- Daniel Botkin
Water to Wine: The Miracle of a Transformed Life
By the time most of you read this, our congregation will have celebrated New Year's Eve on the evening of March 16. That's when the Biblical New Year starts this year, on the New Moon that marks the beginning of the Hebrew month Aviv (also called Nisan). "This month [the month of Passover, Aviv] shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you" (Ex. 12:2).
The Hebrew word aviv is not only the name of the first month; it is also the word for the spring season and for the green ears of grain that appear in the spring. Aviv is a word that conveys the idea of new beginnings. Therefore, this "beginning of months" is a good time of year for us to consider Yeshua's "beginning of miracles"--the transformation of water into wine at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee.
It is appropriate that Yeshua's very first miracle was the changing of water into wine, because this miracle is an illustration of what He does in people's lives. He takes a person whose life is like bland, boring, tasteless water, and transforms that person's life into something like the finest wine--sweet, rich, aromatic, full-bodied.
"This beginning of miracles did Yeshua in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth His glory, and His disciples believed on Him" (John 2:11). For those who long for Him to manifest His glory, this story tells us some things we can do to put ourselves in the position to receive manifestations of His glory. Let's consider some of the details of the story.
"And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Yeshua was there. And both Yeshua was called, and his disciples, to the marriage" (John 2:1f). Yeshua was called. If we want to experience a manifestation of His glory, we must learn to call upon Him and invite His presence into our lives. Polite people don't show up at weddings unless they are invited. We can't expect the Lord to show up and manifest His glory to us if we have not invited Him and earnestly requested His presence. If you don't know how to call upon the Lord and seek His face, read the Psalms. Notice how desperately David and the other psalmists sought the Lord's presence. This kind of sincere, earnest calling upon the Lord will bring manifestations of His glory.
Not only was Yeshua invited, but also His disciples. Yeshua is the Head of His Body, the ekklesia.The Head is not separate from the Body. This teaches us that we must be joined in fellowship with other disciples if we want to see manifestations of Yeshua's glory. He was not a solitary prophet wandering the countryside alone. His disciples accompanied Him. Together, with one another, they saw His glory. The richest, sweetest wine of the Holy Spirit is experienced not by cranky lone prophets, but by disciples who are in fellowship with other disciples.
When the wedding feast ran out of wine, Mary told her Son, "They have no wine."
"Woman, what have I to do with thee?" He replied. "Mine hour is not yet come."
Mary's response to this cryptic reply was to simply tell the servants, "Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it."
Mary's words to the servants are words we must heed. Whatsoever He saith unto you, do it! If we do not do what He tells us to do, we have no right to expect manifestations of His glory. This truth was stated by Yeshua on the night of His betrayal: "He that hath My commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My Father, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself unto him" (John 14:21). The measure of our obedience to Yeshua will determine the measure of glory He will manifest to us.
Yeshua told the servants to fill the waterpots with water. This did not make any sense to them. They didn't know why He wanted them to do it, but they obeyed and filled the pots to the brim. When the servants poured a drink for the governor of the feast, the water had been transformed into wine. The wine was so excellent that the governor could not understand why this best wine was not set out at the beginning of the feast.
The invisible transformation that took place inside those waterpots is a picture of the invisible transformation that takes place in the heart of a person who has been filled to the brim with the waters of the Holy Spirit. The fruit of the vine that comes out of such a vessel is the best fruit there is, because it is the fruit of the Spirit--"love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Gal. 5:22f).
As we enter the season of Passover and Pentecost, let's ask the Lord to fill us to the brim and transform our lives into sweet wine.
~ DB
Read more articles by Daniel Botkin in his bimonthly magazine Gates of Eden. To get on the mailing list, send your name and mailing address to: danielbotkin@mtco.com. Be sure to send a physical mailing address, not just an email address, because it is printed on real paper and delivered to your home.
Image (above): Time and Eternity, an original painting by Daniel Botkin from the Miscellaneous Gallery on his art website, danielbotkin.com.
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