Chasing the Beautiful God

Load the link and listen as you read: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4D9c7RhISc&sns=em

Have you ever noticed that the Bible begins with a wedding (Genesis 1 – Adam and Eve), the Bible ends with a wedding (Revelation 19), Jesus’ public ministry starts at a wedding (John 2) and Jesus’ public ministry ends with the parable of a wedding (Matthew 22) and the declaration of the first commandment (Matthew 22)? Something’s going on! That pattern is no coincidence. God is trying to tell us something. Have a look at John 2.

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:1-4)

Here in Jesus’ response you can almost hear His annoyance. ‘Mo-ther. Why are you drawing attention to me?’ (Though I’m sure He did it a respectful way.)

But look at what His mother says next. “His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”  (John 2:5)

There’s something in that that I haven’t yet understood. What boldness. What trust. I wonder what motivated her to respond like that and why she felt it was her responsibility to be concerned about the wine at the wedding? (I’m still waiting for the Holy Spirit to reveal answers for these questions)

And then Jesus responds. He turns jars of water into the equivalent of 908 bottles of wine. What?! From, ‘Mo-ther! What does your concern have to do with Me?’ to 908 bottles of wine?! It’s an extravagant and abundant miracle of provision. What happened in just a few verses to change His mind?

Here’s what I think. Jesus saw the bride walk down the aisle (or whatever she did in those days) and a great cry of passion arose in His heart. ‘Father, can I tell her? Can I tell this people who I am? Can I tell this people that they’re to be my bride?’ And from this passion overflowing from His heart came an extravagant miracle.

The truth is that Jesus desires us like a Bridegroom longs for his bride. Right at this minute in heaven, Jesus sits glorified at the side of the Father and the burning desire of His heart is this: ‘Is it time yet? How long, Father? Father, when is the day of my wedding? When do I get to return to my people?’ Like a young man who longs for the day he will meet his bride yet doesn’t know when it will be, so Jesus waits in heaven, longing, desiring, looking forward. Jesus lives to intercede for us and I believe His intercession goes something like this: “Father, I desire that my people would be with me where I am.” (John 17: 24)

The final verse of this wedding story in John 2 says, “And he said to him [the master of the feast speaking to the bridegroom], “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!” (v. 10)

‘You have kept the best wine until last! The revelation of Jesus as a Bridegroom is as the best wine to the human heart. When we experience the passion and longing of Jesus’ heart for us then the human heart explodes with love in return. In our time, in these last days, this is what the Spirit is revealing to the church across the earth. Jesus is a Bridegroom and He’s crying out, “Father, I desire!” We need to have this truth touch our heart.

Joel Ratcliffe