Reading, Sermon and Prayers - The Wedding at Cana

READING: John Chapter 2 v 1 – 11

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” “Woman, why do you involve me? Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.” What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

SERMON: Water to Wine John 2:1-11

Some years ago a host of a well known chat show interviewed an eight year old boy. The boy was asked to appear because he had rescued two friends whilst playing at a disused building site near his home.

As the interviewer questioned the boy, it became apparent to him and the audience that the young boy was a Christian.

So the host asked him if he attended Sunday school. When the boy said he did the interviewer inquired, “What are you learning in Sunday school?” “Last week,” the boy replied, “our lesson was about when Jesus went to a wedding and turned water into wine.” The audience roared with laughter but the interviewer tried to keep a straight face.

Then he said, “And what did you learn from that story?” The boy squirmed in his chair. It was apparent he hadn’t thought about this. But then he broke into a smile and said, “If you’re going to have a wedding, make sure you invite Jesus!”

Perhaps he was on to something because weddings are time of Joy.

It is interesting that Jesus’ first recorded miracle in John’s Gospel, is the turning of water into wine at a wedding in Cana of Galilee.

I have often thought about this especially when I was able to visit the site of this first miracle during my time when I was out in Israel a few years ago. The priest that I was staying with took me to the site and together we read the passage, me first in English and then he read the passage in Arabic. A magical moment indeed. But the same two questions still remained:

Firstly why did Jesus turn water into wine and
secondly why did John specifically record it – after all Jesus performed lots of other miracles that have not been kept for posterity.

We know that John had a lot of material to draw from. But he gives his reason for his final selection of stories used in the penultimate chapter of his Gospel. For in verse 30 and 31 of Chapter 20 John writes “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)

So this miracle is recorded so that we, his readers may believe that Jesus is firstly the Christ, the Son of God and then progressing from there we may have life in his name.

So what is there about this miracle that will enable us to have faith in Jesus?

Firstly it is an incredibly REMARKABLE miracle not just a drop of wine from a few bottles but six stone jars!

I can think of three reasons why Jesus performed this miracle.

Compassion: On the simplest level, this miracle shows us that Jesus is compassionate. He got the couple out of a social disaster.
Covenantal: On a deeper level the turning of water into wine is covenantal. It represents the new covenant that Jesus was ushering in. As one commentator put it: “Jesus replaces the old wine of Judaism with the new wine of his Covenant”.

And of course we see in the wine an element of our communion service too.

The wine signifying Jesus blood poured out for us on the Cross. In other words Jesus pouring our himself for our sakes revealing the Holy Love of God.

Confidence: The third reason for the miracle is that Jesus wanted to develop confidence about Himself in his disciples. In other words that they could have faith in him.

Let us look at the three reasons in a bit more detail:

The first reason was that Jesus had compassion. Jesus felt compassion for this young couple that were just about to make the “faux pas” of their married lives. In those days, running out of wine at a wedding was not a minor social inconvenience.

And you couldn’t just pop down to Safeway’s or Tesco’s and get a few bottles more.

In the first century, running out of wine at a wedding was a social disgrace. The couple should have planned better.

It was a major breach of the demands of hospitality; and it would be devastating for the couple. And in those days a wedding went on for a good week with the couple keeping open house rather than going off on honeymoon Jesus helped them out.

And it is worth reflecting on the fact that when God does something – he does it well.

When Jesus changed water into wine, he didn’t make some cheap plonk – he made the best.

Question: Have you any idea how many glasses of wine the six stone jars represented. Possible answers: 24 glasses, 240 glasses, 2,400 glasses or 24,000 glasses

Answer= 2,400 glasses – 150 gallons of wine. You could hardly call Jesus a killjoy could you?

Look what the master of the banquet said to the Bridegroom: “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink. But you have saved the best till now”, God has high standards – even at parties.

As the young man in our story said: If you are going to have a wedding invite Jesus (and of course we do at every Christian wedding where we make our vows in God’s presence).

God’s new Covenant

Those at the wedding feast would know their Old Testament scriptures well. And they would know that an abundance of wine symbolized the arrival of God’s new age.

Let me read you a couple of OT texts “The time is surely coming says the Lord when the mountains shall drip with sweet wine and the hills shall flow with it; when my people shall plant vineyards and drink their wine.” (Amos 9:13, l4.)

“On this mountain the Lord will make for all peoples a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines, of well-aged wines strained clear…This is the Lord for whom we have waited. Let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25: 6-10.)

By providing an abundance of wine, Jesus announces the arrival of the Kingdom of God.

The Confidence that Jesus is looking to develop in his disciples

The result of this miracle was to develop faith. John 2:11 says this plainly when he writes; This miraculous sign at Cana in Galilee was Jesus’ first display of his glory. AND HIS DISCIPLES BELIEVED IN HIM.

Was faith just a result of the miracle or had Jesus thought it though. I like to think that it was thought through.

Why – because throughout the Gospels Jesus is looking to develop the faith of those around him. Jesus’ disciples were probably a bit mixed up. They had heard John the Baptist identifying Jesus as the Lamb of God – the Messiah. And yet many “messiahs” had come and gone. Israel at this time was a hotbed of unrest, with terrorist groups like the Zealots springing up everywhere.

But this miracle clinched it for them. On this point, I’d like to point out the faith of the servants.

They took Jesus at his word – even though it was utterly unreasonable. To give the master of the banquet – water – when he would be expecting wine – would be courting disaster. But God acts when we have the faith to take him at his word.

Conclusion: Our God is the God of second chances.

Jesus acted out of compassion for the bride and groom and the wedding was saved.

The bride and groom were given another chance. Isn’t that what the Gospel is all about. Our God is the God of the second chances. God wants us to have faith in Him. The choice, like that of the servants is ours.

Likewise, the cost of the new wine that Jesus is offering is thirst.

The question is, are you thirsty? Amen

PRAYERS

You, O Lord, are almighty, endless in power and in love. When we have no power to help ourselves help us to know we can trust in you, in your presence and in your power.

We pray for the Church that it may know its true resources and power are from you; that it may be enabled to proclaim your saving power and your love. Give your Church the ability to be a healing instrument in the world, to bring peace and to proclaim your presence.