January 20, 2019 "The Wedding at Cana"

As I mention in the sermon, these verses are ones upon which a multitude of sermons could be (and have been) launched.  There is a nearly endless variety of directions that can be taken from these verses.  Many sermons focus on the 'great abundance', some focus on the filling of the jars as being the 'fulfillment' of the scriptures, others upon the 'Bridegroom' and the 'Bride', or even that everything is a  'Party' once you let Jesus into your life... I chose not to pursue any of these.  I also chose not to go down the path I took the last time I preached over these verses... though I did mention that direction in passing.

The main point that I attempted to make in the sermon really was that even though Jesus solved one problem, the lack of wine and the embarrassment and dishonor that would come from this (which is another common direction for sermons), He truly caused another problem.  There is now no more water which with to obey the law and it's required ritual cleansings.  To us, this doesn't seem like a big deal at all... but to a 1st Century Jew, it's a BIG problem.  Of course, the message is that Jesus has replaced the law, we are no longer tied to the law rather, we are liberated by the wine which represents Christ's blood shed on the cross.  This passage foreshadows the Last Supper (even though John doesn't use the Last Supper in the fashion of the Synoptics) in the new life given by the cup Christ shared with His Disciples.

It's not a long sermon so please take a listen.

Be a blessing to someone today!

In His Grace,
Roy

John 2:1-11 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
The Wedding at Cana

2 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.