Pastor Tom Johnson, January 16, 2022
Jesus changes water to wine. It’s the first of his signs. That means that Jesus was not doing party tricks at the reception. He was providing a sign of who he is, a sign of the transformation he brings, a sign of what is, and a sign what is to come. As we heard from our reading from Isaiah, marriage is a picture of God’s relationship with his people. The prophets tell us many times that God is the Groom and we his people are the bride. God wants to be in a healthy marriage with us.
Our Scripture takes place on the third day of a wedding celebration. They have run out of wine. The chief steward tells the groom that it was his responsibility to provide the wine. The groom fails to provide even before the wedding is over. Imagine attending any wedding reception today—if they had no champagne for the toast, no beer, no wine, and no cocktails served at the meal. Even today it would be really poor planning and a big disappointment. Mary tells her son Jesus they have run out of wine. Jesus says his hour has not yet come. And then adds, “It’s not our problem.” And why would Jesus want to provide more wine to those who are already drunk? It’s the groom and chief steward’s problem. But Mary insists. She tells the servants, “Do whatever Jesus tells you.”
There is a lesson in that for all of us—especially we who are servants of Christ’s church. It is always good advice to do whatever Jesus tells us. He tells us to love God with our whole being, to love our neighbor as ourselves, and love one another as he loved us. He tells us to be faithful. He tells us to sin no more. He tells us to bear good fruit. He tells us to trust God and himself. He tells us to share the good news, make disciples of all nations, and to teach one another to observe all that he has commanded (Matt 28). Jesus tells the servants to fill six 30-gallon stone jars with water. They fetch the water. Jesus changes the water into wine. There is now 180 gallons of wine. That is 900 bottles or 75 cases of wine. That is a truckload of wine.
Their cups runneth over indeed. When God provides, he extravagantly and lavishly provides. And it’s not just the quantity of wine. It’s the quality. The prophets speak of a great banquet when Messiah comes “...a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, …of well-aged wines strained clear. …he will swallow up death forever. Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces” (Isa 25:6-8).
Mary and the disciples don’t know how Jesus did it. But they do know that he did it. The chief steward, the groom, and the wedding guests don’t even know that he did it. But they do know it was superior wine. In fact, it’s so good that it becomes a bone of contention. The chief steward tells the groom that he should have served the superior wine first and then the inferior wine after they had become drunk.
This is the sign—not so much the water turning into wine—but Jesus stepping up to fulfill the duties of the groom. He is the superior Groom who provides superior wine. His blessing overflows to the bride, the groom, and the whole wedding party. Only Mary and the disciples witness the miracle. But everyone benefits. Is that not like the work of Gospel ministry and the mysteries of the Kingdom of God? We witness signs and miracles every day. But some people miss it even when it is wafting under their noses and warmly trickling down their throats. The true Bride of Christ knows Jesus makes water into wine. We believe Jesus transforms the ordinary into the extraordinary. We witness the profane made holy. By his Word and Holy Spirit, he makes ordinary water into Holy Baptism. By Baptism he transforms us from sons of Adam and daughters of Eve into children of God. By his Word and blessing, he gives bread for his Body and wine for his Blood. By Holy Communion he forgives our sins and strengthens us for the journey ahead. By that same Word and spirit he transforms our lives outside-in and inside-out.
This is the sign the whole world desperately needs: genuine life-transformation. Not water to wine—but despair to hope—pride to humility—harm to blessing—hatred to love. We all need a Savior who makes a real difference in the lives of ordinary people. So God does. He changes our hearts of stone to hearts of flesh (Ezek 36:26). He transforms Saul the persecutor of the church into Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles. So Jesus says they will know we are his disciples by our love for one another—authentic love is the sign of our transformation of mind, body, and spirit. Just as Paul says in 1 Corinthians 14 that the unbeliever should encounter God in our worship, bow down before God, and worship him, declaring, “God is really among you.” Jesus’ hour will come. He gives his blood as wine upon the cross. Just as water and blood gush out the wound inflicted by the spear, so forgiveness and eternal life will gush out the wound inflicted by our sin. And on the third day he rises to say to us, “I, the Lord, take you, the Church, to be my wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do fully unite, according to my holy will; and I pledge to you my faithfulness.” “What God has brought together let no one separate!” (Matt 19:6). Jesus’ hour will come. He will sweep us off our feet as his bride. We will celebrate the marriage feast of the Lamb in His kingdom which has no end.
Praise we Him, whose love divine
Gives His sacred blood for wine,
Gives His Body for the feast—
Christ the victim, Christ the priest.
Now no more can death appall,
Now no more the grave enthrall;
You have opened paradise,
And Your saints in You shall rise. Alleluia!
(“At the Lamb's High Feast We Sing,” LSB 633 vv. 2 & 6)
No comments:
Post a Comment