Day 254 – Jesus’ Second Miracle

• Our passage in John today shows Jesus performing his second recorded miracle. Jesus had returned back to Cana after his short stay in Samaria. Who came up to Him whilst he was there?
• What do you think the nobleman that we meet today might have heard about Jesus so far? Bear in mind this is still early in Jesus’ ministry. What can we see from the conversation and actions of the man that he trusted that Jesus could do the miracle?
• Jesus’ miracles helps to show us that He is who He says He is. His miracle with the wine could perhaps tell us that He came to give great joy (wine was a symbol of joy in the Old Testament). What does today’s miracle show us about Jesus’ power?
• Jesus didn’t need to visit the child to heal him. Why do you think Jesus chose not to? How do you think the nobleman was feeling as he walked home before he met his servants?
• Yesterday we read about how Jesus was welcomed by the “enemy” – the Samaritans. In today’s passage in Luke, we see the reactions to Jesus at his home town of Nazareth, a place where you might have thought that He would have a good reception. What’s the difference?
• Let’s examine why. Look at Luke 4:16-21. Jesus came into the temple, reads words from the passage in Isaiah, and then plainly told the people watching that the words Isaiah wrote were about Him. What does the Bible say the reaction was like to these astonishing words?
• The people listening to Jesus would have seen him grow up. They knew Him to be “Joseph’s son”. Jesus was now telling them that He was a prophet. Imagine you had been there. Do you think you would have reacted like the people did? What would you have wanted to ask Jesus?
• Jesus referenced two well-known prophets in Luke 4:25-27. He told of the time when there was a great famine during the time of Elijah, and the fact that many lepers were not healed, even during the time that Elisha was healing the foreigner, Naaman. Do you remember these stories? What point was Jesus making to the crowd around him? Ask the person you meet up with if you’re unsure.
• The reaction to Jesus’ words was deep anger. What did the people try to do, and how did Jesus miraculously handle the situation?

Jesus is already turning heads, causing debate and fending off attacks, isn’t He? That didn’t take long!

Jesus would go through this for the next three years of his ministry before His final time of suffering on the cross. For every follower who praised Him as Lord and Saviour, there was another who looked upon Him with suspicion or anger.

Should we be at all surprised that this is still the case nowadays, then? If Jesus was attacked and challenged, we’ll be too if we stand up for Him. It would be crazy to expect otherwise.

Just remember that these temporary troubles were, and are, achieving an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. Yes, it’s our faith. and not our ability to handle people, that saves us. That said, standing up for Jesus against the opposition of those around us is as good a sign as any that we are trusting in Jesus in the nitty-gritty of real life, rather than just in church or in a bible study. Let that be an encouragement to you each and every time you proclaim Jesus as your King!