Not What You’d Expect

Our reading for today is recorded in John, chapter 2, these words: On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus was also invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom to himself 10 and said, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This is the first of the signs Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, He manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

Christ is risen! He is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

Some people say that the Bible is a strange book. They think it contains extraordinary stories about things; a lot of mystical events. To be honest with you, I don’t think the Bible is a strange book at all. But, I do find that there are some things in the Bible that are hard to understand at times, sometimes when it’s pretty straightforwardly told. And I will admit that there are some peculiar elements sometimes in the Bible too; especially in our story for today. Just think about it.

First of all, there’s a wedding, that’s not that hard to understand, right? Weddings, we know about that stuff, but what is this water-into-wine business? What’s that doing there? And then the story doesn’t tell us who the bride and the groom are. I thought that was the most important part. And then, of course, we don’t know about the predicament about the wedding party. It seems like this story, which is about a wedding, is all about Jesus and He’s not getting married, and surely this wedding was not part of a society must attend type of event; so what’s going on here? This reading is challenging us in our understanding of things because the event seems too normal. It seems too common. It seems too earthy for someone as extraordinary as Jesus.

And through it all Jesus’ glory is revealed and His disciples believe in Him. It is all so unexpected. It doesn’t seem to make sense, the way we think it should. It seems a little strange, it seems extraordinarily ordinary. It is certainly not what we’d expect about Jesus. It’s not what we’d expect about God. And that’s the point. Our ways are not God’s ways and God’s ways are the only ways for life and salvation, even real joy and peace in the world in which we live.

This story reminds us of something quite important about God. He doesn’t exist to make sense to you and to me on our terms, on our way. He doesn’t come in a mold that you are comfortable with; and that’s okay because He comes to love you His way, and that’s what ultimately counts.

I think that’s what’s going on in the Wedding of Cana. I think that’s what’s going on. You are going to have to step back a bit to see what this is really all about. We generally know what is going on. It’s a wedding. Okay, we know that. There’s a bride and a groom in a small town and there are all kinds of things that have to go on in this community for it to be a good wedding; and the wedding party was not the one that was not rejoiced in. So, if we try to get too close to the details; we don’t get their name, we don’t get there number, we don’t know really what’s going on. We have to step back a bit to see what’s really happening, because the whole story seems to focus on Jesus and He was just an invited guest who happened to come. We do see that Jesus is there. He saves the day; but we don’t hear any more about it in the rest of the Bible. It just kind of fades away.

The real strangeness of this story is the intersection of God with stuff that’s just so normal and so ordinary. If you are listening in today on the radio, I want you to know that your life is not too ordinary for God. Your life is not too mundane for God because He comes all the way to where we are to bring His good news of the Gospel to people just like you and just like me. That’s why Jesus is making wine. That’s why He’s at a nowhere place called Cana for a wedding party that we don’t even have their names; because He brings life to all people His way.

In this story, God is at work in the lives of real live ordinary human beings. He’s not so divine that we can’t see Him for Who He is, nor is He so human that He’s just like everybody else. He is the intersection of the Divine and the Human so that there can be real celebration not just now but forever. That’s why God is in this place and I think that’s why the Bible reminds us… This, the first of His signs; Jesus did it at Cana in Galilee, manifesting His glory. And His disciples (people like you and me) believed in Him.

So what do we need to learn today together from this event called the Wedding at Cana? What does the Bible challenge you and me to see?

First of all, this event challenges all human beings, all of us on the face of this planet, to see what is really common from the Bible’s point of view; what is really incredible from the Bible’s point of view; what is really ordinary; what is really extraordinary. In fact it challenges our notions of God Himself, of what He’s like, of what He should or shouldn’t do. It also challenges our notions of joy, our notions of celebration. This text, if you really look at it, it shows God in action for people just like you and me.

When we step back too, it also gives us a sense of ourselves when we look at this particular event. When I look at this, whenever I read the Wedding of Cana, one of the first things I’m reminded of is that human beings, because we’re sinful people, we really, truly have lost the ability to celebrate, to truly celebrate in a way that God Himself wants for us.

When I look at this text, I think about this. As sinful people are trying to do their very best in this wedding celebration, their wine runs out right in the middle of it. That was a tragedy. They were not going to be known for their wedding celebration. They were going to be known for their wedding tragedy and they were probably going to have to live with that for the rest of their lives. Like this couple too, just like them, there are times in our life when the wine just runs out. When the wine that makes our celebration, it runs out. That’s what sin does to life. That’s all sin is.

A lot of times people get caught up talking sins; what sins are you dealing with? The Bible talks about sin. Sins are problems, but sin’s just showing that there is a deeper problem. It’s a symptom of something that goes way down deep. Sin is that rebellious condition that cuts us off from God Who is our life, our salvation, our joy, and our peace. The Bible is always talking about sin and about needing forgiveness from that and reconciliation to God. In fact, we need forgiveness, not just for our bad deeds; think about it this way, we need forgiveness for even our best.

That ought to blow your minds, but there is always a day coming when the wine runs out even when you’re doing it the best that you can possibly do.

The Wedding at Cana, with all its problems and possibilities, is a metaphor, right off the bat, of what real life is; real life on our terms, lived in a sinful world and no one is immune to its reality.

But that’s not the main point of the message, is it? That’s not the main point of the message and that’s not the Gospel good news of Jesus Christ in the whole Scripture. So the point is while not dismissing the struggle that’s going on, while not devaluing the day to day joys of life, it illustrates something about Jesus. It illustrates something about God. God has come to bring you real celebration. God has come to bring you abundant life. God has come to give you reconciliation not just with one another, how important that is, He comes to bring reconciliation with God that makes all of life possible with one another and to give you eternal life in His Name.

I think that’s one of the reasons why, in the Wedding of Cana, the details, they do kind of fade into the background; because as important as they are to the people of that day, what’s more important is to see what Jesus is bringing even to folks like that.

When we think about that, Jesus is also teaching, “I’ve not just come to bring this celebration to these folks at the Wedding of Cana, I’ve come to bring this celebration to people just like them; people like you and people like me.”

In our lives too, we can easily miss the big picture because we get caught in the things of the moment. It is so easy to get wrapped up in the rat race of life, would you agree with me on that? It is. It’s one of the reasons why people stop coming to church on Sundays; they’ve got all kinds of stuff going on and they get caught up in all those kinds of things. We get consumed by the day to day. It is easy for us to start to define our lives by what’s mundane; we’ve got work to do, we’ve got bills to pay, we’ve got to drive here and there. It is tempting to define ourselves by our daily duties and obligations and to see ourselves as the sum of its parts. And as you get older, the sum of the parts start changing, don’t they? It becomes doctors’ visits and paying bills and just trying to keep one foot in front of the other. But that’s not who we are. If you actually run your life that way, then instead of really living life boldly, you just start looking for escapes, ways to get out of that rat race, to get out of being stuck in that rut. Maybe if you’re listening in today, you’re looking for the next source of joy to give you a thrill so that it’ll help you deal with just what’s coming against you today. Well, I’ve got better news for you than that.

Let me say just one thing though. If you are looking for Jesus to be that happy pill, that will just kind of overwhelm you as if that’s what is teaching here. He doesn’t talk that way in this text. I don’t want you to miss the point of this. You might think that our Bible reading today means that faith in Jesus brings life for you right now as a big party. No, He brings real celebration to life no matter what’s happening in your life. He wants to give you a sense of what that means so He’s not really teaching that He’s just coming to give you a booster shot of celebration for the day. That’s why I think He talks to His mother the way He does.

That one always got to me. Why does He say that to her? “Woman, what do I have to do with this stuff? This isn’t my time.” What is He talking about? Why does He say such a thing?

Think about this word, His time. The time doesn’t come later in the evening; the time doesn’t come later in the celebration. The time didn’t come at the wedding reception or some glorious coronation for Jesus later on. When did the time come that He was going to bring real celebration to life? When did His time come; when He hung on the cross for you.

He took all of the non-celebration upon Himself so that He could unleash His celebration for you on Good Friday. That’s when His time came. The time for your salvation, the possibility of you and I having an eternal party as part of our future, it came when He willingly died on the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus’ time comes when He is the Sacrifice, not the Honored Guest or the Host. His time comes when it looks as if God’s wine runs out, and then He literally changes that into an abundant wine that lasts forever.

Easter, that’s the time. That’s totally unexpected. It’s totally unimaginable, but that’s God in the flesh at work for you and me. It may be unexpected, it may be unimaginable, but it is exactly what you and I need and that’s what He is doing in this text. He’s coming among ordinary people with an extraordinary message of good news.

To really appreciate what’s going on there, you’ve got to step back and see the whole life of Jesus Christ in all of His glory for you.

His ultimate hour came at the cross; there’s no doubt, but that’s a time, but His birth into human flesh made that time conceivable. His perfect life in your place and mine, made it credible. His substitutionary death on the cross made all this possible, and His resurrection from the damnable death made your life and mine incredibly obtainable for all who would put their trust in Him.

Think about this. In Him you are who you are. In Him, it’s not what’s going on in your day to day life that defines you because in Him is bigger than that, it’s stronger than that.

Right now, you are not merely someone overwhelmed by wedding preparations. You’re not hurt by a marriage gone awry. You are not just someone who has to go to work every day until that day stops. You are not just a student stuck in classes that you really don’t care about. You are not just a retiree with a life defined by doctor visits and doctor bills. You are not even a rich person defined by your material success. You are not a person who is just struggling to pay your bills. You’re a person in Christ who has His promise of life and salvation as a reality and a promise of real celebration as your future.

You are ultimately defined by Jesus in your midst. His life, His death, and His resurrection; God came in order to be with you and me and that finally defines who we are now and forever.

I think that’s why Jesus started at a wedding feast, wouldn’t you agree? Think about it. This is His first big miracle. Why did He go there? I think He’s trying to show us that He comes to bring real celebration to our lives. Think about this too, maybe you can hold on to it this way. It seems to happen after the wedding feast goes on a few days. In fact, it seems to be on the third day when He provides this incredible wine that everyone says is the best they’ve ever had.

Think about another third day when Jesus did something incredible. On the first day He hung on the cross. On the second day He was in the tomb. On the third day He rose again from the dead so that we might have His life and salvation now and forever.

That’s what Jesus Christ is all about; bringing real celebration to life; an eternal feast, an eternal forgiveness, a real celebration that will never end. So for now, let that be enough. Let that be the thing that actually comes into your ordinary daily struggles and life. May you realize that this Jesus is in your midst with His promises and He never lets His people down.

I understand how life is. We’ve just seen what’s in the news. We know what’s going on around the world. Life is hard and we’re tempted to define our life by what seems to be going on all around us, but Jesus reminds us in this text, God is with us. He’s God on our side, God in the midst of the day to day things to bring eternal things to last in our life.

Do you want to know this God? Do you want to know His grace, His mercy, the joy of His forgiveness? Do you want to be a part of His eternal celebration and Presence, then get to know and believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Not always what you’d expect, but always what you’d need now and forever. God be with you. And all of God’s people said, Amen.

LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for January 17, 2016
Topic: John 3:16 – What Does It Mean?

ANNOUNCER: Now, Pastor Gregory Seltz responds to questions from listeners. I’m Mark Eischer. Pastor, John 3:16 is one of the most well known verses. It says, ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life,’ what does that all mean?”

SELTZ: You see this verse everywhere, Mark, and the reason it’s so popular and so important is because it truly does summarize the teachings of the Bible in one verse.

ANNOUNCER: The Bible is a thick book with a lot of different teachings in it, so how can this summarize all of that?

SELTZ: You’re right, the Bible contains a lot of books and chapters and verses; and it appears to have a lot of different teachings, rules, and commandments. But if you read the Bible as God intends, there really is one central teaching that is common throughout the Bible.

ANNOUNCER: And what is that central teaching?

SELTZ: The most important teaching in the Bible is the Gospel that God loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross and rise from the dead for you. Why, to forgive your sins and give you eternal life freely, as a gift.

ANNOUNCER: Now some would say the Bible, though, is a book full of rules and restrictions?

SELTZ: There are rules and commandments and regulations. But the important message of the Bible is not, ultimately, what we are to do and not do. The real power of the Scriptures is the love of God for us who are sinners. And this love is carried out in our Savior Jesus Christ. The rules and regulations help us learn how to live as human creatures and also, because of our sinfulness, they show us our need for God’s continued love and ultimately His forgiveness.

ANNOUNCER: How does John 3:16 teach that?

SELTZ: First of all, the verse starts with God’s love. That’s where we need to start. We need to continually start with God’s love. That puts our lives in perspective. That defines who we are, gives us peace, it frees us from our sins and mistakes, and it motivates us to love others the way God loves us.

ANNOUNCER: And this verse says God loves the whole world.

SELTZ: Right, He created it, He loves it, and He loves His most cherished creation, humanity. He loves all people because He delights in loving His creation.

ANNOUNCER: The next part of John 3:16 tells us even more about God’s love.

SELTZ: It does….God’s love called for a unique action to save sinful humanity. The Father gave His Son. You see God’s love is not an idea or a nice thought or a philosophy. God’s love is action. God’s love changes everything.

ANNOUNCER: And God the Father’s gift is unique as well?

SELTZ: You’re right. His gift is His Son Jesus. And Jesus is not just a Teacher or a Person who lived a special life. Jesus is God in the flesh Who came and died on a cross, our cross, to pay the price for our sins. And three days later He rose from the dead to conquer death so that we can live forever with Him. That’s action. That love, it changes everything.

ANNOUNCER: Does the Bible teach that all people are saved and will live forever?

SELTZ: Well, yes and no. Jesus saved all people, but the next clause in the verse tells us that those who believe in Jesus receive eternal life. So, to all who trust in God’s love, God’s action, who put their faith in Jesus’ work for them, they receive what Christ earned for them. But, for those who deny this or don’t believe or don’t even care, they are not. At the end of the verse it teaches some will perish because of their unbelief.

ANNOUNCER: So, salvation comes down to one’s faith in Christ alone?

SELTZ: Right, and that even is a gift that the Spirit works in your heart and mine.

ANNOUNCER: Up till now you haven’t said a word about our behavior.

SELTZ: No I haven’t. John 3:16 does proclaim that we need to be saved. But, as sinners through and through, our works, even our best can’t accomplish fellowship and salvation with a Holy God.

ANNOUNCER: For the believer in Jesus, salvation is all about God’s work for all people who don’t deserve it and can’t earn it on their own.

SELTZ: Right, and any good deeds, then, flow from that grace from a thankful heart. That’s what I meant when I said God’s love in Christ changes everything, who we are, how we are saved, even how and why we act the way we do because of what God has done for us!

ANNOUNCER: Hearing you say this, there’s certainly a lot in this verse.

SELTZ: There sure is, that’s why it is called the Gospel in a nutshell.

ANNOUNCER: I suppose that’s why people love it so.

SELTZ: Absolutely.

ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Seltz and we thank you, the listener, for making this program part of your day. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.

Action in Ministry for January 17, 2016
Guest: Tim Wesemann

ANNOUNCER: You’re listening to The Lutheran Hour and this is Action in Ministry. Pastor Seltz, today’s message was especially poignant when you talked about the wedding at Cana and how Jesus brings joy and celebration to life for all those who put their trust in Him.

SELTZ: Yeah. Thanks, Mark. This is so fitting today as we observe Life Sunday. Christ has come to bring us joy, life, and celebration now and forever. And while we thank God for the precious gift of life we also want to speak today to those who’ve made some hard choices that have left them with a load of guilt that they can’t seem to shake.

ANNOUNCER: Joining us now is author Tim Wesemann. He’s best known for his humor and his lighter touch, but he’s also penned a very serious resource for us titled, Unlocking the Prison of Guilt. Tim, thanks for joining us.

WESEMANN: Thanks for having me.

SELTZ: Tim, when we think about Life Sunday, we typically think about abortion and the guilt that comes with that; the babies lost, the hurting families. We want to explore that today. We also want to take a broader look so could you describe some of those other prisons of guilt?

WESEMANN: Think about the decisions that have to be made at the end of life and the heartbreak it is for family members, loved ones to say “Do not resuscitate” or “Yes, shut this down.” Very, very difficult and a lot of guilt sometimes dealing with those issues.

SELTZ: So they make the decision and then they can’t just seem to let it go.

WESEMANN: The what if, what if.

ANNOUNCER: Now in this booklet you tell us the story of someone named Dave. Tell us a little bit of his story.

WESEMANN: Yes, Dave had an affair with a married woman and the woman got pregnant. Basically had the husband killed. Of course I’m not talking about any Dave, this is King David in the Bible. The guilt that he felt…just debilitating, weighing on him from that.

SELTZ: Yeah, the guilt from his actions…and so many times, once that choice is made there is no going back. The consequences stay with us through life. Of course, it was no different for Dave, the difference, though, comes in how we respond and how God responds to us. Tim, point us in the right direction here; whether it’s because of an abortion, the weight of being the one who has to say “Do not resuscitate”; how can we avoid the prison of guilt?

WESEMANN: I think we have to run to the grace of Jesus Christ. I want to share a quick story about a woman who came to me at church late at night banging on the doors and she wanted…she was crying and wanted to talk to someone and she shared with me that she had an abortion and confessed that she had so much guilt from that. We talked about a God of grace and the God Who loves her and she confessed and we shared forgiveness. She looked up at me with tears in her eyes and said, “I’m really forgiven?” I said, “You’re forgiven.” “I’m forgiven” and she said that over and over and she actually ran out of the church. As the door closed, I could see her looking up to heaven, “He forgives me! I’m forgiven.”

SELTZ: And that’s what’s amazing. That really is what the church is all about. In Christ we are forgiven. He’s the One Who overcomes all of our guilt, and that’s good news. That was the prayer for David in Psalm 51 and that forgiveness can also be ours. When you think about that, that’s really freedom and we hold on to that promise. God leads us out of the prison cell. Tim, this has been a great reminder.

WESEMANN: Thanks for having me.

SELTZ: And that’s our Action in Ministry segment today to bless, to empower, and strengthen your life in Christ for others.

ANNOUNCER: For your free copy of the booklet Unlocking the Prison of Guilt, call 1-855-john316. That’s 1-855-564-6316. To view or download this material for free, go to lutheranhour.org and look for the tab that says Action in Ministry. Our email address is info@lhm.org.

Music Selections for this program:

“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by Chris Bergmann. Used by permission.