EPIPHANY 2, C (January 17, 2010)

SCRIPTURES – Isaiah 62:1-5; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John 2:1-11 

Last week the words of God we heard in church brought us into this New Year of 2010 with confidence. “I have called you by name; you are mine,” God said in Isaiah 43. God is with us in Christ, and so we can be confident that He will bless us in this New Year! Today’s readings tell us how we can confidently live and serve God in this New Year to His glory, to the honor of His name.

All things are new in Christ! That is the focus of today’s readings. Consider the story of Christ’s first miracle, which took place at a wedding in Cana. There’s so much in this story, so much that John points out in his Gospel as he relates what happened. “On the third day there was a wedding,” he begins. If you count up the days that John has mentioned to this point, you will find that this is the 7^th day mentioned. The 7^th day: the Sabbath, the day of rest, the conclusion of the week. It brings to mind how God created everything in six days and rested on the 7^th day. New life, new creation! – this is the background of this story, a very fitting background for a wedding. But, John specifically notes that it takes place on the 3^rd day. This brings to mind Christ’s resurrection from the dead on the 3^rd day. So, again, new life in Christ is the focus of the story.

Now, in what way are our lives new in Christ? This is pointed out in the details that follow. The wine, the drink of joy and gladness and celebration, has run out during the course of the wedding feast. This is not only embarrassing for the bride and groom. It also will be seen as a bad omen for the beginning of their life together. But, what can they do? It’s too late now to correct for their failure to plan. An awkward and embarrassing end to their once joyful feast awaits.

But, Jesus is there. “They have no wine,” His mother says to Him. “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come,” He responds. He seems unwilling to help. Actually, He is unwilling to be public about it. But Mary is not put off. She knows her son and believes that He will help. “Do whatever he tells you,” she tells the servants.

Boy, does He help! Jesus provides wine all right: an overwhelming amount of wine, 120-180 gallons of the best wine. How He does it is quite revealing. There are six stone water jars standing nearby, holding water that is being used for purification. The water was not for the cleansing of germs – the Jews knew nothing of them – but for the cleansing of sin. All of the guests present would have had water from the jars carefully poured over their hands in a specific way as they entered the feast, so that any impurity from sinful actions or contact with unclean things would be washed away. Each of the dishes and cups and utensils used would have been similarly washed and cleansed. Sin and its defilement was everywhere, the Jews believed; and right they were. They did not want it to stain and corrupt the joyous feast and shame the bride and groom. And so, plenty of water for cleansing from impurity was present for use throughout the wedding feast. No sin must be allowed!

Have you ever been to a wedding reception? Banishing the stain of sin takes more than washing, doesn’t it? Even though the bride is dressed in a beautiful white gown and the groom in his tux looks better than he ever has, even though people are wearing their finest and wishing the bride and groom the best, the corruption of sin is present:

à        Spicing up our conversations: “Do you think their marriage will last?”

à        Filling our eyes: “She really shouldn’t wear a dress like that.” “He looks pretty silly on the dance floor, acting like he’s 20.”

Water for purification is needed even at a joyful occasion like a wedding, for our sin is ever-present. At the wedding Jesus attended it is in six stone jars: not seven, the number of completion and rest, but six, for despite our best efforts we fall short and cannot cleanse ourselves of our sins. Thoughts that dishonor others are constantly in our minds, staining and defiling us before God. Words and actions that hurt others have not been scrubbed away; often, we make little effort to do so. We are sinful and corrupt in thought, word, and deed.

But, Jesus has come to change this. He saves the day for the bride and groom by providing wine, the best of wine, in great abundance. And, He allows the groom to have the credit for it. “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,” the man in charge of the feast says to him. He is no longer facing shame but is honored, and the joyous feast can go on – and even better than before!

This miracle shows that in Jesus the condemnation of the Law has ended. You must be pure and holy, not only in what you do but even in your thoughts and desires: this is what God expects and demands of us. “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy,” He says in Lev. 19:2 and elsewhere. God expects you to be like Him! Stop thinking ill of others, but think the best of them and desire the best for them! Do to others as you wish them to do to you. This is what God expects of us: always! His judgment will surely fall upon all who think and do contrary to this.

But, it will not fall on those who are with Jesus and share in His wedding feast! The Son of God came into our midst to cover our shame and make up for our failures: this we see in His first miracle. The bridegroom failed to do what was expected and provide fully for his and his bride’s wedding feast. Shame on him! But, Jesus came to the rescue before everyone knew this. He stepped forth as the true bridegroom to do what was expected of the bridegroom, fulfilling what God had said long before in Isaiah:  “The Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married… as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.” Because of what Jesus did, the bridegroom at Cana was now honored. This was a sign, and indication, of what He would do for us all.

We are honored in Jesus. he came as our perfect Bridegroom, taking us and all that is ours to Himself and sharing with us all that is His. His death for you covers your sins, and His holy life fills to the brim all that God expects of you. Joy and celebration are now ours! Because of Jesus, God now looks upon us with delight, s a bridegroom delights in his bride!

We now go forth to gladly show this in our lives by gladly living as His bride, honoring Him by keeping His commandments in our thoughts, words, and deeds. You don’t have to do so fearfully, worrying about what will happen when you fail – as we all do. The water for purification of sins has been changed to the wine of joy! Our sins are forgiven forever! Nor do you have to follow God’s commands in order to gain His love and favor. He already loves you in Christ and, like a bridegroom who promises to love and take care of his wife, promises to take care of you! No, we now gladly serve our God, simply because holy lives of service honor Him.

à        As a husband and wife serve each other, not out of fear or to gain the other’s love, but out of love.

And, if we get the credit for the good we now do, we know that we are simply His servants, carrying to others the good wine He has first provided. It is our heavenly bridegroom Jesus who deserves all the credit.

Give thanks to Him and praise Him forever! In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.