(Read John 2:1-121And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 6And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9When 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 of the feast called the bridegroom, 10And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. 12After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. (John 2:1‑12); John 4:46-5446So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. 48Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. 49The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 50Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. 51And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. 52Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. 54This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea into Galilee. (John 4:46‑54).)
THE allusion which the Spirit of God makes in John 4 to the miracle related in chapters 2, makes it clear, I believe, that these two miracles are given for a special purpose. They are given only in this Gospel, and I consider they go together, for they both bring out the fullness of Christ in scenes which reveal the emptiness and the weakness of man.
The second chapter of John gives us a marriage consummated, and the fourth chapter gives us a death-bed impending; and surely these are the two most important moments in a man’s history, ―the day of his marriage, and the day when he has to die.
We find, then, that on the brightest day of a man’s life, that which is the expression of joy fails, ―the wine runs out, and Christ comes in with something far better; and in the fourth of John, where it is not the joy of life ebbing away, but life itself which is ebbing away, Christ comes in and meets that too.
Jesus is called to this marriage, and, entering, as He does in His grace, into all man’s history down here, He is present; and the next thing we find is, that that which, in Scripture, is the expression of joy, the wine, runs out. Take man at his brightest and best estate, and there is something better; for the brightest thing we have in nature does not abide, death comes in and robs us of it. There is not one of us that has not seen this or that loved one snatched from us by the cold grasp of death; or we have watched with trembling hearts, fearing this result, perhaps for the one we love best.
I read here that the mother of Jesus comes and tells him, “They have no wine.” She tells Him the need, and to the servants she says, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” Jesus tells the servants to fill the water-pots that stood there with water; and when they were filled, He says, “Draw out 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.... the governor of the 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: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.”
Never was such wine on earth as that. And why? Because Christ’s new wine is better than any of man’s old wine. Christ gives what cannot fail, what is divine and eternal; and I want you, my reader, to taste what Christ can give.
Christ has brought in something for the heart of man, something which, when you taste it, you feel you have never had anything like that before. I ask you, Have you tasted it, this wonderful wine that Christ can minister? Something brighter and better than can be found here, —something divine and eternal. Have you tasted yet the love of God revealed in the person of His blessed Son, the Lord Jesus? If not, ―though you may have had an unequaled life, and God may have given you many bright things down here, ―there are brighter and better things yet than any you have known.
May you, my reader, wake up to know them.
Everything down here passes away. But what God wants you to know, never fails; it is ever fresh, and everlasting; and it is brighter and better than anything you could know in this scene.
You have a heart, my reader, which nothing down here can thoroughly fill or satisfy; and God would fill that heart with the knowledge of His love. And more, God would put you into association with His beloved Son; and, if you do not know this blessedness, you have not tasted what God has for you.
Now look at the other scene in John 4, — practically a death-bed. Death was impending; and the Lord has given the record of what took place between this nobleman and Himself, as a beautiful illustration of the way a soul gets deliverance. And if you, my reader, want to get deliverance from that which hangs over you, that which is impending, ―namely, death and judgment, ―this little narrative will show you the way.
Capernaum was the place of notorious unbelief. We read in Matthew 11 That if the mighty works that had been done in Capernaum had been done in Sodom, it would not have been overthrown.
Capernaum, then, in its unbelief, notwithstanding the favors shown to it, is a true and striking picture of the heart of man. Man does not believe what God has told him. But here is a beautiful instance of one who did believe in that unbelieving city; and in this unbelieving age, may you be found, my reader, simply trusting in Christ.
Let this nobleman show you the way. The thing that was afflicting his heart was, that his beloved son was about to be snatched from him by death. But he had heard of Jesus.
Capernaum was fifteen miles from Cana, where Jesus had made the water wine; and the fame of that miracle had gone abroad.
What brought that man the fifteen miles from Capernaum to Cana? Hearing of the power and grace of Jesus. And what brings the sinner to the feet of Jesus now? Hearing of His power and of His love. The nobleman felt there was no hope but in Christ, and he came to Him with his need.
And there is no hope for you, my reader, but in Christ. But people do not believe that; and they put off coming to Him, until it is too late. Oh, be warned now; and if you are still unsaved, turn to the Lord as you read this paper. You may never have another opportunity.
If you come to the Lord as a ruined sinner, and with the consciousness that every other hope is vain to meet your need, you will find that He has nothing but blessing for you. Jesus tests this soul, as it were. He knows how to test and try us, and to bring out whether our hearts are in downright earnest or not. “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe:” Christ says, as it were hinting, You are from an infidel city; and you, my reader, belong to a race of infidels, ―a race of unbelievers.
Does this man turn away in dudgeon at this statement? No; he tacitly accepts it. The faith that only rests on signs, and wonders, and miracles, and evidences, is not faith at all; and Jesus tests this man, to bring out his real faith in Himself.
The nobleman’s answer is very simple, ― “Sir, come down ere my child die.” What does he mean by that? It is as though he said, “My only hope is in you.” He is downright in earnest. He thought the Lord would have to come down to Capernaum; but still He thought He would come. He believed in His love and interest, and in His power; and he said, as it were, “Lose no time.” He knew the value of every moment. Would to God that you did too, my unsaved reader.
The nobleman prayed, ― “Sir, come down ere my child die,” and Capernaum was fifteen miles off. But do you think the Lord wants to keep an anxious soul waiting, while the fifteen miles are traveled? No, no! Jesus says to him, “Go thy way, thy son liveth;” and he goes down, ―but when? I believe not until the next day; for we read that his servants met him the next day as he was going down, and told him “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” It would not have taken him from the seventh hour one day till the following day to travel fifteen miles. No; I believe the Saviour’s word had filled his heart with joy, and he could quietly rest that night. There was no need to go and see if his son lived.
“The man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him;” and that was, “Thy son liveth.” And have you, my reader, heard and believed the word that Jesus has spoken? If so, you may hear His voice saying to you, “Thy soul liveth;” for “They that hear shall live.” “The hour is coming,” said the Lord, “and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live.”
You and I, by nature, are dead in trespasses and sins; but Jesus says, “They that hear shall live,” and “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life.” Have you, my reader, heard His word, and believed on Him that sent Him? If so, then the Lord lets you know that you have everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but have passed from death unto life. Oh, what a wonderful thing to take God at His word.
What had this nobleman before him, ―any sign? None. Any wonder? None. He had the word of the Lord, and he believed it.
His servants tell him, when he inquired of them the hour when his son began to amend, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” It was no gradual convalescence, no progressive getting better; at the word of the Lord, there was complete cure.
And you, my reader, if your soul is simple in believing the word of the Lord, may get complete deliverance this very moment.
The nobleman believed the word that Jesus said. Do you believe the word that Jesus says? It is the work that the Lord Jesus Christ has done for you that saves you; and it is the word He speaks to you, that lets you know you are saved.
What more do I want, than the blessed, imperishable work of Christ, and the divine, eternal word of God, which cannot change? On these the believer rests. God has let us know that “Christ died for our sins.... and was raised again for our justification?” We rest on the word of God. Faith takes God at His word, and rests on what God has said.
Are you, my reader, able simply to say, “I believe God; I believe Him, when he says I am a ruined sinner; I believe Him, when He says that my sins will bring me into judgment,―that the wages of sin is death; and I believe Him, when He says that the gift of God is eternal life, and that He that believeth hath everlasting life?” I believe Him in everything He says; and when a soul simply believes what the Lord says, He gives what will confirm and strengthen the faith of that soul.
The servants meet the father, and tell him, “Thy son liveth,” He has not to wait to get home to find out the certainty of what he had believed; he is met on the road, and his faith confirmed. Then, what is the effect? “Himself believed, and his whole house.” He himself rests by faith on the Son of God, and the next thing is, faith spreads in his house.
We who believe ought to be expecting great blessing from the Lord, ―looking to Him, that the circle of blessing may widen, and widen, till it has reached each soul around us.
May you, my reader, know this blessed Lord Jesus Christ; and not only know Him as your Saviour from judgment, but as better than the best, and brighter than the brightest, of all earthly things; and certainly more than enough to meet the darkest circumstances. May your soul know what it is to rest for time, as well as for eternity, on Christ the Son of God! W. T. P. W.