Exploring John - A Wedding, Wine & a New World

John 2:1-11

I recently read the account of a pastor who nearly ruined a young couple’s wedding. He wrote:

“Misreading the invitation, he thought the two o’clock wedding was starting at three. At two o’clock, just as he was leaving home, the phone-call came: “Ah, pastor, are you nearly here?”

“He was not.

“Arriving thirty minutes later he saw the bridal car cruising laps around the block. Rushing into the function room the congregation was visibly annoyed. He tried to lighten the mood and told a lame joke. This annoyed them more.

“Well, the bride and groom survived and today are happily married with children. The hapless pastor learned his lesson: never since have I misread a wedding invitation.”

Of all of life’s big events and celebrations – whether a birthday, Christmas, graduation, winning an award, retirement – one’s wedding day is by far one of the greatest, if not the greatest.

One man and one woman make their vows before friends and family and the world and are joined into one, to the exclusion of others, for life: for mutual help, sexual fulfilment, and the bearing and raising of children.

In Orthodox weddings the bride and groom are ceremonially crowned: they are a new Adam and Eve, the King and Queen of a new home, crowned by God with glory and honor as his image bearers.

Every wedding joyfully celebrates a new creation, a new family, and new life.

No wonder God made marriage a metaphor for re-creation. According to commentator, Dale Bruner, the little phrase, “on the third day” throws “a Resurrection aura” over a simple story of a wedding in a nondescript town. There is much more going on here than a wedding, and water to wine. With Jesus on the scene - God is making a major point about who is in charge, what life is about, and God’s new way.

Will you join us for the second part of our journey “Exploring John” this Lord’s Day. You will love the celebration we participate in as we talk about “A Wedding, Wine, and a New World” from John 2:1-11.

In Christ,

Pastor Wayne