Jesus & the Creator God

First light and now water.

Among the many things we’ll consider about the intricate and thoughtful development of John’s gospel is its parallels with the book of Genesis. We already saw but didn’t mention the very first opening verse - In the beginning was the Word… - which readers recognize as the beginning words of the Torah/Genesis - In the beginning when God created…

(And then remember that John 1 spends much of the rest of its space calling Jesus “the light” - which was the first thing God created in Genesis!)

This begins the effort John makes throughout his gospel to go to great, but not always obvious, lengths to wrap the Jesus story into the creation story.

Today, with the first of only seven signs in John, Jesus performs what many call his first sign. It’s a pretty neat thing Jesus does in turning water into wine. And while some things can be said about saving face for the wedding family in a situation of social embarrassment, truly, this is a sign that is quite different than most others the gospels tell us about. Usually Jesus’ signs and miracles significantly impact the physical life of an individual or individuals (there are others - the coin in the fish’s mouth, the withered fig tree, walking on water, etc.). But in all of Jesus’ signs, we see him bend or ignore what are otherwise generally accepted rules of nature.

This first sign in John shows us that Jesus commands the water. He tells the water what to do. In Genesis, this is among the first things God demonstrates in the creation story - telling the water where to go and what to do.

It is a neat, “miraculous” sign. But it’s a demonstration of Jesus’ power as the presence of God, putting him right in line with God the father, Creator-God.

John 2:1-12

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the celebration. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They don’t have any wine.”

Jesus replied, “Woman, what does that have to do with me? My time hasn’t come yet.”

His mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Nearby were six stone water jars used for the Jewish cleansing ritual, each able to hold about twenty or thirty gallons.

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water,” and they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, “Now draw some from them and take it to the headwaiter,” and they did. The headwaiter tasted the water that had become wine. He didn’t know where it came from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew.

The headwaiter called the groom and said, “Everyone serves the good wine first. They bring out the second-rate wine only when the guests are drinking freely. You kept the good wine until now.” This was the first miraculous sign that Jesus did in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

After this, Jesus and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed there for a few days.

Psalm 104:14-15

You make grass grow for cattle; you make plants for human farming in order to get food from the ground, and wine, which cheers people’s hearts, along with oil, which makes the face shine, and bread, which sustains the human heart.

Prayer

God,

You are the creator-God. Whatever else I think I know about how science works (amazing!), the development of nature, the earth, and the universe, my confession is that it was not spontaneous. It’s just too amazing. But also, so very often intentional. Thank you for the signs that reveal your loving creativity all around us. And then in Jesus, I see your power to transform, to bring joy, and to provide abundantly.

Teach me to recognize the signs of your kingdom in our lives and in the world around us. May we be open to the ways you bend the rules, human preferences, tendencies, expectations, and understanding to reveal your love and glory.

I don’t expect that I’ll see you turn water into wine today, but I do pray that you would change some things for the better. Help me as I seek to play my role.

By your Spirit & in Christ,
Amen.