Your Cana Moment!

“Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for Jewish ceremonial washing. Each could hold twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” When the jars had been filled, he said, “Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.” So the servants followed his instructions. When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over. “A host always serves the best wine first,” he said. “Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!” This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was the first time Jesus revealed his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”-John 2:6-11

Of all the miracles that could have been Jesus’ first miracle, why would Jesus choose the miracle of turning water into wine as His first? Why not walk on water first, or feed the five thousand or heal the sick first? A casual reading of this passage might make you think this was some kind of warm-up miracle. He really wasn’t looking to do anything, yet Mary kind of forced the issue:

“The next day there was a wedding celebration in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. The wine supply ran out during the festivities, so Jesus’ mother told him, “They have no more wine.” “Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. “My time has not yet come.” But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” -John 2:1-5

However, if we can look past the fact that it was His least extravagant miracle, we will find that it was His most extraordinary. Because what Jesus was about to do to the water, He desires to do in each of our lives.

The miracle in Cana was not about Jesus being capable of changing the molecular structure of water into wine. It was a demonstration of His ability to categorically transform one thing into something new. With a little heat I can change water to steam or with some frigid cold I can turn water to ice. Regardless, it is still going to be H2O. Jesus, however, can transform it into an entirely different compound. He can make it a new creation!

He didn’t make good wine better or even bad wine better for that matter. Instead, He made that which was not wine, to be wine. He demonstrated with water what He intended to do with us:

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”-2 Corinthians 5:17

That is a hard truth for many to accept. Jesus doesn’t simply want to make you better, He wants to make you new. Sometimes it’s easier to have faith in the idea that God can create something from nothing than it is to believe that God can transform something common (like you & I) into something extraordinary. 

It was at Cana where God showed us just what He is capable of, if we will put our trust in Him. Today is your Cana moment! Jesus wanter you to come to Him and let Him transform your life!

Scott Burr 
Dayspring Community Church 

Nothing Wasted! (Pt.2)

(Part 2 of 2)

“Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.”-John 6:11-12

The problem that most of us have, is that in order to bless many, God has to break up the loaf. That seems so contrary to how we want to live our lives. We don’t want to live broken, we want to be whole.Yet, as appealing as a whole loaf can be, left intact it is all that we have. If we remain whole, we can only give ourselves to one person, but broken we can be a blessing to many. In God’s economy, dividing doesn’t diminish the amount we have to give, it multiplies the people that can be reached.

Jesus took that boy’s lunch and broke it. This creates a stumbling block in so many people’s hearts and minds. That ideal life that you have dreamed of, carefully planned, and settled into; at times must be broken or disrupted to bless many. Those disruptions are God’s way of preparing us to be shared. 

We all go through trials, difficulties, and seasons of pain and in those moments we may feel as if we are falling to pieces and perhaps that is exactly what is happening. Unfortunately, we look at brokenness as a problem and not an opportunity. We want God to step in and take those broken pieces and reassemble us like a puzzle, but instead God is trying to prepare our lives to be given away. Truth is, we receive better from people that have experienced what we have been through. 

That part of your life, like when you lost a child, you can share that experience with others going through the same thing. How about when you and your spouse struggled in your marriage and God brought you back from the brink of divorce? You can share that experience with others and give them hope. Or when you lost your job and had to file bankruptcy and thought you’d never recover? You can share that with others and be an encouragement to them. 

Finally, sometimes we hold back because we fear that what we give will be wasted. Ever feel like you give and give, but never see a return. We feel spent and depleted and so we stop giving of ourselves, worrying that we are wasting our loaf (life). However, a life that is broken and blessed by God is never wasted: 

“After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.”-John 6:12

Nothing wasted! Jesus gathered up the pieces of that little boy’s lunch and collected twelve baskets full. In the end, that little boy ended up with far more than he started with, because he was willing to give up what little he had at first. 

It’s not about what you have to bring, but what you are willing to give. The key is that you give it to God first. That little boy could have divided his own lunch up and maybe fed two or three others. Instead, he brought his lunch to Jesus, let Him bless it, and saw the multitudes fed. Today you may not feel like you have much to bring, but if you will give it to God; He will bless it to see the multitudes fed. 

Scott Burr

Dayspring Community Church 

Nothing Wasted! (Pt.1)

(Part 1 of 2)

“Then Jesus took the loaves, gave thanks to God, and distributed them to the people. Afterward he did the same with the fish. And they all ate as much as they wanted. After everyone was full, Jesus told his disciples, “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” -John 6:11-12

The story of Jesus feeding the five thousand is an iconic story in the Bible. It is recorded in all four of the gospels and is an amazing account of God’s provision. However, reading it again I realize that the lesson goes deeper than just fish and loaves. It reveals more than simply what God can do with a little boys lunch, but rather it demonstrates what He can do with your life, if you will let Him.

There are three major characters in this story: Jesus, the crowd, and His disciples. I say, three, because those are the groups we most often focus on when we teach and read this passage. However, the real hero of this passage is the young unnamed boy who gave up his lunch. We don’t know who he is or to whom he belongs, but it is curious that the one person in this story who acted with complete selflessness doesn’t even get a name drop!

More than anyone else in this story, God’s desire is that we identify with that young boy. This young man didn’t have a lot to offer, but he was willing to give what he had to bless others. He could have eaten what he had been given and went home satisfied, but rather he did something extraordinary with what little he had and God used it to bless the multitudes.

Jesus received the two fish and five loaves from the young boy and the according to the passage he took it, blessed it, broke it, and gave it away. That is precisely what God wants to do with your life, if you will give it to HIm. He will bless it, break it, and give it away.

In our culture, we measure value by how much we have or how much we have accumulated. However, in reality, how much we have isn’t as important as how much we are willing to give. Pastor Andy Stanley stated it like this: “The value of a life is always measured by how much of it is given away.”

It reminds me of a story in the Bible about a poor widow who came to the temple with her offering. She dropped in two coins that did not amount to very much. At the same time a rich man came in and gave a hefty offering which was much larger in comparison. Yet, Jesus turning to his disciples told them that the widow gave more than anyone else that day, because everyone else gave out of their surplus, where she gave out of her need.
So it isn’t too hard to believe that even Jesus’ disciples looked at the little boy’s lunch and thought: “We don’t have much to work with here.” The need was so vast and what this little boy had to offer was so small. Let’s be honest, sometimes it isn’t just other people that see us as having little to offer, we see ourselves that way too. Because of that we hold back. We don’t even bring to Jesus what little we have.

The beauty of this story is that nobody that day, besides Jesus, knew the potential that little boy was carrying around with him. He carried the making of a miracle, yet nobody but Jesus saw it.

Scott Burr
Dayspring Community Church