Notes:

Water into Wine    See Session Slides Here

• In the first miracle Jesus demonstrated that He would replace the failed OC with a NC.
• The 6 stone jars normally held water used for ceremonial cleansing, Mark 7:3.
• They were empty. They needed to be constantly filled because people constantly needed to be cleansed.
• The number ‘6’ symbolically means ‘incomplete’.
• The miracle symbolized that He was about to change the stone, cold, empty way of man’s religion into a living and joyful relationship with Him, likened to a wedding celebration.
• The water would be replaced by abundant wine celebrating that under the NC we are now clean.

1) The New Covenant is a covenant of grace

• It magnifies the grace of God. ‘Woman, what have we in common?’ Leave it to me.
• We don’t need to pray to Mary so that she might influence or persuade Jesus for us,  1 Tim.2:5.
• Neither does Jesus exist to do as we want. He is sovereign – I will do it in my way and in my time.
• This is not passivity but directed activity. What He says, do. You fill the waterpots. He turns the water into wine. You present your humanity to Him; He does supernatural things through you.
• God does extraordinary things through ordinary people, so that His grace might be magnified,  2 Cor.4:7;  1 Cor.1:26-29.

2) The New Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant

• The wine was superior to the wine they had served earlier. They had saved the best for last, Heb.8:6.
• The world shows its best first; God saves the best till last. The new covenant is an ever-increasing glory!

3) The New Covenant is a covenant of abundance

Contrast the old covenant with the new covenant:

• Israel vs a spiritual nation comprising men and women from every tribe, nation, people and tongue
• Temporary (now obsolete) vs eternal
• Fading glory vs increasing glory
• Written with ink on tablets of stone vs written by the Spirit on hearts of flesh
• Shadows vs the substance
• Daily routine vs finished work
• Continuous offering of sacrifices vs one sacrifice once for all
• Do vs done
• Covers sin vs takes away sin
• Purifies the flesh vs cleanses the conscience
• Reminds of sin vs no remembrance of sin
• A ministry of condemnation vs a ministry of righteousness
• Kills vs makes alive
• Condemns even the best vs saves even the worst
• Perfected nothing vs perfected us for ever
• Cannot justify vs justifies from all things including the things we could not be justified from by the law
• Cursed vs blessed
• A day of rest vs a life of rest
• Don’t come near vs draw near with confidence
• Access through a human mediator vs direct access
• You need a priesthood vs you are a priesthood
• You go to the temple vs you are the temple
• Chosen people anointed vs all anointed
• Brings bondage vs brings freedom
• Flesh appealing vs Spirit-empowering
• Rules to regulate behaviour vs The Spirit to change the heart
• Married to the law vs married to Christ
• Conditional promises vs better promises (You shall vs I will)

# Answers to this quiz are found in the notes above. Click on quiz to commence. Only correct spelling is recognised. A minimum 70%  correct is required to advance to the next session.