Epiphany 2 Sermon

 

Epiphany 2 – John 2:1-11 – January 14^th and 15^th, 2023

In the Name of Christ Jesus, the Light of the World +

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. Thus far the text. While we normally call this Jesus' first miracle, John doesn't call it a miracle or a wonder or something amazing – John calls it a sign. That's an important word for John, for scripture. A sign was a legal proof of something, the evidence that an assertion is true. This story in Cana is proof, is exhibit A as to the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, and that by beliving in Him you will have life in His name. And yet, as a sign, as a proof – it seems odd. If you wish to prove that you are Almighty – well, this miracle isn't not exactly powerful or earth shaking. The water is changed to wine with hardly a whimper, with most people not even noticing what happened except for a few servants. If you wish to prove that you are here to save the world... saving a party up in the hills doesn't seem all that sweeping or grand. Wouldn't that be something to be done in Jerusalem where everyone would notice? If this is a sign, if this is meant to be the proof that Jesus is in fact God Almighty come to save His people, something that manifests God's glory, why is this sign something that so few people see or notice?

Let's consider the text again for a bit. 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.” Alright – first a quick detail – John notes that this happens on “the Third Day”. We say that phrase “on the Third Day” all time – it's in the Creed – Jesus rose again from the dead on the third day. And John (and all the Gospel writers, really) like to use this literary device, where if something is going to show the joys of Christ's victory, it happens on the third day after the previous story. If it's something that's going to be about Jesus' suffering, it's six days later – Friday, Good Friday, was the sixth day of the week. Matthew does this with the transfiguration – And after six days Jesus took with Him Peter and James, and John his brother. Jesus is always teaching, that was part of the point last week – and His disciples realized that He was teaching even with His sense of timing. So, at any rate, John sets us up to know that this story, this event, is going to be a demonstration of Christ's victory.

So there's a wedding – and a wedding is the picture of heaven. That's how everlasting life is described – the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. Paul in Ephesians notes that earthly marriage is the dim reflection of the greater reality of Christ's love for the Church. You can frame all of creation and the garden as the story of a wedding between Adam and Eve. And how is this wedding in Cana going to go – is it going to go sideways and fall like the one in the Garden, or will it be a good one? Well, they're out of wine, running low on supplies – it's lack, it's frustration, it's embarrassment. And Mary, who is probably helping to run the shindig, just mentions to Jesus, “They have no more wine.”

You know what this means when a mom just drops a simple fact. It means you are supposed to fix it. I can't count the times my mom would say, “Eric, the trash can is pretty full” - that meant take out the trash and hop to it. Same thing here – Mary lays out for Jesus the situation – they're out of wine, and I know you can fix this. 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.” Last week Mary was embarrassed by Jesus being all Messianic – now she wants Him to get the show on the road. But Jesus points out – no, it's not the time for all that victory yet – it's not time for Easter and the resurrection yet – there's still more to come yet. Slow down Mom, it's not the feast of victory for our God yet. And Mary knows that – but she also knows that Jesus loves to help people, so just a quiet “Do what He says” spoken to the servants.

And then the sign in all its quiet simplicity. Fill up those stone jars used for ritual washing with water. 150 gallons or so. Alright, take it to the steward – and the steward tastes it, and he is dumbfounded because the wine is so good – this should have been served first when everyone had their clean taste. No one at the wedding besides the servants have any clue what is going on – and even then, no one knows the instant that the water becomes wine. It just is. And there's Jesus, off to the side, out of the way, quiet but caring, and the party continues.

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. A sign, but no one sees except a few servants. It manifests glory, but there's no loud praise, there's no shouts of “thank you, Jesus” echoing through the hills. It's all so quiet, so mundane. You could have people years later who were at that Wedding who wouldn't have had any clue, who might not have even noticed that Jesus was there. How does this silent, subtle miracle that slides on by under the radar manifest the glory of Jesus?

What sort of God do you have? What sort of God is the Triune God that we worship? Is God insecure, where He has to blow His own horn all the time, pointing out over and over – see, I did that!? Is God a nag, where He tries to guilt trip you and rub your nose in it whenever He does something for you – I gave you that thing the other day, can't you at least do this little teeny weenie thing for Me? Is God a blowhard, full of bluster and bravado, always bragging and boasting? Not typically. How does God like to do thing – how does God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, like to care for you? How does He typically give you your daily bread? Simply and quietly, working behind the scenes, working through people, accomplishing great things in and for His creation in ways that people who don't know Him, who aren't His disciples, wouldn't even notice.

Jesus doesn't seek praise here. He isn't trying to steal the show away from the bride and groom. It's not His party yet – that will be the life of the world to come – that third day in Cana wasn't His third day yet. So let the focus be on them, but then the troubles of world, the hardships of sin, the impact of lack and want come creeping in. So very quietly, the Messiah sees that the daily bread of joy for that wedding day in Cana is given. Quietly, where no one would notice. Exactly how the LORD likes to operate. One of the great lines of the bible – Hebrews 13:2 - Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. That's how quiet, how behind the scenes God likes to be. Simple routine care. Simply fending off the impact of sin. Simply seeing that joy and love and delight go forth even here and now in this fallen, sinful world until that neverending day of eternal life where they shine forth undimmed forever.

This is how Jesus cares for you too, even today. You are given your daily bread, but in typical, mundane, plain, even frustrating ways. A job, a trip to the grocery store, a friend passing something on. Nothing flashy. Even things that we don't appreciate or find all that amazing. Yet God behind it all – blessing crops, granting strength and talents and safety, things continuing on in a blessed order that provides even as sin and the devil try to stir up so much chaos and strife against God. God orchestrating your neighbors in a grand symphony of simplicity so that you may receive what you need; God using you as His instrument of love and care so that your neighbor receives what they need. The servants at the wedding marveled at what happened; we should marvel no less at the wonders that God accomplishes for us and through us this coming Tuesday, or Thursday, or any typical day – for it is wondrous when seen through the eyes of faith.

And Jesus cares for you spiritually in the same simple, quiet way. Right here in His Church, by His Word. He speaks His forgiveness to you, and everything that He won for you upon the Cross and with His resurrection is applied to you. Your sin is taken away, and you have life in His name. Just with simple, normal words that we speak unto each other – I said them to you and you said them to me, but as easily as they slide off the tongue or perhaps were mumbled slightly distractedly, they are the Word of God and thus life giving. A baptism, with simple tap water and again that Word of God, and then there is a life giving flood of mercy and forgiveness. The Supper – and while the bread certainly is not artisanal and while Mogen David is no where near the quality of what they had in Cana, Christ Jesus Himself comes to be with you, gives Himself to you wondrously and mysteriously and quietly and simply. Because Jesus isn't focused on drawing attention to Himself – Jesus wants His Creation to receive His good gifts – whether it His people at a wedding in Cana or whether it's His people here in Herscher. And that's what He does.

Everything Jesus does, all that we see and hear in the Gospels, all that we see and hear throughout the Scriptures, all that we hear and see in our lives and in this Church, is so that you, His beloved, would receive good things. Blessings of Body, blessings of soul. Blessings today, and blessings eternal with creation restored. We receive wonders today as grand as they did at Cana, and just as quietly given. Because that is who Jesus is – God Almighty come to delight in blessing His creation, blessing you whom He loves. In the Name of Christ Jesus, the Light of the World – Amen.