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NDthe third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. (John 2:1-12)
The First Sunday after The Epiphany.
The Collect.
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LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.
The Epiphany, or the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.
[January 6.]
The Collect.
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GOD, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant that we, who know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave
I consider the first public appearance of Christ to have been at a marriage to be of profound importance in emphasizing that first institution God made in the Garden eastward in Eden. It may be noted, too, that the importance of the Passover in Jerusalem, being His second public appearance and that in the Temple, was also a profound statement on His role as the Lamb of God who would consummate the Passover in Himself. I love the opening lines of the Solemnization of Matrimony provided in the Book of Common Prayer – DEARLY beloved, we are gathered together here in the sight of God, and in the face of this company, to join together this Man and this Woman in holy Matrimony; which is an honourable estate, instituted of God, signifying unto us the mystical union that is betwixt Christ and his Church: which holy estate Christ adorned and beautified with his presence and first miracle that he wrought in Cana of Galilee.Almost every church, with traditional services, uses this reading from the Book of Common Prayer which solemnizing matrimony. Even greater, in my mind, than the turning of water into wine is the honor and glory God assigns to the institution of marriage. The low esteem in which that institution is held in modern society should cause us sober concern.
And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there. That is, the third day of the Lord’s sojourn in Galilee. Jesus pays the highest honor and recognition to the institution of marriage by making it His first public appearance as well as first miracle. That which God has ordained, let no man annul. The mother of Jesus (whose name is never mentioned by John) is present and the occasion is probably involving friends and family. Jesus was not renowned for the sake of His mother’s name, but Mary was renowned for the sake of her Son’s name.
And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.Jesus was invited along with His disciples who are newly called by Him. Word travels fast in Asia.
And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.It was a great humiliation for the marriage party to give out of food or, especially, wine for the occasion was to be made all the more merry thereby. Mary knew that Christ could satisfy the need to avoid the embarrassment of the marriage host and, perhaps, presumed upon her maternal station to gain favor of God. Nonetheless, the simple expression of a want to Christ is sufficient to gain the object. Wine is often associated with joy in Holy Scripture, and the lack of wine would indicate that the party had no joy. The world, without Christ, suffers from a complete lack of joy or the Wine of Life.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.The term ‘woman’ in the days of Christ was a title of honor. Christ, from long before being invited was aware of all that He would do at the Marriage Feast – including the turning of water into wine; yet, He wished to point out that His role as Lord and Savior was not subject to the directions of mother, brother, sister, or friend, but a matter of God’s own Providence.
His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.Love speaks when words fail. Mary knew that Jesus would do that which was necessary to make up the deficiency of wine. She knew it because she knew her Son. Do we know Christ so well to know that whatever Godly request we offer, He will respond? The servants stand by expectantly. Amazingly, they obey with immediate dispatch without asking ‘Why?’ Whatsoever Christ saith unto us, we must do just as the servants at the Marriage Feast did in obedience to Christ.
It must have occurred to you the similarity between this occasion and the first temptation of Christ in the Wilderness. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. (Matt 4:3)Now Christ is going to make water into wine. How are these two occasions different? The miraculous nature would be the same for both! Christ saw in the temptation in the Wilderness a snare for evil, but in the desire for wine an occasion to show forth His glory. The temptation to change stones to bread would have served to satisfy His own appetite, but the changing of water to wine would have satisfied the appetite of others. He saves others, Himself he cannot save. It was not that Christ could not have saved Himself, for He could; but it was necessary for Him to die for our sins if we were to be saved!
And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. These were large stone water pots used for cleansing and they would contain about twenty to thirty gallons of water apiece. You will note that this was not a small gathering. We should observe that Christ does not physically touch either the vessels or the element of water. His physical touch is not required to create wine from water, or the heavens from nothing – His Word is sufficient!
Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. Imagine that you are the caterer at a wedding reception and the party runs out of champagne. All you have are several bottles of spring water. You tell the host of the shortage and he calls on another man to address the problem. The man tells you to bring the bottles of spring water. Would you do so without a murmur of objection? Would you not remind the man that it is wine that we need and not spring water? Commendably, these servants never question the Lord, but obey without question. We train soldiers to obey without question because we simply do not have the luxury of time to explain every order in the heat of battle. Life is a battle and, though we may not always understand why God has told us to act, we must obey without question. He will reveal His purpose for us in due time. And they filled them to the brim. If we seek a blessing from God that He is willing to grant, prepare to have your cup run over to the brim!
And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. Immediately was the water turned to wine – not in a minute, not in an hour, but NOW! The servants must have felt foolish to draw from vessels that they know were filled with water and carry such to the governor of the feast. I have sometimes felt foolish in ministering almost exclusively to children and young people, but God has shown me that the youth have become Christ-loving adults in an instant of time in mortal chronology. The water was changed instantly! To quote a poet, The unconscious waters saw their God and blushed. One role of the ‘governor of the feast’ was to insure all went well. He would taste test all wines before allowing them to be served. The party has been progressing for some time. Many people will not know the difference between good and bad wine once they have indulged for a time. Usually, the poorer quality wine was served up last to no one’s notice. God often saves the wine of our lives until the last. He has done so for me, and He has done so for countless others. Remember poor deaf Beethoven who grew deaf at the age of twenty? He sank into deep despair and did not again write music for nine years. Finally, something deep in his soul said, WRITE! And Beethoven DID! He wrote his best symphony – the Ninth – by picking out the notes and holding his head against the frontispiece of the piano so he could feel the vibration. He could not hear, but he could FEEL the music. We may not hear God’s audible voice today, but we can FEEL His voice. On the day that Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony debuted, the head conductor gave Beethoven the honor to conduct the orchestra. Beethoven was sure that he had failed miserably since he could not hear his music. On the final and immortal Fifth Movement (Ode to Joy) Beethoven had completed conducting his last work. He stood before the orchestra in despair – his back to the attendants. The head conductor guessed his cause for despair, so he went forward to Beethoven and turned him about so that he could see the wildly cheering audience. God had save Beethoven’s best wine for last. He died a few days later. What a finale!
And they bare it.Still the servants obey the Voice of Christ completely and without question. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. The governor of the feast recognized, without hesitation, the superior quality of this wine over that which was considered best at the first.
This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. Miracles alone do not convince of Christ, but they add to our understanding of the depth of His Person and divinity. The disciples had already believed on Him, but now that faith was buttressed by their observation of Him at the Feasts.
After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.Christ spent time with his family, friends and disciples prior to going to Jerusalem for the soon coming Passover.
In reflecting on this first miracle at Cana of Galilee, we might observe the very Life of Christ demonstrated in the miracle. He that came by water ended His earthly ministry by giving His blood on the cross. Through the water of baptism we make a public example of who we claim to be in Christ, and receive that blood (the wine of the Communion) as a covering for our sins.
Another aspect, to which we have already alluded, is the symbolic nature of Christ performing His first miracle at a Marriage Feast. This is overcharged with symbolic meaning and import. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.(Gen 2:23-24) The institution of marriage perfectly resembles that relationship which the Church must bear to Christ. See what evidence of that similarity exists in Ephesians: Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.(Eph 5:20-33)
First of all note the introductory clause: Submitting yourselves to one another. This does not seem like a slavish relationship at all, does it? How does the church submit itself to the Lord? By obeying His Law of Love. If husbands lack here, they have forfeited their claim as head of the marriage. The husband is to love, cherish, provide for, and protect his wife just as Christ has done for us. If we are truly husbands in a Godly covenantal relationship of marriage, we MUST love our wives! You may say, yes, but how much? The answer is given in the text: Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. Notice that the love of the husband is not predicated on the love of the wife – she may be fickle or faithless, but we must love her and cherish her. Honestly, if we do this, husbands, we may expect, without exception, that our love will be reciprocated. The Church is the very Body of Christ. We must love one another. Christ is the Head, and we are the Body: For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh.I am fully aware that I am being repetitious in quoting verse, but it is not an approach of which we may die! These words are so full of meaning and beauty that we must hear them over and over again! My explanation can add no further meaning to the simple clarity they express.
Wives and husbands: have you read and understood? Marriage is not a trial arrangement – it is a lifetime commitment taken before God! The church member, too, must be willing to leave father and mother and every other relationship that binds, and join himself to Christ so that we may be One with Him!
