From Starting Blocks to Finish Line
**In this Study you can learn about what to expect in a long-term relationship with God and how you can grow closer to Him. http://mag.thelife.com/study/growingfaith.html
In the shadow of the recent Olympic Games, we can look back and recall the high level of dedication and focus displayed by the athletes striving to attain the crowning glory of victory. For example, in a sprint event on the track, we see how all aspects of the race are focused on the pursuit of victory.
The athlete first invests years of preparation and training before finally being ready for the actual event. After a final period of mental preparation and rehearsing his race strategy, he enters the starting blocks. The race only begins with the sound of the gun and the explosion of the competitors out of the blocks.
The actual start of the race foretells its conclusion and from that point on, every action is focused on the sole purpose of gaining the victory. No unnecessary effort is expended and the racers do not stray to the left or right. The crossing of the finish line is the culminating fulfillment of all the planning, preparation and training.
What a wonderful picture of God’s plan to provide for the redemption of mankind!
God began effecting His plan by declaring His intention to rescue us from our bondage of sin. The revelation of this intent appears numerous times throughout the Bible and John the Baptist identifies Jesus as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
Jesus’ period of preparation and training for the coming “race” included time spent in the synagogue exploring the Scriptures as a child, the time of temptation in the wilderness and the calling of the disciples.
The fulfillment of Gods’ plan to provide for our redemption was, of course, the death and resurrection of our Lord. But when did the final race begin? Was there an event that set it in motion and foretold the coming glorious victory?
Certainly, all Jesus did during His public ministry focused on bringing Him ever closer to the goal and as He crossed the finish line, He declared, “It is finished.” If this is so, then could the start of the race have been His first public act ? Did the miraculous changing of water to wine at the wedding feast at Cana signal the start of His race? See John 2: 1-11.
Could this seemingly frivolous miracle be a pivotal event in the overall theme of the Bible?
It both connects and marks the transition between God’s unfulfilled plan to redeem us (as revealed by the old covenant represented by the ceremonial cleansing water) and the actual work of redemption (provided through the new covenant represented by the wine).
The wine points us to Jesus’ death and ultimate triumph through its representation of His blood. The substitution of the water with wine illustrates how the demands of the old covenant law were completely satisfied by the blood of the new covenant. (from Simply Water to Wine? www.dougemberley.ca)
~Father God, I am amazed at how You revealed the race that Jesus came to run through this miracle. May my life reflect Your grace today and may I triumph in the victory You secured for me. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Question: Are you living today in the victory that Jesus secured at the cross for you?
