Would you help me narrow this down to one focus? I invite you to read these passages with me. I will share my first impressions in italics. You have the opportunity to share your impressions and questions in the comments below. Let's study these passages together!
Isaiah 62:1 - 5
1 For Zion's sake I will not keep silent,
and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest,
until her vindication shines out like the dawn,
and her salvation like a burning torch.
2 The nations shall see your vindication,
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name
that the mouth of the LORD will give.
3 You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD,
and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.
4 You shall no more be termed Forsaken,
and your land shall no more be termed Desolate;
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,
and your land Married;
for the LORD delights in you,
and your land shall be married.
5 For as a young man marries a young woman,
so shall your builder marry you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,
so shall your God rejoice over you.
- Who is the speaker here? Is it the Lord? Or is it a Judean stating an intention to pester the Lord until the Lord acts like he wants?
- At the time this was written, people believed that both people and places were defined by their names. The meaning of your name defined a key quality about you or the place in question. So, if the local area was named “Azuvah” (“Forsaken”) and “Shmamah” (“Desolate”), you can assume it’s a tough place to live. But if it is names “Hephzibah” (“My Delight is in Her”) and “Beulah” (“Married”), you can assume that it is a wonderful area in which to live.
Psalm 36:5 - 10
5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep;
you save humans and animals alike, O LORD.
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light we see light.
10 O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
and your salvation to the upright of heart!
- The Isaiah passage comes from what is known as “Third Isaiah” which addresses the people after they have returned from the exile and are rebuilding Jerusalem. The promise that the land will become prosperous once again matches the psalm’s references to all people taking shelter under the Lord’s wings and feasting upon the abundance of the Lord’s house.
1 Corinthians 12:1 - 11
1 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were enticed and led astray to idols that could not speak. 3 Therefore I want you to understand that no one speaking by the Spirit of God ever says "Let Jesus be cursed!" and no one can say "Jesus is Lord" except by the Holy Spirit.
4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of services, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who activates all of them in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 To one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the discernment of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are activated by one and the same Spirit, who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.
- If you are concerned about false prophets, Paul gives us a clear test: if the person in question can proclaim “Jesus is Lord,” then the Holy Spirit is within that person.
- Paul is attempting to settle a local argument over the greatest spiritual gift by pointing to the Holy Spirit and proclaiming that all spiritual gifts are equal to one another because they all come from the Holy Spirit. He then moves into the argument that all spiritual gifts are necessary for the health and well-being of the Body of Christ (we will look at this more next week).
John 2:1 - 11
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." 4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the jars with water." And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward." So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
- Running out of wine would be a great embarrassment to the host of the wedding feast.
- In the Gospel of John, we highlight seven moments as signs that Jesus is the Messiah. This is the first of these seven signs.
- For those who can afford it, a wedding feast like this might continue all week. So the gathered community may need the 120-180 gallons of wine that Jesus has just created.
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