Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

This morning we continue on in our study through the Gospel of John and we find ourselves examining the first of the signs of Jesus.

You will recall from last week, that the signs serve a greater purpose than just meeting an immediate need or putting on display a great work.

Let’s not forget that the purpose of the signs, the great things that we will be reading all point us to a specific revelation.

It is imparting to us the truth of who Jesus is.

As the apostles had the glory of God revealed to them, we also observe this glory as we read of Him in His Word.

We see that Jesus is the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father (John 1:14).

That Jesus is the Son of God!

Scripture Reading

Body

This miracle is fairly unique in that no one really knows who is to credit for this great wine except for a select few.

It for sure would have been a surprise to the wedding couple, it was a surprise to the chief servant, and a great surprise as the wine that is brought out at the end is much greater than what was first introduced.

The only ones who really knew about this was Jesus, Mary, the servants, and finally the disciples.

This is all that we know of who may have known what had actually occurred on that day.

It is possible that others may have known but we are not sure.

This miracle happens fairly quickly as well near the beginning of his ministry.

Just two days after recruiting Phillip and Nathanael as his disciples, they are now in attendance of a wedding.

And just two days after following Jesus, they are about to see the most wondrous thing they have ever seen in their lives up until that point.

Jesus of course would go on and continue to reveal to them and the world who he truly is.

A wedding ceremony was a very special occasion.

And Jesus’ attendance to a wedding shows the sacred covenant of marriage.

But it was not only special for the families involved, but also for the entire community.

It was a celebration in which, if poor hospitality was shown, it was considered to be a great offense.

It was expected that the wife to be was given 12 months to prepare for the wedding.

Imagine that guys, some of us cannot wait 20 minutes for our spouse to get ready.

But 12 months of preparation was given.

During that time, the husband to be was not wasting his time.

He was preparing the home for the arrival of his bride.

He also had the obligation of planning that wedding.

Maybe we have been doing a bad job since in today’s culture the women do most, if not all, of the planning.

The wedding procession would occur in the evening.

This is why in the parable of the virgins, they were to have oil in their lamps awaiting the groom.

There was a huge torchlight procession.

It was an offense to not be ready.

The weddings typically lasted for about a week’s time and the wine was expected to be flowing.

Running out of wine at the wedding could have had a devastating social and financial impact for the hosts.

The wedding celebration had an element of reciprocity that was supported by the law.

One could take legal action against a guest who failed to provide an appropriate gift.[1]

[1] Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., … Bomar, D. (2012, 2016).

Faithlife Study Bible (Jn 2:3).

Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

And early on in the story, given an understanding of the context, we encounter what we may think is the climax of the story.

There is no wine!

And so what are they to do?

We read of Mary making her request to Jesus and we read of his very interesting response.

His hour had not yet come

What does this mean?

Why state something so cryptic?

Well his response goes back to the question like every answer does.

If I you heard me tell of how a man was taken out of his home and put into the back of a van, while the family of this man was chasing behind in their car in fear and worry, and he was brought into a building, cut open with a knife, and had his heart removed.

All the while, people were outside of the room knowing what was going on inside and not storming in there to stop it.

You would think one thing.

But if you knew that someone was asking about the details for when a person’s father was taken to the hospital by the paramedics to get open heart surgery, you would understand it properly.

Context of course is important always when handling the Scriptures, and remember Jesus is responding to a question from Mary, his mother.

This brings us to Mary’s statement and expectation in her saying it.

“They don’t have any wine.”

Not that they are running out of wine, or that the wine they have left is terrible.

But that they are out of wine.

She brings it to the attention of her son, they have no wine.

Now this is not a statement of judgment.

Nor is it one of contempt.

She was not upset or offended, but she was bringing it to the attention of her son so that he would do something about it.

Why?

Well, we do not know for sure, but given that Mary is the one that is making the request, it seems very likely that she was responsible for that portion of the wedding.

And so this was dishonorable and she knew who her son was.

She knew that he was God.

Luke 1:30-33, the angel tells her who her son was going to be.

There is no way you forget something like that.

So, putting the request to her son, this wedding has no wine.

You are God, you can do something about it.

But Jesus was not going to be persuaded to go against God’s timeline.

His response reveals that He owes no one anything.

Maybe you are sitting here this morning, thinking God owes you somehow.

When in reality, we are the ones with the debt.

He says, my hour has not yet come.

Why did he say that?

What is this hour to come?

This is a common phrase in John’s Gospel.

John 12:27- Jesus reveals to us that it is His death.

But not the death, but the saving act he does.

He takes away our sins!

The hour where he would take our sins and be the saviour to all who would believe.

A grand display of the glory of God!

But It was not the hour for him to reveal who he is.

That He is the Son of God.

And therefore, not the hour yet for him to be glorified.

And we read that in the Gospel of John in various occasions.

John 2:4 (Water to Wine)

“And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with us?

My hour has not yet come.”

John 7:30 (Jesus teaching in the temple, claiming to be from God, the Messiah)

“So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come.”

John 8:20 (Speaking to the Pharisees and stating that they did not know the Father)

“These words He spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one seized Him, because His hour had not yet come.”

The words ‘my time (hōra) has not yet come’ include the first of nine references to Jesus’ ‘hour/time’ (2:4; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27 [2×]; 13:1; 16:32; 17:1), a significant theme in this Gospel.

The first three references indicate that Jesus’ hour had not yet come; the last six indicate that it had come.

But as he approached the time of his death on the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, the time has come” (John 17:1).

His hour had not yet come though.

But still, with mercy and grace Jesus does save the wedding.

Before the meal, there would be water jars set aside in order to wash themselves.