Miracles: The First Miracle

Sept. 14, 2019             The First Miracle

John 2: 1-11 

            Last week we began a sermon series on select miracle stories of the Bible, and each week we’re looking at a story of God breaking into a life or situation that seems less than ideal and doing a new thing. And my hope is that these stories will inspire us to embrace a faith that believes God CAN do the impossible. Last week we looked the Ezekiel and the Valley of Dry Bones, a story of hopelessness and despair. Today we turn our attention to Jesus’ first public, the story of Jesus turning water into wine. Would you read with me? 

So, confession time: I believe this is the first time I’ve ever preached on this passage. Ten years’ worth of preaching and this is my first go-round. And I think I know why. I’ve always struggled with it. So naturally, I’ve tried to avoid it. This is just one of those passages that has never struck me as extraordinary. If I can be honest, I guess I’ve never seen the value of Jesus turning water into wine. It’s a great story, but it’s never packed that punch for me. Giving new life to dry bones? I get it. Resurrection? I get it! Healing the sick? I get it? But turning water into wine? I just don’t see the eternal value in it. But let me tell you brothers and sisters…If you wrestle with God long enough and you lean into that which you tend to avoid, God will reveal what you need to see. And that’s my testimony this week. Tuesday afternoon I was in my car, heading to Punxsy, praying about an upcoming meeting. And as I was praying and inviting God to reveal Himself in that meeting, God drew me back to this story. I love when God does this. I love when God breaks into my life and just tells me what I need to know. And the first thing God revealed to me in that moment was this: Jesus loves us enough to show up when we invite him. 

            The first couple of times I read this story, I glossed over one of the most important details. There was a wedding in Cana and Jesus and his disciples had been invited. I hope you catch the importance of this statement, because at first, I didn’t! Jesus was invited. He didn’t just show up. He was invited, and because he was invited, he went! I love that! This summer, I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Chris Bounds, of Asbury University, preach a sermon on the presence of God. And he said something that got my attention. Here’s what he said: God is present everywhere, but He’s not present everywhere in the same way. And you know what? He’s right. There are moments when God is present in our lives in ways that stand out. Those are the dates and places that tend to change the eternal narrative of our lives. I’ve had a handful of those moments, and I’m sure you have, as well. Maybe it was the moment you were saved, or a time when God clearly answered a prayer or a moment you felt God call you to a specific task. Those moments stand out because God was present in a way that doesn’t usually typify our experience. But here’s what I’m led to proclaim today: I believe God wants to give us more of those moments. I believe God wants us to experience more of His sacred presence in our ordinary, common lives. And it has something to do with this simple act of invitation. 

I have to believe that if Jesus had been left off this wedding guest list, he would’ve honored that request. Jesus doesn’t make a habit of going where he’s not wanted; he doesn’t make a habit of showing up uninvited. He will, when he needs to, like the story of Saul on the Road to Damascus, but most of the time, Jesus is a gentleman who respects our desires. One of the most famous passages in Bible gives us a picture of that. Revelation 3:20 says this, “Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in…” But Jesus refuses to kick down the door and Jesus doesn’t force his way in. He waits until he is invited. I want you to hear that. Jesus will patiently wait to break into our lives until he’s invited…but once he’s invited, His very presence opens up our stories to new possibilities. 

Now, I’ve been to plenty of weddings where Jesus was an afterthought. But here’s my confession: It doesn’t take the craziness of wedding plans to make Jesus an afterthought, because what is true of so many weddings is often true of the ordinary rhythms of life: We have to get the kids ready, make dinner, get to soccer practice, check up on the neighbor, call the plumber, make the appointment. And all along Jesus’ presence has been assumed, but not necessarily invited. And I’m convinced thereis a difference. Assuming Jesus’ presence is different than inviting Jesus to be present throughout your day.Disciples don’t just assume that God is somewhere out there; disciples invite Jesus to make himself at home in every occasion. So how might that look in your life? How would your dinner conversations change if you invited Jesus? How would your marriages be strengthened? How would the atmosphere in your classroom or office change?  Because when you invite Jesus, he will love you enough to show up! And that in and of itself is a miracle.  

So, that was the first big revelation I had in the car the other day. And I’m so grateful for that. I can confidently say that my meeting was phenomenal. Jesus was there! I’m grateful that Jesus wants to be a part of all our big and little moments and will show up if we invite Him. But there was a second truth God reiterated to me that day, and it is just as wonderful: Not only does Jesus love you enough to show up, he also cares about the things you care about. 

You know, sometimes I worry that we don’t approach God with our ordinary problems because we’ve somehow convinced ourselves that God only bothers with the big things. But that’s just not true. God cares about our Sunday morning worship, but God also cares about our weekly meetings. Sometimes the smallest problems cause us the biggest worries, and if those small issues are enough to stress us out and get our attention, then they’re also enough to get God’s attention. That’s what I appreciate about Mary’s role in this story. Mary sees little things building up, little things that could turn into big things and she takes those little things to Jesus. 

Like all weddings, this was an important day for the bride and groom. And one of the most fundamental roles they played was to offer the very best form of hospitality to their guests. Hospitality was a major cultural value in those days, and wine was an essential part of showing others just how much they were respected and valued. And if the wine ran out, that became a problem. It might not seem like a big deal to us, but it’s about the worst thing that could happen to this couple. Imagine for a moment not having enough food for all the guests at your wedding. They’ve spent hours waiting for the photographer to finish up; they’ve spent money on a gift for you; they’ve given up an afternoon of their lives to celebrate your big day…and the food runs out.

Mary sees this problem unfolding. And she knows that Jesus can help avert this potential crisis. If the wine runs out, this young couple will begin their marriage with a cloud of shame. They’ll be filled with embarrassment. They’ll bring dishonor to their families and they’ll be the talk of the village for all the wrong reasons. And Mary knows that Jesus cares about this. So she approaches Jesus, a God of compassion and intercedes on behalf of this couple. And the result is an overflowing miracle of grace. 

I’m convinced, brothers and sisters, that this story is meant to convey to us that allpeople can experience God’s extraordinary love, and God’s extraordinary grace can appear in any circumstance and any setting. And that, also, is a miracle. It’s a miracle that Jesus cares enough to show up in our lives, but it’s also a miracle to discover that Jesus cares about the things we care about. For this young couple, Jesus restores their supply of wine. But he also restores their lives from the risk of shame and embarrassment. This first miracle isn’t really about Jesus’ ability to turn water into wine, as cool as it is; it’s about Jesus’ willingness to enter into our ordinary lives and offer us unexpected goodness. 

There’s a story I once read that paints this truth in a beautiful way. In his book The Kingdom of God Is A Party, author and teacher Tony Campolo tells of the time he had a “God moment” during a trip Hawaii. It had been a long night and Tony couldn’t sleep, so he went to the only place open- this small questionable dive. And while he was waiting for his coffee and donuts, a group of women came in and began to talk. He quickly realized that he was surrounded by a group of prostitutes. They were loud and he could every word, especially when one of them spoke up and said, “Hey, guess what? Tomorrow’s my birthday.” To which one of her co-workers meanly answered, “So what? Do you expect us to throw you a party?”  “No,” said the woman. “I’ve never had one. Why would I have one now?” 

After the women left, Tony began to ask the owner questions. “That was Agnes,” he said. “She’s the nicest person you’d ever meet, but no one ever does anything nice for her.” Then Tony had an idea. What if they threw Agnes a birthday party the next morning? And so they planned and schemed and they got everyone involved. The next night, like clockwork, Agnes walked in and every screamed “Happy Birthday.” She had no idea what to do. They sang, encouraged her to blow out the candles and then eat her cake, but before she could, she asked if she could take it home and just look at it awhile. She had never had a cake before. And so she left, and everyone was stunned and Tony offered to pray. After the prayer, the owner said, “Hey, you never told me you were a preacher! What kind of church do you belong to?” To which Tony replied, “The kind of church that throws birthday parties for prostitutes at 3:00 in the morning.” “No you don’t,” said the owner. “If a church like that existed, I would join it.” 

You see, the miracle of these stories is that Jesus showed up and cared. And that’s what begins to change hearts and minds. At the end of this story, there’s a simple line that reads, “And his disciples believed.” Maybe they were stunned that this teacher was capable of transforming one substance into another. Or maybe they were stunned that Jesus simply cared enough about the future of two young people (or a hurting prostitute) that he answered the prayerful, hopeful pleas of others. Or maybe it was both. Friends, our calling as disciples is to invite Jesus into every facet of our lives and to believe that he loves us enough to care about the people and circumstances that we care about. So lets do that. Lets take those steps of faith, watch the miracles unfold and celebrate the new life that Jesus brings. Amen.