Title: The New Wine
Scripture Reading: John 2:1-10; Acts 2:13
And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2 And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3 And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4 Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
5 His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
6 And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
9 When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10 And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
There are two ways of interpreting scriptures: literal or figurative.
Literal means true to fact, not exaggerated; actual and factual.
Figurative means, metaphorically, representing by means of a figure or likeness. Biblical figurative interpretation is allegorical interpretation of the bible that assumes the Bible has various levels of meaning and tends to focus on the spiritual sense, the allegorical sense as opposed to the literal sense.
The phrase “new wine” is used frequently in the Old Testament, and it means, “tokens of the blessing of God,” which causes one to prosper.
In the New Testament, however, more accurately, new wine is a prophetic theme of the Holy Spirit. It is a particular anointing for this new era. A new wine from Heaven. It is a New Thing you are about to encounter as you never have before.
What are the features of this new wine:
- New wine speaks of renewed love and intimacy with God.
- New wine brings in a great harvest.
- New wine season is one of miracles.
- New wine brings great joy.
Luke 24:49: ‘Tarry ye at Jerusalem until ye be endued with Power from on High.’
- It is only given to those who thirst and hunger for the New Wine
One of the conditions to have the New Wine is to have a hunger and thirst for it.
The bible says, ‘Those who thirst and hunger after righteousness shall be filled.’
Job 14:7-9: ‘For there is hope for a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that its shoots will not cease. Though its root grows old in the earth, and its stump die in the soil, yet at the scent of water, it will bud and put out branches like young plant.
The figurative interpretation of the marriage in Cana.
The ‘third day’ of the marriage in Cana speaks of the last day. The book of Hosea says that on the third day, he will raise us up.
‘They have no wine,’ speaks of the spiritual condition of many of us. We have no wine, no Holy Spirit’s power.
‘His hour is not yet come, not only it speaks of his death but also his hour of rapture and the second coming. But before he comes, he filled up the 6 waterpots of stone.
The 6 waterpots of stone, represents us. 6 is always the number of human and stone talks about the hardness of our heart.
The waterpots were used for purification. We need to purify ourselves by praying for revival every day. It needed to be filled up with water, representing the Holy Spirit.
The ruler said to the bridegroom, ‘you have reserved the best for the last.’ Jesus has reserved the best for the last day. The best outpouring of the Holy Spirit is in the last days. And it is the best wine.
The bible says, ‘weeping may come in the night, but rejoicing in the day.’
Psalms 84:7 says, ‘As they pass through the valley of Baca make it a well; the rain also filleth the pools. They go from strength to strength. Every one of them in Zion appeareth before God.’
Baca is a noun derived from a verb which signifies to ‘weep.
Commentators usually suggest that Baca speaks of tears and weeping, or of drought and dryness. Thoughts of difficulty and trouble are present in the valley of Baca. But as we pass through the valley of difficulties of life, the rain (Holy Spirit) also fills the pools (representing the 6 waterpots). Then we will go from strength to strength.
The word that the ruler used for best wine was ‘choice’ wine. The word ‘wine’ in Acts means ‘sweet wine’. The best wine is the sweetest wine. This revival will be the sweetest that the church will ever experience. The NIV says, ‘they had too much wine’. You will be an alcoholic to the New Wine.
Tommy Hicks had the vision of the church in the 1960s.
- The Effects of the New Wine
Firstly, the new wine will have external manifestation demonstrating that God is present and active in a powerful way. Two things will be its goal: people receiving Christ and passing on the new wine to others.
Secondly the new wine be a frontal assault against unholiness.
Thirdly the new wine usher in a new thing. Isaiah 42:9 says, ‘Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth, I tell you of them.’ Another translation puts it as ‘See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare, before they spring into being, I announce them to you.’
