Sunday, January 9, 2022

Epiphany 2 - Series C


Series C
SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY
20 January 2019
Isaiah 62:1–5
1 Corinthians 12:1–11
John 2:1–11 

The Divine Glory Is Manifested in the Signs of Christ

Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

When Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding in Cana, it was “the first of His signs,” by which He “manifested His glory” (John 2:11). 

It pointed to His coming “hour,” when He was lifted up on the Cross for the forgiveness of sins and the life of the world (John 2:4; 12:23–32). The glory of the cross is incomprehensible apart from the Word and Spirit of God, but disciples of Jesus recognize that glory in the signs of His Gospel, and so they believe in Him. Jesus does not wait for His disciples to discover Him on their own, but He seeks out the forsaken and the desolate and unites them to Himself. He adorns them with His own beautiful righteousness and delights in them “as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride” (Isaiah 62:4–5). Purified by the washing of water with His Word in Holy Baptism, His disciples confess that “Jesus is Lord,” and they return thanks to Him “in the Holy Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:3), as they drink the good wine that He pours out for them, which is the new testament in His blood.

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John 2:1 
Καὶ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ τῇ τρίτῃ γάμος ἐγένετο ἐν Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, καὶ ἦν ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ ἐκεῖ• 
On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

The third day...a climatic event...six days after the baptism...a wedding came to pass... Mary referred to as "the  mother of Jesus," again referred to as the same at the cross, 

See John 21:2  "Nathaniel from Cana in Galilee." 

Could this be the wedding of Nathaniel and Jesus' sister? 

John 2:2  
ἐκλήθη δὲ καὶ ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν γάμον
Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.

They were called/invited, even Jesus, to the wedding. Jesus is invited Mary and the disciples were there.

John 2:3  
καὶ ὑστερήσαντος οἴνου λέγει ἡ μήτηρ τοῦ Ἰησοῦ πρὸς αὐτόν• Οἶνον οὐκ ἔχουσιν.
When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”

With no wine the feast is over. To leave early or run out was an embarrassment.  See the genitive absolute.  Mary's concern, "bring your salvation now!" Restore your people..." See Amos 9:13, Isaiah 25 

John 2:4
καὶ λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς• Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί, γύναι; οὔπω ἥκει ἡ ὥρα μου.   
And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

What’s it to me and to you woman my hour is not yet come. 

"Is my concern also that of yours woman...my hour is not come." Our concerns are different here...

Difference between cross and glory. Yet Mary’s word to Jesus, "go and be the savior

"We will serve no wine until it's time"

John 2:5
λέγει ἡ μήτηρ αὐτοῦ τοῖς διακόνοις• Ὅ τι ἂν λέγῃ ὑμῖν ποιήσατε.
 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

His mother said to the sevenths whatever he might say to you do. 

Were the servants the disciples? The text does not specify. 

John 2:6
ἦσαν δὲ ἐκεῖ λίθιναι ὑδρίαι ἓξ κατὰ τὸν καθαρισμὸν τῶν Ἰουδαίων κείμεναι, χωροῦσαι ἀνὰ μετρητὰς δύο ἢ τρεῖς.
Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.

There were six stone jars containing x 9 gallons two or three. 

Six is the number of man, and water into wine is a miracle of transformation.

As six is the number of man and the Son of Man is in their midst – the God-man was among them. Water and wine were in the same vessel! Humanity was carrying deity and this first miracle would prove it.

Six is also the number of days measuring when man was created. Adam was created on the sixth day. There are 6 days before the Sabbath and 6 days = 6000 years of biblical genealogy from Adam till now. Soon, at the end of the 6th day, God will transform us and we shall be changed from the natural to the divine – in His image. Mortal shall put on immortality. 

Greek two or three measures μετρητὰς (metrētas); a metrētēs was about 10 gallons or 35 liters

Set these apart. The verb used  is "to draw from a well."  The old law is set aside...in the new age we shall drink wine. The new wine of Christ offers salvation, life, a new covenant in my blood, new water, new wine. 

120 gallons was needed for immersion washings. 

John 2:7
λέγει αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς• Γεμίσατε τὰς ὑδρίας ὕδατος• καὶ ἐγέμισαν αὐτὰς ἕως ἄνω
Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.

The Jesus said, “fill the water pots with water and they filled them to the top/brim.”

No longer do you wash with it now you drink it. Nothing but Christ and what Christ does wins for you salvation. 

The laws regulations pointed to Christ and only found significance in Christ.  

John 2:8 
καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς• Ἀντλήσατε νῦν καὶ φέρετε τῷ ἀρχιτρικλίνῳ• οἱ δὲ ἤνεγκαν.
And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 

He said to them, draw some and they bore it to the wedding planner/wine steward. 

John 2:9 
ὡς δὲ ἐγεύσατο ὁ ἀρχιτρίκλινος τὸ ὕδωρ οἶνον γεγενημένον, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδει πόθεν ἐστίν, οἱ δὲ διάκονοι ᾔδεισαν οἱ ἠντληκότες τὸ ὕδωρ, φωνεῖ τὸν νυμφίον ὁ ἀρχιτρίκλινος 
When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 

Now when the wedding planner had tasted the wine didn't know from where it is.  He did not know from where it was. But the servants, they knew, the ones who had drawn it out. 

John 2:10 
καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ• Πᾶς ἄνθρωπος πρῶτον τὸν καλὸν οἶνον τίθησιν, καὶ ὅταν μεθυσθῶσιν τὸν ἐλάσσω• σὺ τετήρηκας τὸν καλὸν οἶνον ἕως ἄρτι.
 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

The better wine. Every man presents the better wine first...you have reserved/kept the better wine until now. The new covenant, testament is better than the old. Can't put it into old skins. 

John 2:11
ταύτην ἐποίησεν ἀρχὴν τῶν σημείων ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐν Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας καὶ ἐφανέρωσεν τὴν δόξαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτὸν οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ.

This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

The whole point of the miracle – that His disciples believe in Him. 

ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software

Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts, ‘The Wedding at Cana’ © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use

LCMS Lectionary Summary © 2016

Lutheran Service Book © 2008 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

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