St Margaret's Church Prestwich

Rev Christine preached this sermon on Sunday 19 January. Here it is for you again:

“For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch.”

I can imagine the prophet Isaiah dancing and singing these words, even shouting them from a mountain top while people may have been trying to silence him, but he is declaring his conviction about God’s promises, and he will not be silenced.  Promises made by God, mentioned in the previous chapter of Isaiah, for the rebuilding of Jerusalem which has been destroyed and the exiles returning from Babylon.  He is explaining that Jerusalem was innocent of any wrongdoing, and God is going to rebuild it and the people will have enough food and wealth.

Isaiah goes on to say the land and the builder are to be married and God will rejoice over it, bringing love, hope, peace and commitment into the world.

Something that is happening in John’s Gospel at a wedding feast, a joyous occasion until something goes wrong, but there’s more going on than just that one thing.

I know we are all familiar with the miracle of changing of the water into wine.  It’s one of the first miracle stories that many of us know well in John, although he prefers to call them signs, which we’ll come to later.

There are also many other hints or symbolic references in the story that point to future events in Jesus’ life, beginning in the opening line which refers to the third day, and is suggestive of the resurrection after three days.  This maybe deliberate or just a coincident, but I don’t think so.

John wants us to be thinking ahead, he is using his signs to tell us the story of the life of the Messiah and he wants to make sure we understand and believe these signs.  Signs that point to way to salvation, to hope, love and peace for all who believe in God.

We are told when the wine runs out Mary, notice John does not call her by her name, but as the mother of Jesus, possibly to downplay the relationship between them and create a sense of distance, why I’m not sure.  However, she doesn’t tell Jesus what to do she just mentions to him that the wine has run out, something that would have caused disgrace on the family, particularly the groom.  Then she tells the servants to do whatever he asks of them.

At first, Jesus’ response could seem harsh, yet we know that he uses the term woman many times when speaking to women, so I don’t think he was being harsh or rude.

However, it’s what he says next that has another message in it, “My hour has not yet come.” A phrase that we will hear at other times in John’s Gospel during Jesus’ life.  It could be Jesus wasn’t ready to let his glory or light shine through just yet, maybe he wanted more time to gather his disciples or remain unknown.  However, it is God who makes the decision about how and when Jesus’ hour becomes a reality in the world and this wedding feast was the right time and place.  We assume he was among family and friends, so what better place to let some of Jesus’ light begin to seep through.  To show his compassion and love, because if he hadn’t been there the groom would have been humiliated and disgraced.

The servants do exactly what Jesus tells them without any questions, trusting that this man will solve the problem before it becomes evident.  So, they fill the empty jars which were for the purification rites, full to the brim with water.  An old tradition being used for a new beginning.

We are told the disciples who were with Jesus believed in him after the sign, but what about the servants who had drawn the water.

They had obeyed Jesus and filled the jars to the brim and took them to the Steward.  The servant who drew the wine for the Steward, may have been a bit fearful, but he had to have had some faith that something would happen to the water, because if it had not, he could have been in serious trouble. However, it was the best wine and what a relief that must have been to the servant and mystifying for the Groom who knew nothing about what had happened.

The servants all knew who had told them to draw the water and fill the jars to the brim and Jesus did not say anything over the water or add anything to it, because they were so full.  They had also seen the steward taste it and heard what he said.  They had obeyed Jesus completely without question and afterwards would have shared in the joy of the miracle or sign as John calls it.

They had filled the water jars to the brim and Charles Spurgeon a theologian and preacher suggests, “When you are bidden to believe in him, believe in him up to the brim.  When you are told to love him, love him up to the brim.  When you are commanded to serve him, serve him up to the brim.”  This is what faith and love is about, when we are called to follow Jesus and commit ourselves up to the brim.

The servants didn’t question what Jesus told them to do they just obeyed and followed his instructions to the brim.  I think later they would have joined Jesus’ followers, if not they would certainly have been witnesses to his glory and felt blessed that they had been at that particular wedding.  I think like Isaiah they would have wanted to shout it from the mountain tops about what had happened and I wonder if they would not keep silent.

This miracle revealed Jesus’ glory.  Glory that had been hinted at  his Baptism when a voice was heard from heaven.  Changing water in wine was the first of the signs that new life, a new beginning, was present in the world bringing salvation and hope.

This was the first sign for the disciples whose faith was just beginning to develop, because they would see many more during their time in Jesus’ presence.

God’s presence, through Jesus, was about to fill the world with hope love and peace “up to the brim.”  Jesus was creating something new in the world and he was fulfilling Isaiah’s prophesy of bringing love and commitment between God and his people, us, like a marriage.

Let us pray:

God of revelation,
You made your son known at a wedding, a public celebration of love and commitment.  Celebrate your love with us as we commit ourselves into your service. Amen.

Commentary on John 2:1-11 – Working Preacher from Luther Seminary