Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs

Good Morning. Last week our Epiphany theme took us to Mark and the beginning of Mark’s record of Jesus Ministry. We saw there the showing forth of the glory (that’s what Epiphany means) of the Trinity at the Jordan River, and how Jesus showed His glory in humility by receiving a baptism for the remission of sins. Why? It identified Him with all of us who he has come to redeem.

John 2 similarly is John’s record of the beginning of Jesus public ministry. But there are many things in John’s Gospel that you have to dig for. It almost feels like John is writing at two levels. A wonderful clear Gospel for those who know just a little about God, and then this incredibly deep message that’s hard to understand without knowing or looking up all these Old Testament references John is constantly alluding to but never quoting.

We have a big one in today’s Gospel Lesson, which John says is the very first sign of Jesus Glory (Epiphany) is turning water into wine at a wedding. Many people, especially the temperance type in the past, get sidetracked with this passage. It is an interesting question when reading this account why John not only recorded this miracle and but he stressed it as the first sign of Jesus Glory. This is our big mystery this morning. What’s so important about this miracle?

The first clue is miracles in general. John only includes 7 of Jesus miracles. Also, John never calls them miracles, but SIGNS. Signs aren’t important in and of themselves, but ANNOUNCE something important. Warning! Careful! Look Here! At the close of his Gospel, John says Jesus did MANY other signs in the presence of the disciples, not written in this book;

but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

So, what’s important for us this morning is to figure out, “What does this Sign PROCLAIM about Jesus?” And the first place to look??? Context.

Since John writes later than the other Gospel writers, and assumes that you are familiar with Matthew, Mark and Luke when you are reading his Gospel, so he tends to cover different information, much more of Jesus private life with the disciples that the others didn’t cover. He also doesn’t worry about writing chronologically like the others, but he writes Thematically.

What immediately follows Jesus Miracle of turning Water into Wine? If you keep reading in John 2, we read … Jesus cleansing the temple… which takes place right after the triumphal entry… on Palm Sunday… right before the crucifixion. First clue. John wants to associate this sign with the Temple/Taber.

As for the wedding…Weddings in Jesus day, no surprise, are different from today. In our weddings, the bride is the prominent figure. She enters the stage last, after everything is prepared for her. She is arrayed in the finest clothes, and the whole congregation stands for her entrance, with every eye focused on her. In Jesus time it was the groom that is prominent. He is the featured one; the bride merely shows up for the wedding, in the same no one got excited for me when I entered.

Not only was the groom the featured person, but he also was responsible to finance and prepare everything. His skill in preparation would show if he was responsible and reliable, and able to be a good husband and father. And it was a lot to manage because wedding feasts went on for as long as a week, with relatives from both sides of the family joining together for a big celebration.

That’s why running out of wine was not a minor faux pax. It was a SIGN this man will not be a good provider for his wife and family. So what happens? Through Mary, they go to Jesus.

This is not my sermon, but it is important to see the willingness of Jesus to help with all our problems in life, not just “spiritual” things. It’s easy to look at it and say, hey, you ran out of wine, give them something else to drink. You’ll be a little embarrassed, but you’ll get over it. We may feel different, like it’s the biggest thing in the world, or too small to bother God with. But in either case, Go to Jesus. He is there for our every need, not just emergencies.

So how does Jesus handle it. In performing this miracle, he makes a SIGN pointing to himself as the true Bridegroom coming for His Bride. I need to show this. This is a common Biblical image in both the Old Testament and New Testament. Old Testament, it’s the prophets who emphasize it.