Breaking Ground
What was the best party that you’ve ever attended? Why?
The Dig
This Sunday, we continued our series Jesus the Christ by sitting with the story about the Wedding in Cana.
Read John 2:1-12. In this famous story, Jesus saves a wedding party from social disaster by turning water into wine. In doing so, John writes that Jesus revealed his true identity & purpose for the first time (who is & what he’s come to do).
What are the main elements of this story? Who are the main characters? How does each respond to Jesus in the story? Which parts of the story standout to you most?
In this story, Jesus engages two key institutions & traditions of his 1st century Jewish world. First, there’s the wedding banquet, a common Hebrew metaphor for the long-awaited arrival of God’s Kingdom, which would renew all things.
Second, there are the six stone jars, which were part of the complex system of ritual washings that had formed in Judaism around maintaining one’s purity. Critically, it’s from these empty, religious artifacts that Jesus chooses to draw out new wine for consumption at this wedding party (which, interestingly, would have rendered the jars incapable of serving as containers for these purification rituals moving forward).
Why does Jesus choose a wedding banquet for this moment in his ministry? Why would point to a party as the first image for describing who is & why he’s come?
Why does Jesus intentionally decide to engage with these symbols of a religious system built upon ritual purity in this miracle? What is he revealing about how he intends to reorient & transform our understanding of religion & spirituality?
Reflect upon how this story might speak to your life right now.
Why is it so easy for us to exchange real spiritual transformation for rules & purity codes even when they aren’t helping us or others? Why do we prefer rituals & traditions to Jesus’ image of an active, life-giving, abundant party? How does this lead us to miss the intended, God-given purpose of spirituality?
Is there anywhere in your life right now where, despite all your efforts, you still feel empty & barren? What’s led you to feel this way?
How might this story speak into what you’ve identified? What might it look like forJesus to draw new wine out of our dried up, empty areas of life & religion?
Getting Out of the Hole
In this series, take time each week to reflect upon the story from the story & how you can find yourself within it during this season of your life.
- Read John 2:1-12. First, break this story down into pieces. What is Jesus doing in this story? How are people responding to him? What changes by the end of the story?
- Next, close your eyes & reflect upon the story. Imagine yourself in it. Put yourself into the space of the various characters & imagine what it would be like to encounter Jesus in the story.
- What images, teachings, or ideas speak to you the most in this story? What intrigues or confuses you? What feelings arose as you thought about being in the story? How can this story impact your life & your relationship with Jesus in this next season?
Journal, reflect, & pray on how God might be speaking to you through each week’s teaching. Share your experience with your growth group next week!
Additional Resources*
TheBibleProject.com
Short Stories by Jesus: The Enigmatic Parables of a Controversial Rabbi by Amy-Jill Levine
Simply Jesus by NT Wright
The Ragamuffin Gospel by Brennan Manning
Coming Up This Week:*
Sunday, September 22nd: Join us next Sunday as we continue our new series Jesus the Christ!
* Please see mye3.org for details.