“He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in man.”
~ John 2:25
Hi James and Ellen,
Have you ever tasted wine? Ask your dad and/or ma if he, she or they like the taste of wine. Your grandmaa and grandpaa do not drink wine because they really do not like the taste of wine. Wine was the go-to beverage to drink when Jesus was alive on planet Earth – even if drinking too much wine would cause a guy or gal to become drunk. It was safer to drink wine 2000 years ago than water because of water often becoming contaminated. One of the Mosaic Law mandates that water was to be used for 2000 years ago was for ceremonial washing. Water that was to be used for ceremonial washing 2000 years ago was kept in large 20-to-30-gallon stone jars. On special occasions 2000 years ago – such as a wedding, the host of the special event was obliged to have on hand an adequate supply of wine for his guests to drink. Because of the hoopla that surrounded a wedding 2000 years ago, the wedding parties sometimes would last up to a week. It would have been a social blunder for a wedding host to run out of wine. Jesus’ first miracle was to turn water that servants had poured into six – 20-to-30-gallon stone jars into extraordinarily good tasting wine. Jesus had been invited to a wedding in the town of Cana. Jesus’ ma had also been invited to this wedding bash as well as the guys who Jesus had already called or picked to follow Him as His disciples. When the wine supply became depleted on the wedding’s third day of festivities, Jesus’ ma went to her kid and told Him that there was no more wine and . . . Jesus told His ma that His time for whatever had not yet come but then He did the water to wine miracle that Apostle John was led by God – as God the Spirit, to recount in his John Book – in John 2.
Do you like to go to weddings? Do you like wedding receptions? Your grandpaa really does not like to go to wedding receptions. Your grandmaa and grandpaa have very, very rarely drunk anything that would cause them to become inebriated if . . . your grandpaa does not know how to and he absolutely has no desire to dance. It seems like anymore that there is alcohol being drunk and some type of dance being danced at most wedding receptions. When your grandmaa and grandpaa, dad and ma and Uncle Chris and Aunt Lynn got married, their wedding receptions were very simple. There was no alcohol and no dancing at the wedding reception after the wedding ceremonies of your grandmaa and grandpaa, dad and ma and Uncle Chris and Aunt Lynn. Your grandpaa thinks that becoming married and having a spouse is the most important thing on planet Earth for a guy and gal to do and to have – other than personally accepting Jesus Christ as his or her Lord and Savior because of what Jesus – as God the Son, did while being hung on and nailed to a cross for the guys, gals and kids who God – as God the Father, specially elected to be for all eternity His adopted kids. The most vivid picture that your grandpaa remembers of his wedding day is that of your grandmaa beginning to walk down the center aisle of the Emmanuel Orthodox Presbyterian Church that is located on Wilson Road in Wilmington, Delaware. Your grandpaa will never ever forget how absolutely stunning and graceful that your grandmaa looked as your dad’s Uncle Drew walked his sister down the center aisle of the Wilmington Emmanuel Orthodox Presbyterian Church. Your grandpaa remembers thinking that what he was about to do was something that would be irreversible – that it was something that he would live with no matter what for the rest of his life. As your grandmaa was walking down Emmanuel Orthodox Presbyterian Church’s center aisle on the evening of February 14, 1964 to marry your grandpaa, your grandpaa remembers also thinking that he was a really lucky guy. Ask your dad what his thoughts were when he first saw your ma as your Grandpa Short began to walk his daughter down the aisle of the very same church where your grandmaa and grandpaa were married.
A wedding is a celebratory time – a very happy occasion for a guy and a gal who has just become one. A church is a celebratory center – a place where unrestrained joy can be wholeheartedly expressed to God. Weddings may take place in a church. To be able to worship God – as God the Father, in a church is brought about by having a born again relationship with Him through His Son – Who is Jesus Christ. Churches are not to be commercial centers. The temple that was built for God – as God the Father, in the city of Jerusalem – that was still being used 2000 years ago when Jesus was alive on planet Earth, was to be where animal sacrifices were to be made as sin atonements to God – as God the Father. The temple that Solomon built about 950 years earlier in the city of Jerusalem as a place where animal sacrifices were to be made as sin atonements to God – as God the Father, had become a dirty market place where guys sold cattle, sheep and doves while other guys exchanged money. When Jesus saw what was taking place in this holy temple that had been built in the city of Jerusalem for His Father, Jesus made a whip out of some cords and . . . Jesus’ ministry went from the miracle of turning plain water in the town of Cana into choice wine to forcefully turn some beguiled hearts in the city of Jerusalem into some very angry dudes. Even though miraculous signs were following Jesus wherever Jesus went in the city of Jerusalem and even though there were guys, gals and kids believing in His name, Jesus would only trust in His Father to help Him. Verse 25 says, “He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in man.” God – as God the Father, expects to be trusted like this today. Your trust in God – as God the Father, is to be all about your sealed, ‘married’ relationship with Jesus. A guy and gal – when they become married, become like one person – which is like a ‘marriage’ to Jesus when He is accepted.
John 2 (866)