"Woman, behold thy son!"

I really like the story found in John 2 about the miracle of Jesus turning the water into wine at the wedding feast.  The thing that impressed me the most about this even was the fact that it was so much wine.  We aren't talking about a few people here.  We know from verse 6 that there were six water pots containing two or three firkins of water. "And there were set there six water pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins a piece." In the institute manual it tells us that a firkin is equal to about nine gallons. So we know that they served 100 to 150 gallons of wine at the wedding that day. The Savior is able to bless us in so many ways no matter how large or small.  Sometimes we may think that it would take too great a miracle for our problems to be healed through the Savior but we must take stories like this to help us realize the magnitude of the power of the priesthood and its power to create miracles in our lives.

In John 2:1-22 we can learn a great lesson.  In the story of Jesus and his mother at the wedding feast, Jesus speaks to his mother in a way that is not always understood correctly by most readers.  He says to her, "Women, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come." Although in the JST it says, " … Woman, what wilt thou have me to do for thee? that will I do; for mine hour is not yet come." which helps to clarify it a little more for me.  I'll admit that when I read this verse I felt a little uneasy at the way in which the Savior addressed his mother.  I found some peace of mind and clarification to this in the institute manual on page 29. It says, "To every son the mother ought to be preeminently the woman of women; she is the one woman in the world to whom the son owes his earthly existence; and though the title ‘Mother’ belongs to every woman who has earned the honors of maternity, yet to no child is there more than one woman whom by natural right he can address by that title of respectful acknowledgment."
The great lesson learned for me in this chapter was that when we have a questions about something we read in the scriptures, we must dig deeper for a meaning or an answer.  Many times if we will do this Heavenly Father will bless us to understand his mysteries and the things that we desire to know more fully.

The story of Jesus cleansing the Temple found in John 2:13-16 helps to remind me that my body is a Temple and that the Lord would have me keep it clean and unspotted from the sins of this world.  I need to not only keep my body healthy and clean but I need to purify it by repenting daily, reading my scriptures, attending the temple and fasting with a prayer in my heart each month.  The Savior has the power to cleans our soul or our temple just as he did in the New Testament.

The Childhood of Jesus Christ

And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Luke 2:40

I believe that Mary and Joseph taught Jesus about Heavenly Father and raised him to know God. However, I also feel that the Savior had to some degree, an understanding of who he was and what his mission was just as you and I can feel of our own mission and our God-like potential.  As we read in Luke 2 we find that by the age of twelve the Savior knew who he was and who is father was. When Mary and Joseph found their son in the temple teaching the "doctors", they questions him but he answered them saying, " How is it that ye sought me? wish ye not that I must be about my Father's business?"  

The Savior grew up in a family just as you and I, yet he was different.  He talked differently and acted differently then his brothers and sisters.  He worked alongside his father Joseph as a carpenter.  I'm sure that his father found that he was being taught by his son more than his son was being taught by him.  In JST of Matt 3:24-26, we learn that the Savior could not be taught. Not because he was not teachable but because he already understood all that earthly men could teach him. 
"24 And it came to pass that Jesus grew up with his brethren, and waxed strong, and waited upon the Lord for the time of his ministry to come.

25 And he served under his father, and he spake not as other men, neither could he be taught; for he needed not that any man should teach him."
 However, in D&C 93:12-14, John gives his testimony of the fact that even Jesus Christ from his birth, did not have a perfect knowledge of things but he received knowledge line and upon line.  Here a little and there a little until he received all that his father wanted him to.  "And he received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness;"  It is the same in our own lives.  We do not simple wake up one day and have a full testimony or a full understanding of the gospel.  He too receive grace for grace and line upon line.  We learn in 2 Nephi 28:30, that if we receive what we are given and believe, we will receive more. 
" For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have."

The Savior had to go through the veil and forget all things just as we did.  We should not forget that although he is the only begotten of the father, he was subject to the feelings of a natural man as well.  He had temptation, trials and desires just as we do.  In fact knowing this about the Savior helps me to know and understand that He knows and understand what I am going through.  He understands my trials and my weaknesses and he knows how I can overcome them. 
I love this quote by Joseph Fielding Smith, "Without a doubt, Jesus came into the world subject to the same condition as was required of each of us - he forgot everything, and he had to grow from grace to grace.  His forgetting, or having his former knowledge taken away, would be requisite just as it is in the case of each of us, to complete the present temporal existence."

I know that I am a child of God and that Jesus Christ is my elder brother.  I can do as he did and grow in knowledge and strength, grace by grace and line upon line.  Each day as I chose to repent and do better I am doing this.  Each day as I make choices I am growing as He did. If I continue to improve and repent of my mistakes, I will one day be exalted and be a God as my Savior has become.  I know this is true and I know that through the Atonement it is possible.