Sermon John 2.1-11

John 2.1-11
When a FOOTBALL PLAYER moves to a new club, he hopes he will score a spectacular goal in his first match. This would bring instant popularity with the supporters and raise hopes of great days ahead.
I’m not sure what the equivalent would be for a CHURCH LEADER; maybe to perform an amazing healing or preach a sermon that causes loads of people to fall down on their knees and repent – that kind of thing! It would show the people in church that this leader really has God’s anointing and would raise hopes that a spectacular revival is about to begin.
According to the writer of the 4th Gospel (John), Jesus did something pretty amazing at the start of his public ministry – he went to a wedding with his mum and some friends (not so amazing?) – but when the wine ran out, he changed a few stone jars of water into a large quantity of good quality wine (wow!).
Pretty spectacular and guaranteed to amaze everybody present; except that NOBODY KNEW what had happened, except his mum, a few disciples and the waiters. What a missed opportunity!
The other 3 gospel writers didn’t even record this story – perhaps they thought it was not much more than a little party piece, compared to the great parables and healings and sermons which were to come. But for John, after perhaps 40 years reflection, it was the first (preeminent) sign which revealed Jesus’s glory; his value, his brightness which defeats every shadow of darkness; a revelation which caused his disciples to put their faith in him.
What did John see here that the others missed?
•    The NATHANAEL Link. End of Ch 1, Nathanael, sceptical that anything good could come out of Nazareth, is won over by the fact Jesus saw him sitting under a tree before Philip called him. Jesus promises Nathanael he will see greater things than this, in fact he will see heaven being opened and angels going up and coming down on the Son of Man (referring to Jacob’s “ladder” dream, Genesis 28.12). The very next thing the gospel writer records is a wedding feast in Nathanael’s home town (see John 21.2) of Cana. Looking back, John can see that what happened at this wedding was already fulfilling the promise to Nathanael. A greater and more important marriage was anticipated here – heaven/earth – and was already happening in the marriage of human and divine in Jesus himself.

•    NEW WINE better than OLD. The wine ran out – the word we translate “ran out” really means “fell short”. The old covenant or agreement between God and man failed (on the human side). John and Mary point to Jesus and say to the servants “do exactly what he tells you”. Jesus uses the stone purification jars of the old covenant and his presence transforms their contents from water (we are 60% water) into wine. When Jesus is present, the ordinary becomes extraordinary.

•    A person deserving dishonour (bridegroom who did not provide wine of sufficient quantity/quality) is honoured, because of Jesus.

•    The saving work of Jesus is seen only by the servants who follow his instructions  – but is for the benefit of everybody. The new wine is to be SERVED, not hoarded.

•    John even hints at a link to the final sign, resurrection, also “on the third day” and revealing Jesus’s glory, leading disciples and witnesses to faith, new life.

•    A passage packed with rich symbolism which repays meditation and helps us understand the gospel.
What does this sign mean for us?
•    Earlier in the service we sang “come on in and taste the new wine, the wine of the kingdom” (One shall tell another by Graham Kendrick). Shouldn’t this be the message we are giving to the people around us? How can this happen?

•    Are people receiving through us the wine which reveals Jesus and encourages them to put their faith in him? (John 2.11)

•    WHEN people visit our church or meet us around town or at work, what do they see? Do they see signs pointing towards Jesus? Or are our signs pointing in other directions?

•    ARE WE ‘revealing His glory’ in our lives and in our worship? Or are we hiding Him from view?

•    ARE WE encouraging faith in Jesus? Or are we instead confirming people’s prejudice that he is irrelevant, weak and unworthy of faith?

•    HAVE WE inadvertently changed the wine back into water?

•    I SUSPECT that we may find these questions uncomfortable and if we are honest, in spite of our good intentions, we often fall short of what Jesus calls us to be.

•    So CAN WE do what Jesus did at that wedding in Cana? Not exactly! We can’t turn water into wine.

•    But we can go and BE WITH our friends and neighbours in the ordinary celebrations and griefs, the ups and downs of life.

•    WHEN CRISIS COMES – when the wine runs out, we can’t turn water into wine but we do know someone who can! And we CAN show that the resources of the Christian faith – prayer, praise, worship, the Bible, the love of other Christians, the gifts of the Holy Spirit – are EFFECTIVE in a crisis.

•    Beyond that we are called to BE the presence of Christ, his body, the branches of his vine, wherever we are and wherever He sends us. The wedding at Cana is just one of many gospel stories where the presence of Jesus transforms EVERYTHING. The presence of Christians, the presence of the church should be having the same effect…

•    THE TASK facing us is very simple, but it is not at all easy. We are called simply to MAKE SIGNS and to BE SIGNS which point towards Jesus. We are called to REVEAL HIS GLORY and we are called to ENCOURAGE FAITH in Him.

•    SIMPLE! But it is not easy to do all of this consistently. We need help, from each other, from the resources of the wider church, from Christians who are further along the road than we are and above all from the Holy Spirit.

•    May we discover the way to fulfill this great calling together, remembering that, with God, nothing is impossible.