On the third day after being publicly announced as the Messiah by John, Jesus and His new disciples went to a wedding. Part way through, things took a bad turn. The wine ran out to the horror of the host family. Mary realized this and told Jesus. She did not ask, but Jesus knew exactly what she wanted. He seemed to refuse at first, but His mother knew Him well and told the servants to do as He said. Mary must have been a person of influence to have made such a request. She knew her son was capable of something special and would help. Despite His protests, she knew it was His time to shine.

Jesus did not tell them to fill the old, empty wineskins. He wanted new vessels for new wine. He chose six pots. These pots were used for ritual washing to wash the outside of the body. He said to fill them with water, then take some to the head steward to taste. No words, no prayers, just directions. The steward pronounced it the best wine of all, and only Jesus' mom, His disciples and the servants knew what happened.

Christ replaced water for ritual washing with the new wine of the kingdom that fills and transforms. Simple clay pots for washing became vessels for celebration to fill us with joy. They became new things, just as we do when we are filled with the Spirit of God. Water cleans the outside, but wine fills us inside with joy. Jesus took the shame of lack and replaced it with the joy of abundance. The vessel was transformed by how it was filled. So are we, because the filling defines the vessel.

We taste of this joy now, but one day we will drink with Jesus at His wedding feast as His bride. The vessel and the filling are important and matter. But so does the timing.

In fact, that's the thing about this story that really prods at me. The timing.

This miracle was unplanned and perhaps even unwelcome. Mary's request was inconvenient and poorly timed and Jesus let her know it. He had a plan already and a set timetable for the day of His revealing. He was focused, purposeful and had clear goals. Mary gloriously messed all that up. But the way Jesus reacted was what really prodded at me. I asked myself, "How would I react in such a situation?" Or worse, "How have I reacted?" I plan and make schedules. I have a clear idea of things I need to achieve each day. But then again, so did Jesus. The problem is that I rarely respond like Jesus did to "interruptions."

When I think about it, Jesus’ ministry was full of interruptions and unplanned stops. He stopped to pray when asked. He answered annoying questions. He went out of his way to heal. He had no plan to go to Jairus’ house, heal Bartimaeus or the Centurion’s servant or any of the other seeming distractions along the way, but He did. They became His plan for the day.

When I say I want to become more like Jesus, do I consider that? I might want to be incorruptible, but do I want to be interruptible? Are interruptions a deflection from my task or the Spirit's re-directions in a mask?

“I know the plans I have for you...” Jeremiah 29:11 says. But do I agree when they slow me down or interrupt my well-laid plans? I’m learning, as I walk with Jesus, that there can be many "unplanned"(by me) stops, while also learning to embrace His plans over mine.

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Chris Jones is the Global Outreach Director at New Hope Church. He longs for the unreached people of the world to experience the life-changing love of God and for people at New Hope Church to find fullness of joy by obeying the Great Commission.