Watermarked

John 2:1–12 ESV

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

Introduction

This week I made a decision to change to the Historic One-Year Lectionary series. We have used it in the past. The Three Year series, which has been our norm, does not contain any of the historic Epiphany readings which are so vital to understand this season of the Church year where Jesus is revealed to be both Christ and Lord. We will continue in this series throughout the end of the Church year. Because of it some things are going to change a little. The historic season adds a season called “Pre-Lent” where the readings focus more sharply on Jesus beginning his journey to the Cross for us. This means that Transfiguration will be moved up to February 9, and at that time the altar paraments and pastoral vestments will change to purple. Yet Lent does not arrive until Ash Wednesday, at which time the Liturgy will begin the Lenten observation of no Gloria or Alleluia. Then, when we get to the summer, the readings will be for the Sundays after Trinity rather than Pentecost. You will be blessed because you’re going to hear many readings that you have not heard for years. It will get us more into the Bible. And that’s always a good thing.

Having said this, now Blessed Epiphany to you. Thirty years have passed since Jesus was born in Bethlehem and now, following His Baptism in the Jordan, Jesus officially begins His three year ministry on earth, bearing our sins and preparing to take your place before the Father, assuming all of your sin, death, and hell.

In the Gospel of John Jesus wastes no time in showing who He is: The Lord God Himself. The hymn “Songs of Thankfulness and Praise” puts it thus: “And, at Cana, wedding guest, in Thy Godhead manifest: Manifest in power divine, changing water into wine, anthems be to Thee addressed, God in man made manifest.

The Account.

Jesus is at a wedding in Cana of Galilee. It is His home town. His mother, Mary, is there. No sign of Joseph, who no doubt died at some point. Remember what we learned about Jewish weddings during Advent and Christmas? The marriages were all arranged, often at birth or when the boy and girl were young. They would grow up together. For them to separate would demand a divorce, even though they had not yet come together- hence Joseph seeking to divorce Mary quietly. The marriage was not as a result of the exchange of vows between husband and wife— their parents had taken those. The actual marriage takes place when the groom takes the bride home, carries her into her home, and consummates the marriage physically. The family would gather and celebrate, sometimes up to two weeks as history records. They needed a lot of wine. We’re not talking just about a 4 hour reception the afternoon after a couple gets married today! And they would need wine, a lot of wine.

As this party progressed the wine ran out.

Mary says to Jesus, “They don’t have any wine!” Now, if that happened to me and we were entertaining, that would be the not -so-subtle demand to go get more from the store. But not the case here! Mary wants Jesus to do something, but she is very non-specific in her request. Jesus says to her, “What has this to do with you and me, woman?” “My hour has not yet come.” If you were to answer your mom like this and call her “woman”, it may not turn out so good for you… It sounds so brash, so disrespectful! Actually, the Greek helps us out a little bit here. It reads “Dear woman, why do you involve me?”

Of course, Jesus is going to help. But in a way that no one would ever expect.

There were six stone water jars that were normally used for the ritual cleansing baths of the Jews. These were big jars- twenty or thirty gallons each. He commands the jars to be filled with water. They most likely had to pour water into them— stone jars with 30 gallons each would be too heavy to lift. The servants comply and fill the stone jars with water. They probably had no idea why! And they filled them all to the brim. Right up to the top, with the water being level with the opening of each. He then commanded them to draw some out and take them to the Maitre d’hotel to taste. I wonder what was going through the servants’ minds right then and there. WHY in the world would Jesus tell us to bring the Maitre d’ WATER? Yet they did as they were commanded.

When the Maitre d’ tasted it, he did not know where it came from. I’m sure the servants’ eyes bugged out - they just filled the jars with water. But it had become wine. And not just any wine, but the “best wine”. Isaiah speaks about this that out the mountain of the Lord He will give us the “best of meats and the finest of wines!” A foretaste of another wedding that is yet to come where we will bride.

“Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now!”

Jesus turns water into wine. But why?

The Sign

Jesus doesn’t do this to obey His mother, though that happens. Jesus turns water into wine for a completely different reason. He does it to reveal who He is. He is the Lord. And this sign show Him to have all power in heaven and on earth.

In his Gospel, John never ever uses the word “miracle.” He uses the word “sign”- Greek “Seimeion”. Signs always point to something, or indicate something. They tell you to stop. They tell you to turn off your cell phone. They tell you where the bargains are. Whenever John uses this word He does so in a very special way. Seimeion always, always points to Jesus. John has seven of them in his Gospel. And this word is laced throughout the Revelation as well. Signs always point to Jesus.

As we have stated before, be careful with miracles. Even in the other Gospels, they are never meant to draw attention to themselves but always to show who Jesus is. It seems like a lot of Christians today have become “miracle minded” and because of it miss the entire point of miracles. To reveal to us Jesus. They are forms of Epiphany.

Some define miracles as “Jesus (or God) setting aside the Laws of nature to reveal that He is the Lord.” But that’s not true. The laws of nature were set aside when Adam and Eve sinned. Everything that was created was affected. Nature was turned upside down as death made its unwelcomed entrance into the world. What Jesus does in His miracles is not set aside the laws of nature as we know them. He shows us what nature is supposed to be! He pulls aside the curtain of our sin-laced-skewed-perception that can only see death and the preamble to hell. He also shows us what the New Heavens and Earth will be like after this world is destroyed and we will be given heaven. Don’t forget this! There is a lot of misinformation about miracles out there particularly in the Church.

The Result

The text ends with these words, “Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee. He revealed His glory and His disciples believed in Him.”

There it is. There is Epiphany! The disciples see and believe! The sign does its job for them.

Miracles do not always cause faith. That’s because of us, not because of God.

Moses and Aaron are given the ability to turn water into blood. The court magicians do the same. Moses’ rod is thrown down. It turns into a snake. The magicians can do the same.

In the parable of the Rich man and Lazarus, the rich man in hell pleads with Abraham to send someone back from the dead to warn his five brothers. Abraham’s response is telling: “They have Moses and the Prophets, let them listen to them.” And he said, “No, Father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.” He said to him, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.”

And Jesus tells us Himself that “false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See I have told you beforehand.”

If your eye is on the miracle instead of where the sign is pointing, you are in danger. Always in danger. For that is unbelief. No sign will be given you but the sign of Jonah.

Jesus signs show us exactly who He is. And by the way, He came back from the dead, and those who refuse to listen to Moses and the Prophets also refuse to believe even though Jesus came back from the dead.

Beloved, this sign is given to you that you may believe and that by believing have life in His name! Today is the day of salvation. Don’t wait until tomorrow.

Water into Wine into Blood

In our text Jesus turns water into wine. But in the Eucharist, Jesus does something even greater. He turns wine into Blood- His blood. Shed for you so that your sins are forgiven. Poured out for you so that as you swallow it you are reminded who paid the price on your damned head. Water into wine, wine into blood. For you. Take and drink.

And what about you. His water is on you. You are baptized into Christ. What happens when His water hits your head? What does it turn into? New Creation. Believer in Jesus. It gives you the wine of New life, and then turns into blood. His blood be on you and your people. Forgiven. The angel of death passes over. Marked as God’s child forever and ever.

Jesus is here. The wedding feast is before you. You can just eat along with the crowd, or your eyes can be opened to see what is really taking place at the Feast of the Lamb.

You’re not a part of the Crowd. You’re the bride. This feast is all about Christ, the Husband, who throws it for you.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.