In John 2:1-11, Jesus performs His very first miracle, turning water into wine and – like me – you’ve probably heard many thoughts on this through the years.  

At this point, Jesus has called his disciples to follow Him, but He had not yet started his ministry. Invited to a wedding, the wine runs out, but Jesus steps in. He speaks to the family’s servants and intervenes – turning water into wine better than any that had already been served.  

Here’s what struck me. Jesus used the servants to perform a miracle in the role they were already holding.  In an unextraordinary task they partnered with Jesus and consequently had the best seats in the house for the resulting miracle. It was in their serving that the miracle happened. As they refilled the cups of people who barely noticed their presence, provision came. 

Contrast this with the boy who gave up his loaves and fish at the feeding of the 5000. In that moment, the miracle came when a child placed all he had in the hands of Jesus. He had no lack himself for Jesus to provide for, but his sacrifice in faith provided the miracle of provision for literally 1000’s around him.  

Then we look at the lives of the disciples, who were, as far as we know, happily following their paths in life. As fishermen or as tax-collectors, they had set courses to follow, and the call of Jesus in their lives was to lay all of that down. The miracles they saw were out of a monumental life change. They saw incredible healing and provision, ultimately even the resurrection. They lived a legacy of miracles after Jesus returned to heaven. 

• Sometimes he’ll ask us to continue in the day-to-day position he’s called us to and will provide while we faithfully serve.  

• Sometimes he’ll ask us to sacrifice something of ours for a greater miracle of provision to bloom out of.  

• Sometimes he’ll ask us to uproot all we’ve ever known, flip it on its head and see the most incredible provision we’ve ever known, impacting generations and nations beyond us.  

And we don’t know which path Jesus is calling us to. But we do know that year after year, going back millennia, there are testimonies of how Jesus has provided – abundantly. We can assume that the biggest provisions come when we pull down careers, uproot families and make radical life changes. But know that Jesus was also about miracles in the everyday. Making huge life changes work if that’s what he’s called you to do. But equally, Jesus may be calling you to faithfully serve in that steady job that you have. 

This Christmas, no matter what circumstance you may find yourself in, know that Jesus – the abundant provider – can be trusted to meet your needs. All you need to do is be present.