Epiphany 2

In the Old Testament lesson, God allows Moses to see the back of His glory. But to see the glory of God in all its fullness is impossible. "No man can see my face and live." In shielding Moses from the full sight of His Glory, God is being kind.

Today in the Gospel reading, we are told that Jesus revealed his glory to the disciples, and they believed in him. A miracle that only they knew about – one that didn't save anyone from death. Like Moses, it is not the fullness of his glory. It's the smallest glimpse. But it was enough. They believed in him. Later at the transfiguration, when a little bit more of his glory shines through from heaven, the disciples fall with their faces to the ground. The glory of the Lord can be a frightening thing. Today it is revealed in a gentle way to the disciples. A way they can see and receive for their benefit.

God says to Moses, no man can see my face and live. We are sinful, and we live in a sinful world. And so the fullness of God’s glory would destroy us. God reveals himself to us in simple and humble things so that we can receive it to our good. We are told that even the angels of God who stand in his presence cover their faces. Isaiah sees six wings. With two they cover their face, with two they cover their feet, with two they fly. Even they do not dare look directly at the face of God.

Today, we are blessed to consider the glory of the Lord, and our place in that glory because of Jesus work. Everything is changing. And it happens a that most festive of earthly occasions – a wedding.

"There was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. and the mother of Jesus was there. 2Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples." Cana is about 4 miles from Nazareth – close to where Jesus was raised. A wedding in Jesus day was a week long festival. Nowadays it can take just as long – but we end with the wedding. You've got the arrival of the wedding party, bachelor and bachelorette events. The rehearsal and rehearsal dinner, and then finally the day of the wedding. It can take a good week to fit it all in. In Jesus day they would have the wedding first, followed by a week of feasting. Instead of slowly building up to the main event, with only one meal, they started with it, and then had a week of meals. Which kind of makes more sense.

The groom was expected to provide during this week for his guests. It wasn't just an embarrassing situation to run out of wine. It was considered a bad omen for the marriage itself. It would have cast a cloud of suspicion on the whole week, and on the fate of the marriage. Is this guy fit to be a husband, to provide for a family? So it wasn't just a little bit of an embarrassment and maybe we can send someone to the store to pick up a bottle or two. Jesus is about to make 120 gallons of wine. Do the math on that amount, and you see the problem. Roughly 400 bottles of wine. A big crowd, a weeklong celebration. And the whole thing is about to come to a crashing halt.

By attending the wedding and helping out, Jesus blesses not only this weeding, but the estate of matrimony. The first thing God does when he finishes creating the world is to bless marriage and family. The first thing Jesus does in his ministry is to reaffirm that blessing.

In Luther’s day, some were saying, "ok, that's the old way of doing things. Sure marriage was good in the old testament. In the new Testament, marriage is ok for those who can't handle a life of isolation from the world, who aren’t spiritual and holy enough for the word of God and prayer." The first thing Jesus does as he begins to inaugurate his new kingdom – the first miracle in his ministry, is to save this wedding from disaster – to once again bless the holy estate of matrimony. When Jesus attends the wedding and does his first miracle, the blessing of Genesis is recalled and renewed., Marriage and family are blessed in the new Testament as well as the Old. Because it is a picture of Christ and his church, it directs us to not only the physical blessings God gives through marriage and family, but also all of the spiritual blessings God gives through His Holy Church.

No, marriage is not eternal – when a man marries a woman, it is until death parts them. Marriage is still a blessing only for this world. But, it is a great blessing in this world.

The great curse in Eden to Eve is "in pain you will bring forth children..." The curse directly affects that marriage and family relationship, the office of wife and mother. As long as this world exists, we still have the physical consequences of the curse in Eden – we still have the pains of child-bearing, we still have that curse that Adam will earn his bread for the family with the sweat of his brow and the breaking down of his body, we still live in a world from dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return. We see how greatly this curse afflicts even the people of God in our daily living – how difficult marriage and family can be, how much the world hates the blessing of God placed on it, how much corruption and sin and death there is around us. But all of that only points us to how great the redemption and deliverance is which Christ brings as he ushers in the new creation. It shows us how glorious this new kingdom is and will be.

"They have no wine." His mother says. Jesus tells her that it is not his hour, that time has not yet arrived. His hour is the hour of the cross – he himself calls it that. This isn’t that hour. But his ministry has begun, he now goes among the people, revealing his glory to those who will receive it.

He has them fill the stone jars. These jars were large – 20 to 30 gallons apiece. And they were for the purification rituals of the Jews. In the law of Moses, there were various types of washings and cleansings. But they were not so numerous that they required more than 100 gallons of water standing by at all times. God gave Moses the Law. Then, over the years, traditions grew up around the Law – The goal was that if you did all these extra things, you would be sure to keep the Law. Like a fence placed far back from a cliff. The Law commanded washings of a person to cleanse from uncleanness. The Jews would wash everything they touched, and then themselves, in case they happened to accidentally touch something that was touched by something unclean. On and on the laws multiplied. They thought they could be righteous before God by their works. That was never what the old Law was supposed to do. It didn't make them holy by their works. It pointed them to the redemption to come in Jesus, so that by faith they could receive the gift of forgiveness. The traditions of men were getting in the way of the Word of God, it made them think they could earn salvation.

Jesus takes those jars – the jars of man's works, he takes the water that they thought could earn them something before God – and he turns it all around. He makes the new wine of feasting and salvation.

The miracles of Jesus aren't just these cool amazing moments where we say, Look at God's power. Yes, there is great power shown in the miracles. But in the grand scheme, water to wine isn’t really much. Jesus is the Word spoken by God at the beginning that created light out of darkness, that called the light day and the darkness night, that called the continents to rise up out of the ocean, that created the plants and animals. We see this power of God reflected in a sunset, or in the wind, or in the sprouting of a seed, or the creation of a new life in the womb as life is created, as father and mother welcome a new baby into the world. And this is every bit as much a miracle as the word of Jesus that would turn water to wine, or make the lame walk, or the deaf to hear, or still the waves on the sea. The miracles of Jesus in scripture stand as specific testimony to the new kingdom, the new creation that Jesus brings to us. John even goes so far as to call them not miracles but signs. Signs of what? Of the new creation in Jesus.

And this new creation begins at a wedding. Where the laws and traditions of men are turned into the feasting of the new kingdom and the new wine. The best wine we are told. And it says Jesus reveals his glory through this miracle. It's a rather subtle glory – if that can be a thing. Only Jesus and his disciples, along with His mother, the servants knew. Even the master of the feast didn't know. And when it happens, it doesn't even say there was a wow moment. They dip out the water, the man tastes it – and very matter of factly, John says, when he tasted the water now become wine... as if water turning to wine is the only logical conclusion to Jesus saying "Fill the jars with water..." You can't get more low key for a miracle than this one. Why? Because his hour had not yet come.

Jesus isn't doing the miracles for worldly glory. There are some he will do in the presence of many people. And yet, those are not to attract great crowds or get his name in lights. He does it so the disciples would believe that the new kingdom is coming. And that new kingdom does not come according to the standards of worldly glory and power.

Today, as we hear of the new kingdom, our prayer in the collect is that God would hear our prayer and grant us peace. It echoes the Agnus Dei in the Divine Service, "Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us... grant us peace..." The peace that comes from knowing that Jesus has recreated us in Holy Baptism. That we ourselves are made new in him. In Romans, Paul talks about that new life in him. That it is not a life of envy or cursing, but a life of love and sacrifice and service to others. Not that our obedience saves us according to the Law. We already see in the Gospel reading this is not true.

Instead, our Love toward God and our neighbor is a result of the great salvation which we have already received in Jesus. The Hour of Jesus to come is the hour of his death. Throughout John's Gospel, we are told, his hour had not yet come. And then, as he goes to be betrayed, Jesus prays to his father, now the hour has come. Glorify your son that your son may glorify you... This is the true glory of God: Jesus, majestically enthroned at the right hand of the Father, descends in mercy to this world and dies for those who sinned against him. He gives his life to save his enemies, and to make them his friends. To make us dearly beloved children of his heavenly Father.

Jesus makes us more than friends. In the new kingdom Jesus himself is the bridegroom. He has given himself for his bride, the Holy Church. He has cleansed her with a true cleansing. He has made her to be like him in glory. He gives his life for her. And we are born into this new life through the washing of Holy Baptism, where we become children of God, born into the Bride of Christ – His Holy Church. This is the real love which God has for you. It is the love which Christians in Christ’s church are a part of through the work of Jesus in and through them.

Now, no matter our calling and station in life: Husband, Father, wife, mother, child friend, co-worker, we are all a part of the family of God through Jesus and his work. And we share this love with the world around us, as we live lives of mercy and love.

And we welcome even the little ones when they are given a new life in Christ through Holy Baptism. And the church comes together bone of bone, flesh of flesh, blood of blood to receive the gift which Christ gives in his holy supper. Here is the true drink of the new kingdom. New wine – made new yet again into the very body and blood of Jesus Christ. So that you would be fed with food that does not spoil. So that you would take into yourself the very flesh of the son of God and his life would be your life. Here is the new feast in the new kingdom. A kingdom without end, in Jesus Christ.

Amen.