Hey there! Welcome to Tuesday and another edition of the musicologists best friend, Tuesday's Musical Notes. We are gathered here today to support those who have a passion for music and feed the appetite of those hungry for rhythms and rhymes. This is a place that knows no musical boundaries and promises to reveal something you may not have ever heard about your favorite songs or artists, and maybe even a lesson or two about you! It's Tuesday and you're in Notesland! l think you're gonna like it here!!!
Dictionary.com defines the word "Miracle" as, "an effect or extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers and is ascribed to a supernatural cause." This definition seems very restrictive to me as the miraculous can certainly be defined in any myriad of ways by folks as their experiences and lives differ. For example, those in the remotest portions of Australia, Africa, and even some spots in the US might find the internet and computers to be miraculous. While those who dwell in the high rises of New York City, Delhi, or Shanghai would find the sunrises and sunsets of the aforementioned remote regions miraculous in their own right. I think the miraculous does depend on the person's circumstances and are influenced by their beliefs. Their culture, if you will, will truly define what one might consider a miracle, a true blue spectacle and something worthy of dancin' in the streets.
"It's A Miracle" is the follow-up single to the smash, #1 hit single, ballad "Mandy" by Barry Manilow. This second single from Manilow's second album would go as high as #12 on the Billboard Hot 100. The release would dance its way to #15 on the disco/dance chart and soar to #1 on the Easy Listening recap of top songs. With its upbeat rhythm and equally upbeat rhymes, "It's A Miracle" would prove Manilow to be more than a balladeer and solidify his growing throng of fans.
Traditionally, the first song played at a Manilow concert, "It's A Miracle" describes the feeling of coming home to the one you love after an extended period, in Barry's case, being on tour to support your second album. The miracle is in the rekindling of the romance that has dimmed in each other's absence. Maybe I'm just not romantic enough, but this only seems miraculous in the "absence makes the heart grow fonder" sense. Thus, supporting our theorem regarding miracles being informed by one's perspective. After all, it's not like he's going to a wedding where someone turns water into wine...
John was a fisherman. He probably had more resources than most of his peers as we later learned that he was connected to some of the priests. (check back for the rest of the story on that one...) He was the brother of James and a son of Zebedee. He was also a disciple of Jesus. John, James, Peter, and Andrew, were all called to be disciples of Jesus as we saw last week.
Shortly, after they dropped their nets and followed Jesus, the entire entourage was invited to a wedding. Jesus' mother, Mary, was there. (Supposition is that Joseph, Jesus' earthly father, had died by this time, as he was not included in this story or any others after the Jerusalem Passover passage we discussed a couple of weeks ago. Tuesday's Musical Notes - "Takin' Care Of Business" (Bachman Turner Overdrive)
Mary must have been serving as one of the hosts of the wedding celebration as John tells us that Mary had the distinction of being there while Jesus and the disciples were "invited" guests. Part of the way through the celebration, Mary came to Jesus to let Him know that the wine had run out. Having already pondered a great deal about Jesus' and His miraculous life up to this point, Mary felt certain that Jesus would take action to help remedy this situation> She didn't desire for the hosts to feel embarrassed at their lack of hospitality in running short on refreshments for the wedding party. Remember, hospitality, was a hallmark of Jewish life during this time. It was considered an insult to your guests if they were lacking in any way during a meal or party to which you had invited them.
Jesus response? "So?" While Jesus' reply to Mary may seem harsh, we must remember, that the time for Him to reveal Himself as Messiah to the populace was not to be that day. Mary ignores Jesus' reply and instructs those helping with the banquets to do whatever Jesus told them to do. Jesus tells them to fill 6 waterpots, which would hold about twenty to thirty GALLONS each. (This would equate to about 1000 bottles of wine... Here's a great article about God's abundance that lends a little more insight into this story: "Why Did Jesus Make So Much Wine?" from April 18, 2018, by Erik Raymond at thegospelcoalition.org) These pots were there holding purification water to observe the cleanliness rites as prescribed in the Mosaic law. After the servants filled the water pots to the brim, Jesus tells them to take a cup of the liquid in the pot to the person in charge of the wedding. To the head waiter's surprise, it was the best wine they had tasted all day. Weddings at the time lasted at least all day. Sometimes the celebration would go on for a week. The tradition of the day was to serve the best wine first. Then when the guests were a little more "lubricated" you could sneak in the lesser quality beverages and they wouldn't know the difference. The wedding planner was surprised that the best had been saved for that later time of the day.
John records this event as Jesus' first miracle. Jesus had explained to Mary that it wasn't time for Him to reveal Himself as Messiah, however, the time had come for Him to show His glory to His newly formed band of followers. John records that as a result of this miracle and the other things they had seen, the disciples "...believed in Him."
One need not have the chemical composition of water changed to an adult beverage to believe in Jesus. Reality would dictate that we are surrounded by the miraculous. The precise position of the sun in proximity to earth is miraculous. The mixture of gases that we breathe every day is miraculous. The birth of my children and grandchildren have been miracles in my life. Take a minute and ponder the miracles of your life. I know, I don't know you. I don't know your circumstances or the situation your find yourself in at this moment. But I do know some universal truths...
The prophet Jeremiah, who lived during a terrible moment in Judah's history was told by God, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you;". Later on, God tells Jeremiah to inform the folks from Judah who had been taken into captivity with words of assurance. Jeremiah 29:10-14 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV "...I know the plans I have for you..."
Those universal truths can be found in the above passage of Scripture. First, God knows you. That's right!!! God tells Jeremiah, and us, that He knew us before we even existed! He knows every cell of who you are. He knows your personality. He knows everything about you!
Secondly, God knows what your potential is. Yes, the context of Jeremiah 29 is Israel returning from captivity and the assurances that God is giving that nation as they return. But it equally applies to you today, especially if you aren't a believer. Whether you are willing to admit it or realize it, you are a captive. As you read this blog right now, some things are jockeying for position for your attention to drag you away from the truth of the Gospel of Jesus. Anything that you place above your relationship with God, through His Son Jesus, is holding you captive.
Jesus came to free us all from our captivity. And just like the Israelites as they returned from Babylon, we return to the God who knows the plans He has for us, as we believe and allow Him to restore our relationship with Him.
One of the most miraculous things ever is that God would provide a way for this restoration of our relationship with Him. Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden broke the perfect relationship that they had with God. Since that time, God had a plan to restore that relationship for those who chose to have it restored. That miracle is Jesus. He lived a perfect life. And yes, Jesus performed things that were considered miracles.
He came to willingly die. He served as THE sacrifice that was needed to allow those who accept His gift to be restored. Our decision? Do we choose to benefit from the miracle? Do we choose to accept the gift that is an extraordinary event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers? Do we get free from captivity and surrender to the One who knows the plans He has for us?
All of this is kind of hard to believe without seeing it for ourselves right?
Later on in John's Gospel about Jesus, he tells the story of Thomas. We'll come to the entirety of this story in the coming days, but there is one passage that is prescribed at this point in our conversation regarding miracles. In John 20 verse 29, Jesus tells His disciples, "...Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed."
Jesus' ministry lasted 3 years. While He encountered many people, there are many, many more who have not seen Jesus or any of the miracles that are recorded in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Jesus says that these folks who believe without seeing are blessed. That is called faith. It is something that the Biblical patriarchs in the Old Testament had regarding Jesus and something those living in the times after Jesus' ascension have as we await His return. Hebrews 11 NASB/AMP/ESV/KJV details the faith of the patriarchs as an example of this belief without seeing ideology. It tells many of the stories we have explored since taking this journey through the Bible with the Notes.
All of this to say, in the context of Thomas and Hebrews, Jesus' sacrifice and love truly is... a miracle, a true blue spectacle, the miracle is You..ooh, ooh, ooh!!!
'Til Tuesday,
Loving HIM by Loving You,
randy
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