In the Name of Jesus
John 2,1-11 1012
2. Sonntag nach Epiphanias 015 Maurus, Abbot at Glanfeuil, France † 584
15. January 2012
1. O Christ Jesus, by Your Divine power You turned water into wine, by Your holy gospel the Holy Spirit creates saving faith in You, and by Your words of institution You truly unite Your body and blood to bread and wine. When we see Your mighty glory in the Word and Sacraments may we believe and marvel in Your Divine glory. Amen.
2. 1On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus was also invited to the wedding with His disciples. 3When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him: „They have no wine.“ 4And Jesus said to her: „Woman, what does this have to do with Me? My hour has not yet arrived.“ 5His mother said to the servants: „Do whatever He tells you.“ 6Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants: „Fill the jars with water.“ And they filled them up to the brim. 8And He said to them: „Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.“ So they took it. 9When 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 10and 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.“ 11This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory. And His disciples believed in Him.
3. In our First Reading today: »Moses said to Yahweh: „Please show me Your glory“« (Exodus 33,18). Perhaps like me, you made a pinhole projector in grade school. We made these in science class once to view an upcoming solar eclipse. These makeshift projectors allowed us to see the afternoon eclipse without damaging our eyes. Just as we cannot look directly at the sun, neither can we look directly at God. Thus Moses was told to hide in a cleft, wait for Yahweh to pass by and then view His awesome glory from behind.
4. Yahweh reveals His glory throughout the Holy Scriptures. At times His glory brings His wrath and punishment as occurred in the Egyptian plagues. At other times His glory brings His loving-kindness as occurred when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. In John 2 we have recorded for us the first miracle performed by Jesus during His earthly ministry: He turned water into wine, and thus He publicly manifested His Divine glory.
5. The season of Epiphany focuses on Jesus manifesting His glory. John the Evangelist had already declared the gloriousness of Jesus at the beginning of his Gospel: »The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth« (John 1,14). This first miracle of Jesus may not seem as spectacular as when Jesus will later cure the sick, cast out demons or raise the dead. In fact, this first miracle seems to lack the dire necessity that his later miracles have. What is the big deal about supplying more wine at a wedding?, but imagine if you threw a big Christmas party for your friends and family, and after all your planning it is discovered that you have run out of food too early in the evening. How embarrassed you would feel!
6. Nevertheless, would this festive fopaux merit Divine intervention? Mary and Jesus certainly think such an awkward situation merits rectifying at once. As John’s Gospel unfolds, he describes how Jesus’ miracles „are miracles of blessing through which man is led to his salvation and they are also given as examples and proof that the Lord uses nature in His healing of humanity“ (Löhe § 5). This includes His first miracle where He changes water into wine. But how does this translate as a blessing for mankind’s salvation?
7. The Holy Scriptures often use wine as a symbol of the festive joy in heaven. David writes: »O Yahweh, You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows« (Psalm 23,5). David is talking about his wine goblet that overflows with wine because of God’s rich and abundant blessings. Solomon opines: »Wine gladdens life« (Ecclesiastes 10,19). Wine is considered a symbol of joy (Isaiah 55,1). At Jewish weddings, the wine flowed abundantly for the family and neighbors who gathered to joyfully celebrate the wedding. Jesus, therefore, used wedding feasts and wine as images of the great and glorious heavenly fellowship that His people will experience in His heavenly banquet hall.
8. Standard etiquette dictated that a few flasks of the good wine be served first for the toasts to the bride and groom, then the cheaper wine was uncorked and enjoyed for hours as the celebrations continued with singing and dancing. Jesus, in turning the water into wine reverses this long-standing etiquette. His wine is the best, and it is served last, much to the joy of the steward in charge of the wedding.
9. Jesus said at another occasion: »No one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says: „The old is good“« (Luke 5,37-39). You can buy a bottle of Australian Yellow Tail Reserve Shiraz for $8, and I can tell you from personal experience that it is a fine tasting wine. Many wine enthusiasts rate the French wine Domaine Romanée-Conti from Burgundy, France as one of the world’s best wines (http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/best-wine-world). A bottle of this exceptional red wine will cost you $11,500 (€9030; £7500). The wine Jesus made in Cana is comparable to the French Domaine; you cannot put this in an old flask of Yellow Tail.
10. In Cana, at a wedding feast for his friends, Jesus performed His first miracle. In doing so, He publicly manifested His glory. His disciples believed in Him. More miracles and more glory would follow. Jesus would later institute the Sacrament whereby He gives us His body and blood through bread and wine. Jesus says of this Sacrament: »Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him« (John 6,54-56). Today Jesus gives this gift out to you once again. Take and receive it for your forgiveness and salvation. Jesus is good and gracious. His loving-kindness toward you is overflowing. In Jesus, you see God’s glory. You do not see God from behind, after He has passed you by, but you see Him face to face in Jesus, for in Christ God has become man. This God-man suffered for you, died for you, and in His most glorious miracle, rose from the dead for you. He did all this so that you would enjoy abundant life forever. Jesus is the New Wine that is served last for the delight of all who partake of Him. Amen.
11. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, Divine Image of the Father, through You comes grace and truth; help us to believe Your signs, hear Your Word and receive Your Sacraments so that through them we receive by faith all grace upon grace. Amen.
One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you!
All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.
Löhe, Wilhelm. Evangelien-Postille für die Sonn- und Festage des Kirchenjahres. Copyright © 1859 Samuel Gottlieb Liesching. A sermon preached on John 2,1-11 for The 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2011.
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