At his first sign, Jesus makes 600 lit\u00adres of the best wine for a wed\u00adding par\u00adty in Cana, which has run out of wine. No heal\u00ading, no rai\u00adsing of the dead, no mul\u00adti\u00adpli\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon of bread \u2013 no, but wine in quan\u00adti\u00adty. What does this mean? And why does Christ do this as the first sign?<\/p>\n
Wed\u00adding \u2013 coming tog\u00ade\u00adther \u2013 bea\u00adring fruit \tWhe\u00adre and how do you belie\u00adve it is your task to bear fruit?<\/p>\n \tWhat can such fruit con\u00adsist of? The abo\u00adve ver\u00adse gives ans\u00adwers, is the\u00adre any other fruit of the Spirit? \tIf your life is\/seems fruit\u00adless at the moment \u2013 what could you do about it?<\/p>\n \tHow much joy do you have in your life? At his first sign, Jesus makes 600 lit\u00adres of the best wine for a wed\u00adding par\u00adty in Cana that has run out of wine. No heal\u00ading, no rai\u00adsing of the dead, no mul\u00adti\u00adpli\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon of bread \u2013 no, but wine in quan\u00adti\u00adty. What does this mean? And why does Christ do this as the first sign? Mar\u00adria\u00adge \u2013 coming tog\u00ade\u00adther \u2013 bea\u00adring fruit \u00abSo God crea\u00adted the\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":27,"featured_media":7450,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[95],"wpfc_sermon_series":[90],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-harry-graf","wpfc_sermon_series-heilig-heilig-heilig","wpfc-sermon-single","post-7421","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\n\u00abSo God crea\u00adted man\u00adkind in his own image, in the image of God he crea\u00adted them, male and fema\u00adle he crea\u00adted them. And God bles\u00adsed them and gave them the com\u00admand: \u00abBe fruitful and mul\u00adti\u00adply\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 1:27\u201328 NLB<\/span>).
\nBeco\u00adming fruitful from a com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty of life. That is the mis\u00adsi\u00adon of every human being. Not ever\u00adyo\u00adne has the oppor\u00adtu\u00adni\u00adty to live this natu\u00adral\u00adly. Howe\u00adver, every per\u00adson is cal\u00adled to bear \u00abspi\u00adri\u00adtu\u00adal\u00bb fruit from a com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adon of life with God. Christ con\u00adcre\u00adti\u00adses this in the New Tes\u00adta\u00adment. He wants to be the bri\u00adde\u00adg\u00adroom and seeks a com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty of belie\u00advers as his bri\u00adde (his church). He wants to bear fruit from this com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adty. \u00abI am the vine; you are the bran\u00adches. He who abides in me and I in him will bear much fruit. For apart from me you can do not\u00adhing\u00bb (John 15:5 NLB<\/span>).
\nWhat Christ wants to work in us through his Spi\u00adrit is a fruit of the Spi\u00adrit. The fruit is descri\u00adbed as fol\u00adlows: \u00abBut if the Holy Spi\u00adrit con\u00adtrols our lives, he will cau\u00adse com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent fruit to grow in us: Love, joy, peace, pati\u00adence, kind\u00adness, good\u00adness, faithful\u00adness, gent\u00adle\u00adness and self-con\u00adtrol\u00bb (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 5:22\u201323 NLB<\/span>).
\nFrom gra\u00adpe to wine \u2013 wine stands for joy
\nHowe\u00adver, the spe\u00adcial thing about this sign in Cana is not the fruit, but wine. In the Bible, wine sym\u00adbo\u00adli\u00adses cheerful\u00adness and joy. Wine comes from a trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon of the juice of crus\u00adhed gra\u00adpes. A fer\u00admen\u00adta\u00adti\u00adon pro\u00adcess turns the sugar of the gra\u00adpes into alco\u00adhol \u2013 spi\u00adrit. Howe\u00adver, the Bible does not call us to beco\u00adme mer\u00adry from the spi\u00adri\u00adtus (alco\u00adhol) \u2013 but to be fil\u00adled with the Holy Spi\u00adrit (spi\u00adri\u00adtus sanc\u00adtus) and to find joy in fol\u00adlo\u00adwing him. \u00abDon\u2019t get drunk on wine; other\u00adwi\u00adse you will ruin your life. Ins\u00adtead, let your\u00adsel\u00adves be fil\u00adled with the Holy Spi\u00adrit\u00bb (Ephe\u00adsi\u00adans 5:18 NLB<\/span>).
\nWhen Christ can bear fruit in our lives through his Spi\u00adrit, it brings us joy. That is his goal. So the mira\u00adcle of Cana is about the ten\u00adsi\u00adon bet\u00adween natu\u00adral joy and divi\u00adne joy in depen\u00addence on Christ.
\nThe Wed\u00adding of Cana \u2013 how to find real joy
\n\u00abThe day after next, Jesus\u00bb mother was at a wed\u00adding cele\u00adbra\u00adti\u00adon in Cana, a vil\u00adla\u00adge in Gali\u00adlee. Jesus and his disci\u00adples were also invi\u00adted to the cele\u00adbra\u00adti\u00adon. During the feast the wine ran out\u00bb (John 2:1\u20133 NLB<\/span>).
\n[\u2026] The\u00adre were six stone water jars in the house, which were used for the pre\u00adscri\u00adbed puri\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon pro\u00adce\u00addu\u00adres of the Jews and each held around one hundred lit\u00adres. Jesus said to the ser\u00advants: \u00abFill the jars with water\u00bb. When they had fil\u00adled the jars to the brim, he said: \u00abDraw from it and take it to the mas\u00adter of cere\u00admo\u00adnies.\u00bb They fol\u00adlo\u00adwed his ins\u00adtruc\u00adtions. The mas\u00adter of cere\u00admo\u00adnies tas\u00adted the water, which was now wine. Sin\u00adce he did not know whe\u00adre the wine came from \u2013 becau\u00adse only the ser\u00advants who had drawn it knew \u2013 he sent for the bri\u00adde\u00adg\u00adroom. \u00abActual\u00adly, a host pours the bet\u00adter wine first,\u00bb he said. \u00abLater, when ever\u00adyo\u00adne is drunk and they no lon\u00adger care, he fet\u00adches the less good one. You, on the other hand, have kept back the best wine until now!\u00bb (John 2:6\u201310 NLB<\/span>).
\n1. it\u2019s a wed\u00adding \u2013 but the wine is run\u00adning out
\nWhen Christ comes to this wed\u00adding, the wine has just run out \u2013 or, to put it ano\u00adther way, the joy has gone. Even peo\u00adp\u00adle who do not live with God enter into many com\u00admu\u00adni\u00adties (get mar\u00adried), bear fruit and have a cer\u00adtain amount of fun. But it\u2019s like an addic\u00adtion, you always need more. That\u2019s why so many peo\u00adp\u00adle have to dis\u00adtract them\u00adsel\u00adves or get high on things becau\u00adse they find life dif\u00adfi\u00adcult to bear. The per\u00adson who lives wit\u00adhout God lacks las\u00adting bliss, real, deep, las\u00adting joy with peace. This wed\u00adding par\u00adty, which has run out of wine, is the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre a pic\u00adtu\u00adre of the pre\u00adsent day, when joy is run\u00adning out.
\n2. emp\u00adty water jugs are filled
\nAt this wed\u00adding, the\u00adre are six emp\u00adty water jugs with a capa\u00adci\u00adty of 600 lit\u00adres. They should have been fil\u00adled so that ever\u00adyo\u00adne could clean them\u00adsel\u00adves befo\u00adre the meal. But they are emp\u00adty. The wed\u00adding par\u00adty was thus living a reli\u00adgious requi\u00adre\u00adment wit\u00adhout con\u00adtent. Here, too, a par\u00adal\u00adlel can be drawn to the pre\u00adsent day. Many peo\u00adp\u00adle are reli\u00adgious (water jugs), but the jugs are emp\u00adty, they stand around meanin\u00adg\u00adless\u00adly \u2013 it\u2019s just reli\u00adgi\u00adon \u2013 wit\u00adhout con\u00adtent. The water jugs are the\u00adre, but the\u00adre is no cleansing.
\nPuri\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon crea\u00adtes a link to the the\u00adme of holi\u00adne\u00adss: Holi\u00adne\u00adss means \u2013 being pure, being sepa\u00adra\u00adted \u2013 clean, no dirt. God is holy in his love. No dirt-crumbs of sel\u00adfi\u00adsh\u00adness. This wed\u00adding par\u00adty is Cana is not pure, though water jars would have been the\u00adre. Ever\u00adyo\u00adne par\u00adta\u00adkes of the wed\u00adding feast unwa\u00adshed. But what do the\u00adse stone jars, this cle\u00adan\u00adsing the\u00adme have to do with our wed\u00adding par\u00adty, with the the\u00adme of joy? Jesus shows us in his action the con\u00adnec\u00adtion bet\u00adween puri\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon, fruit and joy:
\nHe has the ser\u00advants fill the six water jars to the brim with water (600 lit\u00adres). Our socie\u00adty, every sin\u00adgle per\u00adson, is also unho\u00adly, unclean. We all need cle\u00adan\u00adsing: Basi\u00adcal\u00adly for our lives \u2013 but also regu\u00adlar\u00adly for our walk \u2013 other\u00adwi\u00adse we can\u00adnot have fel\u00adlow\u00adship with God. Jesus Christ crea\u00adted this puri\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon \u2013 com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly \u2013 for all peo\u00adp\u00adle. Basi\u00adcal\u00adly, by dying on the cross and taking our guilt upon hims\u00adelf. Ever\u00adyo\u00adne who ent\u00adrusts their life to Christ is saved and \u00abwashed\u00bb: \u00ab[\u2026] he saved us, not by works done by us in righ\u00adteous\u00adness, but accor\u00adding to his mer\u00adcy, through the washing of rege\u00adne\u00adra\u00adti\u00adon and rene\u00adwing by the Holy Spi\u00adrit\u00bb (Titus 3:5 LUT17<\/span>).
\nBut his cle\u00adan\u00adsing also appli\u00ades to our dai\u00adly trans\u00adgres\u00adsi\u00adons \u2013 things we did wrong or did not do but should have done: \u00abBut if we con\u00adfess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to for\u00adgi\u00adve us and cle\u00adan\u00adse us from all evil\u00bb (1 John 1:9 NLB<\/span>). This dai\u00adly cle\u00adan\u00adsing is neces\u00adsa\u00adry. Jesus repli\u00aded: \u00abTho\u00adse who have bathed do not need to wash them\u00adsel\u00adves \u2013 except for their feet \u2013 to be com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly clean\u00bb (John 13:12 NLB<\/span>).
\n3. the water \u2013 or wine \u2013 must be drawn\/passed on
\nNow the mira\u00adcle hap\u00adpens: by pas\u00adsing on the puri\u00adfy\u00ading water, the water beco\u00admes wine of joy. The cle\u00adan\u00adsing through Jesus rede\u00adems me and brings me joy. But the cle\u00adan\u00adsing through Jesus\u00bb sacri\u00adfice also brings joy to other peo\u00adp\u00adle. Let us just pay atten\u00adti\u00adon to the ser\u00advants for a moment: Ser\u00advants have to fill the jars, ser\u00advants have to give the water that beco\u00admes wine when it is drawn. Accor\u00adding to Paul, we are the ser\u00advants of God. We have the task of fil\u00adling the water jars with water. We must under\u00adstand for our\u00adsel\u00adves the importance of puri\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon and thus the holi\u00adne\u00adss of God (His puri\u00adty) for us. Then we have the mis\u00adsi\u00adon to pass on this puri\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon pos\u00adsi\u00adbi\u00adli\u00adty and can then expe\u00adri\u00adence what this puri\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adti\u00adon trig\u00adgers \u2013 name\u00adly joy.
\n4. the wine of Jesus \u2013 his joy \u2013 is bet\u00adter than the joy of the world
\nBefo\u00adre the wine is pas\u00adsed on to the wed\u00adding guests, the\u00adre is a qua\u00adli\u00adty check by the \u00abfood mas\u00adter\u00bb. Trans\u00adla\u00adted: The peo\u00adp\u00adle around us check what we \u00abeat\u00bb, what we \u00abdrink\u00bb \u2013 or what joy we have in life.
\nThe wine impar\u00adted by Christ through the ser\u00advants is of a bet\u00adter qua\u00adli\u00adty than the wine of the Bri\u00adde\u00adg\u00adroom until now. The joy that Christ wants to give us is bet\u00adter than the \u00abjoys of this world\u00bb. Jesus show\u00ading us the dif\u00adfe\u00adrence bet\u00adween natu\u00adral joy and his joy at his first mira\u00adcle explains how important it is to Jesus that we expe\u00adri\u00adence real joy \u2013 in abun\u00addance (600 lit\u00adres for a wed\u00adding par\u00adty of a small vil\u00adla\u00adge). This abun\u00addance is also enough for others
\nBut this mira\u00adcle also shows us the way. We may think that the holi\u00adne\u00adss of God and his call for us to live holy lives is a life of strugg\u00adle and joy. Jesus, in his first mira\u00adcle, show\u00aded us exact\u00adly the oppo\u00adsi\u00adte. If we live as fol\u00adlo\u00adwers of Christ, it will bring us joy, a joy that is per\u00adcei\u00adved from the out\u00adside. A joy that is abundant.
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small group
\n1 \u00abSo God crea\u00adted man\u00adkind in his own image, in the image of God he crea\u00adted them, male and fema\u00adle he crea\u00adted them. And God bles\u00adsed them and gave them the com\u00admand: \u00abBe fruitful and mul\u00adti\u00adply\u00bb (Gene\u00adsis 1:27\u201328 NLB<\/span>).<\/p>\n
\n2 \u00abIf, on the other hand, the Holy Spi\u00adrit con\u00adtrols our lives, he will cau\u00adse com\u00adple\u00adte\u00adly dif\u00adfe\u00adrent fruit to grow in us: Love, joy, peace, pati\u00adence, kind\u00adness, good\u00adness, faithful\u00adness, gent\u00adle\u00adness and self-con\u00adtrol\u00bb (Gala\u00adti\u00adans 5:22\u201323 NLB<\/span>).<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat fruits do you see in your body?<\/p>\n
\n3 \u00abI am the vine; you are the bran\u00adches. Whoe\u00adver abides in me and I in him will bear much fruit. For apart from me you can do not\u00adhing\u00bb (John 15:5 NLB<\/span>).<\/p>\n
\n4. Christ crea\u00adtes a gre\u00adat deal of wine\/joy of high qua\u00adli\u00adty in this first sign\/miracle:<\/p>\n
\n\tIf you lack joy, how could joy come back in your life?
\n\tDo you also have an \u00abemp\u00adty wine jar\u00bb syn\u00addron \u2013 or do you need some\u00adthing fil\u00adled up some\u00adwhe\u00adre, do you need cleaning?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"