MINE HOUR
John 2:1 ¶ And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: 2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. 3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. 6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. 9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, 10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
Mary is said to be “the mother of Jesus,” not “the mother of God.” She is the mother of the humanity of Jesus. But he is the Eternal Son of God, who always has been! John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God. As the Eternal Son he, like Melchizedek, is “without mother!” Hebrews 7:3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.
When he speaks of his “coming forth,” he refers to it being “from the Father,” not Mary. John 16:28 I came forth from the Father, (that’s his eternality), and am come into the world: (that’s his Incarnation), again, I leave the world,(that’s his ascension), and go to the Father, (that’s when the ManHead went back into the Godhood).
She proclaimed her need of a Saviour! Luke 1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. And the only Saviour for sinners is the Lord Jesus Christ! Acts 4:12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. We do not wish to take away any honor which the Lord God has placed upon her, but neither do we wish to exalt this dear sister above her rightful station.
And both she, and the Lord Jesus, along with his disciples were all invited to this wedding. And it is the scene of the first revelation of one of the greatest and most important matters in all of time. It is the setting forth of THE very most important hour in all human history! Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die;
And the event, along with the items used in the miracle are most significant. It was designed by God to take place at a wedding. This sets forth the ‘marriage’ of Christ to his Bride, the church. Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; 32 This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church.
Then it includes servants, water and wine. The servants represent the obedient workers of Christ, for the handling of the spiritual matters which can be served to those invited to his wedding. And the water, speaks of both the word of God, and the Holy Spirit. Still water speaks of the former. Ephesians 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word,
And moving water speaks of the Holy Spirit. John 7:38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
And Mary’s request to the Lord Jesus speaks of the church’s prayers to God for the wine, representing the very blood of Christ, to be applied to the invited guests. Matthew 26:27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
And it is most noteworthy that Mary, representing the church, gets out from between the servants and the Lord. She does not instruct them any farther than stating, Whatsoever he saith to you, do it. For no true representative of Christ seeks to be lord over His flock! 1 Peter 5:2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; 3 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. The church is to follow “his steps.” 1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
We are not to follow any man, but only as they follow Christ! 1 Corinthians 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. Song 1:7 Tell me, O thou whom my soul loveth, where thou feedest, where thou makest thy flock to rest at noon: for why should I be as one that turneth aside by the flocks of thy companions? 8 If thou know not, O thou fairest among women, go thy way forth by the footsteps of the flock, and feed thy kids beside the shepherds’ tents.
This is the setting for this beginning of the revelation of the most important hour in human history. For here our Lord speaks of it as, mine hour! For after this hour, the Father shall be satisfied! Isaiah 53:11 He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
After this hour all the sin of all the church, for all eternity shall be atoned for, and eternal justification shall be established. Romans 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
The Lord, as Alpha, brings to our attention his hour for the first time at this beginning of miracles. Then as the Omega, he later states that after his hour, all the work of redemption and atonement is done. John 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost. Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Now throughout his entire earthly ministry the Lord shall refer to this hour, and how it relates to his miracles. For he informs the Pharisees that even Herod cannot stop his ministry until all his miraculous “cures” have been carried out! Luke 13:31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. 32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. 33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem.
Also, his earthly half-brothers tempt him to go up to Jerusalem and show forth his “works” that he might be known. But he refuses as his hour is firmly set. For that which they wish him to do would not comply with its set timing. John 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Jewry, because the Jews sought to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ feast of tabernacles was at hand. 3 His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 4 For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. 5 For neither did his brethren believe in him. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. 7 The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil. 8 Go ye up unto this feast: I go not up yet unto this feast; for my time is not yet full come. 9 When he had said these words unto them, he abode still in Galilee.
And it was in one of his last miracles, just prior to his ordained hour, that even the “hour” of Satan and his forces was revealed! Luke 22:50 And one of them smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his right ear. 51 And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear, and healed him. 52 Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? 53 When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.
For his hour necessitated the hour for the “wicked hands” to bring about God’s ordained purpose. Acts 2:22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know: 23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
Therefore with his focus on his established hour, he preforms all things perfectly, as he must bow before the Father when it comes and be able to say, “I have glorified you on earth. I have finished the work thou gavest me to do!” (John 17:1,4) So his motives for preforming miracles were perfect. And his method of preforming them was perfect.
With his mother, he entered into no inordinate affection, with only a fleshly sympathy for those whose responsibility was to provide the wine. But he kept his hour in mind.
With his brothers, he entered into no fleshly ambition to go to the Jew’s feast at Jerusalem and preform miracles in order to make himself known.
With the Pharisees, he entered into no fleshly fear from their suggested threat as from Herod to take his life, but clearly stated that he had three more days of preforming miracles of “cures.”
And to the Jews he offers his perfect works in proof that he is indeed the Messiah! John 10:36 Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God?37 If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. 38 But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him.
For even the man born blind informed them that Jesus did works, previously unheard of in the entire history of mankind! John 9:32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind. 33 If this man were not of God, he could do nothing.
And in his case, the Lord Jesus had instructed his disciples that the man’s blindness was not a matter of sin, but of God’s glory! For he had his time of opportunity to preform miracles in mind before his hour came. John 9:1 And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? 3 Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. 4 I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.
And it was in “finishing the work” that the spirit of Christ was fed, as the glory of God was brought forth. John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 17:4 I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.
And as that perfect work brought forth God’s perfect glory, by which the inner spiritual man is fed, that earthly glory would open up the eternal glory, returning the Son of man into the oneness of his Father’s glory! John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.
And that eternal glory, which was set forth by Christ’s perfect work on earth, would bring in the glorifying of all believers, world without end. John 17:24 Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.
He had made sure that all his motives, methods and materials were perfect, in order that his sanctified life might yield the fruit of sanctification in all the believers lives! John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.
For in Christ’s perfections alone, can one be made able to seek his own perfections. Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. 2 Corinthians 7:1 Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
Thank the Lord for his perfect life and death which awarded him his resurrection!
Pastor Gene Breed