01152022 – John 2. 1-11
It is important to note this is ONLY to be found in the gospel of John.
It is IMPORTANT. It is IMPRESSIVE STUFF. It is, what John calls “his FIRST SIGN.”
Which obviously means we should EXPECT or ANTICIPATE “other signs” yet to come…it is a HEADS UP…Get READY, stay ALERT, WAIT for it…kind of thing.
There will be SIX more to come, for a total of SEVEN signs. SEVEN being the number of perfection, completeness, and wholeness.
Remember going back to GENESIS, God created “the heavens and the earth and everything that exists” in SEVEN days, including time-out for his HOLY-SIESTA. Perfection! And it was ALL GOOD!
Now, John doesn’t talk about MIRACLES, at all. His preference is to use the word “SIGN.” Because “a sign” points beyond itself, to something even greater. Some kind of truth!
Funny story I just read.
Two guys were standing by the roadside, when they see a woman driving down the middle of the road toward them.
They yelled out at her, “COW!”
Not expecting the very un-lady-like- gesture that she returned to them…
THEN, the collision happened!
Not only was the cow critically injured but there was tons of front end damage to her vehicle, as well.
Some folks JUST DON’T LISTEN!
Water INTO wine is “impressive”…no doubt about it! But it is neither the WATER or the WINE that is important here.
We are being SHOWN something. We are being led somewhere. Something is being LIFTED UP before our vary eyes…something that we are supposed to ACKNOWLEDGE…and SEE…and GET.
This is all very MUNDANE, ORDINARY, and PEDESTRIAN stuff. Water. Very BASIC. An element needed for all of life. Essential, actually.
But COMMON, quite ORDINARY, at least in these parts.
As a matter of fact, we SEE IT all the time. Take a spin over the Hoan Bridge and LOOK EAST!
We talk about it all the time, too! Colder NEAR the lake. Warmer LAKESIDE. Lake effect snow flurries…expected later today…you know the routine…
The Great Lakes consist of 5400 CUBIC MILES of water. I don’t even KNOW what that means… But it sounds like a whole-lot-of-water (fresh water) right outside our doorsteps…
More than 20% of the world’s surface freshwater can be found in the GREAT LAKES. More than 20%, More than 1/5…that’s impressive stuff…
Location, location, location…because we need water to SURVIVE, this is not a bad location in which to live.
And yet, WE take it ALL for granted. And, complain about it CONSTANTLY.
But like I said, it is neither the WATER or the WINE that is important.
John the Gospel writer is POINTING to something else.
The WATER and the WINE are just a sign.
A HOOK. A THING.
And of course, you know HOW WE ARE! We want to know HOW he did that? HOW do you change water into wine? WHAT was the process…when did it happen…when did it occur?
All of the literature points out that nothing magical was said or done. There were no words, no prayers, no incantations, no looking or gazing up to heaven…no nothing…just do what he says!
It all happened or occurred in PLAIN SIGHT, and yet it was totally UNOBSERVED.
It was natural, normal, just ordinary people doing ordinary things and the EXTRAORDINARY happened. And, WE want to know HOW?
But since this is a SIGN and NOT a miracle the point is not WOW! Amazing, incredible, unbelievable! Or, HOW did he do that?
The point is WHO did it?
The sign is pointing over there to that ITINERANT RABBI, with his handful of followers, who were all on the invited GUEST LIST.
Unfortunately, the OPEN BAR at the Wedding reception had to close down early when the wine ran out. The party was crashing and it was a real BUMMER…and someone had to do something…
Talk about your BRIDEZILLA! She went ballistic. If the bride aint happy, no one is happy. So, Jesus stepped up
This is a pattern in John. Jesus will say no, then, do it anyways…first he is reluctant, then he will be compliant. But he needs to initiate it. His terms. When he is ready. His way.
So the spotlight is on him…that Jewish guy over there…And that’s where this first sign is pointing! WHO can turn water into wine, how about that one over there.