Rev. Steven S. Billings
Epiphany 2
Sermon
1-14-2007

"And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, 'they have no wine.'" The occasion, of course, was a wedding. It took place in the little village of Cana, in the province of Galilee. One of the worst things that could have happened at a wedding feast would be to run out of wine. And that's precisely what happened here. Mary pointed out the faux pas to see what Jesus would do about it. As she did, the other guests must have looked on with great anticipation and expectation, wondering what, if anything, He would do.

Jesus told the servants to take the six stone waterpots that were there for the Jewish rite of purification, or ceremonial washing, and fill them up with water. Each pot, we are told, would hold about twenty or thirty gallons. And so, with Jesus' instruction, the servants went off to draw something like 120 to 180 gallons of water. When the pots were filled they brought them to Jesus.

"Draw some out now (Jesus said), and take it to the headwaiter." And when the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from, he said to the bridegroom: "Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely, then that which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now."

Prohibitionists and pietists would argue that Jesus would never provide wine simply so that hearts could be made merry. And yet, God's Word has already declared that wine is among God's many and varied gifts, given to "make glad the heart of man." (Ps. 104:15) And so, He who would give His own blood, "in, with, and under" the fruit of the vine to gladden our hearts with salvation, here gives the good wine, so that the hearts of those gathered to celebrate the joining of a man and woman in the sacred bond of marriage might be made glad. Jesus, you see, is not above celebrating the Father's good gifts. His piety, in other words, the way in which He lives out his life includes celebration, joy and laughter.

This is the first of the signs that Jesus performed during the three years of His Galilean ministry. John records in his gospel, a number of other "signs," or key miracles, revealing Jesus as God_in_the_flesh. I would like to refer now to this first "sign" and the last "sign," as we consider this morning the grace of God in His "Power and Will to Give."

Let's begin with the last "sign" in John's gospel. And from there we'll work our way back to this first sign, in which Jesus turned water into wine. In the 11th chapter of his gospel, John tells us about the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Martha had pleaded with Jesus to come to her house because her brother Lazarus was greatly ill. When Jesus arrived at the house, He found that Lazarus had already died, and in fact, He found that he had been dead and in the tomb for four days. John tells us that when Jesus came to the tomb of His friend "He groaned in His spirit," and that "He wept." In other words, Jesus cried over the loss of such a close and dear friend.

And then, all at once, His power to give life and salvation was revealed. At the sound of His voice, even death and the grave had to submit and give up its prey. "Lazarus," (Jesus said) come forth!" "And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. And Jesus said 'Loose him, and let him go.'" What a phenomenal sign of Jesus' power!! "I am the resurrection and the life (He said). He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die."

It is this same Jesus, dear friends, whose power reigns over death and the grave, who forms your faith and life. Death's power to bind you in misery has been trumped, for God's power is far greater than the fear of life's last gasping breath. A noble Christian woman, as she lay dying, overheard the doctor whisper, "She's sinking fast." The dying woman smiled and replied, "I'm not sinking; I can't sink through a Rock." Death has met its match in Christ, the Rock upon whom the church is built. Death, Scripture says, "has been swallowed up in victory." Death has been consumed by Jesus, even as it consumed Him on the cross.

It is this power of God to give life and salvation which makes us so incredibly confident. Seldom do we doubt that God can do what He promises. Our doubt, indeed, the sin of which we must continually repent before God, involves not so much our trust in His power to give, but rather, our trust that He is willing to give. We've fallen prey to the tempter, who first plagued Adam in the Garden with the notion that God could not be trusted with the direction of our lives. And so, we wonder if our needs, our cries, our pleas, are of any consequence or concern to Him. We wonder if His all_sufficient power to save extends beyond the great spiritual struggles and battles of life to the everyday, mundane things that fill our days. We wonder if God is as attentive to us in the still small hours of the night as He is when we gather here before His altar.

In our sin, we come again to the sign of the good wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, for He who spared the good wine to the last, has spared, and poured out, for us also the good wine, that we might have the forgiveness of our every sin. As you, friends, consume this good wine, poured out for you here, you are again brought to trust that, just as there is no limit to God's power to give you His salvation, neither is there a limit to His will to give. Here you learn again and again how freely and confidently you may take your petitions to God in prayer, knowing that even the little mundane things of your life are important to Him. "God will cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose." Everything in your life, you see, is significant to God as He takes you from this vale of tears to the heavenly home that He has already prepared for you.

Consider if you would, what it was that first moved Jesus to reveal His glory to the world. Remember, this incident at the wedding in Cana is the first "sign" of Jesus' glory. So, what was it that first moved Him to reveal His glory? Of all things, it was the danger of embarrassment for the host of a wedding feast, wasn't it? Well, it was that, plus His concern for the gladdened hearts of the guests!! You might be inclined to wonder what possible interest Jesus could have in such seemingly trivial things. And yet, in such wonder, you come precisely to the point û "Come, my soul, with every care, Jesus loves to answer prayer; He Himself bids you to pray, Therefore will not turn away. You are coming to your King, Large petitions with you bring; For His grace and power are such None can ever ask too much." (LW 433)

God's power and His will to give. To consider God's will to give is really to look into the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God willed that His Son suffer and die in your place. He willed that you be declared righteous as His Son was declared sinful. Come today, beloved, and take what God wills to give you. The good wine has been poured once again. "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32) In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen