Do Whatever He Tells You
The Third Sunday after Epiphany
The Rev. Michael K. Templin
“Do whatever he tells you to do.”
As we look into the structure of John’s Gospel there are many themes that should stand out - for one there is the theme of creation, secondly, there is the theme of eating and drinking, thirdly, there is a theme of the Temple and its festivals, finally, there’s the theme of ‘signs’ or miracles that are performed by Jesus. Oftentimes the themes overlap, and rightly so.
In today's Gospel we find many of these themes coming together. In v. 1 of our election, John tells us that it was the “third day”. In John 1, we learn that the Word was the creator in the beginning, i.e. the first day. But what of this “Third day”? When we look back to the creation story in Genesis 1:9-13, we read that God separated the land from the water - he created the earth and the seas. But, that’s not all, on that same day he created all the vegetation and seed bearing fruits of the earth. Thus, John very intentionally tells us that it was the “third day” when Jesus performed this miracle.
Moreover, the mentioning of the “third day” is also important theologically - the “third day” is the day of new creation in the Bible. On the “third day” Jesus rose from the dead and established the new creation of the resurrection. Thus, St. John prefigures Jesus’ resurrection here in the text, and this is especially underscored with the fact that it’s mentioned in context of a Wedding Feast - the wedding feast in Jewish Eschatology is a theme of the eschatological banquet of the Messiah at the end of the Age, after the general resurrection.
Beloved, this is not a simple Sunday school lesson - this is profoundly important. Whatever, the Lord is about to do, is going to provide us with another Epiphany of who he is and what he is doing. Our text continues:
“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.”
We see Jesus is there with his disciples and his mother, Mary. Our text gives us a clear indicator that Our Lady is either a relative to the family being married or a dear friend - she’s there assisting with preparations before Jesus and the disciples arrive and she assists with getting more wine for the feast as well. A few things we should note here: we see that they have “no wine.” Marriage in ancient Israel was often a week-long feast that was even referred to as the “wine feast” in Aramaic. Wine was necessary as it marked the importance and joyous nature of the feast. It was also incredibly embarrassing to run out. Isaiah 55 gives us this background,
“Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.”
It should also take us back to Genesis - God on the third day created all the fruit of the world, he gave that gift to Adam, and therefore, the Age to Come imagery always looks back to the days of Eden, before the fall of man. Remember, it was the sinful eating of the forbidden fruit that drove the first family out of God’s holy paradise. Also, we see Jesus refer to his mother as “Woman.” Now, this would be seen as an insult today, but in St. John’s Gospel, it is the norm. Jesus is the “new man” or Adam, the fulfillment of the Adamic Covenant with the recapitulation of Genesis 1 in the Prologue of John’s Gospel. Similarly, in Genesis we see Adam refer to Eve as “Woman”. St John carefully records these interactions to give us theological gold: the new creation with a New Adam and New Eve has begun in Jesus Christ. Jesus also mentions to his mother that his “time had not yet come.” This too is an interesting tidbit in our text. Jesus has called his disciples, he has been baptized by John, and everything seems to be falling in line for the new kingdom - but Jesus has the
full picture in mind...the Christ must suffer. As Adam suffered outside of the Garden for his Sin, the New Adam will suffer outside the Camp for the Old Adam and all his fallen sons. Jesus’ divine plan is not in the short game but the long. He will not merely be a miracle worker, a Jewish prophet, or a political figure. He will be all of those things and more - but the Lamb must be slain because his heavenly wedding feast will only come through the Passover - Good Friday. Thus, Jesus’ hour will be manifested in the Gospel of John, and a great revelation at that, but this is not the time. Rather, this is his time to reveal himself in a particular way, an epiphany to those people present at the feast, but not the fullness of his glory. Thus, we have an “Already/Not Yet” situation in our Gospel lection.
Continuing, we see St. Mary say to the attendants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Now, she was speaking about the miracle she knew he would soon perform, but think of the magnitude of the words she spoke. Perhaps the greatest instruction on how to follow Jesus, came to servants filling up purity vessels. “Do whatever he tells you to do”! Complete submission to his Lordship. We should take Mary’s advice here in our own lives and walk with Christ. Why? Because Mary knew that he was with the Father and the Holy Ghost in the beginning creating all things in Heaven and Earth, he set boundaries to the raging seas and made the earth and all the things within it. If he can do that, surely he can take some ordinary water, and turn it into extraordinary wine.
Next, we see Jesus tell the servants to fill six stone vessels with water. These vessels were quite large - they held around 40 Gallons of liquid. The vessels were used for purification rites in the Jewish faith. Thematically in John’s Gospel we see multiple chapters at the beginning of the Gospel that deal with or prefigure the sacrament of baptism: Jesus is baptized by John in Chap 1, In chap 2 we see the miracle of water turned into wine in purification vessels, in chap 3 we see Jesus teach on Baptism and new birth to Nicodemus, and finally in chapter 4 Jesus’ disciples baptize and he reveals himself as living water. This baptismal narrative is carefully interwoven by St. John.
Moving on, Jesus instructs that the wine be brought to the Ruler of the Feast. The ruler or “governor” of the feast was most likely an invited guest by the way he interacts with the bridegroom, and was probably selected from among the guests as some commentators indicate. He was responsible for making sure there was wine, food, and seating for the guests...a master of ceremonies. When he tastes the wine he is very impressed that the very best wine had been saved for last…It was customary to give the best wine at the beginning because as people feasted their senses would be dulled by the festivities.
And, this not only makes the bridegroom not have shame placed upon him, but to all those “in the know” they saw that Jesus was more than a mere traveling preacher. He was manifested to them. Likewise, the disciples saw him “reveal his glory” as John recounts and because of this they believed in him. We must remember that Jesus had just called his disciples two days earlier - so this miracle was used to establish his glory to them! Ultimately, water and wine would find its fulfillment interwoven as a sign of his death and passion. Christ, in the upper room said that the wine would be mystically transformed into his Blood and the unleavened bread of the passover into his body. On the cross, two sacraments so interwoven within John Gospel, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper, would come forth from his pierced side. In John 6, Jesus said truly, truly unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you will have no part of me. So, on the third day of his ministry he revealed that it was him who created the world - separating the seas and land - filling it with the fruit of the vine. It was him who would take all the purity rites of the Old Testament and fulfill them in Holy Baptism, and it was him that would let us drink of the chalice of the best wine - his sacred blood that he would dwell in us and we in him. Christ was manifested as the Creator in today's Gospel, and in doing so showed that simple water and simple wine, when filled by the Creator, will lead us by faith into the Marriage feast that never ends. Thus, we listen today to the Virgin’s command: “Do whatever he tells you to do” and we come by faith to the Supper.
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Hoy Ghost. Amen+
