What comes to your mind whenever you think of a Christian? Maybe that is something we should be asking those who are outside the church population! On a line with a Pharisee at one end and a publican at the other where would you place the Christian? On a scale where the Pharisee is 1 and the publican is 10 where would you place the Christian? Jesus was very often found in the company of the publicans and here he is at a family wedding responsible for the wine. We don’t know if he drank any of it Himself but he did make the stuff. Do you think it possible for a brewer to be a Christian? What is this all about? Is it just about parties? Or is it about the Christian attitude to alcohol? Or is it about prayer? I have no doubt that there are indications about each of these but what is at the very heart? John is not just telling the story, even though he is the only Gospel writer who tells this story- no he wants people like you and me to understand why he does what He does. To John and the early Christians this passage along with the cleansing of the temple and the woman at the well are the key to understanding the rest of the story and the very message of the church. Yes he is understanding towards His mother and he does not want the family to be embarrassed by running out of wine- he says to Mary- “Woman dear why are you asking me to interfere? My time has not yet come- nevertheless I will do something but I will do it quietly for I am not yet ready to launch my ministry in a very public way. So he does a quiet miracle. But this is not about signs and wonders- its not like changing stones into bread- its not about showing his power it’s about revealing His glory. In v11 he adds his editorial note saying “ This, the first of his miraculous signs Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and his disciples put their faith in Him.” As a preacher you are constantly on the look out for illustrations from events and from the things around you and here John has found an illustration for the abundant grace of God in Christ. Paul tells the Ephesian believers that “every spiritual blessing” has been given to them-there are no blessings that have been withheld. God has been generous to a fault. Just as there was in excess of 1,400 bottles of wine- more than enough so his grace, freely given is overwhelming them. This man Jesus is more than what he seems- he is more than the carpenter More than a Rabbi, more than another spiritual person- John says he is the Son of God INCARNATE- earlier on he said “He BECAME flesh and make His home among us”…we have seen His glory…” At this stage- Peter, Andrew, Philip, Nathanael and John were there and later James Matthew Thomas James son of Althaeas Simon the Zealot Judas son of James And Judas Iscariot All would also be witnesses to His life and work. Here we see Him producing some 80 gallons of wine- more than enough for the party and so God “lavishes His grace” on His people. This is the kind of thing that Paul had in mind when he wrote that letter we call Ephesians- it was addressed to Ephesus but it is applicable to all believers. They are, we are: ELECTED We know all about elections. In our democratic system we elect MPs, EMPs. MLAs, Councillors, Ministers and Elders. Pretty soon we will be electing a new government and with that members to the Assembly [whatever that is?] and then we will be voting on the European constitution While we will choose those we wish to represent us God has chosen us, from before the foundation of the world. [V4,5 4] ADOPTED V5 he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— John says the same thing when he says in Jn 1:12 “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—“ God chose us, we did not choose Him. He is the one who took the initiative and did all the work-he died on the cross and suffered the pain and disgrace and all we can do is to respond and accept all this work. Being His children is not a natural result, not the offspring of a man and a woman but He had adopted us-made us His children. When you adopt a child you take a definite decision to make this child your own and to give them all the family privileges. He is our perfect father and mother. 3. SECURED by God Made safe by the Holy Spirit. We need not fear loosing our salvation-if it was true at the start it will remain so-God will not let go of us. All the more so is it important to live lives which bring glory to His name. Its because of the great work of Jesus that we are safe-not one hair of our head will be touched without the permission of God Himself. Its because eof this great work that we are no longer our own , we have been bought with a price-the blood of Jesus-for that reason we live for Him every day of our lives. This Holy Spirit is a down payment-whenever you buy a house the chances are you need a mortgage form the bank-the house doesn't really and completely belong to you and will not until the final repayment of the capital has been made. So it is with us-we belong to Jesus -–e have all these blessings which have already been given to us but there is more to come. We have God’s seal of ownership upon us and his seal of protection. With all of this its no wonder the hymn writer says-“All that thrills my soul is Jesus, he is more than life to me.” The point of all this? The church of Jesus Christ should live every day in the knowledge that she has every spiritual blessing IN CHRIST. Does that not encourage you? Does that not help you to withstand all the trials and troubles which have come and will come your way? The Holy Spirit is here for you and me-to guide us and to protect us. There can be no threats No danger No problems that will crush us. J.B Philips says “Every time we say, ‘I believe’ we mean that we believe that there is a living God able and willing to enter human personality and change it.” In Jesus Christ we have OUR IDENTITY WE ARE ELECTED ADOPTEDAND SECURED These are the blessings that Paul spoke of and they are examples of God’s grace in our lives- this is what John wanted us to know and understand- this is what this man Christ has done for us- his love is overflowing and that is the underlining meaning of the gallons of wine and that is the meaning of the marriage relationship. So then this is the key to what we believe and how we are to operate. Too often we settle for water Too often we change the wine into water so that those we call publicans and sinners only see: The institution Only see the rules Only see the criticism and the denunciation but miss Christ!