The past Lord's Day I preached from John 2:1-12 from the topic: "How to Engage Your Non-Christian Friends". In so many ways I am falling in love with this gospel because I am seeing in more profound ways the beauty and glory of Jesus. This is John's aim (see John 20:30-31). So, it makes sense that this is happening, but it is also making sense how practical it is to share Jesus with others.
John 2 is about Jesus turning water into wine, but it is so much more. One area that I did not mention in the sermon was the way in which this narrative helps Christians to remain distinct from their non-Christian friends as they engage them (up close and personal) with the gospel. Jesus distances Himself from his mother by calling her "woman" (verse 4). He does this to show that His obedience in now, exclusively, to His Father and no longer His earthly mother. Yet even though Jesus says the lack of wine is not His problem He still solves the problem. Why? If He is not listening to His mother, why would He do what she asked? It had to be that the Father told Him to do it!
Jesus makes it clear in chapter 5 that He only does what the Father shows Him (John 5:19). So, Jesus' work at the wedding flowed out of His distinction which is rooted in His relationship with the Father. He acted only in relationship to the Father. In other words, His distinction came out of His devotion. He only acted from His relationship. Nothing and no one outside of that relationship caused Jesus to be other than who He was. For Christians, as we engage with our non-Christian friends, the only way to be distinct is to be men and women of devotion to the Lord.
To be able to maintain our identity as Christians in the world and among our unsaved friends we must be devoted to doing only what the Lord shows (tells) us by His word in the Spirit. The strength to do this is equal to the consistency and depth of our devotion. Jesus did what the Father told Him to do even when other voices were seeking to persuade Him, because spending time with the Father was a daily priority (Mark 1:34). Prioritizing time with Jesus in Word and prayer, is exactly how we grow in being distinct even when we are with our non-Christian friends.
Our distinction comes through our devotion.
Just as Jesus saw and heard the Father's voice amid many voices, so too can we. I do not claim to know the way in which this transpires but Jesus tells us this truth:
"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father
knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have
other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to
my voice...." (John 10:14–16).
In our devotion to Jesus, we are enabled to be distinct (different) while we engage with our non-Christian friends.
It is precisely because of our devotion, even when we are assaulted by the many voices calling us to behave opposite of who we are in Christ, we have and are learning to hear His voice and to make choices for Him.
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Staying obediently focused on the word. Only one voice will be distinguished.