AGAPE LESSON 9
THE REDEMPTION OF THE HUMAN RACE
Put together by Bongie Kuzwayo
[John2v1—11] On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. (2) Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. (3) And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” (4) Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.” (6) Now there were set there six water pots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. (7) Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” And they filled them to the brim. (8) And He said to them, “Draw some now, and take to the master of the feast.” And they took it. (9) When the master of the feast had tasted the wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servant who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. (10) And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” (11) This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
(John2 v1 ) On the third day = a day of resurrection. Jesus rose from the dead, and became the First
fruits of those who have fallen asleep. When a seed is put into the ground, it enters a Sabbath of rest. On the third day, resurrection power kicks in (when conditions are favorable), and it geminates and is brought back to life.
Cana of Galilee = a place of reeds (a Calamus plant). During floods this plant will bend to the direction of the waterflow. After the waters have finished sweeping through, the calamus will stand erect again.
This is a metaphor for obedience. This represents a believer who will obey instantly, without questioning. This believer will flow with the purposes of God.
Reed also means, a measuring rod/a standard. So, this believer becomes God’s standard for judgement. The obedience standard of this believer is the very thing that will judge others. [Hebrew11v7] By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.
His mother = here Mary represents the law that governs the relationship between God and humanity. She is the connection between that which is natural and the divine. She is Jesus’ connection to humanity and is humanity’s connection to the divine.
Jesus and His twelve = this is a metaphor for the corporate Son (the City Church).
Wedding has to do with covenant. Here the New Covenant was being initiated. Everything had been made ready for the wedding celebration of the Lamb and His Bride (the church).
[Matthew22v2—5, 8—10) The kingdom of God is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son, (3) and sent out his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding; and they were not willing to come. (4) Again, he sent out other servants, saying, “Tell those who are invited, ‘See, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and fatted cattle are killed, and all things are ready. Come to the wedding.”’ (5) But they made light of it and went their ways, one to his own farm, another to his business. (8) Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready, but those who were invited
2
were not worthy. (9) Therefore, go into the highways, and as many as you find, invite to the wedding.” (10) So, those servants went out onto the highways and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was full with guests.
[Matthew 21v31b–32] Assuredly I say to you that the tax-collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. (32) For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax-collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.
Israel, the then church, had broken God’s covenant which He had made with their fathers (Jeremiah32v32).
(v2) Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
It appears that the mother of Jesus was already at the wedding (in the kingdom of God). When she confessed, “Behold, the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me according to your word.” (Luke1v38). (Luke1v38). This is when she entered the kingdom. And the way she initiates the solution to the problem, it appears the wedding was in her house.
The mother of Jesus is a link between the divine and the natural. And here she initiates the solution to the problem at hand – “They have no wine.” She is like standing in the gap as an interface between two realms, assuming an intercessory position. As she hears, she speaks, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
“They have no wine.” = this expression speaks of the end of the law. Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost (Luke 19v10). He came to seek, to find and gather the nation, to reconcile humanity back to God. The real wine (Christ) was right there in their midst.
When Jesus came to the scene, Israel (the then church) was backslidden and was famished. Joel gives us a gloomy picture. The atmosphere is soar. A feast is not a feast without wine.
[Joel 1v5, 8–12] Awake, you drunkards, and weep; and wail, all you drinkers of wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth. (8) Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the husband of her youth. (9) The grain offering and the drink offering has been cut off from the house of the Lord; the priests mourn, who minister to the Lord. (10) The field is wasted, the land mourns; for the grain is ruined, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails. (11) Be ashamed, you farmers, for the wheat and the barley; because the harvest of the field is perished.
There was no wine for the wedding celebration.
[Joel 1v12] The wine has dried up, and the fig tree has withered; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree—all the trees of the field are withered; surely joy has withered away from the sons of men.
Isaiah puts it this way:
Isaiah puts it this way: [Isaiah24v7—8] The new wine fails, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh. (8) The mirth of the Tambourine ceases, the noise of the jubilant ends, the joy of the harp ceases.
Jesus and His disciples are already in the celebration and are the most important guests. When Jesus said to them, “Follow Me” they followed and entered the kingdom.
(5) You will notice that Jesus’ mother did not focus on what Jesus said, but stayed focused on what had to be done. She said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”
3
Servants are the laborers, the five-fold graces in the church. [Ephesians4v11—12] And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, (12) For the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, (13) till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.
(v6) Now there were set there three water-pots of stone.
Set = to lie (a) as of an infant (b) as of one buried (c) as of things that quietly cover some spot. Metaphorically = one who is held in subjection by the devil – lies in the power of the evil one.
As you know, the whole of humanity came under the sway of the evil one since the fall. [Ephesians2v4—6] But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, (5) Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), (6) and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Six is a number of man/a number of flesh. Man was created on the sixth day (Genesis2v7).
Six water pots symbolize humanity lying purposeless – dead in trespasses.
Water pots of stone were vessels for holding water, used for ceremonial washing according to the tradition of the Jews.
Stone = metaphorically Christ [1Peter2v4—5] Coming to Him as a Living Stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, (5) you also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Stone = (eben in Hebrew) from the root Bana meaning to build. Sons are building blocks for family, to perpetuate the family name. As sons to our Father in heaven, we are building material, living stones for His house (1Peter 2v5).
(v7) “Fill the water pots with water.” Obviously, they could not fill the water pots without first propping/raising them up. This is a metaphor for regeneration/resurrection of man’s spirit [Ephesians2v6] and raised us up together, and made us sit in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.
Water is a constant picture of the word of God. [Ephesians5v25—27] Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, (26) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of the water by the word. (27) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.
The water pots (humanity) were filled to the brim with Christ Himself. The water was immediately transformed into mature wine. This speaks of maturity (the best wine).
The servants, that is (five-fold graces), are to continue to labor, to bring sons to maturity. [Matthew28v18—20] All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. (19) Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, (20) teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen.
Water in stone jars (humanity) transforms them from ceremonial activity; transforms them from lying there purposeless; transforms them to carriers of divine understanding. Paul speaks of this treasure in earthen vessels. [2Corinthians4v7] But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that
4
the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. When When the water is drawn out, it will be the best wine = rivers of living water.
[John4v13–14] Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, (14) but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
When the church (the corporate Son/body of Christ reaches maturity – the wine will be well seasoned (the best wine). The best wine will be a river/Spirit-filled word.
[Psalm46v4–5] There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most-High. (5) God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
[Romans14v17] For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
(John2v9) Called the bridegroom. (John2v10) You have kept the good wine until now.
Jesus here is the Groom of the church (His bride) [Revelation19v7] Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.
All this was happening at a wedding, prefiguring the marriage feast of Christ and the church. A wedding puts a woman back into man (from where she was extracted) and they become one again. Man and woman were indistinguishable until God caused the man to sleep.
[Genesis 1v27] So God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them.
[John2v11] This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.