A good sermon is provocative in that it provokes the congregation to thinking. Today Henry preached a great sermon in church about Christ’s first miracle/sign at the Wedding at Cana and it had all the hallmarks of a great sermon and then some. I appreciated that it kept my attention throughout and I thoroughly enjoyed the interaction he created with the congregation.

More specifically I left with more than I went in and this is always a good thing. Two things which had never occurred to me that I want to unpack here are:

1. The role of Mary at the wedding
2. The nature of the jars as symbolic of the law

There’s Something About Mary: Ok, I know that is a terrible lead into the subject but when you consider who is delivering it you will understand. The setting of the wedding is straight forward enough. Much celebration is occurring and the host runs out of wine before the party is over – in any culture this is a disaster…especially at an open bar.

Mary’s involvement is simple enough…she approaches her 30-year-old son and simply says: ““They have no more wine.” which is likely Jewish Mother for “Do something about it”.

In response Christ simply says “Woman, why do you involve me? My hour has not yet come.” Which is likely Jewish son for “leave me alone mom.”

In response Mary acts as if Christ had said nothing and turns to the servants saying “Do whatever he tells you.” Which essentially says “You may not think you’re ready, but I am your mom and you are ready when I say you’re ready – and by God (literally) you are ready.”

This leads us to an interesting place. The passages tell us much about Christ but it seems to me they tell us a lot about Mary and why God chose her to bear the messiah. Christ is always in tune with God’s will, that is his nature, but there are times when he seems hesitant. The healing of the gentile, the time before the cross in Gethsemane and here at the wedding.

Mary’s actions show us just how in tune with God’s will she is. She could have listened to her son and left well enough alone but something in her says that this is, in fact, his time and so she pushes him out of the nest as it were. It teaches us that Mary was not simply a convenient womb acting as a vehicle to bring God into the world but that she was much more than that. She is, as her cousin’s greeting goes “full of grace” and “blessed among women” for her attentiveness to God. In many ways Mary is a kind of prophet only the message she bears came in flesh.

It’s In the Jars: Now to the jars that held the ceremonial cleansing water. Christ uses that water (somewhere between 120-180 gallons) to supply more wine for the wedding. Henry pointed out something I had never thought of (and for that I am grateful)…the jars represent the law in that their purpose is strictly defined by the law.

Now they would have likely already been used as the guests would have washed upon arrival and in some sense this suggests that the law continues to play a role. The law is, in fact required for Christ to carry out his responsibilities here…without the law there is no paved road that leads to the messiah. There is no preparation for Israel or the world. The law is necessary for Christ.

The fact that Christ has filled the jars now with wine suggests they have served their purpose for the water is gone, replaced with something else. Something new and deeper. Christ’s blood fulfills the law, it does not abolish the law but it does transform it into something radically new and celebratory and in abundance.

I don’t want to go too far into allegorical interpretation because I find such interpretive methods limited but there is much symbolism in John’s relating of the wedding.

Anyhow – those are the thoughts I was given. Great sermon…looking forward to more.