A Sovereign Lord
A Sermon on John 2:3-5
Originally preached Oct. 10, 1965
Scripture
3And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. 4Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. 5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it …
Sermon Description
Have Christians truly received the fullness of Christ? Do they understand God’s significant part in forming them into new creations? In this sermon on John 2:3–5 titled “A Sovereign Lord,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones addresses these topics through the story of Jesus’s first miracle at the wedding feast. He begins by expressing the truth that God is the one who holds all the power. Christians are utterly dependent upon Him and His power to work in their lives. Dr. Lloyd-Jones expresses that it is when Christians behold Him that He changes them through the Holy Spirit and forms them into new creations. As the Christian beholds Him, He works a miracle in their lives and fills them with the unsearchable riches of Christ. Dr. Lloyd-Jones ends by explaining how this act of God is miraculous and sudden. It can happen in the blink of an eye. Not only that, but it is independent of reasoning. It cannot be reasoned in the minds of humans, but it is a miraculous work by God. It is through this work that others can see something different in the lives of Christians. May God’s work open the door for others to see Him and for His name to be glorified.
Sermon Breakdown
- The sermon examines Jesus' first miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. It looks at what we can learn from this incident about receiving God's blessings and fullness.
- We must realize that receiving God's blessings is a miracle and an act of God, not something we can achieve through our own efforts. It is supernatural.
- There is an active role we must play in filling the water pots and drawing out the water. We must obey God's commands. But the power and miracle is from God alone.
- God's blessing can come suddenly and unexpectedly, even after a long period of seeking Him. We must continue to seek Him in faith.
- The effect of God's miracle is that the world does not understand it. Only those who have received it, like the servants at the wedding, understand its secret.
- We can try to reason our way into faith but true assurance only comes through the Spirit.
- Those who have received God's blessing have a hidden knowledge of Him that the world does not have.
- We must ask God to write His new name of love upon our hearts. Do we have this secret knowledge of Him?
- We must continue to abide in God's grace, love, and fellowship through the Holy Spirit all our lives.
Sermon Q&A
What is the True Nature of Christianity According to Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones?
What is Dr. Lloyd-Jones' main focus in this sermon about the wedding at Cana?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones focuses on how the miracle at Cana reveals the way believers can receive Christ's fullness and blessings. He explains: "We are interested in it rather as showing the way in which the greater blessings which our Lord came into this world to give us are to be received." He builds his sermon on John 1:16: "And of his fullness have all we received, and grace for grace," showing how this miracle illustrates principles for receiving Christ's fullness.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones differentiate true Christianity from mere religion?
According to Lloyd-Jones, true Christianity is not merely intellectual belief or moral improvement, but a supernatural life. He states: "Christianity essentially is something God does to us. It is the implanting of this seed of divine life within us." He contrasts this with people who may be religious and moral but lack divine life: "They were good men. They were religious men. They even fasted... But no... They knew that they hadn't got this life inside them."
What does the miracle at Cana teach us about God's part versus our part in the Christian life?
Lloyd-Jones explains there are two parts: our responsibility and God's supernatural work. Our part is to "fill the water pots" and "do whatever He tells you," representing obedience and faith. God's part is the miraculous transformation - turning water into wine. He summarizes: "We all beholding... the glory of the Lord are being changed into the same image... even as by the Spirit of the Lord." We do the beholding; God does the changing.
Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasize the miraculous nature of Christian experience?
Lloyd-Jones emphasizes the miraculous because this distinguishes true Christianity from mere moral improvement. He states: "Every Christian is a miracle. To bring anybody from death to life is a miracle." He teaches that Christianity involves God's supernatural power creating new life: "What makes a man a Christian is that God has worked a miracle in him, and it is nothing less than a new creation. It's a new birth. It's the giving of a new life."
How does Lloyd-Jones describe the "secret aspect" of Christian experience?
The secret aspect refers to how only believers truly understand the Christian life. Lloyd-Jones points to the wedding feast where "the servants which drew the water knew" what happened, while others were merely amazed. He explains: "The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God." Christians possess an understanding that non-Christians cannot grasp: "He that is spiritual judgeth all things, yet he himself is judged of no man." This spiritual understanding isn't reached through intellectual reasoning but through divine revelation.
What does Lloyd-Jones teach about the suddenness of spiritual transformation?
Lloyd-Jones teaches that while Christian growth is gradual, there are also moments of sudden transformation. He points to historical examples of Christians who, after long periods of seeking, suddenly experienced breakthroughs: "Suddenly everything became clear to them. Something happened within them." He also applies this principle to church revivals: "The whole story of the Church in one sense can be described as a series of Pentecosts." This suddenness gives hope since God can act "at any moment" to revitalize individuals and the church.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones contrast intellectual assurance with spiritual assurance?
Lloyd-Jones distinguishes between assurance based on rational deduction and assurance given by the Holy Spirit. Using Cotton Mather's testimony, he shows how logical reasoning about salvation ("I believe, therefore I must be saved") provides incomplete comfort. True assurance comes supernaturally: "The Spirit of God powerfully came in upon my heart... Then could I rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory." Lloyd-Jones concludes that many Christians today settle for merely intellectual assurance when deeper spiritual assurance is available.
The Book of John
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.