The Lutheran Hour
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"The Lord Who Brings Celebration to Life"
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Text: John 2:1-11
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Grace to you and peace from the Lord who brings real celebration to life, your life. Amen.
I’m constantly amazed at what people believe about Jesus. Many people have an opinion about Him, even though they’ve never really read about Him or tried to get to know Him through His Word! Today some people believe Jesus to be a new law giver; others say Jesus has no direction to give, no wisdom to share to modern people at all! Some have Christ as a freedom fighter (even though He clearly distanced both Himself and His followers from such a view during His life). Others have Him as a feminist or a chauvinist…really just more opinions of what they think He should be, rather than who or what He was and is.
Jesus, He’s One who either captured the people’s attention or He seemed to antagonize them to no end.
Dr. Paul Maier in his book, “In the Fullness of Time” reflects on the Bible’s answer concerning the uniqueness of this Jesus. He says…
JESUS, He was no ascetic; He enjoyed a good time, provided party supplies on one famous occasion (at Cana), and loved good friendships and people at every level, especially children.
JESUS, He was no legalist: if someone needed healing on the Sabbath, He simply healed. He was not intolerant: He ate with hated tax collectors and obvious sinners.
JESUS, nor was He the namby-pamby, soft and sweet sort of Person conjured up in so much art: He had an athletic vigor that could enable Him to stay up all night in prayer or single-handedly drive the money changers out of the Temple with a whip.
JESUS, He was a Man totally committed to His mission of announcing the Kingdom of God and then dying to make it all possible.
So, today we’re confronted by Jesus on the move, Jesus in action.
The text says that He turned water into the finest wine at a simple wedding in an obscure town called Cana.
Now, what’s so special about turning water into wine that would make people believe in you above all things? Who is He? Who is He at a simple wedding, in a nowhere town, blessing a bride and groom whose names we don’t even know? And why does He turn water into wine in this insignificant village and then go to Jerusalem, the Holy City, and violently throw out money-changers at the Temple, one of the most sacred places on earth in ancient times?
And what makes this event so incredible is that Jesus’ “disciples believe in Him.” They don’t just appreciate His teaching. They don’t just value His demeanor or His skills. They trust in Him. There’s more here than a mere miracle. There is a glimpse already of what makes Jesus so special, so unique, for them and for us.
Our text today tells us what Jesus, God in the Flesh, is like when He is among His people. He is Jesus, the Immanuel, the Lord, but always on His terms. Jesus goes to a wedding; Jesus blesses the bride and groom with His presence. And yes, when all seems to be falling apart, when the embarrassment will be the only thing remembered, Jesus brings real celebration to the party!
This was the beginning of the signs Jesus did, manifesting His glory and His disciples believed in Him!
Jesus, God in action for you, He brings real celebration to life, and that’s good news.
In fact, it is vitally important because we, as sinful human beings, have lost the ability to really celebrate, to live life as God created and redeemed us to do.As sinful people, there always comes a time in our life when the “wine of life” runs out. As people who willfully cut ourselves off from the Lord of Life, we often find ourselves drowning in the waters of our despair or guilt.
Like this couple, when we need it the most, the wine that makes the celebration runs out. That’s what sin does to life. The Bible isn’t as much concerned with individual sins as it is the sinful condition of all humanity. Sin and sins, both are a problem, but the biggest problem of all, is the life-destroying condition, the overriding reality of sin and death that plagues us all.
As I said to you many times before, we as a people, we need forgiveness not only for our worst efforts; we need them for our best efforts as well. The reality of sin in our life means that the day is always coming when despite your best efforts and meticulous planning, the wine of life runs out!
The wedding at Cana, and the ensuing problem and issues, are but a metaphor for the real life lived in this sinful world and no one is immune to its reality. Just think for a moment what was at stake for this bride and groom. Maybe you’ve had a few moments like this in your life!
This wasn’t merely a wedding one Saturday afternoon for an hour. Weddings in the ancient world were often community events, lasting for many days. We can see that even today. For example, Asian-Indian weddings can involve 9 meals over three days with several sets of clothing for the bride and the groom. When I first came to St. Louis for my new position as Speaker, I was privileged to experience the traditions of such a wedding at the hotel where we where staying. The groom, dressed in royal clothes, rode around the hotel with attendants, friends and celebrants at his side, finally coming to the place where he might call his beloved to himself. It was more than a personal event, it was a community event.
Ancient Jewish weddings were even a bigger deal in the culture. The wedding ceremony would take place late in the evening after a time of feasting. And in some traditions, the father of the bride would take his daughter on his arm, and with the wedding party in tow, would parade through the streets of the village to the groom’s house so that everyone could come out and congratulate them.
The wedding that ensued was no short ceremony but the festivities lasted for days. It was a time of great celebration.
After the wedding ceremony the bride and groom walked through the streets accompanied by flaming torches. Their attendants walked with them keeping a canopy over their heads. It was a whole neighborhood affair.
And, the couple didn’t quickly board a jet plane for a honeymoon escape after a short evening of feasting and dancing, like often happens in Western tradition. No, the honeymoon too was shared by all. The couple might even keep their house open for a week. They were the honored guests as well party hosts. Their wedding would be the focal point of the village and the talk of the town for months, even years to come.
So, can you imagine what that talk would be if the wine ran out? Can you imagine not only the personal humiliation, but the public humiliation? And it wouldn’t go away soon. It would be the talk of the town for months, even years to come. And people couldn’t just get up and move like they do today. It was a reality that this couple, their children, and their family would face year after year.
And notice that the text doesn’t blame the groom or the bride. It merely states matter-of-factly, “the wine ran out.” The problem in our story may have been one out of their control. Maybe they didn’t have the money, maybe the guests drank too much, maybe the party was a bigger event than the couple or anyone could have adequately planned for. No matter, it was still devastating.
The Bible is clear, there will always come a time in our lives when the wine runs out, because we don’t have the will, the means, the power to live life the way we were created to live. All people have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Our sins, our arrogant pride literally cuts us off from the Lord of abundant, eternal life. We are all dead in our transgressions and sins. So, when it comes to living life to its fullest, our wine will always run out!
They may have been in over their heads, but what about running out of wine when we are clearly to blame? What amazes me today is not just that people who are trying to do what is right, still experience real brokenness and heartache. What amazes me, is that with all that we know, with the blessings of technology, medicine, science, education, that with all the cumulative wisdom of the ages, many people choose to go through this life without faith in God, without the wisdom of God’s Word, without the comfort of His presence and protection. With all the blessings that too are from the hand of God, many dive into to their own brokenness with faithless bravado, marching boldly into sinful defeat when God wishes us to live in the victory of faith in Him. What happens when even the wine of such bravado runs out?
Living life on the edge of such bravado could describe one of America’s greatest writers, Earnest Hemmingway. He was a great storyteller to many. He authored several books considered to be classics. The Old Man and The Sea, The Sun also Rises, Farewell to Arms, reveal his genius. He was even a Nobel Prize recipient. From the very early years of his life he was a person who went for it all, he lived life on the edge. He was a newspaper reporter and an ambulance driver during WWI. He was involved in the Spanish Civil War. He had friendships that ranged from bullfighters to authors. Whatever he did, he lived with a risk-taking bravado. He not only was a hard drinker in life, he was a hard drinker of life often seeking experiences and challenges that would overwhelm even the best of several men.
But there came a day when those wines ran out. The day came when such bravado merely backed Hemingway into the corner of misery and real despair. He ended it much like he lived it, with his own hand. He took his life. There are times when sinful humanity’s wine runs out, even to the best of us. Because of sin and evil, even joy can become dry!
That is simply the way life works in a world ravaged by sin and death, disconnected from the God who loves you and redeems you. There are times when we run out of joy, when peace is merely a wisp in the wind, when heartache and tragedy seem real and hope only a dream.
That’s why Jesus’ miracle is so vital to understanding who He is, not only for the couple that day, but for all of us today, tomorrow, forever! This miracle teaches us, that no matter who you are, that when the wine runs out, Jesus can turn the water of despair, the water of defeat into wine of His gift of eternal life. He is the Way, the Truth, the Life, He is the wine of Life and knowing Christ by faith in this world, is the key to a celebration that will never end!
So, there’s more to the miracle at this wedding in Cana than meets the eye. In fact, the real miracle is that the God of the universe, the One who created the galaxies, the constellations, the very air we breathe for life, this Jesus has come into the flesh to bring life and salvation to people like this bride and groom. And not only that, He brings them the best when all they can do is marvel and receive. The big picture is that Jesus brings real celebration to life when life is truly beyond our grasp.
This was the beginning of the signs Jesus did, manifesting His glory and His disciples believed in Him!
I don’t know where you are today in life my friend. But, if you are like me, even at times when all seems to be going well, the wine of life, on our terms, runs out. The miracle at Cana is telling you and me, especially when we are overwhelmed by the waters of despair, guilt or hopelessness, bring that water to Jesus. Bring Him your sins, your struggles, your challenges. He is the Lord who brings real celebration to life, real joy to life, real hope for today and forever.
Just look at Jesus at work at Cana. See the truth of who He is for this couple, as well as the truth of who He is for you. First of all, He’s there! He’s at the wedding. And that makes all the difference. He’s the party-goer that makes all the difference, doesn’t He? And He is the same Lord who says to the disciples and to us all, “Lo, I will be with you always even to the end of the age!” Wow! That’s good news!
But Jesus isn’t just that joyful Person that animates the room for a moment. He is the life-giving Savior who literally transforms the celebration! This was a life-changing moment for that bride, that groom, their families. All was lost! They were beyond their capability to solve the problem, and Jesus doesn’t just help, He brings excellence beyond what they could ever imagine or think!
Their good news is our good news, because Jesus, their Savior, is also our Savior. And the good news of the Scripture for this day, my friend, is that Jesus comes to us with the same offer of celebration right in the middle of our life, our losses, our gains, our special events and even our terrible failures. Right there, right now. He may not physically change your tap water to the finest cabernet, but He will bring real celebration to your life in the middle of the trials, the temptations, and the challenges that you face. Trust in Him.
Now, I must confess that I don’t always know what Christ is up to at a particular moment in my life. How about you? But, I do know that He wants what is best for us and He has come so that we might have abundant life in Him. So, I even think that if He had chosen “not to change the water to wine,” for the couple that day, that He would have brought something else, just as special into their lives, so that they could testify to His goodness even then.
So whether God is taming our celebrations or letting us come to grips with our short-comings, know this, that His will in all things, in success or struggle, is that we know Him and trust in Him alone as the source of our life. What would life be like if your prayer was, “Lord, do whatever you need to do to keep me close to you?”
That’s why I love Mary’s example in the text. Right after she asks Jesus to help He responds with a terse word, almost a rebuke. She needs help, the bride and the groom need help, and Mary seems to go to the only One who can and she doesn’t receive the word that she was looking for.
But, she wisely tells the servants, “Do as He tells you.” because He’s the One who does all things well for them and for you!
So, what is your opinion about Christ? Actually, that’s not the most important question. Christ is who He is! You can’t change that. He is the Lord who brings celebration to life. What you need to know is that He, too, offers this transforming power of life to you. The big questions is, “Will you bring the waters of your sin and despair to the One who can change it into the joys of the wine of His eternal life?”
The wedding of Cana teaches us what God is like when He is among His people to bless. Jesus goes to a wedding, Jesus blesses the bride and groom with His presence, and yes, when all seems to be falling apart, when the embarrassment will be the only thing remembered, Jesus brings real celebration to the party!
“This was the beginning of the signs Jesus did, manifesting His glory and His disciples believed in Him!” You can too! Amen!
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for January 20, 2013
Topic: What Is The Gift Of Holy Baptism?ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions. I’m Mark Eischer. Pastor, Christians talk about their Baptisms. What is Baptism?
SELTZ: That’s a vital question, Mark, because Baptism is one of the most important blessings God has given us. The outward action of Baptism is that water is applied to a person in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Remember, Baptism is something Jesus commanded us to do in Matthew 28 when He told us to go and “make disciples.”
ANNOUNCER: Now, Baptism is often referred to as a “means of grace.” What is that?
SELTZ: Well, that description correctly reiterates that Baptism is something that God does for us. It is one of the tools that God uses to personally apply what Jesus has earned for us on the cross, to wash our sins away and to fill us with His Holy Spirit. In Romans 6, Paul describes God’s work, saying, in Baptism “we are buried with Christ into His death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead, we too may walk in a newness of life.”
ANNOUNCER: Now, some Christians say Baptism is the way a person makes a public confession of his or her faith. What does the Bible say about it?
SELTZ: Well, Baptized people do confess their faith, but that’s not the main thing. Faith and confession always accompany this gift. The main thing is that God is in action for the person being Baptized. Even someone as special as the Apostle Paul was a recipient of Baptism’s blessing in his life not the author of it.
ANNOUNCER: How do you mean?
SELTZ: Well just think about how Paul came to faith. In the book of Acts, chapter 9, we read that the Apostle Paul, then known as Saul, was blinded by Jesus’ appearance on the road to Damascus. God sent a man named Ananias to him. When Ananias met him, he said to Saul, “Brother Saul, the Lord–Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here–has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” So, Ananias was sent to do two things: heal and make sure Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit.
ANNOUNCER: And what happened next?
SELTZ: Well, verse 18 says, “Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again.” Saul was healed. But, then it says that Saul “got up and was baptized.” What did Baptism do?
ANNOUNCER: It filled Saul with the Holy Spirit.
SELTZ: Right, Saul wasn’t the one at work in Baptism. God gave him a precious gift through Baptism: the gift of the Holy Spirit.
ANNOUNCER: Now, in his Small Catechism, Martin Luther states that Baptism is a gift.
SELTZ: You’re right. The Small Catechism teaches what the Scriptures declare: Baptism is a gift, a command of God, that it works forgiveness of sins, and that it is founded on God’s promise. It works the way God promises it would work. We joyfully hold onto those promises of God.
ANNOUNCER: Now, for some, Baptism might seem like a kind of strange thing to do. How did it ever get started?
SELTZ: Well, for most people around the world, “Washings” have long been a part of religious traditions. So it is really not strange to talk about “needing to be washed” to be “right with God.” The big difference between all religious washings and Christian Baptism is that Christian Baptism is a “washing in the Name of the Triune God.” The power is not the water, nor one’s decision, but the Name of God active in the action of Baptism. In Matthew 18:20, Jesus promises that where two or three are gathered in His name, He is there. In Baptism, He is there for you, to bless. The washing commanded by Jesus was one that washed people’s sins away and filled them with the Holy Spirit, because that’s what God’s saving Name does!
ANNOUNCER: And St. Peter told the crowd that in the book of Acts.
SELTZ: On Pentecost Day, when the people heard Peter’s sermon, convicted of their sin, they cried out, “What shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for alll” (Acts 2:38-39 NIV). Once again, we hear how God is at work in Baptism.
ANNOUNCER: Now, if someone is listening today and would like to be baptized, what should they do?
SELTZ: My advice would be to seek out a local Lutheran pastor. He’ll be able to help you receive this precious gift from God.
ANNOUNCER: Very good. So, if you’d like to find a congregation near you, please call us here at the Lutheran Hour, 1-855-John316. Thank you Pastor Seltz. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music Selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.
“Songs of Thankfulness and Praise” arr. Henry Gerike. Used by permission.
“Beautiful Savior” arr. Fred Baue. From The Great Dance by Fred Baue (© Wildstone Media)
“Finale on Hyfrydol” by Charles Callahan. From Love Divine, All Loves Excelling by Charles Callahan (© 1993 Concordia Publishing House)