THE KING’S- BUSINESS
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that. It is true that the ruler of the feast spoke of the usual custom of giving the bad wine after the guests were so full that they could not dis cover between good and bad, but he does not say, nor even hint, that these guests at the present feast were in that condition, but simply was stating a general practice. So there is no indication whatever that there had been any excess on the present occa sion. Any one must be hard pressed to find something to find fault with in our Lord Jesus in order to discover it here. In the last clause, “Thou hast kept the good wine until now” the ruler of the feast unconsciously states a great principle concerning the world’s joy and the joy our Lord gives. In worldly exeprience we get the best first; in our communion with Christ our joy and blessedness ever grows and we get the best last. No matter how deep our experiences, there is al ways something better ahead. Some times our experiences reach so far be yond what we have experienced be fore that it seems to us as if even God could not exceed this, but He can and will. We should never for a moment imagine that we have as yet received the very best that God can give. The ruler of the feast and the guests gave all the glory to the bridegroom and not to the Lord Jesus to whom it really belonged. So we are ever giving glory to man that really be- lings to Jesus alone. The naturalness and simplicity and entire absence of all attempt at coloring and effect in the whole narrative is amazing, and is an unmistakable evidence that the rec ord is inspired by God. There is no record of any astonishment on the part of the servants, nor expression of sat isfaction and wonder on the part of the company, no record of any thanks from the bridal pair, no exclamations of enthusiasm or wonder even on the
part of the disciples. Some one has well said, “The record stands, like an Alpine mountain, in its naked dignity and divine grandeur.” V. 11. “ This beginning of mir acles (rather, His signs ) did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth (omit, forth) His glory; and His disciples believed on Him.” The word translated “miracles” in the verse means literally “signs,” and it is much better to so translate it.: There are a number of words trans lated “miracle” in our Authorized Version. Each of these words has a significance all its own. The one here used is that most commonly used, oc curring 22 times, and occurring most, frequently in John’s writings. The thought concerning the works of our Lord which it emphasizes is that these works were “signs” of His Divine na ture and mission and Messianic office. As the purpose of the writing of John’s Gospel was that men might be lieve that He was the Christ the Son of God (ch. 20:31), and as our Lord Himself appealed to His works as a proof that He was in the Father and the Father in Him (ch. 14:11), it was natural that John should emphasize the fact that the wonders or powers that He worked were “signs.” These outward acts of our Lord were reve lations of the inward truth about Him self and His mission. This was the first sign that Jesus wrought, i. e., the first outward act in which He revealed His Divine nature and mission. So we see that the wonders ascribed to Jesus in His youth, in the apocryphal gospels are not historic. Moses’ first sign of his mission of law and judg ment was to turn water into blood (Ex. 7:14-21): our Lord’s first sign of His mission of grace and salva tion and blessing was to turn water into wine. We have here a striking suggestion of the contrast between law and grace. It is suggestive that
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