Sermon by Pastor Brent Kompelien
September 25, 2022
INTRO (SLIDE 1)
Good morning! We are continuing our series in the Gospel of John called “Full of Grace and Truth” and we are now embarking on the first days of Jesus’ public ministry. This morning, we are going to see the first moment when Jesus reveals his glory and his power, and it happened when Jesus and his disciples were invited to a wedding.
ILLUST — Before we read our passage, I want to take you back in time to 15 years ago.
(show my wedding photo) (SLIDE 2)
Look at those kids! I think I’ve aged a bit, but Sarah looks exactly the same.
One of my favorite moments at our wedding was right after the kiss (show photo) (SLIDE 3). My groomsmen held up signs to judge the kiss! I love Sarah’s expression in this picture!
Now, every wedding also has its moments of awkwardness or a moment when something goes wrong.
At our reception during the official dances (mother/groom, father/bride), the guy running the sound system for some reason turned the music way down to the point where it was awkwardly quiet. There was nothing I could do, I couldn’t stop the dance with my mom and march over there to tell him to turn it up!
I’m sure that some of you have your own awkward moments or stories of something that went wrong at either your own wedding or a wedding you attended.
(SLIDE 4) Well, this morning we are going to place ourselves as guests at a first century Jewish wedding in the town of Cana in the hills of Galilee. And we’re going to see an embarrassing situation unfold that turns out to be the perfect moment for Jesus to reveal his power and his glory.
Open with me to John 2:1-12. Raise your hand if you need a Bible.
If you missed last week, we saw Jesus call this first disciples, and at the end of chapter 1 Jesus had just quoted from Genesis 28 to declare that he is the New Jacob, the greater and more perfect Israel through whom the promise of salvation is now coming to a reality.
PROP — And so our passage this morning is the first of a series of events in chapters 2, 3, and 4 by which Jesus reveals that the old covenant is coming to a close, and that the new messianic age has begun. At this wedding celebration in Cana, Jesus foreshadows that the way to be cleansed of sin is now through his blood.
Let’s read. READ John 2:1-12.
ORG SENT — This story is rich with symbolism and each details is put in this story by John with a purpose. So, we are going to walk through this account and learn why Jesus chose this moment to be the unveiling of his glory as the Messiah. There are two parts: 1) The first 10 verses tell the story of Jesus revealing his glory. 2) Then verse 11 tells us the result.
MAIN 1 — Jesus’ Glory Revealed (vv. 1-10). (SLIDE 5a)
Look at the first words here in verse 1. John tells us that this wedding took place on the third day. Chapters 1 and 2 are the only place in this book where John tells us the exact sequence of days. Why?
Remember, John had started his gospel with these words, “In the beginning was the Word…through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” He used creation language to show that Jesus not only is God and is the agent of the first creation, but that he is the agent of a new creation.
So, if you go back to the middle of chapter 1 and count the sequence of days, there are four days of events, plus three more days to get to the wedding. John is telling us that this wedding took place on Day 7. (SLIDE 5b)
Do you see the connection? In the Bible, seven is the number of days in the account of creation in Genesis, and it becomes a symbol of completion and fullness. KEY: John is cluing us into a radical new reality here… (SLIDE 5c) the time of fullness has come, Jesus is now making a new creation! This wedding at Cana is the first opportunity for us to see what this new creation looks like. It is the first taste of how the new covenant in Christ will supersede the old covenant.
But we need to remember something here — we need to place ourselves in this story and see what it was like to encounter Jesus in real time. Put yourself at this moment in time:
The city of Cana was located about 9 miles north of Nazareth in the hills of Galilee.
Jesus, his disciples, and Jesus’ mother Mary were all invited to the same wedding. This was probably the wedding of some close friend or relative of Jesus. KEY: Don’t miss this…Jesus had friends. There were people who knew him and remember him as a boy. There are people who viewed him simply as “cousin Jesus” or “Mary’s son.”
Now, wedding celebrations could last as long as a week, and the financial responsibility lay with the groom and his family.
This was a shame/honor culture, and so to run out of supplies at the wedding feast would be a terrible social embarrassment. There are some instances recording in the ancient world where this kind of situation resulted in lawsuits by the bride’s family!
And so, when Mary comes to Jesus and says, “They have no more wine,” she is raising the alarm that this family, whom she likely knew and loved well, was suddenly at risk of becoming social outcasts.
KEY: This is a theme we are going to see in the gospel of John over and over. John records people questioning Jesus and making statements that operate on a purely human level, but then John reveals how Jesus transcends their demands or expectations. We can understand why: in the moment people viewed Jesus on a human level, but John shows how Jesus really is God’s Son.
We’re going to see this in the story of Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, the royal official’s son, the Pharisee’s accusations, and the raising of Lazarus.
Here, Mary’s comment to Jesus has an obvious subtext: She expects him to do something to help. This is her eldest son, and I’m sure she viewed him as a resourceful, generous, and caring man. But she could not have imagined the deeper reality that was going on.
We need to stop here for a moment. It is no accident that there is a crisis concerning wine in this story. Why focus so much on wine? What significance does this have biblically? (SLIDE 5d)
If you go back to the Old Testament, the Psalms and the prophets frequently used the metaphor of God as a vinedresser and his people Israel as a vine. (SLIDE 5e) The faithfulness of God’s people was described as fruitfulness, and abundant wine was considered a sign of God’s blessing. (SLIDE 5f)
Yet, Isaiah 5 describes Israel’s disobedience like a fruitless and worthless vineyard that is to be ransacked and destroyed.
So, when the prophets looked ahead to the coming of the Messiah, they spoke of a time when God’s people will again be planted like a fruitful vineyard, and new wine would flow in celebration of God’s blessing.
Just listen to these words from Amos 9:13-15 (SLIDE 5g), “The days are coming,” declares the LORD, “when the reaper will be overtaken by the plowman and the planter by the one treading grapes. New wine will drip from the mountains and flow from all the hills, and I will bring my people Israel back from exile. “They will rebuild the ruined cities and live in them. They will plant vineyards and drink their wine; they will make gardens and eat their fruit. I will plant Israel in their own land, never again to be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the LORD your God.”
You see, new wine was a symbol of the messianic age. Jesus himself uses this metaphor when he says that you can’t pour new wine into old wineskins. The new wine represents the new messianic age, a promise of God’s blessing on his people.
And so, the advent of the Messiah was pictured as a feast and a celebration, and it is no accident that here Jesus is at a wedding feast that celebrates the coming together of bride and groom, foreshadowing the union of Christ and his bride, the Church.
Ok, let’s go back to the story. Look at Jesus’ reply to his mother in verse 4 and look at Mary’s response in verse 5.
There is something subtle, but very important going on here.
Jesus begins his reply with the word “woman”. This was actually a polite form of address to a woman that communicated relational nearness and respect. It was like saying, “Ma’am” or “Lady” (SLIDE 6a). But this was not what a son typically calls his own mother!
Why does Jesus address his mother with a polite, but generic word?
KEY: This is a pivotal moment. This is Jesus’ first public miracle. If Jesus is going to reveal that he is the Messiah, it will start a snowball effect that will ultimately lead to the cross. It cannot be undone. As he embarks on this, Jesus cannot be under the influence, agenda, or expectations of anyone, even his own mother. (SLIDE 6b)
ILLUST — This was likely very difficult for Mary. It is not too different from the feeling of a parent whose child moves out to go to college or to get married. The grief over this transition to independence is real.
John records this specific sentence that Jesus spoke to his mother in order to capture a subtle, but important shift that is happening. Throughout the gospel of John, we are going to see Jesus repeat over and over that he is doing the will of his Heavenly Father, and that he is speaking the words of God. (SLIDE 6c) In other words, John is making it clear at this moment that it wasn’t Mary’s idea that Jesus would be the Messiah. If Jesus is going to do something here, it is going to be in obedience to the sovereign plan of God that ultimately leads to the cross.
And so Jesus asks this rhetorical question: “What does this problem have to do with me? My time has not yet come.” This is not a statement of avoidance or a refusal to do something. Remember, John is going to reveal over and over how Jesus transcends people’s demands or expectations.
Stop and think about this moment of crisis. Mary is anxious for a solution, she knows the clock is ticking, she fears for the embarrassment of her friends.
(SLIDE 6d) But Jesus is never anxious. He is always fully present. And he is always on time.
IMPORTANT — The response of Mary in verse 5, “do whatever he tells you,” reveals that she sensed this reality and moved from anxious mother to trusting that Jesus has everything under control.
This is where the story gets really good! READ vv. 6-7.
There is intentional symbolism here. John tells us that these jars were very specific. They were stone jars used by the Jews for ceremonial washing.
Don’t miss this — Jesus told the servants to fill the jars, so they filled them to the brim. (SLIDE 7a) He didn’t have to do this. It is very likely that the wedding party didn’t need 150 gallons of wine!
By doing this, Jesus is making a symbolic statement: (SLIDE 7b) The old way of cleansing from sin under the old covenant has reached its fullness, it is an era that is coming to a close, it has filled up its purpose.
But now, by changing this water into wine, (SLIDE 7c) Jesus is demonstrating in a living metaphor that he is opening a new way to being cleansed from sin, and it is only through his blood!
Not only that, he is fulfilling God’s promise to the prophets that the Messiah would come to bring a new era of fruitfulness, marked by the abundance of new wine that represents the blessings of God upon his people!
I just love this! Jesus then tells the servants to draw out some of the wine and bring it to the master of the banquet. Look at what he says: READ v. 10.
We could say the same thing! God, you’ve saved the best till now! (SLIDE 7d) Jesus is the better wine! His covenant is the better covenant! His kingdom is greater, his redemption is perfect, his presence now is available to all, and the reality of the new creation in our inner being today and the promise of the renewal of all things in the new heavens and new earth is a better hope!
Over the next few weeks, we’re going to see this same truth repeated in chapters 3 and 4. Not only is the old cleansing from sin superseded by Christ’s blood, but we’re going to see that the old temple is superseded by the risen Christ, that the law is superseded by the new birth, that the blessing of Jacob’s well is superseded by living water from Christ, the New Jacob, and that the old worship in Jerusalem is superseded by worship in Spirit and in truth!
In every way, John is showing us that the Jesus the Messiah is ushering in a new kingdom and a new promise of salvation through him that fulfills God’s redemptive plans from the beginning.
MAIN 2 — The Result (vv. 11-12). (SLIDE 8a)
READ v. 11.
Jesus’ miracle at this wedding pointed to a deeper reality. (SLIDE 8b) And it confronts us with two important things that relate to how we understand God’s plan for history, but more importantly how we respond to Jesus.
You see, Jesus’ miracle to turn water into wine was not merely a raw display of power. It was a living symbol that Jesus is fulfilling the Old Testament promises and making a new way to come to God. John is making it clear that if you want to know God, Jesus is the only way! (SLIDE 8c) And he is helping us see that the entire Old Testament points to Jesus.
But this isn’t just a mental exercise. It is a matter of the heart. It is a matter of how we respond to Jesus. (SLIDE 8d)
KEY: This story is challenging you with this question: Will you perceive Jesus through the eyes of faith?
The text says that this miracle at Cana was the first sign that revealed Jesus’ glory. In other words, Jesus’ glory was always there, but now it has become public. And John is asking you: What are you going to do with that?
For those who were there, who saw the miracle, John says that “the disciples believe in him.” In other words, they put their trust in him.
But what about you? It's not enough to merely see the signs, to listen to the story, or to come near to Jesus in a cold and detached and academic way.
Friends, John’s gospel is an invitation to acknowledge Jesus, to trust him, to surrender to him, and to come near to him in faith. It is an invitation to the new creation, a new birth and transformation that affects every part of your life.
You may not know the full implication of this yet, and you may still struggle after years of following Jesus to live in the reality of his Lordship in your life.
But remember, when the disciples encountered Jesus in real time here, they didn’t have a clue what was coming next. They just saw him reveal his power and glory, and they believed. They trusted that Jesus really is God, he really is Lord, and he really is the only one worth following. This is simple faith: To trust him and to follow him, whatever comes next.