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Second Sunday after Epiphany “C”
17 January 2010
St. John 2:1-11
A wedding! A wedding party! On the third day! The week long family and community bash begins. Loads of joy. Loads of fun. Imagine being in charge of the festivities. Including making sure that there’s enough wine to drink. And then the unthinkable happens. The wine runs out.
One wonders if the bride or groom was a relative of Mary. After all, she tries to pull some strings with Jesus. And if we were there we’d probably try to use Mary to get to Jesus too. Use Mary as a mediator. “Mary, Love, Honey … can’t you do something? Throw your weight around (no offense). But you are His mother. Have a talk with your Son on our behalf would you? Put a good word in for us? We’re in desperate straights here!” Desperate straights, indeed, when there’s no more booze. And she does. Goes right to her Son. “They have no more wine.” As if He didn’t know. But she doesn’t have an in with Jesus. She is not the mediator between us and Jesus. “Woman, what is that to me or to you?” I.E. “Not our business.” He shrugs her off as a mediator.
And then Jesus states: “My hour has not yet come.” His hour. That’s the hour of Good Friday. Salvation of the world hour. Salvation of you and me hour. He’s the Mediator. He’s the Savior.
And then Mary tells the servants: “Do whatever my Son tells you. Listen to Him. No matter what He says – do it!” No that’s more like it. Listen to Jesus. Regardless.
Then Jesus directs the servants to fill up six stone water jars. Each jar could hold up to thirty gallons. Water jars most likely used for the bride’s ceremonial bath on her wedding night.
“Do whatever He tells you.” And what does He says? He says: “Fill them up the brim! And after you’ve filled them take a little bit to the master of ceremonies for a quick taste test.”
Can you imagine the shock? The looks and murmurs? The eyebrows raised? Immensely strange isn’t it? You don’t mess with the bride’s bath water on her wedding night let alone give the MC a taste from one of her ceremonial bath water jars. Are you sure you want to do what Jesus says?
The servants do it. But the bride’s bath water is no longer bath water. It’s been changed to wine! That’s right. Wine. And the best wine after everyone’s three sheets to the wind. The MC is amazed. He impressed with the bridegroom: “Hey man! Everyone brings out the best wine first, you know, like Domaine Romanée-Conti. Then, after everyone’s buzzed, you bring out the cheap Muscatel – and you even dilute that with water. But you – you’ve saved the best until now! You are incredible with your generosity!”
But the miracle and the generosity all came from My Hour Has Not Yet Come Jesus. He changed the wedding night bath water into fabulous wine for the joy and delight of all those gathered. The party – the celebrating can go on even though the bride will have to find some other jars for her wedding washing.
The Lord’s generous water to wine giving miracle is a revelation. An epiphany. A manifestation. A “sign.” The first or chief of all the signs Jesus did. This miracle brings to light something that is hidden from ordinary sight. That’s the whole point of this sign being done on the “third day.” After all, it was on the third day Jesus rose from the dead. On the third day we call Easter Sunday Jesus revealed to all who He is and what He’s done. And what is that? That He is indeed the Savior of the world in the “hour” called Calvary, Good Friday, and Easter.
So whenever you hear “on the third day” here in John 2 or anywhere else in Scripture, you expect big things to happen. Why? So that you would believe in Him. The signs Jesus does are intended to stir up faith. In Him! “This, the first of his miraculous sings Jesus performed . . . He thus revealed His glory and his disciples put their faith in him.” The Gospel according to St. John begins like it ends. The whole point is that you believe in Jesus. “Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name,” (John 20:30-31).
Miraculous signs. On “the third day” He changed water into wine. By His very Word. When Jesus attaches His Word to things miraculous signs or revelations of Jesus take place. Stirring us to faith in Him.
These days He takes ordinary drinking water from the tap – hooks it with His Word so that it is a washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Holy Baptism. A bath that purifies sinners with the blood of Good Friday’s hour! A washing that bestows new life in the Spirit. All because of His Word in and with the water.
And more. With His Word today He takes wine and tells you it’s now His Calvary Hour Blood and the bread is His Good Friday Body. For you. With the lavish and generous promise that all your sin is indeed forgiven.
Every Sunday then, is a celebration of the “third day,” the very day He rose from the dead. Every Sunday is a joyous celebration of His victory over all your sin. Over your biggest enemies: Satan and the grave. For today through His Word and His Sacrament Jesus reveals His glory among you! Having, if you will, another Cana in Galilee revelation of Himself as your Savior. And a foretaste of the eternal wedding feast to come between Christ, the Bridegroom, and you, the church, His bride. Happy believing in Him.
In the Name of Jesus.
Edited on: January 17th, 2010 7:21 am
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