Miracles
The Vertical Interrupting The Horizontal Making The Impossible Possible And The Unbelievable Believable
How to understand signs. It's when it couldn't be done on a horizontal plane (a human plane) and then all of a sudden the vertical interrupts the horizontal, the supernatural interrupts the natural. It make what people believe to be impossible, possible.
One of the first miracles in the bible
John 2
2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
At this point Jesus has already gathered his disciples, and they are all ready gathered together. He picked them up one by one, they were fisherman, tax collectors, carpenters, lower blue class people.
3 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
Weddings during this time went on for over a week, it was the groom who was considered the prominent one in the wedding, it was also the groom who was responsible to pay for the whole wedding. They get married on the third day and on the first day they run out of wine.
4 "Woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My hour has not yet come."
Jesus was already thinking about the cross, He was already thinking about the cross as he began his ministry, what his point was what his objective was. It was to make the impossible, possible
5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
Why? She trusts him, she knows he'll do the right thing, cause he always does. She puts it in his hands.
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet." They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, through the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."
Jesus does what his mother ask, why? Because he cares. In the Old Testament wine is equated to joy. It's why they served it at weddings, it represented joy. Joy can only come from Jesus. When we look outside of God for joy, the only thing we find is addictions. There is no joy outside of Christ.
Master of the banquet questions? why are you bringing out the good stuff now? you do that at the beginning. He doesn't know.
Why was the wine so important?
It was to show them God's Glory. When we see his glory it helps us to believe. All the miracles in the Bible pointed people to God's Glory, that they might experience a joy that would allow them to believe the unbelievable.
11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
I. God Is With Us: When God interrupts the horizontal it is just one more sign that He is with us.
II. God Is For Us: Don't ever think that God doesn't care about you, He is all about you, because He loves you. When you pray, pray for miracles. He is all around us even today.
III. God Can Save Us: Because that is the Gospel of Christ, whatever it is God can work a miracle in your life and save you.
Who's hands are you in? It all depends who hands you are in. Do you put your cares in God's hands? God will work miracles in us and through us if we put ourselves in his hands.
When God does miracles, he doesn't ignore the horizontal, he just interrupts it and changes it.
1. Remember you are a miracle of God, nobody could make you if they tried.
2. Nobody can do in you what God can do.
Go forth this week and look at how the vertical has interrupted the horizontal in your life.
Notes taken by: lorelllawrence@comcast.net
Any errors or miscommunication please refer to me not the pastor, the intent is for you to have the notes for review in the series, also to reflect on during the week.
God Bless,
Service By: Pastor Frederick Williams