John 2:1-10
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 them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, “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!”
There are so many truths and encouragement to be drawn from this event described in John 2 above. Each time I hear about this particular wedding, I immediately wish I could have been there to taste the wine that Jesus made for the guests. No doubt it would have been the finest in quality and flavour as the master of the wedding said.
1 Corinthians 11:24-25
…He…took bread and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat;[b] this is My body which is broken[c] for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner Healso took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
Jesus demonstrated to His disciples and the Apostle Paul who wrote most of the New Testament, how He wanted to be remembered. He gave them bread and wine to eat and drink as a means by which His grace is imparted to our lives. Wine added to the joyfulness of the wedding celebration and as part of the Lord’s supper we also receive joy through seeing and receiving what Jesus did for us on the cross.
1 Thessalonians 5:18
..in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Philippians 4: 6-7
Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
By habit I often ‘say grace’ over my food as a prayer asking God to sanctify the food as harm-free for my body and often forgetting though that by ‘giving thanks’ for the food such a prayer is a reminder that all my needs God cares for as well, even the smallest ones. We are encouraged to thank God for good things, and in the bad things we can even thank Him that He will turn such things around for our good! (Romans 8:28)
McDonald’s in Australia have McCafes and the current advertising campaign says any customer can return the coffee if expectations haven’t been met. Their reputation for coffee is usually not the best. Having a good appreciation for a good cup of coffee expectations for quality and flavour for a McCafe coffee needs to be adjusted slightly. Expectations adjusted, passing through their drive-through this morning the coffee somehow exceeded my expectations.
I have no doubt that if we invited Jesus to have coffee with us, he would turn the best cup of coffee from the best café in the world into the smoothest, most flavour-some cup we’d ever taste! Taking a ‘coffee break’ with Jesus, sitting down with Him to refresh and rest in His presence He reminds us again of Himself, as in the Lord’s supper, of His love for us and His peace is imparted guarding our hearts and minds in Him. (Philippians 4:6-7)
The Lord’s supper, the Holy Communion, is a precious time for us as believers, to get to know our Saviour intimately. (Luke 24:31) It is the means by which Jesus’ blessings oflife, health and provision is received into our lives. With the bread and wine we remember Him, and today with agood cup of coffee I also give thanks.
Grapes are crushed to make wine and coffee beans are ground and burned:
Our Saviour was crushed and burned on our behalf at the cross, taking on God’s Holy wrath against our sins, so that we can take now receive His sweetness, His grace, His blessings! Let us give thanks. (Romans 5:9)
Jesus made wine out of love for the wedding guests; coffee can be made with love and shared with those we love: ‘In this is love, not that we loved God, butthat He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.’ (1 John 4:10) Let us give thanks.
Wine in the Bible is a picture of Jesus and a symbol and celebration of life. Coffee is drunk to make us feel more awake and alive! ‘I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.’(John 10:10)
Wine smells sweet; coffee has a calming, pleasant aroma: Jesus exudes a sweet, calming aroma for us to take into our souls bringing deep calm to our consciences and souls. ‘And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.’(Ephesians 5:2)
Romans 14:17
..for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
But better than any good food or drink that we can thank God for, His Son, Jesus Christ is more satisfying than anything we will ever taste in this life. He over-exceeds all possible expectations for His love is better than wine! (Song of Songs 1:2) ‘And Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life.He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.’(John 6:35)
As we share our lives, communicating with loved ones over coffee and meals, we can also give thanks and remember that God is also so ready and present for us to share our lives with Him. We can bring everything to Him and His peace will be given to us to protect our hearts and minds.May His sweetness, life, and love be known to you today, in Jesus name, Amen!