12. What Makes Jesus Marvel? part two

"Woman, what have I to do with thee?” John 2:4

I was talking with a new friend of mine. We were discussing this question, and I asked her this: “What does Jesus have to do with you?” She paused and considered her life. She had this to say, “He has nothing to do with me!” (She automatically went back to her old life before salvation. She had things in mind that she had done before her relationship with Jesus.)

I was stumped by her perspective! I explained how Jesus had wonderfully made her in her mother’s womb. He had breathed life into her at her birth. He had sustained her throughout all her life, even before salvation. She agreed with me when she could see the truth of it.

How often do we just assume Jesus does not have a place in our lives? Why do we forget Jesus? Thank God, Jesus never forgets us!

What did Jesus have to do with Mary? She was his mom, but He was also 30 years old now. That seemed like a fair question but when we consider Who Jesus is and what Mary knew about Him… He had a lot to do with her! It was because of Him that she existed and breathed. Because of Him she was visited by the Holy Spirit 31 years ago. The list goes on and on! He had everything to do with her!

So why this response from her Son, the Son of God?

We saw in the last post how Jesus was provoking the Canaanite Woman of Matthew 15 to faith in believing. Maybe Jesus was using the same technique here. When I studied this out. I saw how Jesus marveled in the New Testament. When I read that Jesus, the Son of God, Who created all things, Who “Was and Is and Is To Come,” would marvel at something…. that got my attention!!!

What would make Jesus marvel? He is the Creator! He is the Healer! He is the Provider! He is the Beginning and the End!

I know what makes me marvel. Beautiful nature, sunrises, sunsets, amazing facts about life, nature, animals, etc. But Jesus? I think He would marvel when someone goes beyond believing into a place of faith that has no other option. Somebody who puts all their eggs in the “Jesus Basket,” so to say. I think that gets His attention. “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen” Hebrews 11:1.

Back to the story. Mary had taken it upon herself to let Jesus know this wedding was going to go south if He did not do something to help this couple save face in front of the whole village. She did not ask, beg or plead with him. She just put it in his proverbial lap. “They have no wine.” And walked away from it. She went directly to the servants, and said to them, “Whatsoever He saith unto you do it.” That was faith!!! (The substance of things hoped for; she hoped Jesus would help this family. The evidence of things not seen; She had no idea what Jesus would do to make it happen, but she believed He could do something.)

Can you picture the servants? They were in a bad predicament. This wine had not lasted through the wedding. It was running out and it would be embarrassing to go to the master of ceremonies and have to tell him the bad news. So, this woman came to the servants and said don’t worry I’ll take care of this. They watch her go to a man, and he says something back to her, and then she walks directly back to the servants and tells them “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.”

Jesus was watching His mom. He saw that she is exhibiting extreme faith in Him. I believe that He was so moved by this woman, that He takes the challenge and makes the first miracle. It is her faith that stirred Him. And He marveled at it! So much so that this is recorded as THE BEGINNING OF MIRACLES in verse 11. Jesus also knew that the outcome of this miracle “manifested forth His glory; and His disciples believed on Him.” It was a perfect set up for Him to start His ministry and Mary was part of it because she knew Who He was. Not because Mary had any power. The Canaanite woman had no power; but to believe on the Son of God. Mary simply believed in Jesus.

The servants must have been scared. But not so scared that they could not see this woman’s confidence in this man. They took that confidence and followed through with the most ridiculous of remedies for this problem! None of this made sense! Fill the water pots with water?! What? How?

Okay…they had enough confidence in him that they filled it to the brim!

The next task they must have drawn straws for, because how do you bring a cup of water to the master of ceremonies without thinking, “this is stupid, I might lose my job, or my life here!”

This act caused a silence to fall over this party. The master of ceremonies stopped everything to make an announcement. “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.” verse 10

Can you imagine being that servant, that day? What an amazing story he would have to tell all his children and grandchildren!

“What have I to do with you?” Jesus asks. At first you might be tempted to answer, “Nothing, if you knew who I was!” But the truth is, Jesus has everything to do with you! Read Psalm 139 and ask this again. Think of when He saved you, not just your salvation experience but all the times before that, when maybe you should have died, physically. Maybe when your sin had desire over you, and you were dead in your sins. Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

What does Jesus have to with you? Ask Him and wait for an answer.

What keeps us from having such extreme faith in Him that we would act like Mary or the Canaanite woman? This is not a “name and claim it” proposal. Your faith must be in line with scripture and your relationship with Him real.

Jesus marveled when people had faith in Him. He also marveled when they didn’t! What have you done to make Jesus marvel?

Matthew 8:10; Luke 7:9

Mark 6:6

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