Text: John 2:1-11
Today is the third Sunday after Epiphany, and we look at the final event commemorated in the ancient Epiphany celebrations: Jesus’ first miracle at the Wedding of Cana. Last week we talked about one of the most important events in our Christian lives that many of us do not remember: our baptisms. This week’s gospel reminds us of one of the most important events in many of our lives that we do remember: our weddings. About two weeks ago, Heather and I celebrated our 11th anniversary. Some of you attended our wedding at Christ Our King Anglican Church in New Braunfels. When planning the wedding, one of the things I insisted on was the use of traditional Anglican liturgy for the service itself. Even if you weren’t married in an Anglican church, chances are your marriage service included elements that come from the Book of Common Prayer. For English speakers, the Anglican marriage rite (or at least its beginning) is the one we all know (page 300 in the Book of Common Prayer):
Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony; which is an honorable estate, instituted of God, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church: which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee, and is commended of Saint Paul to be honorable among all men…
In these few, well-known words we have an excellent summary of the theological significance and rationale for Christian marriage from Scripture:
- It’s honorable because God instituted it in Genesis 1 and 2
- It’s a mystery or sacrament signifying Christ and the Church per Ephesians 5
- Jesus blessed it with his first miracle in today’s Gospel from John 2
- We’re commanded to honor it by keeping ourselves from sexual immorality both inside and outside of marriage per Hebrews 13
In today’s Gospel we’re going to see how Jesus’ blessing of a marriage speaks to our own marriages, but more importantly tells us something about Christ and his grace towards us as members of his Bride, the Church. Please turn in your bibles to John 2:1, found on page 113 in your Prayer Book:
On the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: and both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? Mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
In the last few years, I’ve been on two pilgrimages to the Holy Land, and we visited Cana each time. The first time, our own Steven and Deb McCullough renewed their wedding vows. The second time I presided over renewing seven couples’ wedding vows! These days Cana is quite the spot for tourists and pilgrims. But in Jesus day, it was just a tiny village. As such, the marriage in our text was likely a family affair, with most of the attendees being kinfolk of some extent or another, suggesting that Mary and Jesus were probably related to the couple. It certainly seems from the text that Mary was invited first, and Jesus and his disciples came later, possibly as her guests. 17th Century Anglican Divine John Cosin observes that Mary was likely invited first because of a 1st Century custom to invite mature, godly, modest women to help the bride and be role models for her. Cosin says that this indicated that the couple were taking holy marriage seriously, and this may be why Jesus and his disciples later came to the feast. Cosin then gives us some advice for our own Christian marriages. He writes:
The only reason why Christ does not show up at more of our weddings nowadays is that we do not first invite his mother. Which is to say, we do not invite sobriety and moderation together with a holy intention to be joined together now and for the rest of our lives in the fear of God and in the keeping of his commandments.
Indeed, we ought to take Cosin’s admonition seriously if we are to have our marriages be pictures of Christ and his Church, as per Ephesians 5. We ought to come into it differently than the world does. The world looks at marriage as being ultimately about our individual personal fulfilment and happiness, with an escape clause of “irreconcilable differences” when one party doesn’t feel fulfilled or happy. Rather, Christian marriage is about honoring God by loving that closest neighbor (that is, our spouse), as ourselves, with the self-sacrificial love of Christ, and submitting as unto the Lord, even as the Church submits to Christ. Again, the Blessed Virgin Mary is an example of that kind of submission. When she tells Jesus about the lack of wine, his response can certainly seem a bit cold or harsh, almost a rebuke. But instead of doubting his love, she sends the servants to him in faith, trusting in his goodness, kindness, and compassion. Martin Luther writes:
God’s kindness, and not our feelings, remains in us. Here you see his mother retains an unfettered faith and holds up an example for us. She is certain that he will be merciful, even though she does not feel it. And it’s certain that she feels differently than she believes. Thus she freely commends the matter to his kindness and demands from him neither time nor place, neither manner nor measure, neither person nor name. He’ll do it when it pleases him.
This is the kind of faith that Christian marriage is to illustrate, a marriage that is centered on Christ. Let’s continue in our Gospel with Verse 6:
And there were set there six water-pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bride-groom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
St. John calls the miracle at Cana the “beginning of miracles.” Other translations render it as “the first of his signs.” In the Gospel of John, there are seven “signs,” each revealing Jesus’ Messianic character and glory in an extraordinary miracle. In today’s Gospel, we see the miracle in the exceptionally large quantity of exceptionally high-quality wine. Six stone jars with “two or three firkins” (that is, twenty or thirty gallons) of wine becomes the equivalent of 600 to 900 bottles of wine. Even if the whole village was at the wedding feast, that is still a very large amount of wine! Martin Bucer, a German Reformer who helped Thomas Cranmer write the first Book of Common Prayer, snarkily pointed out that some groups of Christians probably would have rebuked or even excommunicated Jesus for such extravagance that could potentially lead to drunkenness! But there’s an important spiritual lesson here. In the Old Testament, wine was a sign of joy and God’s blessing. Running out of wine was a symbol of the barrenness of 1st Century Judaism. We need Christ to give joy, blessing, and life to our religion.
St. Augustine says that the tasteless water represented the Old Testament Scriptures, while the savory wine represented the Gospel. When Jesus opened the Scriptures to the disciples of the Road to Emmaus, showing how the Old Testament was really about him, the disciples said that their hearts “burned” within them. Augustine says that they metaphorically became “intoxicated” with joy as Jesus turned the water of the Old Testament into the wine of the Gospel. He writes:
When he turned the water itself into wine, he showed us that the ancient Scripture comes from him too; for by his order the jars were filled. This Scripture, too, is indeed from the Lord. But it has no taste if Christ is not understood in it.
Just as Jesus did not let the party be without wine, but rather provided for the feast extravagantly, so does he provide for us. He gives us his grace extravagantly. Indeed, if it weren’t for an extravagant grace, sinners like you and I could not be saved. Martin Bucer writes:
As he would not allow these guests to lack wine, so also he will not allow us to lack anything – especially spiritual goods – related to our salvation. These are certain and bequeathed to us by the Spirit of God.
And speaking of certain signs from God’s Spirit, don’t miss the Sacramental imagery in the wine, which should always remind us of Christ’s blood in Communion. This is a theme that the Church Fathers particularly notice. 5th Century Bishop Caesarius writes: “It is he who came down to earth to invite his beloved to marriage with his highness, giving her for a present the token of his blood and intending to give later the dowry of his kingdom.” St. Augustine writes “Therefore he has a bride here whom he has redeemed by his blood and to whom he has given the Holy Spirit as a pledge.” St. Cyril of Jerusalem writes, “He once changed water into wine by a word of command at Cana of Galilee. Should we not believe him when he changes wine into blood?” And then we have this sung poetic sermon by 6th Century deacon and Jewish convert Romanus Melodus:
When Christ, as a sign of his power, clearly changed the water into wine
All the crowd rejoiced, for they considered the taste marvelous.
Now we all partake at the banquet in the church
For Christ’s blood is changed into wine
And we drink it with holy joy,
Praising the great bridegroom,
for he is the true bridegroom, the Son of Mary,
The Word before all time who took the form of a servant,
He who has in wisdom created all things.
Every time we come to the Lord’s Table by faith with thanksgiving, we are having a preview of the great wedding feast of the Lamb spoken of in Revelation. Every time we come to the Lord’s Table by faith with thanksgiving, we are reminded that he is indeed our bridegroom who gave his life for us. Every time Christians are joined as man and wife by Christ in his Church we see a picture of Christ and his church, a picture of Christ’s extravagant, intoxicating grace. And every time we come to either sacrament, we hear the voice of the Church echoing our Lord’s Blessed Mother, saying “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” May it be so in our parish, our families, and in our lives.
In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.
