I am blessed to be participating in an “I Read with Audra” blog tour for Rabbi Jason Sobel’s new book: Mysteries of the Messiah: Unveiling Divine Connections from Genesis to Today. You may be interested to know that the foreword was written by Kathie Lee Gifford, who actually co-authored a previous book with Sobel titled, The Rock, the Road, and the Rabbi. Most of the Scripture references in Mysteries of the Messiah come from the Tree of Life Version of the Bible (TLV), which I find to be an excellent Bible translation and use frequently here on the Adonai Shalom blog.

Book Review

Mysteries of the Messiah by Rabbi Jason Sobel is absolutely on-topic, as more and more Christians are becoming aware of the importance of enriching their understanding of the Hebrew roots of their Christian faith. Accordingly, Rabbi Sobel’s book is addressed to Christian believers of all denominations. He commends the study of the New Testament, but encourages believers to take a deeper interest in the Old Testament (Hebrew) Scriptures as well, in order to build a more robust theology.

A Primer for Messianic Theology

As a Messianic Rabbi, Sobel does not diminish the Gospel. He uses illustrations from Hebrew to help traditionally-taught Christians encounter deeper meanings behind the words in Scripture that often go overlooked or misunderstood.

Mysteries of the Messiah is a necessary work for “such a time as this” as Sobel rightly assesses the current spiritual climate: believers are awakening to the true fullness of the Gospel, embracing the continuity of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and the New Testament (Brit Hadashah). Importantly, Sobel understands that for many American Christians, delving into the riches of the Tanakh is a novel enterprise. Mysteries of the Messiah offers a primer for believers to explore Messianic prophecies and Biblical holy days, written in a gentle, conversational tone.

Biblical numerology

First, the book itself begins with an accessible introduction into Biblical numerology. Sobel’s time spent under the tutelage of Rabbi Jonathan Cahn’s ministry in New Jersey becomes evident right from the start as he seeks to uncover hidden meanings and messages using numbers and calculations based on the Hebrew values of the aleph-bet letters. Many of Sobel’s insights are compelling and will enrich the thoughtful reader, but the reader may occasionally differ with his interpretive conclusions.

Messiah’s Identity

One thing that will not be disputed by any Messianic Jewish or Christian believer who reads Mysteries of the Messiah is Rabbi Sobel’s passionate insistence that Jesus of Nazareth, Yeshua ha-Notzri, was and is the promised Messiah of Israel. In the first chapter, Sobel identifies five specific areas that he believes reveal important clues about Messiah’s identity and shares his own testimony of receiving Messiah Yeshua as his own Savior. Readers interested in Messianic Jewish apologetics may particularly appreciate this early section of the book.

Great for readers who enjoy Bible Studies

The middle chapters will appeal to any readers who enjoy Bible Studies. Sobel invites readers to explore the extensive ways Messiah is revealed in the Scriptures from creation to beyond Pentecost (Shavu’ot) using the numerology he introduced in the earlier chapters. No knowledge of Hebrew or Greek is required for the reader to be able to gain an appreciation of linguistic nuances in the Bible thanks to Sobel’s easy-to-read writing style. Sobel presents Jewish concepts such as tikkun olam (repairing the world) in a very understandable and relatable way. Moreover, he writes with a pastor’s heart, encouraging believers in their faith. He shares his hope and prayer for Jews and Gentiles alike to unite in Messiah Jesus:

“When Jew and Gentile unite in Jesus, we become an unstoppable force for salvation, transformation, and revival.”

Sobel, Jason. Mysteries of Messiah: Unveiling Divine Connections from Genesis to Today. Nashville, TN: W Publishing Group, 2021.

Conclusion

Finally, Mysteries of Messiah concludes with an impressive revelation contained within the beloved Isaiah 9:6 passage related to Messiah’s lineage as the Son of David. I found it to be an enjoyable and refreshing read, one that may spark the reader to desire to delve deeply into the richness of Scripture’s mysteries and the Jewishness of Jesus even after finishing the book.

Excerpt

RAFFLECOPTER BOOK GIVEAWAY

A book giveaway is going on now! Enter here to win! Update 2/22. This giveaway ended July 30, 2021.

About the Author: Mysteries of the Messiah by Jason Sobel

Title: Mysteries of the Messiah: Unveiling Divine Connections from Genesis to Today
Author: Rabbi Jason Sobel
Publisher: W Publishing Group, an imprint of Thomas Nelson
Release Date: March 23, 2021
Genre: Religion/Christian Living/Spiritual Growth, Messianic Interest

ISBN: 978-0-7852-4005-1

Did you enjoy this book review? Have YOU read the book? Leave a comment about what YOU thought about it!

Thank you to the publisher, W Publishing Group of Thomas Nelson, for the review copy. I have provided an honest review.

*Giveaway link provided as a service to readers. Giveaway is not sponsored by Adonai Shalom blog. Readers may enter giveaway at their own personal discretion. Rules for giveaways and contests differ in each state/region, please adhere to local laws related to giveaways.

PURCHASE LINKS:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Christianbook | Books-A-Million

Pastora Jennifer Mieliulis Fuentes, M.Div., Duke University

Links to other participating blogs**:

**Adonai Shalom is in no way affiliated with these blogs and perspectives shared by other blog authors are their own; doctrinal positions may differ.

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Parashat B’reishit (Genesis 1:1-6:8) (Updated 10/13/2022 5783 B”H)

Beginning at the Beginning

Each year after Sukkot (The Feast of Tabernacles), it is customary to begin re-reading through Torah (the first five books of the Bible). I personally believe it is vital to supplement Torah reading with readings from the rest of the Bible, including the Prophets and the rest of the Tanakh as well as, of course, the New Testament (B’rit Chadasha).

So it is the time of year when we begin back at Genesis (known in Hebrew as B’reishit).

Beginning at the beginning of time.

We do well to understand that in every undertaking in life, we ought embark only with our understanding framed by the history of creation. If we know our Creator and are in right relationship with Him, then we will understand our role as the created and realize our need for restoration and salvation.

Those who do not yet live in right relationship with the LORD, the Creator of All, cannot be called His children.

But there is Good News!

“See how glorious a love the Father has given us, that we should be called God’s children—and so we are!” 1 John 3:1

As God’s children, it is imperative that we share this Good News so that those who are perishing around us would be able to repent and know our Savior, too, and so, too, become children of the Most High God.

I will show you today a very simple method to share your faith, beginning at the beginning.

Are you confident in your ability to share and defend your faith?

As followers of Messiah Yeshua (the Lord Jesus Christ), it is our joyous duty to share with others the Good News of salvation.

We also need to be able to defend our faith.

Demonstrate that our faith is unshakeable!

It is so important to be equipped to share with others the Truth!

This is often called “apologetics.”

But rather than apologizing for what you believe, your task is to share it!

And be able to explain why you believe what you believe! Be confident! The LORD is with you and will give you the words and wisdom when you need it.

Today, I will focus on how one simple verse from Genesis can be used as a powerful spiritual weapon against one of the fastest growing cults: The Jehovah’s Witness organization.

The Jehovah Witness sect presents both a challenge and opportunity to Bible-believing Christians.

Are you ready to challenge yourself to share your faith?

Check out a simple and straightforward way to lead a friend to the True LORD of the Bible!

First, we must recognize that Truth is superior to cult religions and teachings

The Jehovah Witness cult continues to grow around the world. It is highly likely you will encounter a Jehovah’s Witness follower at some point.

You might think I am being very harsh calling it a cult.

However, given the high level of deception and falsehood, softer terms will not do.

Believers: we need to be educated about sects and cults in order to ask the Spirit of Truth to help us evangelize and minister to members of these erroneous organizations.

We also need to pray that the Spirit of all Truth, God’s Holy Spirit, the only True God would help us show genuine love, kindness, and compassion toward all of those who are trapped in confusion.

In order to properly witness to a member of a cult religion, we must ourselves be confident in Whom we have believed and know the Truth of Scripture for ourselves.

Second, it is wise to have a solid understanding of trustworthy Bible translations

My husband and I pastored a mission congregation in the southern USA for many years.

The influence of the Jehovah’s Witnesses in the area astounded us.

It was a region impacted by true spiritual darkness.

The Jehovah’s Witness cult members were particularly successful in sowing their seeds of confusion among the Latino/Hispanic community in that area.

The JW movement convinced many Spanish-speaking farm workers in the community that an adulterated bible, their “New World Translation” was superior to any standard (ie. reputable) English or Spanish language Bibles such as the King James Version or Reina Valera 1960.

It is important to educate new believers about trustworthy Bible translations.

We had our work cut out for us teaching the Truth of Scripture as many lay folk didn’t seem to really care about the scholastic origins of the Bibles they were reading.

Third, be familiar with the unsettling founding of the Jehovah Witness Movement

If you have ever studied comparative religion or sects, you may know the founding of the Jehovah Witness movement sounds more like a business enterprise than a revelatory experience.

A group of men (most say about 30) reportedly gathered in a Brooklyn, NY building and invented the religion.

They produced a “translation” of the Bible without knowing the Biblical languages Hebrew or Greek. Again, this is known as the “New World Translation” or NWT.

The men changed generous portions of Scripture to suit their doctrinal inventions (in complete defiance of the command in Revelation 22:18-19 to never add to or take away from the LORD’s Book):

“I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book. If anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his share in the Tree of Life and the Holy City, which are written in this book.” Revelation 22:18-19

It is true many of the first followers of our Messiah Jesus were not highly educated men.

However, it is not true that folks should wholeheartedly trust translations from people who cannot at least rudimentarily engage the languages they are working to translate.

The sinister nature of the NWT “translation” becomes obvious from the very beginning of the tarnished text: right there in Genesis.

How to use Genesis 1:2 as a Perfect Starting Point for Effective Evangelism (particularly with Jehovah’s Witness followers)

I discovered an easy way to strike up a conversation with Jehovah Witness followers.

Simply ask them about the Holy Spirit:

I would ask a Jehovah’s Witness to open their Bible to Genesis 1:2.

A well known verse, it tells us the Spirit of God hovered over the waters at creation:

“Now the earth was chaos and waste, darkness was on the surface of the deep, and the Ruach Elohim was hovering upon the surface of the water.” Genesis 1:2, TLV

Ruach Elohim is Hebrew for the “Spirit of God.”

You may be more familiar with the New King James Version’s phrasing:

“The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Genesis 1:2, NKJV

Help people recognize the spiritual danger:

In the false translation used by the Jehovah’s Witness organization (the New World Translation), the word for the Holy Spirit (Ruach Elohim in Hebrew) has been completely eliminated and replaced by a lower-case and non-personal term, the “active force.”

Those who have participated in the JW organization for a long time may be more hostile to you trying to help them, but I found that for those who are newer to the JW ranks, many would talk to me.

Many were open to discussing the glaring issue related to the unpardonable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit of God (Matthew 12:31).

The Holy Spirit gives believers the words we need when we need them.

And I can assure you, He is faithful.

The LORD of Truth can help you to reach those who have been falsely indoctrinated with the lies of the enemy that have been adopted by the Jehovah’s Witness organization.

He can save those who have been deceived.

Nothing is impossible for God! Matthew 19:26

So there is great hope!

The Jehovah Witness cult has injected a stronghold of deception and confusion into vulnerable people looking for answers to life’s questions.

There are SO MANY false doctrines in the JW religion!

Another easy place to start is with the nature of God.

God has been revealed to humanity as the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We can discuss semantics on “echad,” the doctrine of “Trinity,” or the “Oneness of God” another time. But the point is, we believe in the Holiness and Deity of God. We do not diminish the Son’s standing by denying His divinity – He is Fully God, and we certainly do not take away our reverence and respect for the Holy Spirit of God.

The Simple Truth

For today, rejoice that you know the God of all Truth!

He is the Eternal One, Heavenly Father, the Prince of Peace, Lord of All, and the Mighty Comforter!

Our LORD is the one who saves, fully God and fully human revealed in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus Christ our LORD)!

He is the Conquerer of death and the Conquerer of Confusion. He is King forever!

Do not shy away from sharing your faith!

There are SO many people who are hungry for the TRUTH!

You just might be the very person the LORD wants to use to bring others to know Him.

Are you reading this and have questions about the Truth of our Savior Jesus Christ (Yeshua haMashiach)? Please reach out! We would love to help you know more about the True Savior and Messiah who loves you and died for you so you could live eternally with Him. Pray today for members of the Jehovah’s Witness organization, that they would come to be free from the lies of the enemy.

Are you a member of the Jehovah’s Witness organization? Are you seeking to know the Truth about the Messiah, the Son of God? Please contact us, we would love to help you walk with the LORD:

The Church and Israel

Believers have commonly been taught that there is a stark contrast between “the Church” and “Israel.” Unfortunately, centuries of bad theology have led to unnecessary division in the body of Messiah.

“Israel” was seen as the “rebellious,” “law-bound,” “old,” “outdated,” “Jewish-other” while

the “Church” was seen as the “sanctified,” “free,” “mostly-Gentile,” “new,” “grace-based” non-religion (though “religion” it was and has been).

This dichotomy has created a needless split between most of Judaism and modern Christianity.

Leadership and Influence

When the Roman Empire became Catholicized, the Catholic religion became the institutional norm. For a time, religious persecution was paused. Catholicism grew in power due to its unity with the empire’s leadership. It was then not in the Catholic Church’s best interest to identify their religion with Israel because they would be forced to acquiesce, at least in part, to Jewish leadership. Working with the Sanhedrin would have presented challenges of its own, as obviously Israel’s leadership did not want to recognize Yeshua of Nazareth as the Messiah of Israel, but perhaps such a sharp breech from a Hebraic understanding of the Scriptures to a very Constantinian one wouldn’t have occurred so dramatically without the overarching influence of Catholicism.

Protestant congregations have likewise largely continued the distancing from the writings of the Hebrew Scriptures by claiming that there is a “new” group or, “elect,” who many erroneously preach have replaced Israel. This is known as “replacement theology.”

Defining “ekklesia”

It boils down to a lack of understanding of this Greek word: ekklesia.

This word is usually translated as “church.”

In fact, in many modern languages we can see a close relationship to the Greek term. Ekklesia becomes “iglesia” in Spanish, “igreja” in Portuguese, église in French, all contributing to the now-global confusion amongst “church” goers and followers of Jesus (Yeshua). Deficient, though well-intentioned, translations have left out the nuance offered by a broader term: “assembly.”

Should “ekklesia” be translated as “church” or “assembly?”

Strong’s Exhaustive concordance, a source relied upon by laity and scholars alike, describes the Greek noun “ἐκκλησία” (“ekklesia”) as meaning “an assembly” or a “congregation.” Strong’s is based on the King James Version of the Bible (KJV), so the English Christian culture influenced the usage of the term, despite Strong’s clear acknowledgement that the word can rightly be translated as “assembly” (notably inclusive of a Jewish assembly). According to Blue Letter Bible, the KJV translates “ekklesia” as “church” 115 times, and translates this same word “ekklesia” as “assembly” only 3 times!

Biblehub provides Strong’s succinct definition that ekklesia = assembly or church, with this more specific addendum:

From a compound of ek and a derivative of kaleo; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both) — assembly, church.

Biblehub.com

It must be acknowledged then, that the inherent biases in Westernized Christian translation, while perhaps well-meaning, have robbed the very “church” being defined of its truly Judaic heritage. Today, a vast number of Christian believers hold onto “replacement theology” (supersessionism) which actually deprives them of their own beautiful heritage as grafted-in members of the spiritual household of Israel.

Disjointedness in the presentation of Gospel Truth

A well-known verse is usually translated this way:

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

Matthew 16:18, NKJV

The Catholic Church grasps onto this verse as a prooftext for their claims that Peter was to be pope and provides a basis for the manmade doctrine of papal succession. Peter was instrumental as a pioneer of the faith and preacher of the message of salvation, but no where in Scripture does the Messiah institute the papacy.

A shift in understanding

Renderings of “ekklesia” as “church” like this familiar one in Matthew have produced generations of disjointedness in the presentation of the Gospel truth. It might not seem like a drastic change, but if the word “assembly” were inserted for “church” a shift in understanding begins to take place.

“And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My [assembly], and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”

Matthew 16:18, emphasis mine

Assembly = Congregation

The continuity becomes more apparent if it is acknowledged that “assembly” is also translated as “congregation” throughout the “Old Testament” (Hebrew Scriptures). The assembly of the righteous would be preserved upon the firm foundation provided by the Chief Cornerstone, the Messiah and that same assembly would continue into the New Covenant. The Hebrew word “qahal” (קָהֵל) which means “congregation” or “assembly” becomes “ekklesia” in the Septuagint (the LXX or Greek translation of the Scriptures). That being the case, all instances and uses of “ekklesia” in Scripture should unite, rather than divide, the modern “church” with the Hebrew community we know today as Israel.

Furthermore, the Greek term, “oikodoméō,” translated as “built” can also be accurately translated as “rebuilt” or “strengthened,” suggesting the “congregation” of Israel could be renewed, revived, and strengthened through the ongoing revelation of the salvific truth found in Messiah.

Congregation > Community

As much as I generally like the Tree of Life Version’s Bible translation because of its aim to restore the Jewishness back to the Scriptures, I find the TLV’s translation a bit weak on this particular verse:

And I also tell you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My community; and the gates of Sheol will not overpower it.

Matthew 16:18, TLV

While a congregation certainly is a “community,” the divine connotation that is associated with a “congregation” disappears with such a neutral term like “community.” However, the term “community” may still be preferential in that it does not carry with it the baggage associated with most of today’s churches.

Messiah Yeshua or Westernized Jesus

It isn’t wrong to call Jesus, Jesus.

That is our given language.

But if we want to really understand this Jesus, we might want to start by thinking about His characteristics when He walked on this earth. He was a Middle Eastern Jew, not the blonde hair, blue-eyed image that still hangs on many European American church walls. His parents would have called Him by His Hebrew name, “Yeshua.” As the Messiah of Israel, Yeshua didn’t come to Israel to start a completely new “religion.” The point of waiting for a Messiah was that Israel was to be restored, right?

Believers are now part of Israel

Yeshua the King of Israel went above and beyond, of course, because not only did He restore Israel, He welcomed those outside of Israel to join, if they would only repent and come in.

Israel was not replaced, Israel was fortified!

If you are a believer, you are part of Israel!

At that time you were separate from Messiah, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Messiah Yeshua, you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of the Messiah. For He is our shalom, the One who made the two into one and broke down the middle wall of separation. 

Ephesians 2:12-14a, TLV

Replacing “replacement” theology

What then, shall we do? Can replacement theology be “replaced?” Yes, but it will take a lot of effort, and probably on a grassroots-like level. As individuals, and then slowly, entire assemblies begin to re-awaken to the Hebrew roots of their faith, there will be healing between Jews and Gentiles, a prayer of so many including Messiah Yeshua – that we may all be One.

Did you appreciate this teaching? Would you be interested in receiving further teachings and studies straight to your inbox? Please join our email list and/or leave a comment below!

Am Yisrael Chai!

The Wedding in Cana

If you are familiar with the Scriptures, you probably know about a now-famous wedding that took place in a place called Cana, in the Galilee.

*Spoiler alert* the LORD Yeshua (Jesus) turned water into wine that day!

Surely, you already knew that . . . but,

Have you ever thought about the mechanics of this miracle?

Let’s look to John’s account of the Wedding in Cana:

On the third day, there was a wedding at Cana in the Galilee. Yeshua’s mother was there, and Yeshua and His disciples were also invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, Yeshua’s mother said to Him, “They don’t have any wine!”

Yeshua said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with you and Me? My hour hasn’t come yet.”

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”

Now there were six stone jars, used for the Jewish ritual of purification, each holding two to three measures. Yeshua said to them, “Fill the jars with water!” So they filled them up to the top. Then He said to them, “Take some water out, and give it to the headwaiter.” And they brought it.

Now the headwaiter did not know where it had come from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. As the headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine, he calls the bridegroom and says to him, “Everyone brings out the good wine first, and whenever they are drunk, then the worse. But you’ve reserved the good wine until now!” Yeshua did this, the first of the signs, in Cana of the Galilee—He revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

John 2:1-11 TLV

Let’s focus specifically on John 2:6 for a moment. He writes of the wedding in Cana:

“Now there were 6 stone jars, used for the Jewish ritual of purification, each holding 2-3 measures.”

A measure is about 9 gallons according to the Tree of Life Version of the Bible.

So there would be 18-27 gallons to work with per container —

roughly 120 gallons of water altogether —

that would be transformed into the highest quality of wine ever tasted.

Back to the jars. In the Bible, numbers generally have symbolic meanings. 7 indicates perfection, completeness, wholeness, holiness, salvation.

777=Messiah. Contrast that to three consecutive 6’s and you’ll get the idea.

6 indicates incompleteness, insufficiency, “almost-but-not-good-enough.”

So if there were 6 jars at the wedding in Cana, we know they were okay. They were good, but not great; useful, but not the perfect solution.

Likewise, the Jewish purification ritual was good. A pattern of that which would be to come, but not the end-all. There was nothing wrong with it, but it just wasn’t quite enough.

It isn’t enough to just go through religious motions.

Just like it isn’t enough to have your name highlighted as the top contributor to a ministry.

And it isn’t enough to walk down to an altar, confess your faith in the Savior of the world, and then go on living as though that never happened.

It also wouldn’t have been enough of a celebration at the wedding in Cana without a little wine!

I know, I know, you might want to start throwing stones at me. Look, the Bible doesn’t always fit neatly into personal preferences or cultural attitudes. We must conform our personal preferences to what the Bible actually says.

Having a glass of wine was not considered a sin in Galilee.

Drunkenness = sin. A glass of wine = not a sin.[That said, a person who does not have self-control or has a history of addiction, that person should not consume alcohol. Also, certain fellowships choose to abstain from alcohol completely, so you should consult your pastor regarding this topic.]

Back to the wedding. Yeshua’s mother Miryam (Mary) didn’t want the soon-to-be-married couple to be embarrassed by a wine shortage. Though Yeshua said it was not His hour, Miryam told the servants to do whatever He said, and when He did, it was the first of His miracles on earth.

At the Wedding in Cana, Yeshua (Jesus) blessed the bridegroom and his family.

The LORD didn’t consternate them for not having enough wine nor lecture them about how washing their hands in a ceremonial fashion couldn’t give them the fullness of the salvation they longed for. He chose to perform the first miracle of his ministry in that place and allow the bridegroom to receive the accolades:

“The headwaiter says to the bridegroom, ‘Everyone brings out the good wine first, and whenever they are drunk, then the worse. But you’ve reserved the good wine until now!'” John 2:10

Whenever you are in a ministry position, look for ways to credit others instead of focusing on yourself like our LORD did at this event.

Those 6 jars were awaiting a touch from the Potter’s hand.

Made complete by the presence of the Vinedresser, the 6 jars contained within them the power to demonstrate the total other-ness of Rabbi Jesus. Eyes were being opened to the reality that the miracle-working, supernatural power of God was being poured out, right there, that day in little Cana.

The Hebrew Scriptures foretell of a day when the mountains will drip with new wine (Joel 3:18 NKJV; 4:18 TLV). At the feast of Shavu’ot (Pentecost), there was an outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Ruach haKodesh) which resulted in people mocking the disciples and suggesting they were drunk on “new wine.” (Acts 2:13). The wedding in Cana proved that something new was about to happen.

Remember, there will always be scoffers. There will always be somebody somewhere who makes fun of you, doesn’t like you, thinks you’re just crazy, or is too bound up in their own religious ideas to credit you as living rightly for God.

Listen, if you’ve got what He has for you, does the opinion of the crowd really matter?

When the LORD Most High decided to pour out His Holy Spirit and Presence upon the gathered believers, how many were present? Acts 1:15 says there were . . . 120.

It’s as though there was more than a gallon of new wine for each of them.

Hallelujah! (The Ruach/Spirit is given without measure. John 3:34 assures us there is no limit to His gift). When a person is filled with Ruach haKodesh, the Holy Spirit, they get more than a gallon. Don’t worry, this isn’t a gas station. You will get more than you came for.

The wedding in Cana foreshadows the glorious reality of Pentecost! The unlimited outpouring of His precious Holy Spirit!

These same believers in the time of the book of Acts had seen the miracles of their Messiah, followed Him, even witnessed Him being killed and resurrected. The wedding in Cana was now a foreshadowing of the return of the Bridegroom to celebrate with His own, holding no good thing back.

Knowing now what you have learned about the wedding in Cana and the fulfillment at Shavu’ot/Pentecost, ask yourself a few questions:

What is it that is incomplete in your life?

Is your relationship with your Creator as close as it could be?

Do you need a dose of something new and fresh and joyful?

Do you still listen to the critics?

Are you well-attuned to the voice of the Master, the One who came that you might have life, and life abundantly?

Are you filled with the Holy Spirit?

Whatever isn’t enough, may it become more than enough in Him.

May you be surprised by His generosity, overwhelmed by His thoughtfulness, and embraced by His unending love, the love He showed at the Wedding in Cana.