How is your joy? Would those around you describe you as a joyous person? If not, why not? Christians have more to be joyous about than any other people on the planet!
This month is Outreach October, in which we’re looking at 4 very normal people who had very surprising encounters with Jesus. Last week’s sermon passage looked at a poor groom who had run out of wine at his own wedding, which meant he was about to be publicly disgraced.
The first surprising thing Jesus does is replace this man’s disgrace with honour. By miraculously turning over 600 litres of water into fine wine, the groom went from being the guy who ran out of wine to the guy who provided some $80,000 worth of wine for his wedding.
In using the jars for ceremonial washing, Jesus showed this is how it is for all Christians. When we turn to Jesus in repentance and faith, our spiritual debt gets transferred into Jesus’ account, which he paid off on the cross. At the same time we get Jesus’ perfect righteousness transferred into our account, meaning when God looks at us now, he sees perfection.
Yet just as surprising is how this is Jesus’ first miracle. Jesus does this to show that his mission is not just to replace our disgrace with honour, it is to shower his people with abundant joy, in this life and the next. In making more wine than could ever have been consumed by the tail-end of a wedding, Jesus is saying he gives more blessing than we can ever take in. So how is your joy?
If you are lagging in this department, perhaps you need to start counting your blessings each day, and thanking God for them. Not only does this raise our enjoyment of life, it speaks loudly to non-Christians as well. If people see Christians as a miserable bunch, there is no incentive to turn to Christ. Rather people should be looking at Christians and saying ‘I’ll have what they’re having please’.
