<\/p>\n
Introduction<\/b><\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
This miracle is not merely a miracle. Verse 11 tells us it is a sign. A sign is something that points to something greater than itself. What Jesus does here is not merely about this wedding; but it\u2019s pointing to something greater. Verse 11 also tells us that in this, Jesus manifested His glory. In other words, in performing this sign, Jesus showed some of His glory; at least to those who saw it – especially the disciples, as it says \u201chis disciples believed in him.\u201d May that be the effect of reading this – that you may believe in Him.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Setting<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here we have Jesus and his disciples at this wedding along with Jesus\u2019 mother. It would seem to be some sort of family friend of Jesus\u2019 since Mary seems as if she has some responsibilities in helping out with the wedding being that she tells Jesus they are out of wine and then tells the servants to listen to Jesus. Nevertheless they are all here at this wedding. In those days wedding celebrations were a huge affair. The feasting often lasted multiple days and the food and wine was an important aspect of the celebration.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jesus and Mary\u2019s Interaction<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n So they are at this wedding celebration and Mary tells Jesus that they have no wine in verse 3. They had run out. This would\u2019ve been quite the shameful and embarrassing thing for the bridegroom who was responsible for providing the wine. So Mary voices this concern to her son, and Jesus\u2019 response is a bit puzzling upon an initial reading. In verse 4, Jesus said to her, \u201cWoman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.\u201d This may seem puzzling to us because there is clearly an element of rebuke in Jesus\u2019 response to his mother, who seems innocent enough to us. First, Jesus calls her \u201cwoman\u201d which certainly wouldn\u2019t have been disrespectful as it would be in our culture. But it certainly was a distancing term. One commentary called it a term of \u201cpolite distance.\u201d So Jesus politely distances Himself from His mother and says, \u201cwhat does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.\u201d In this rebuke, Jesus reveals his mother\u2019s intentions. She wanted Jesus to manifest His glory, and take over as Messiah King, likely with misconceptions on what it meant that Jesus was to be King of the Jews. Mary is trying to use her influence as mother to try and get Jesus to do something that it is not yet time for Him to do. Mary seems to respond appropriately to this rebuke from her son, as she essentially lets go of control and leaves the situation in her son\u2019s hands by just telling the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them. No doubt, this was a difficult time for Mary. Having raised her son, and yet now things are out of her hands. Jesus is going to do the Father\u2019s will and eventually be lead to the cross. Mary can do nothing about it, and she is rebuked for trying to influence and overstepping her bounds. Surely parents of older children who have left the home or are nearing that stage can relate.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy hour has not yet come.\u201d<\/em> What is this hour Jesus is talking about? That term is frequently used throughout the gospels to refer to the hour of His crucifixion. Most commentators say that that is what Jesus is referring to here. Jesus is essentially saying, \u201cI cannot fully reveal myself yet, or they will want to crucify me.\u201d But then Jesus goes on to perform this miracle anyway. Why is that? The miracle was done in the context of a wedding feast and in discretion. The master of the banquet did not know where the wine came from. It just seems from the text that it was the disciples and the servants who knew what had happened. Thus Jesus performed this sign. He did not give a full revelation to the public at the time, but as a sign it pointed towards who He was that only some saw in faith – namely the disciples.<\/span><\/p>\n Having said all that, I can\u2019t help but think that Jesus may have something else in mind when He says, \u201cMy hour has not yet come.\u201d<\/em> Right before He says that, He says, \u201cWhat does this have to do with me?\u201d<\/em> I think at least part of what Jesus is saying here is, \u201cHey, this is not my wedding. My hour hasn\u2019t come. This is not my responsibility to provide the wine.\u201d Honestly, to me that makes a lot of sense with this direct conversation. I was at a wedding once where the pastor was preaching on this passage for the wedding. He implanted this idea into my head and it\u2019s stuck with me ever since. One of the things this pastor said was that when we go to weddings, at some point during the wedding, everyone is always thinking about their own wedding. If you\u2019re married, you think back to your own wedding day. If you\u2019re not, you\u2019re thinking about what yours is going to be like or if you will ever get married. Then the pastor said, \u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t Jesus be doing the same thing?\u201d Obviously not an earthly marriage, but imagine Jesus being at this wedding thinking forward to the marriage supper of the Lamb, the Church being the bride of Christ. How rich and abundant Christ will provide for that wedding celebration. If they thought this wine was good, just wait until we get the New Heavens and New Earth wine.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Miracle<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jesus decides to go ahead and do something about this wine issue. He has the servants fill up the jars for purification washing. The Jews had various washing rituals they performed at various times. Then Jesus has the servants take some out and take it to the master of the feast. So they did and lo and behold the water had turned to wine! The master loves it and says \u201cEveryone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.\u201d<\/em> The text tells us the tradition: at weddings they\u2019d put out the best wine first, the guests have their fair share and then when that wine is gone, the poorer wine is put out. This is not to be understood as a promotion of drunkenness by Jesus. Remember, the wedding celebrations would often last up to a week. They would go through a lot of wine in a week of wedding feasting without promoting drunkenness. While not promoting drunkenness there is certainly a gladness that the wine provides intended by God as a blessing. Psalm 104:14-15 says this, \u201cYou cause the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth and wine to gladden the heart of man, oil to make his face shine and bread to strengthen man\u2019s heart.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0Jesus, knowing the Psalms and the many other passages of Scripture speaking to the blessing that wine is, makes what could have become a sour situation into a happy wedding celebration. That in and of itself tells us quite a bit about God. It tells us that He is a happy God and He likes to see His creatures happy in the enjoyment of Himself. One of the ways in which we enjoy God is by enjoying the gifts He has given to us. Obviously sin is the great abuse and twisting of God\u2019s good gifts and neglecting of the Giver, but we must not allow sin to rob us of gladness that God wants to give us.<\/span><\/p>\n Step back now and consider what Jesus did here. Jesus did something people don\u2019t do – serving the best wine until last – and He did something people can\u2019t do – turn water into wine. This is the gospel! Jesus did what people don\u2019t and can\u2019t do!<\/span><\/p>\n Consider this sign in another way now. In the first chapter, the gospel writer hinted at the theme of the Jew\u2019s rejection of Christ. Here we see that the running out of wine at the wedding symbolizes the spiritual dryness or the spiritual barrenness of the state of first century Judaism. It is also symbolic of our spiritual barrenness apart from Christ. Throughout the Bible wine is often a symbol of celebration, gladness, wealth, and blessing from God. In first century Judaism, and in our hearts before Christ, we have none of that! As Mary said in verse 3, \u201cThey have no wine.\u201d<\/em> When we look at the Spiritual condition of our hearts apart from Christ what can be said about it? \u201cThey have no joy. They have no righteousness.\u201d Only in going to Jesus Christ do we receive what we do not have and what we need – joy and righteousness. <\/span><\/p>\n Consider the setting of this miracle. The bridegroom, who was responsible for providing the wine, was totally at fault in a shame culture. If Jesus had not done this miracle, the bridegroom would have been utterly put to shame. This was a failure on the bridegroom\u2019s part because he either didn\u2019t have enough money or resources to provide what was necessary, was an incredibly poor planner, or he could\u2019ve simply been irresponsible. It is against that backdrop that Jesus graciously provides. It is against the backdrop of our sin that Jesus graciously provides forgiveness and righteousness for us. In the face of our utter lack of inability and our utter failure, Jesus gives more grace. He gives free and undeserved forgiveness and righteousness. If the wedding had not run out of wine, Jesus would not have given grace in the way that He did. If we have righteousness then we don\u2019t need Jesus to give us His. But we don\u2019t, and we deserve to be shamed and condemned before all of creation and before all the angelic beings before God\u2019s throne, and yet what does Jesus do in the gospel? He covers our shame. He covers our guilt. He takes it on Himself. He provides for us what we cannot provide ourselves. We are not counted as sinners and we are counted before God as if we had always obeyed. Did you notice that about the narrative? The master of the feast did not know that Jesus provided the wine. In verse 9 and 10 the master of the feast credits the bridegroom for saving the best wine until now. That wasn\u2019t the bridegroom\u2019s wine! Yet it was counted as his.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Quality<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Notice the quality of the wine. \u201cBut you have kept the good wine until now\u201d<\/em> (v.10). That\u2019s the real gospel statement of this passage. In this we see the superiority of The New Covenant that Jesus is bringing over the Old.<\/span><\/p>\n What Jesus brings is of a higher quality. He didn\u2019t give out his best to then serve the worst, like humans do. He kept the good wine until now. The inferior wine prepared the way for the superior wine. Jesus is better than the types and shadows of the Old Testament. All of those shadows prepared the way for the real thing. \u201cBut you have kept the good wine until now\u201d<\/em>\u00a0because, \u201cat the right time Christ died for the ungodly\u201d<\/em> (Rom. 5:6).<\/span><\/p>\n The specific mention of the water jars for Jewish purification rites in verse 6 clearly signify the superiority of what Christ is bringing to the Old Covenant. The water fills the jars to the brim and as they draw it out, it is wine, it is something better than what the law prescribed. As wine fills the Jewish washing jars, so Christ fulfills the law and provides something better than what the law could.<\/span><\/p>\n Apart from Christ, the law is but an empty vessel. But the law was useful in bringing us Christ. Only Jesus could provide what was needed. The law could not provide the substance; only Christ is the substance. The water only washed the outside, the wine gladdens the heart. <\/span><\/p>\n Some of us may struggle with really liking those old purification jars. Some of may think, “Man, why did Jesus have to go and ruin those perfectly good jars with wine?” We like our laws and regulations and our Moses; but our hearts are dried up of grace and truth and Jesus Christ. Maybe if that\u2019s us, it\u2019s because we haven\u2019t tasted and seen for ourselves that the grace that Jesus provides is better than the stony vessels of law. If your heart is dry and graceless toward others, maybe it\u2019s because you haven\u2019t had any of Christ\u2019s wine.<\/span><\/p>\n What\u2019s interesting is that there\u2019s actually another way to understand this miracle. Some people think that it\u2019s actually the water being drawn out of the well that is turned to wine. Here\u2019s how to understand that: in verse 6-8, the servants are ordered to fill the jars with water. Presumably this water comes from a well. So they fill all the jars with water. Then Jesus says, \u201cNow draw some out\u2026\u201d<\/em> This seems to indicate that wine is now being drawn out of the water well. So Jesus gets all the water that they would need for their washing, then turns the water in the well into wine. Now if that is what\u2019s going on here, that also gives us wonderfully rich gospel pictures. Just as the New Jerusalem is described as having streets made of gold, so will wine flow like water in the New Heavens and New Earth.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jesus is the Wine<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Regardless of which way we understand the water turning to wine; the point here is that Jesus is the wine. As wine gladdens the heart (Psalm 104:15), so Jesus is the truer and better wine and gladness of our hearts. Jesus is what makes the New better than the Old. He is here. The substance is here. The true bread, the true water, the true prophet, priest, and king, and the true wine from which we drink who gladdens our hearts. The New is better because we get Jesus. It is not something other than Jesus that makes the new better, it\u2019s not some effect or benefit that Jesus brings that makes the new better. It\u2019s that we get Jesus Himself. He is better than shadows, symbols, and tablets of stone. There is no one and no thing that is of better quality than Jesus Christ. He is the best of tastes. Psalm 34:8, \u201cOh, taste and see that the Lord is good!\u201d<\/em> The best wine, the best honey, the best bread! There is no higher quality than Jesus Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Quantity<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Notice not only the quality of the wine, but the quantity of wine. There were 6 jars each holding 20 or 30 gallons. That\u2019s a lot of wine! That is an abundance of wine! More than enough. The image of this only expands if we understand the wine to be coming out of the well. There is an abundance beyond what we could ever use of grace in Jesus Christ. As we understand Jesus to be our true wine, we understand that he is more than enough to satisfy and gladden our hearts for all eternity. He will not run out on us. Where our love runs out, where our righteousness runs out, where we run out, Christ does not. Have you just run out on life? You have a Savior who does not run dry, who never empties of mercy for you. His giving outdoes your taking and your need. The quantity of new wine will not run out for all eternity. There is enough here for you. If you are a poor sinner unsure about coming to Christ, if you wonder if God really will forgive you of your sin, you must know that Jesus is a savior who never runs out of grace. There is more than enough of Him for you. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Conclusion<\/b><\/p>\n <\/p>\n As the best was saved for last, so is the Christian life. We go through the trials and tribulations of this world; many dry seasons as if in a desert. We are like pots that experience cracks and chips and brokenness. We experience heartbreak and pain and suffering, and rejection for Christ\u2019s name. We go through difficult times of the Lord\u2019s discipline and testing. Things are not always as they ought to be. But the best is yet to be. Christ is saving the best wine for later. We have yet to drink of the choicest reserve that Christ has for us. When we get there one day, our hearts will not be able to hold all the joy and gladness we will have when we sit down to drink with Christ. Every teardrop we spilled in this life will be worth one drop of Christ\u2019s choice wine, yet we will have an abundance for all eternity. Charles Spurgeon once explained that Christ has far more love for us in His storehouses than He has revealed to us, because if He revealed all His love to us, then our hearts would literally burst because we could not contain it all. Is your life full of tears and frowns? It is but a time. Smiles and laughter forever are coming.<\/span><\/p>\n Notice in verse 1 we were told this took place on the third day. On the third day water turned to wine. On the third day, death turned to life. We have a living Savior whose Kingdom is teeming with new life. So we raise our glasses to the resurrection, drinking in the New Covenant grace of our Lord\u2019s redeeming blood.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Introduction This miracle is not merely a miracle. Verse 11 tells us it is a sign. A sign is something that points to something greater than itself. What Jesus does here is not merely about this wedding; but it\u2019s pointing to something greater. Verse 11 also tells us that in this, Jesus manifested […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":3763,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,23,30,32],"tags":[201,205,255,274,325,382,557,562,567,591,678,679,687,699,714,765,799,816,827,838,867,874,1014,1056,1105,1114,1139,1299,1321,1331,1351,1377],"class_list":{"0":"post-3759","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-commentary","8":"category-culture","9":"category-preaching","10":"category-theology","11":"tag-best","12":"tag-bible","13":"tag-cana","14":"tag-christ","15":"tag-covenant","16":"tag-disciples","17":"tag-god","18":"tag-gospel","19":"tag-grace","20":"tag-have","21":"tag-jenkins","22":"tag-jesus","23":"tag-john","24":"tag-joshua","25":"tag-kept","26":"tag-lord","27":"tag-mary","28":"tag-message","29":"tag-miracle","30":"tag-mother","31":"tag-new","32":"tag-now","33":"tag-rags","34":"tag-riches","35":"tag-scripture","36":"tag-sermon","37":"tag-sign","38":"tag-until","39":"tag-water","40":"tag-wedding","41":"tag-wine","42":"tag-you","43":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/059_kariye-water-into-wine.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3975,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/food-that-endures-john-622-29\/","url_meta":{"origin":3759,"position":0},"title":"Food That Endures; John 6:22-29","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"December 2, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 22\u00a0On the next day the crowd that remained on the other side of the sea saw that there had been only\u00a0one boat there, and that Jesus had not entered the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone.\u00a023\u00a0Other boats from Tiberias came near the place\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/12\/galilee.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/12\/galilee.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/12\/galilee.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/12\/galilee.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/12\/galilee.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/12\/galilee.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3767,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/jesus-cleanses-the-temple-john-213-22\/","url_meta":{"origin":3759,"position":1},"title":"Jesus Cleanses the Temple, John 2:13-22","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"May 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 Before we focus exclusively on our passage, I want to consider the wedding at Cana and the temple cleansing together, and why they might have been placed side by side in chapter 2. The gospel writer, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, placed these two accounts next\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/jesus-cleansing-the-temple.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/jesus-cleansing-the-temple.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/jesus-cleansing-the-temple.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3954,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/christs-plenty-for-our-poverty-john-61-14\/","url_meta":{"origin":3759,"position":2},"title":"Christ’s Plenty for Our Poverty; John 6:1-14","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"November 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 After this\u00a0Jesus went away to the other side of\u00a0the Sea of Galilee, which is\u00a0the Sea of Tiberias.\u00a02\u00a0And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.\u00a03\u00a0Jesus went up on\u00a0the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.\u00a04\u00a0Now\u00a0the Passover, the\u00a0feast\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/11\/feeding-5000-450x225-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3968,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-divine-wave-walker-john-616-21\/","url_meta":{"origin":3759,"position":3},"title":"The Divine Wave Walker; John 6:16-21","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"November 30, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 16\u00a0When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea,\u00a017\u00a0got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.\u00a018\u00a0The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing.\u00a019\u00a0When they had rowed about three or four miles,[a]\u00a0they\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/11\/depositphotos_13295885-stock-photo-christ-on-the-sea.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3750,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/we-have-found-the-messiah-john-135-42\/","url_meta":{"origin":3759,"position":4},"title":"We Have Found the Messiah, John 1:35-42","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"May 7, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Introduction \u00a0 Upon an initial reading of this passage, it may seem to be just a mundane text that narrates us from one point to the next without any real significance to us beyond just explaining the first disciples of Jesus. However, that is just not so. There is\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/photo-1526749837599-b4eba9fd855e.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/photo-1526749837599-b4eba9fd855e.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/photo-1526749837599-b4eba9fd855e.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/photo-1526749837599-b4eba9fd855e.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4457,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/jesus-his-disciples-moses-and-elijah\/","url_meta":{"origin":3759,"position":5},"title":"Jesus & His Disciples, Moses, and Elijah.","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"May 10, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cI did not say these things to you from the beginning,\u00a0because I was with you.\u00a05\u00a0But now\u00a0I am going to him who sent me, and\u00a0none of you asks me, \u2018Where are you going?\u2019\u00a06\u00a0But because I have said these things to you,\u00a0sorrow has filled your heart.\u00a07\u00a0Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/05\/elijah.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/05\/elijah.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/05\/elijah.gif?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/05\/elijah.gif?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3759","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/685"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3759"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3759\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3763"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3759"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3759"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3759"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}