We leave Peru this week! Where is the time going?! It feels like we just got here. It has been a great month filled with lots of different ministries and fun adventure days getting to explore Peru! I have been with Janelly’s team this month and I’ve loved my time with them!
So earlier this month I preached on Jesus turning water into wine. It is a miracle that has always interested me, but I never really understood all the symbolism and meaning in that one act. So in the past couple months I have spent some time reading it more closely and listening to different speakers talk about the meaning of that first miracle. And I shared a lot of that in my sermon that I want to share with y’all here!
This miracle isn’t just a miracle, but also a parable. It paints a picture of all that Christianity is and all that Jesus is. In one of his sermons Tim Keller asks, “So if you are reading this in John, how do you know that it actually happened?” Because if you were inventing a biography of Jesus it is probably pretty safe to say that you would never create as the inaugural sign a solution to a mere social embarrassment. The only logical explanation is that this actually happened!
In John ch. 2 verse 8 it mentions the master of the banquet. This is someone whose responsibility it was to help run/direct the party. And it is also the person who would look bad if the celebration ran out of wine early. When Jesus steps in to provide the wine he is not only saving this guys reputation, but he is also saying something about who he is. He is Lord of the feasts! The true master of the banquet! Yes Jesus comes to take on our sin and he experiences rejection and suffering, but these are all just means to an end and in the end he will come as Lord of the feasts and master of the banquet (Isaiah 25:6-8). Jesus is saying of all the things I have come to say and to do- this is the primary. To bring festival joy.
Tim Keller asked this question to his congregation based in NYC, “In NYC or wherever you are why is it that most people are not worshipping on a Sunday?” Most peoples excuse would be ‘I had an upbringing in the church, I’ve done the whole Sunday church thing, but now I want to enjoy myself. I want to have fun and do what I want to do.’ Is that your view at all? Keller talks about the sterotype that Christianity is this- ‘Get your act together, obey these rules, don’t get in trouble and if you don’t like it, well suck it up because if you want to get into heaven that’s just how it is.’
Is that Christianity at all? Are there any of you that even remotely believe that?
Jesus is saying look, I don’t even care that you reject me, but you are rejecting me stupidly because you don’t even know what you are actually rejecting! I am Lord of the feasts! I come to make the world run with wine. There are reasons to reject me, but this is not one of them.
So now let’s look at verse 4. I never quite knew what to make of Jesus’ response here. And it turns out that this verse is key to understanding this whole passage. Mary comes to Jesus with what is a very reasonable request. She knows who he is, she knows his power, and also his care so she comes to him with this. And what is his response? “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” When I first read this it seemed harsh and out of context for what he was asked. But Jesus’ response shows us that he is troubled and his mind is preoccupied. Tim Keller presumes that Jesus was thinking about two things:
- If you’re single and you go to a wedding what do you tend to think of? You tend to think of your own wedding. You’re thinking ‘What will my wedding be like? Who will I marry? Will I even get married?’ So, if Jesus was really thinking about his wedding, the bible shows us that his consciousness and his understanding of his wedding would’ve stirred him far deeper that thinking of our own wedding would stir us. Throughout the bible we are shown that God doesn’t want to only relate to us as master to servant or Shepherd to sheep or even Father to child, but he wants to relate to us as husband to wife. He wants to know us intimately. He characterizes himself as the bridegroom. So what is Jesus thinking about? The wedding feast of all wedding feasts.
“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’[b] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” Rev. 21:1-4
- Here’s a key difference between us thinking about our wedding and Jesus thinking about his- part of the reason it is so troubling for us is because we don’t know! Jesus knows so why is he so clearly under some stress? Because he is not only thinking about his wedding, but what it will take to revive wine at his wedding feast. What does his hour mean in verse 4? It means his death (John12:23, John 7:30, John 8:20, John 13:1). Jesus sits in the joy sipping the coming sorrow so that we can sit in the sorrow sipping festival joy.
I want to talk about one more thing. Whenever Jesus characterizes himself as something, rather that is Father, Shepherd, or Bridegroom that is telling us something about us. And the significance of him calling himself the bridegroom tells us what? That he is completely ravished with us! I love this. When I find myself falling victim to approval idols and feeling like I need the approval of those around me to get a sense of worth for myself I have to remind myself that that doesn’t matter because I have already won the approval of the Father! And he is ravished with me.
