Practice #9 - Luke 7:36-50 36 Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him. And He went to the Pharisee’s house, and sat down to eat. 37 And behold, a woman in the city who was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at the table in the Phari- see’s house, brought an alabaster flask of fragrant oil, 38 and stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil. 39 Now when the Pharisee who had in- vited Him saw this, he spoke to himself, saying, “This Man, if He were a pro- phet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner.” 40 And Jesus answered and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” So he said, “Teacher, say it.” 41 “There was a certain creditor who had two debtors. One owed five hun- dred denarii, and the other fifty. 42 And when they had nothing with which to repay, he freely forgave them both. Tell Me, therefore, which of them will love him more?” 43 Simon answered and said, “I suppose the one whom he forgave more.” And He said to him, “You have rightly judged.” 44 Then He turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave Me no water for My feet, but she has washed My feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. 45 You gave Me no kiss, but this woman has not ceased to kiss My feet since the time I came in. 46 You did not anoint My head with oil, but this woman has anointed My feet with fra- grant oil. 47 Therefore I say to you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much. But to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little.” 48 Then He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” 49 And those who sat at the table with Him began to say to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” 50 Then He said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” Condense SUM IT UP: VITAL IDEA: Continued on next page... STUDYING THE BIBLE | 51
PRACTICE #10 SUGGESTIONS: Components Summed Up: A Pharisee and a Sinner Connections greet Jesus 52 | DIG DEEPER The Vital Idea: \"Forgiven much and forgiven little\"
TIME TO MOVE ON... STUDYING THE BIBLE | 53
COMPONENTS: DIVIDE IT UP! Review & Practical Steps... Now that you’ve had a chance to sum up some passages, we want to talk about step two, dividing the passages into logical components of thought and trying to discern the thought flow that the Holy Spirit incorporated into them. Imagine trying to study a Bible that did not have chapters and verses. It would add considerable challenge. Just as chapters and verses were added to the Bible to enable easier understanding, so doing your own break- down of the passage you are studying will make your study more helpful and attainable. In a certain sense this process simply involves reading the passage enough times to become very familiar with it and carefully examining how it moves from one verse to the next. But there are other things that will help us too. They are listed below: 1. USE THE FOLLOWING HELPFUL QUESTIONS: Who, What, When, Where and Why. a) Who is central to the passage? As you read along, make note of who the main characters are. b) What are the characters doing? Or if it is not a “story” passage, what are the verbs or action words in the passage? c) When is the action in the story taking place? d) Where are things taking place? What is the setting of the passage? e) Why are these things being presented in the manner they are in the passage? 2. LOOK FOR TRANSITION WORDS. Finding TRANSITION WORDS: the point where one idea or event moves on to the next one is challenging. But once we • Therefore • Then are able to find these points more readily, • Wherefore • For this it really will be a big help in understanding the passage we are studying. •Because reason • Since • So that There are words that are consistently used • If • And to make transitions and once we get into •But 54 | DIG DEEPER
the habit of looking for them it will make it easier to TIME see where things are moving from one idea to another. WORDS: This is especially helpful when we study the epistles of the New Testament. • Then • When When it comes to those parts of the Bible that are •The next day story based, it is helpful to look for words related to • There was the passing of time. That is only natural when you • Came think of a story and how it unfolds chronologically. It • Went is also worth noting when the Bible mentions a date • Morning and any references, for example, to Jewish Feasts • Evening and to a particular hour in the day. • And •But But don’t discount the idea of time when you study doctrinal passages. It can be important in these passages too, as there are often references to ideas past, present and future. 3. TAKE NOTE OF WHAT JESUS HAS TO SAY. The words of the Lord Jesus are always full of meaning, wisdom and importance. Red letter Bibles, which print the words of Jesus in red, reflect how worthwhile it is to pay attention to His words. It is also important to note that often what Jesus says will flow out of something that He has just done or is going to do. His words will give deeper insight into why He has done these things and will Then give us “object lessons” for the accompanying teaching. Jesus said... Jesus words are also sometimes connected or motivated by events that are happening around him. Focusing on His words will give us context and understanding of these events. 4. COMPARISONS AND CONTRASTS. The Bible frequently utilizes contrasts and especially comparisons. Seeing the similarities or differences between things is a very helpful way to gain an understanding of an idea or concept. Be on the lookout for contrasts or comparisons in the passage you are stu- dying. They appear more frequently than you think. Comparisons Think of some of the broad contrasts the Bible presents to us: those who are Believers and those who are lost; light and darkness; heaven and hell. Think of the times Paul presents a list of positive activities for a believer to pursue and then sets it in contrast with a list of negative activities to avoid. Contrasts STUDYING THE BIBLE | 55
When it comes to comparisons, think of all the symbols that the Bible com- pares the Lord Jesus to: a Lamb; the OT Tabernacle; the Greek letters Alpha and Omega; the Word (Logos); a Door; a Shepherd; heavenly Bread; a solid Rock. The list goes on and is a rich source from which to learn more about the Lord Jesus. Christians are likened to salt, well watered trees, sheep, stars and candles. The Christian life is spoken of as a marathon race, as walking, as an athletic endeavour, as a journey, as a sacrifice. There is so much to be gleaned from our Bible study by paying attention to any comparisons and contrasts we find in our passage. 5. PUT YOURSELF IN THE STORY. One of the most helpful things I have learned to do in my Bible study is to really make an effort to put myself in the story. Several benefits come from this. First of all, these stories happened in real time. After our first read of the Bible we know the outcome of the stories it tells. We know that Shadrach, Meschach and Abednego will survive the fiery furnace. But they didn’t know. We know that the ship carrying Jesus and His disciples made it through the storm to the other side. It’s good to remember that these stories happened to real people who experienced them minute by minute. That “in the moment” appreciation and understanding of the story is very important. Secondly, it is important to try and see the Bible and its stories through the lens of the society, social interactions, history and culture of the time. We do not even realize how much the lens of our own thinking, culture, society and place in history colours our thinking. Do your best to immerse yourself in the time and place of the Bible and you will notice things from a completely different perspective. 6. ASK QUESTIONS: As you read along, you should be actively engaged in asking questions about the passage. For some reason many people read passages and just pass over things they don’t understand. There are 56 | DIG DEEPER
concrete questions to ask such as where a particular story takes place or who a certain group of people were and there are abstract questions to ask such as why God allowed such a thing or why Jesus acted in the fashion He did. Whether concrete or abstract, asking all kinds of questions will bring clarity to a passage, deepen our understanding and can only help us to know our Bible better. Writing them down will keep a record of our thoughts and also will be a blessing as we find answers to what we have asked. 7. MEDITATE. To meditate simply means to spend some time thinking about something. Meditation is something that God asks us to do in relation to His Word (Josh. 1:8), so that divine admonition in itself should make us interested in doing it. As is usual with God’s commands though, mediation will also prove highly beneficial to us. Many a passage will be further opened up to us as we take some time to think about it. Our world is an incredibly noisy and distracting place. We can let our minds be filled with all manner of things to think about but meditating on a passage will bring great blessing and insight. Getting a summary statement understanding of a passage is challenging. So too is the process of breaking a passage into its components and getting a sense of its thought flow. But once you have done these things on your own, you will have really accomplished something worthwhile As we have already discussed, a commitment of time is going to be critical to this process as is continuing to patiently work at it. Don’t be discouraged if it is not easy at the start. Keep at it! All skills take time to hone and perfect. Martin Luther said: “I study my Bible as I gather apples. First, I shake the whole tree that the ripest might fall. Then I shake each limb and when I have shaken each limb, I shake each branch and every twig. Then I look under every leaf.” What a great image and a good template for our own approach. Practice Passages Now that you’ve thought a little bit about how to break down a passage into its components, go back to the passages that you made summary statements for and try work on breaking them down. Try and give a title to each section and explain how the flow of thought is moving from the beginning of the passage to the end. STUDYING THE BIBLE | 57
CONNECTIONS – EXPAND IT OUT! Review & Practical Steps... The third basic activity to consider when studying a passage is to search out various ways in which the passage connects with other passages in the Scripture. Perhaps a custom is mentioned that is tied to an Old Testament ritual. Perhaps another story is alluded to. In many cases there are principles that are expressed in other parts of the Bible that are illustrated by a story somewhere else, and we will be blessed when we are able to link them together. Many different subjects and doctrines are developed in different portions and books of the Bible. In fact, the whole of the Bible is interconnected and being able to draw these connections together brings great light to our Bible study. An excellent little rule to remember when studying the Scripture is that the Bible is its own best interpreter. Here are some different Biblical connections that you can search out in your own Bible study: TEXTUAL REFERENCES: When a passage specifically refers to another portion of Scripture we are literally being directed by God to make the connection to see why it is associated with what we are studying. This is particularly important in studying the New Testament, as there are numerous Old Testament allusions (see: John 3:14; Galatians 4:22-31; Acts 2:16-21). TOPICAL CONNECTIONS: The Bible is a book that is full of doctrines and various subjects. Seldom is one dealt with in totality in one place. To fully understand a subject we need to look at the different places that it is referred to. Sometimes it will only be a passing reference, sometimes it will be a fuller exposition, but all of the passages need to be considered to fully understand a subject. In connection with topical connections is the rule of First Mention. This rule of Bible study states that the first time a topic in the Bible is presented, you will always find very helpful information that will often 58 | DIG DEEPER
provide a good base for the rest of the Bible’s information on that subject (see: Genesis 18:2; Genesis 6:5,6, & 8:21). In connection with the rule of First Mention is the rule of Full Mention. This rule states that there is usually a place in the Scrip- ture where a considerable or “full” amount of information is given concerning a subject. While this passage will not provide all that there is to know about a subject, it is certainly an important source to investigate and will provide a good sense of what your topic is about (see: I Corinthians 13:1-8). These rules can certainly be helpful when it comes to getting an understanding of a Biblical subject but nothing replaces simply doing the work of searching out and studying the various places a subject is dealt with in the Scripture. ANALOGY (COMPARISON) CONNECTIONS: Many of the stories in the Bible are examples of truths and concepts that are presented in other places. This is especially helpful to us as Christians as God has given us pictures and ex- amples to help us grasp some of the doctrines and ideas associated with our salvation. Many of these examples are in the Old Testament but there are also examples in the Gospels and Acts. Take for example the issues associated with the exodus of the nation of Is- rael from Egypt. The events of that occasion mirror that of the Christian in our “salvation” experience—from deliverance through a lamb’s blood to passing through the waters of the Red Sea. In the Gospels of the New Tes- tament, there are five different occasions when people are healed of their blindness, reminding us of the truth of II Corinthians 4: 3-6, that a vital as- pect of salvation is being able to see clearly spiritually. EXEMPLARY CONNECTIONS: Associated with the previous subject but not exactly the same, exemplary connections are those Old Testament and New Testament stories and characters that give us examples as to how we should be living our lives. These examples are as broad as showing us how we should exercise faith in our Christian life (see: Hebrews 11) to the devastating effects of the tongue (see: I Samuel 22:6-23). These connections are particularly helpful for those who are communicating the Word of God to others as it al- lows us to make solid practical applications for their (and our own) benefit. STUDYING THE BIBLE | 59
GEOGRAPHICAL CONNECTIONS: It is interesting to see how even the places where Biblical events took place can illuminate our understanding of the Bible. When a place is mentioned in a passage you are studying, it is often helpful to trace some of the other events that occurred there (see: Bethle- hem in Genesis 35:16-20; Ruth 1:1; Matthew 2:1). CHARACTER CONNECTIONS: Another interesting subject to make connections with is that of the characters of the Bible. God has given us the record of many different men and women in the Scriptures. Some show us what to do, and some show us what not to do, but all are helpful in some fashion or another. Beyond the original telling of their story it is surprising where these characters will be mentioned (see: Moses mentioned 11 times in Hebrews; Abraham mentioned 9 times in Galatians). WORD OR PHRASE CONNECTIONS: Sometimes it is interesting to trace the mentions of a particular word or phrase. In putting them together you can often learn a very stimulating lesson (see: “as for me”; “one thing”; the mentions of Christ’s “hour” in John’s Gospel). PRACTICE: Take a look back over the various passages we have already looked at and see if you can think of at least one Biblical connection for each passage. How does it enhance your understanding of this passage? CONSECRATION – TAKING IT IN! Review & Practical Steps... After we have worked our way through a passage it is important to think of ways in which we can apply what we have learned to our lives. God’s Word was never meant to be studied in a vacuum. Our first focus in Bible study should always be personal growth and application. It is not to accumulate knowledge or to prepare some thoughts for a message or somebody else’s benefit. As someone has said, “It is not how you are going through the Bible that counts, it is how the Bible is going through you”. As we study we want to grow and learn. Often applications jump out at us and touch a particular spiritual need that we are experiencing in that moment. Other times, the application is a little more work to dig out. In the chart on the next page, you will find some “categories” of application that will help us find helpful practical items wherever we have been studying. 60 | DIG DEEPER
HOW TO APPLY THE BIBLE TO YOUR LIFE I. Knowledge — We want to know more about the Bible and its subject matter. As you study each passage, ask your self how it deepens your knowledge of the four main themes of the Bible: the Person of God; the People of God; the Provision of God; or the Plan of God. All of these themes run liberally through the Bible and are lifelong pursuits for us. II. Examples — Does the passage I am studying give me an example to follow? The Bible is full of information designed to help us live as we should. What examples are in the passage I am studying and how can I put them into practice? III. Errors — The Bible also warns us about errors to avoid. Does the passage I am studying warn me of any sin or iniquity to avoid? Does it convict me about something I am doing that I need to forsake? IV. Commands — The Bible is very straightforward about many issues that concern us. In many cases, God gives us clear commands regarding our behaviour and activities. Are there any such commands in the passage you are studying? V. Promises — The Bible is also a Book of promises. God promises many things to His people, but we miss out on His blessings because we fail to claim them. We need to be look- ing for promises in our study passage and then claim them. VI. Prayer — Prayer is essential to the spiritual well being of Gods people. God has chosen to record many prayers in His Word so that we might learn from them. Is there a prayer in my study passage that I should be echoing? Are there prayer requests in my passage that I need to take before the Lord? VII. Doctrines — The Bible contains specific teaching that forms the basic foundational be- liefs that we as Christians hold and rest our lives on. We call these teachings doctrines. Does my passage contain teaching that is important for me to understand if I am going to grow as a Christian. Is there something about Salvation for instance, or Baptism or Church practices. All of these things are worth taking note of as we build up our understanding of the Bible. VIII. Principles — The Bible has many direct commands for Believers to obey and put into practice, but the Bible is also a book of principles. If the Bible tried to list and speak into every hypothetical situation that might occur in a person's life it would be an enormous book and still might not cover every contingency. Instead, God gives principles that we can apply to specific situations in our life and find guidance and help as to how to deal with them. For instance if I try and think about how i should act in front of my colleagues at work, I can apply the principle of letting my light shine before them and not hiding the light of my testimony under a bushel. Are there principles in the passage I am studying that will help me better live my life for the Lord Jesus? Take note of them. STUDYING THE BIBLE | 61
Title page for last section STUDYING THE BIBLE | 5
The Character of God and the Person of Christ It seems worthwhile to give the closing word to the most important aspect of Bible study – God Himself and the living Word of God – Jesus Christ – the one who perfectly expresses who God is. The central focus of the entire Scriptures is to glorify God and reveal His character to us. As you go through a passage be on the lookout for what the story reveals about who God is and what aspects of His character are revealed. Of course, we know too that the Lord Jesus is to be found in all the Scriptures (Luke 24:27) so as you look at your story, be sure to look for glimpses of Him. This will be much more concrete in the stories of the Gospels but as we read Old Testament stories we will find Him there too as He appears in symbol and picture. O Book of wondrous depths and heights, and glories ever new, which in ten thousand various lights brings jesus into view. — Wm Blane STUDYING THE BIBLE | 65
Appendix: Another Example of the C4 Method — JOHN 2:1-11 — STUDYING THE BIBLE | 5
• JESUS TURNS WATER INTO WINE • — John 2:1-11 — 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they 1 On the third day there was filled them up to the brim. a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the 2 Now both Jesus and His master of the feast.” And they disciples were invited to the took it. wedding. 9 When the master of the feast 3 And when they ran out of wine, had tasted the water that was the mother of Jesus said to Him, made wine, and did not know “They have no wine.” where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the 4 Jesus said to her, “Woman, water knew), the master of the what does your concern have to feast called the bridegroom. do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” 10 And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out 5 His mother said to the the good wine, and when servants, “Whatever He says to the guests have well drunk, then you, do it.” the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to 11 This beginning of signs Jesus the manner of purification of the did in Cana of Galilee, and Jews, containing twenty or thirty manifested His glory; and His gallons apiece. disciples believed in Him. 68 | DIG DEEPER
1. CONDENSE: Jesus Turns Water Into Wine at a wedding H ow did we arrive at this conclusion? This passage is a bit longer than the last one and is actually an account from Jesus’ life. Since we are just getting started, let’s call it exactly what it is – Jesus doing an amazing miracle at a wedding, changing water to wine. Just a note: As our study progresses, we may formulate a different title for the passage. But at the start of any study, we don’t want to get our mind going, even unconsciously, down a particular line of thought to the exclusion of other ideas. So, we will keep the title basic and simple for now. Eventually we may wish to create a new title if, for instance, wenare going to present the study to an audience. Then we might choose some- thing stimulating and thought provoking to get our listener’s attention. 2. COMPONENTS: Verse 1-2 – The Wedding Invitation i) The Mother of Jesus is there ii) Jesus and His Disciples are invited Verse 3 – A Big Problem i) They have no wine Verse 4 – An Unusual Answer i) Jesus seems to say that it is not an issue for His attention ii) Based His response on the phrase “My hour is not yet come” Verse 5 – A Curious Follow Up i) Jesus Mother seems confident He will do something ii) Servants are directed to obey Him Verse 6-8 – The Steps of the Miracle i) The Purification Water Pots a) Their composition b) Their size c) Their use ii) The Command to Fill Them a) To the brim iii) Draw some out and give it to the Master of the Feast 69
Verse 9 – 10 – The Master of the Feast’s Response i) An act of faith ii) The secret the servants knew iii) The call for the Bridegroom iv) The Usual Method v) His Assessment of the wine Verse 11 – The Summation of the Story i) Beginning of Miracles ii) Setting – Cana iii) Manifested His glory iv) Disciples believed on Him H ow Did We Arrive at This Conclusion? This passage is a story and runs within the framework of most stories – that is, a chronological timeline that moves from one event to another. Our job is to follow along the timeline and notice “movements” from one event or moment to the next one. Just like the summary title, we have not done anything fanciful, simply identified one sequence after another and tried to list the components of each “movement”. Every one of these items will prove of interest as we go back and start to unravel what might be contained in these details. I would also add again, that as we begin to work our way through this section, we are trying to be comprehensive and identify all of the story’s details. A danger in Bible study is to quickly home in on one or two things and miss other important items. So, for now we aim to examine all the information. What we choose to emphasize when we come to the end of our study will be a subjective decision on our part. For instance, at that point we may bring forward some helpful applications we enjoyed. We might try and give interesting and memorable titles to each section and possibly focus in on the part of the story that gripped us, but along the way we want to do a full and fair investigation of the passage. 70 | DIG DEEPER
Moving Through the Components Here are a few thoughts that reveal themselves as we go back and begin to look more in depth at the various components we have identified in the story. Verse 1-2 – The Wedding Invitation i) The Mother of Jesus is there ii) Jesus and His Disciples are invited This portion begins with “And”, a conjunction or linking word, so we would want to take at least a brief look back to the events of John 1 and see what precedes this story. There may be some interesting revelations. The overall context of this story is a wedding, so it is important to keep that in mind as we look at everything. Weddings were ordained by God and are still a part of society today. A wedding then, would be as it is now, a wonderful, happy event that is very social in nature. This is the backdrop of the story, people getting together with the couple and their families, to celebrate and enjoy one another’s company. Thus, the lack of wine would be a significant issue. It is interesting that Mary was at the wedding, but Jesus and His disciples are described as being invited. When we couple this description of Mary with her knowledge about the lack of wine (which the guests are unaware of) and her ability to direct the servants, it indicates that Jesus Mother was probably performing an official function at the wedding, perhaps that of “event manager” to use a modern term. The fact that Jesus was invited tells us something about his acceptance within the community too. Not everyone would have been invited. Whoever the Bride and Groom were, they wanted His presence at their special day. All these thoughts (and there are more) come out of thinking our way through this first section. STUDYING THE BIBLE | 71
Verse 3 – A Big Problem i) They have no wine This section presents the central problem of the story. It is interesting that Jesus Mother goes to Him. There were probably other options (quickly buying more) but in her mind, her first and best option was her son. At a critical social event like this, the sudden lack of wine would be a point of shame and failure, especially within a small rural community. If His mother was a part of the organizing group, her reputation was also at stake. Verse 4 – An Unusual Answer i) Jesus seems to say that it is not an issue for His attention ii) He based His response on the phrase “My hour is not yet come.” The response of the Lord to His mother’s entreaty seems at first glance to be a little brusque and abrupt. But further investigation and med- itation needs to be applied to think through what is behind His response, especially since very shortly He is actually going to do what she asked. Just a thought, but perhaps He is not settling the issue of “will” He deal with the situation (we know he will) but “why” He will deal with it. A consideration of what He means by “His hour” is also going to be wor- thy of our attention. Jesus “hour” is mentioned numerous times in John’s Gospel so we will probably be rewarded if we follow up connections with those passages. Verse 5 – A Curious Follow Up i) Jesus Mother seems confident He will do something ii) Servants are directed to obey Him Interestingly, in spite of the Lord’s response in the previous verse, His mother seems confident that He will do something to address the situ- ation. So in some way, she read something positive out of what He was saying. The servants are now introduced into the story and it is inter- esting that their first directive is to do whatever Jesus says. Verse 6-8 – The Steps of the Miracle i) The Purification Water Pots a) Their composition b) Their size c) Their use 72 | DIG DEEPER
ii) The Command to Fill Them a) To the brim iii) Draw some out and give it to the Master of the Feast This section outlines how the miracle was done and as Jesus Mother fades from the story, the servants become prominent. It is noteworthy that a significant amount of detail is given to the vessels used for the miracle. The fact that they are described as being made of stone opens up an avenue for us to make some connections and think of other items made of stone, perhaps first and foremost, the tablets that Moses used to write the commandments of God on. The size of the pots is significant too. If we take a moment to understand their dimensions, we will see that they were quite large. Thus, it took a lot of water to fill them but as a result they eventually held a large amount of wine. Finally, we are told that these pots were used to hold the water that was used for Jewish purification rites, probably for the guests to the party. This is another detail that takes us back to the law of Moses. The new use of the pots is going to be quite different – not external but internal – which is also worth thinking about. The servants did exactly as Mary had instructed them. When the Lord said fill the pots, they filled them to the brim. There is something very beautiful about this and eventually I think we will be able to make some lovely applications. The next step for the servants was to bear some of the water to the gov- ernor of the feast. No one knew more clearly that it was water in the pots than the servants. They had put it in! But in great faith, they drew the water (vs 9). It seems to indicate that the water turned to wine as it was taken to the governor – a powerful testimony to how God works with His servants in conjunction with their obedience and faith. STUDYING THE BIBLE | 73
Verse 9 – 10 – The Master of the Feast’s Response i) An act of faith ii) The secret the servants knew iii) The call for the Bridegroom iv) The Usual Method v) His Assessment of the wine Here we see the outcome of the miracle and the master of the feast’s unbiased assessment of Jesus work. He affirms the typical human approach which is slightly deceptive and cost saving – serve the best wine first and then as people become intoxicated and can’t evaluate as effectively, the cheaper wine. But what has happened at this feast is truly a new approach. He proclaims that the choicest wine has been kept till last. Interestingly the most informed participants in this whole scenario are the servants who obeyed the Lord’s commands and did the work. When the master of the feast looks to commend someone for this outstanding event, he directs his praise to the Bridegroom, not the servants. There is an interesting lesson revealed in this act and it is worth meditating on it. Verse 11 – The Summation of the Story i) Beginning of Miracles ii) Setting – Cana iii) Manifested His glory iv) Disciples believed on Him This last verse stands alone and is very important as it is giving an executive summary of what was critical in the story and provides a final commentary on what lessons are behind the story. We find that this was our Lord’s first miracle so that makes it noteworthy. First things always tend to be remembered well and establish a pattern. The setting of the story is Cana and while that may not seem overly important we will probably eventually find a reason as to why it is emphasized. We are told that this miracle manifested Christ’s glory. This is a remark- able statement. This miracle revealed who Christ is. It does not reveal all of who He is, but it is our task to try and discern what is revealed of Christ in this miracle. 74 | DIG DEEPER
Finally, we read that this miracle affirmed the faith that the disciples had in Jesus. Again, we might ask ourselves, why was this necessary? Had anything been happening that would have made this needful? It will be worth thinking through why this was important. LOOKING AT THE STORY THROUGH MORE FILTERS 1. This seemingly simple and short story reveals some deep truths. As we’ve already seen (just by reading along and thinking), it reveals aspects of the glory of Christ. It gives an excellent template for servant- hood. It reveals how God does things differently than the standard worldly method. It gives a basis for Jesus’ disciples to believe in Him. None of these are small things to consider, so this story is rich in ideas and challenges for us to consider. 2. An important part of studying this passage is putting yourself in the story. A bit of research into Jewish weddings would set a fantastic backdrop in our minds as far as what was occurring. At a regular Bible study I attend, a young lady did considerable research into Jewish weddings, as a part of her study of this story. What she shared with us was deeply interesting and insightful. It was talked about over the months by everyone, as one of the most highly memorable and helpful study insights we heard. As we consider ourselves a part of the story, can we feel ourselves caught up in the joy and excitement of all those at the wedding? What distress did the organizers feel when it became apparent that the wine was running out? How did the servants feel about being asked to draw possibly 600 Liters of water (800 wine bottles)? Did the servants feel distress when they were told to carry the water to the governor of the feast? 3. There is an area of comparison with the water pots and the Jewish religious system of the day. How do they illustrate the OT legal system that would have been the context of Jewish life at this time. STUDYING THE BIBLE | 75
4. There is also a contrast associated with the pots. Jesus was going to use them in a new way. How would it be different from their usual use? 5. There is the contrast of how a usual wedding dispensed their wine and how it was done at this wedding. 3. CONNECTIONS There are many connections to pursue in this story. Here are just a few to get you started — • We are told that the miracles or “signs” that are recorded in the Gospel of John’s record have particular truths that they are meant to communi- cate. John shares what they are at the end of his Gospel (John 20:31). How does this miracle fit into John’s template? • Another connection we can think about is how this miracle fits in relation to some of the other miracles of John’s Gospel. This first miracle was at a wedding. The last miracle was at a funeral (John 11). • At the beginning of John’s Gospel (John 1:17) the Lord Jesus is contrasted with Moses. So we might want to think of the Lord’s miracles in relation to the plagues that Moses brought on Egypt and how different the Lord’s miracles were in relation to what Moses did – especially Moses first and last plague in relation to what Jesus does. 4. CONSECRATION. A few points of application surface as we now consider how these les- sons apply directly to our lives — • An exemplary application comes from this story in relation to the behaviour of the servants. They followed exactly the commands of the Lord even though it meant a lot of work. But by fully following His commands they received the fullest blessing that could be attained – as much wine as possibly could have been brought forth from the pots. 76 | DIG DEEPER
• An application of a principle is revealed in the way the governor of the feast commended the bridegroom, not the servants. When servants do their work as it should be done, it is the Bridegroom who will receive the glory, not the servants. And the servants will be pleased with that out- come and overjoyed that they had an opportunity to work with the Lord and therefore be the only ones privy to what He was doing. • A very challenging question for us comes out of this story. How do we settle in our minds the interaction between Jesus and His mother at the start of the story. He seems to indicate He will not address the situation and then very shortly after does. And it seems that His mother anticipated that He would. This will take some mediation and thought. I think we can see that there is much, much more that could be said about this story. We have only touched the surface but hopefully going through this example has helped give us a little better idea of why it is valuable to go through the passage this way and also how we try and apply each step of C4. STUDYING THE BIBLE | 77
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