Filled to the Brim
Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
(John 2:6-10)
How like Jesus to choose the jars which held the water used for the ritual and spiritual purifications as the receptacle of His first miracle–turning water into wine–between 120 and 180 gallons of wine to be a bit more specific. Indeed, nothing in Scripture is random. The servants simply were told to fill the jars with water–and fill them to the brim they did! Jesus Christ is in the business of giving abundantly out of His glorious storehouse, and His desire is for us to be prepared by faith to receive His fullness–no half jars of water would do! The psalmist states: I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of Egypt. Open wide your mouth and I will fill it
(Psalm 81:10).
-Amy Carmichael
Paul also encourages us with these words:
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. (Ephesians 3:20-21)
No uncertainty, with complete confidence, Jesus calmly goes about His first miracle. All done in quietness–without any ceremony, pomp or splendor; without any gawking spectators or fanfare, the miracle was performed suddenly with great dignity and magnanimity. He wills the thing and then proceeds to work it without a word.
This confidence reminds me of the confidence He exuded when He stooped to wash His disciples’ feet:
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. (John 13:3-5)
-John 10:10
Jesus was well aware of His sovereign authority, His origin, and His coming destiny, yet He begins to wash the feet of His disciples, taking the very nature of a servant upon Him. While all things are certainly not under our human power, as believers, we know where we come from and where we are going and that we carry, through the blood of Jesus, the high rank of children of the King. Having this confidence in Him, equipped with the Holy Spirit, we are enabled to serve freely as well–no service beneath us. We should no longer be wallowing in insecurity, desperately desirous of our works to be in the limelight, constantly drawing attention to ourselves and craving affirmation to stroke our pride. We can work in quiet confidence, even producing our fruit anonymously, living out our lives for an audience of One. Nothing goes without His notice, nothing!
Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:13)
-2 Chronicles 16:9
Take It to Heart
What Jesus provides pales the world’s provisions. Nothing we are offered here satisfies or compares to what He holds out for His children. Just as the master of the banquet remarked on the miraculous choice wine, the products of miracles will always be the best of their kind. King David encourages us to: Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him. (Psalm 34:8)