part0009

R eflect on the material you’ve covered this week by engaging in any or all of the following between-sessions activities. (Before you begin, you may want to read chapter 2 in You Are Never Alone. ) Each personal study consists of several reflection activities to help you implement what you learned in the group time. The time you invest will be well spent, so let God use it to draw you closer to him. At your next meeting, share any key points or insights that stood out to you as you spent this time with the Lord.

This study is all about the miracles of Jesus and why they matter for us today. Given this, before you go through the next few weeks of study, it’s important to consider how you feel about the miracles recorded in the Bible. Honestly consider your thoughts, beliefs, and opinions as you work through today’s personal study. Answer the following questions to get you started.

1. Have you ever personally experienced a miracle or witnessed a miracle take place in someone else’s life? If so, what was that experience like for you? If not, would you say you still believe in miracles? Why or why not?

2. What has informed your belief in the area of miracles—your faith, the faith of your parents, or beliefs you have heard others express? Explain your answer.

4. When Paul wrote letters to the early church, he was careful to remind his readers that Jesus was fully human but also fully God, as the following passages relate:

9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. 10 He is the head over every power and authority (Colossians 2:9–10).

5 For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all people (1 Timothy 2:5–6).

5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness (Philippians 2:5–7).

Prayer: Assess how you feel after today’s study. Did these questions stir up anything in you, whether good or bad? Perhaps you have more questions for God than before. Perhaps you feel steadier in your faith than before. However you are feeling, and whatever questions you are asking, spend the next few minutes bringing them before God in prayer. You don’t have to hide your doubt or skepticism or fears. Bring your full self before God’s throne and listen for his voice.

1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”

6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. 9 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. 10 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!”

1. John states that Jesus and his disciples were invited to a wedding (see verse 2). What does this indicate about Jesus’ social life? What does it tell you about who Jesus is?

2. At one point, Mary turned to Jesus and told him there was no wine left (see verse 3). Why do you think Mary chose to make this particular statement to Jesus? What does this tell you about the way that Mary viewed Christ?

3. As you discussed this week, the closest English translation of Jesus’ words in John 2:4 appear to be, “Mother, your concern and mine are not the same.” It is as if Jesus carried an “appointment book” and had a specific time in mind when he planned to reveal his power to the world—and this day in Cana was not that moment. Given this information, what does it tell you about Jesus that he decided to do the miracle anyway?

4. There were six waterpots at the wedding, each holding twenty to thirty gallons. This means that Jesus turned 120 to 180 gallons of water into wine. What is significant about the fact that Jesus provided this much abundance in performing the miracle? What does this say about the way he provides for you when you come to him with your requests?

5. How does John describe the quality of the wine (see verse 10)? What does the quality of the wine tell you about Jesus, his generosity, and his power?

Prayer: John opens his Gospel with a beautiful depiction of who Jesus was from the beginning of creation until he came to earth. Read John 1:1–4 and 14 as your prayer time today. Read the verses slowly and as many times as you want. Note that “the Word” refers to Christ himself.

The miracle at the wedding in Cana was not a healing, a deliverance, or a resurrection. Jesus simply turned water to wine . An incredible feat . . . but what was the point? Compared to Jesus’ other miracles, this one accomplished something quite ordinary. But as you discussed this week, this is perhaps the point: the ordinariness of it all. Today, spend some time studying and reflecting on how God interacts with you in your ordinary and everyday life.

1. Has God ever answered a “big request” in your life? Has he ever answered a “small request”? If so, what were your requests? How did God answer?

2. John writes, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1 John 5:14–15, emphasis added). In the space below, list major problems that are causing you anxiety in the column labeled “Big.” List small problems that are causing you anxiety in the column labeled “Small.”

4. Something that sets Christianity apart from other religions is the intimacy that God has with his people. From the Old Testament to the New Testament, God is portrayed as involved, near, and present—not cold or distant. As we have seen, God was so involved with his creation that he came to dwell among us in the form of Jesus. This gives us hope that God truly cares about the ordinary parts of our lives, and we can bring anything before him. Jesus said the following in one of his teachings:

7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12 So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:7–12).

5. What metaphor does Jesus use to describe your Father in heaven (see verses 9–10)? How does this help you understand what God is like and how he cares for you?

6. This passage ends with a verse that is often referred to as the Golden Rule: “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you” (verse 12). This might seem out of place, but how do Jesus’ words in verses 7–11 support this idea?

Prayer: Read this prayer aloud or silently to yourself: “God, make me aware of your presence today. Allow me to hear your voice while I work, spend time with friends, do chores, or take care of my family. I confess I don’t always believe you care about the regular moments of my life, but I need help even in the smallest things, such as my attitude, energy level, patience, and work. Remind me to surrender every fear and anxiety to you, no matter how small it is. Thank you for caring about me and the ordinary parts of my life. Thank you for being a good Father.” As you go about your day, involve God in your ordinary life and tasks. Ask for small things and big things. Pay attention to his presence and what he might be saying to you.

Reflect on what you studied this week: miracles, the character of Christ, and God’s involvement in your everyday life. Journal your thoughts or write them as a prayer to God, either asking him questions about what you learned, thanking him for what you learned, or seeking answers from him on what to do next now that you better understand these topics in Scripture. Also write down any observations or questions that you want to bring to your next group time.

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