From Rituals to Redemption
Today we're going to look at how the work of Jesus is much better than what came before him. If you would like a list of 15 examples of how the second is better than the first, CLICK HERE
Alright, do you remember the story of Jesus' first sign? It's found in John chapter 2. It was a wedding where he turned water into wine.
For some reason, maybe there were more people than anticipated, or maybe someone just miscalculated, they ran out of wine. And you never want to do that.
When Jesus responded to his mother's request for help, he did something interesting and big. He had his helpers fill six big jars with water. Jars that were used for ritual washing. Over 120 gallons. And then he turned the water into wine. That's pretty big, right? That's a lot of wine.
While this event has much to teach us, I'll just mention three things here:
First, the containers once used for ritual purification under the Old Covenant were now filled with wine, symbolizing a profound shift in how humanity was going to be made clean. The wine here represents Jesus' blood, just like when he instituted the Lord's Supper, where he would say, This cup in the New Covenant is my blood. The cup of wine represents Jesus' blood, which provides forgiveness and redemption, permanent cleansing, and surpasses the temporary rituals of the old system.
So at this wedding, the wine in these ceremonial containers symbolized the final act of purification, Jesus' blood.
Second, the sheer quantity of wine produced, between 120 and 180 gallons, symbolizes the superabundance of God's kindness to us in the New Covenant. But this is not just a matter of quantity. It represents the depth and riches of the spiritual blessings Jesus will bring us on the cross.
The New Covenant offers complete cleansing and actually transforms the heart and soul.
The last thing I'll mention is the reaction of the Master of the Feast. What he said was really important.
“Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine, but you have kept the good wine until now.”
The better wine coming second represents the New Covenant's superiority over the old. Just as Jesus' wine was served last and is better than the first, the New Covenant ushered in by Jesus comes to replace the Old Covenant rituals.
So what can we take away from this?
Well, under the Old Covenant, those who wanted to maintain their relationship with God were required to keep lots of rules, including ceremonial washings.
And still today, it's our tendency to think that if we just keep the rules, God will smile on us. I must work to win God's favor. This is really bad thinking because we can't be good enough to gain favor with an infinitely holy God. How would that even work?
However, when Jesus died for us, he washed away the sins of his children. Our sins are absolutely gone. Stop trying to work for God. In Jesus, he has done the work for you.
Jesus, you are the only way we can be washed clean. You are who we need. I'm sorry for thinking I need to work to win your favor. That's my pride talking. Thank you for doing for me what I could never do for myself. Please cause me to trust you alone.
Let's close with this verse from the book of Hebrews. Hebrews 10.22.
“Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”
Song: Now Why This Fear