a Pre-Tribulation Rapture. For a clear and concise handling of these teachings click here.
This being said, the Wedding Feast of Cana offers one last important lesson. Mary changed God's time table! She, like the Samaritan mother who later would also refused to take no for an answer, found a way through perfect submission to wrestle a blessing from the Lord! Both are New Testament examples of Joel's encouragement that wise intercession by Prophetic Christians may change the mind of God. In fact, one may well hope that's the very reason God put stories like these in the Bible. The question is, will we take them to heart?
Author's Note: For a beautiful and hopeful melody I've often pondered along these see Vanessa Williams - Save The Best For Last.
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