Title: ALREADY—NOT YET

Focus: Draw strength and trust from Jesus’ self-disclosure and miracle at Cana’s wedding feast.

Function: To encourage the people to cling to Christ in faith and live with the knowledge that the best is yet to come.

Text: John 2:1-11

Life is a journey, and we live our lives between two poles: there is the pole of tears and laughter, of adversity and prosperity, of despair and hope. Some of us have shed tears this past week; others had great joy; some had news of despair; others received words of hope. We live our lives between the poles of curses and blessings.

How then shall we ride the waves and navigate the waters of life? I say: draw strength and trust from Jesus’ miracle and self-disclosure at Cana’s wedding feast.

The Christian faith provides us with great hope and encouragement as we journey through life. You could characterize the Christian faith with two words: “already—not yet.” Already today, Christians possess eternal life; through faith in Christ, we are heirs of the new heavens and new earth. But it’s clear from these two poles in our journey of life—the poles of tears and laughter—that we have not yet received in fullness the promised new heavens and earth. There is great glory ahead of us; Christ is coming again to make all things new! I say, cling to Christ in faith and live with the knowledge that indeed the best is yet to come.

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The glory to come is ours already, but not yet. Does that make sense to you? Think of the glory of Christ in terms of a particular light bulb—a bulb with three positions: 40-watt / 70-watt / and 120-watt. The 120-watt points to Christ’s ultimate glory when he comes and makes all things new. That will be ours, but not yet.

The 70-watt points to Christ’s resurrection and ascension; he is our Savior and Lord. That’s ours already today. Likewise, the 40-watt glory is ours already today as well.

Today’s Scripture reading is all about Christ’s glory: it reveals Jesus’ 40-watt glory and points us to Jesus’ 70-watt glory. The story of Jesus changing about 150 gallons of water into wine at a wedding feast may be familiar to many of us. But what is God saying to us in this story? What divine light or glory do you see in this story?

Christ’s first miracle story is about the glory of Christ, but it’s a 40-watt glory at the beginning of Christ’s earthly ministry. It’s a glory that sheds light on the 70-watt glory at the end of Christ’s earthly ministry. Let’s explore the story together, so that we may gain some insight.

First of all, we note that Jesus is the central character of the story. All the other characters in the story remain in the background. For example, who are the bride and groom? How is Jesus related to the wedding party? What are the names of these servants? Who was the master of the banquet? Where is Joseph? Why does Mary speak with some authority to the servants in this story? What’s her relationship to the wedding party? Clearly, the spotlight in the story falls primarily upon Jesus as he has begun his public ministry. He is central to the story.

Secondly, we observe that Jesus’ discloses himself to his mother and to the public. For example, Jesus redefines his relationship to his mother by saying: “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Here we note that the son places some distance between himself and his mother. Jesus reveals some self-initiative; he is asserting himself and telling his mother in no uncertain terms: lay-off, I will decide for myself when my time to act has come.

Also, in this first miracle of changing water into wine, Jesus reveals himself as having authority, cloud, or power. He reveals himself as someone who has divine glory. This miracle of Jesus has “legs.” People will talk about it, and people will ask the question, Who is this miracle worker, this Jesus from Nazareth? Clearly, Jesus is tipping the veil of darkness and obscurity about himself, and he is revealing his divine glory in this miracle of water turned into wine. This Jesus is…the Son of God! Just look at his 40-watt glory miracle—that amazing miracle of changing water into wine.

Thirdly, we notice these particular elements in the story: wedding banquet—water into wine. These elements have great significance in the Christian story and community of faith. Water is the stuff of life—an essential part of God’s creation. Water links us with life and creation. And wine is the fruit of the vine. It points to new creation, to joy and vitality of life.

In the story of the Christian faith, water also links us with baptism, with a dying to sin and a cleansing from sin. And wine is a sign of God’s renewal, of his kingdom. It’s a sign that points to a new age.

The wedding banquet is a symbol of the new life, the new relationship and new creation established by Jesus’ work. When you see these elements—water, wine, and wedding banquet—in light of the grand story of the Christian faith, you begin to realize that in this first miracle Jesus signals a new way of living, a new era that has come.

You see, only a short while ago, Jesus began his ministry at the Jordan River, where John baptized him with water, thus signifying that a new age has begun—the kingdom of God is coming. Now, three days after Jesus’ baptism we see Jesus changing water into wine.

In this first miracle, then, Jesus points to the glory of God that has come in our midst. That glory shines forth in the wine and points to the glory that is to come at the end of Jesus’ ministry—his death and resurrection. Through these elements of wedding, water and wine, Jesus reveals his glory—ever so dimly, 40-watt perhaps. Nevertheless, it’s his glory that we must observe. Note, for example, the concluding remark of John in verse 11: “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.”

Now we must deepen our understanding of what God is saying to us in this story. We must move from observation to insight, so that we draw strength and trust from Jesus’ glory in this story and live with the knowledge that the best is yet to come.

In a very subtle way, the Holy Spirit directs our attention in the story away from the physical realm to the spiritual realm. For example, the miracle is called a “sign.” The sign leads us away from the deed or miracle to the doer or miracle worker. The miracle as a sign reveals something about Jesus—his glory. To be sure, the miracle as a sign is a work of power in the physical realm, but it illustrates a principle that is operative in the spiritual realms.

For example, Jesus’ miracle of multiplying bread takes place in the physical realm, but as a sign the miracle illustrates the glory of Jesus who says, “I am the bread of the world.” And thus the miracle as a sign leads us into the spiritual realm.

Here is another example. Jesus’ miracle of healing a blind man’s eyes points to Jesus’ self-revelation when he says, “I am the light of the world.” And again, Jesus miracle of Lazarus’ resurrection was a sign pointing to Jesus claim and glory that would be revealed. For in response to Lazarus’ resurrection from the dead, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life.”

The Holy Spirit, then, points us away from the miracle of water into wine to the Lord Jesus himself—in particular to Jesus’ resurrection glory—the 70-watt glory. Did you notice the subtle opening reference in the story: “On the third day a wedding took place….” Does that remind you of something? The “third day” reference is a subtle hint of Jesus’ resurrection. Three days after his crucifixion, the Lord Jesus revealed his awesome glory in great abundance when God’s Spirit raised him from the dead. Even by telling us of Jesus’ 40-watt glory—his first miracle at Cana—the inspired gospel writer John hints at Jesus’ resurrection glory.

There’s more of that subtle resurrection glory in the story. For example, when Jesus responds to his mother’s inference to do something about the lack of wine, Jesus says: “My time (or hour) has not yet come.” Now what did he mean by that? I’m asking especially in light of the fact that soon after Jesus said this, he performed this miracle of changing water into wine.

In the gospel of John we see that Jesus often makes reference to his “hour.” For example, when Jesus, at Jerusalem, emphasizes his own divine origin, his enemies try to arrest him, but (so says the text) “no one laid hands on him, because his hour had not yet come” (7:30). Then, when Jesus bears witness to himself while teaching in the temple, “(so says the text) “no one arrested him because his hour had not yet come” (8:20).

When Jesus tells his disciples that his death and glorification are at hand, he does so by saying that his “hour” has at last come. The text tells us that “The hour has come for the Son of man to be glorified” (12:23). And when Jesus is troubled by this thought, he prays: “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’” No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name” (12:27-28).

When the time comes for the Last Supper, John introduces it by saying: “Now before the feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father...” (13:1). And Jesus himself, in his high-priestly prayer, addresses his Father, saying: “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son so that Son may glorify you” (17:1).

Here is the upshot: The “hour” of Christ is the hour of his death, and also the hour of his passing to the Father (13:1). So then, what Jesus meant to say in his reply to his mother at the beginning of his public ministry—at the time of his first miracle is this: My time to die and return to the Father—my resurrection glory time, so to speak—has not yet come.

Rather, instead of revealing his 70-watt resurrection glory hour, Jesus tipped the veil of darkness and showed his 40-watt miracle glory. And in doing so, Jesus gave us all a foretaste of what would as yet come at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, and also of what is as yet to come—his 120-watt glory when he returns in brilliance and majesty to make all things new at the end of time.

That’s why I say in light of the Scripture reading today: draw strength and trust from Jesus’ miracle and self-disclosure at Cana’s wedding feast. Cling to Christ in faith and live with the knowledge that the best is yet to come.

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We live our lives between sorrow and laughter, adversity and prosperity. And in between these two poles, we have our hopes and fears and all those other emotions that are part of life.

Remember: Already—Not yet. Already today we have seen Christ’s awesome miracles and resurrection glory. Already today Christians possess eternal life in Christ. In him, we are a new creation. In him, we are seated with Christ in heaven; in him, today, we are citizens of heaven; in him, today, we draw from the waters of forgiveness and eternal life--the blessings that come through faith in Jesus.

All these glorious blessings are part of our “already.” The “not yet” is coming soon. Therefore, do what God tells us in the story: Put your faith in Christ as you journey through life. And remember: the best is yet to come.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.