The book of John..

I hope you students are enjoying your reading of the book of John. By the way--do your parents know you're reading through it? It'd be a great discussion to have at the dinner table!!! They'd probably appreciate hearing you're reading at all in the summer...and even MORE so when you tell them it's the BIBLE!!! It's taking me longer than I expected to get through...I stop every few sentences to read in another version-wanting to get a good picture...it's just what works for me. So, I was reading through John 2 this morning. I've read it before, and as always, I found something new there!

Jesus 1st earthly miracle...

I found it very interesting that Jesus used the waterpots that the Jews used for purification in order to put the new wine in. Apparently it was unheard of to EVER touch food without first going through a purification ritual to clean your hands in these large stone pots. It doesn't say, but I assume that afterwards the water is dumped out somewhere.

By the time the wedding party ran out of wine these pots had been emptied because Jesus instructed the servants to fill them (all 6 of them...each holding 20-30 gallons!!!) That's ALOT of refilling, and I don't suppose anyone had a pick-up truck to load them in the back of....they were either LUGGED or there was alot of walking back and forth to the well! Either way, I'm thinking the servants must have thought Jesus was NUTS! The guests had already been purified, and they were asking for more WINE, not a place to wash their hands!!!

The fact that Jesus chose the "washing pots" in order to fill NEW wine is significant...just like everything else He did. It was no accident that He used the the old pots. Jesus was teaching a lesson....in the past the washing of the hands provided them grace....but Jesus was showing them that HE was providing them grace UPON grace. His ways...which looked like blashphemy to the pious...showed that salvation was not in the following of the rituals, but in the newness of HIS grace. He taught a new way to love, a new way to obey, and a new way to live.

I love that Jesus' mom was there....she had waited all His life to see Him come forth and prove Who He was....I'm sure she had a different idea of what her King-Son would be like. Surely she saw royalty and the awe of the crowds in His future....she'd waited SO long to see these things begin to come to pass. It was almost like she KNEW this was the day it would begin! Just like a mom, she wanted to get Him out there and get it started already! Even Mary had to deal with her own desire to control her child!

Ok...your turn. What are you enjoying in your reading??? Comment below people...I'd love to hear your thoughts!!!
Terri