Sermon for Epiphany 2: "All Signs Lead to the Cross"

+ 2^ndSunday after the Epiphany – January 20^th, 2019 +

Series C: Isaiah 62:1-5; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; John 2:1-11

Beautiful Savior Lutheran, Milton

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Driving down Milton Way before or after school you see a flashing light and a sign. School zone. 20 mph. On the road to Mt. Rainier you’ll see several signs: viewpoint ahead, 2 miles. Or when your child or grandchild is dancing in line at Target, you look for signs for the bathroom.

Signs give us information. They draw our attention, though never to the sign itself. Think about how absurd it would be to get out of the car and take a picture by a sign that says “Mt. St. Helens visitor’s center 15 miles”…and then load up the car and head home. Signs point us to something greater than ourselves: safety, a majestic view, relief. Signs lead us to a destination, a terminus, a fulfillment.

In his Gospel, “sign” is John’s go-to word for Jesus’ miracles. Jesus heals the sick- it’s a sign. Jesus walks on water - it’s a sign. Jesus feeds the 5000 - it’s a sign. Jesus gives sight to the blind, makes the lame walk, raises Lazarus from the dead— they’re all signs.  

Like the signs we see every day, Jesus’ signs give us information too. They reveal Jesus to be true God in human flesh for you. But they do more. Jesus’ signs point us to something, and someone, greater than ourselves…to the greatest of all signs: his death and resurrection for us. Jesus’ signs leads us to the destination of his journey to save us, to the cross. Jesus’ signs, as John declares at the end of his Gospel, lead us to Jesus himself. 

Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

The same is true as Jesus changes water into wine. This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

In one verse, John tells us everything we need to know about this sign, and more importantly, about the one to whom the sign points: Jesus crucified and risen for you. This entire story is full of signs, all pointing us to Jesus’ greatest sign of all, his dying and rising for you.

Jesus’ presence at this wedding in Cana is a sign. For in the words of the Isaiah, Amos, Hosea, and the prophets, the Lord is the bridegroom; Israel his bride. And even though Israel was a faithless, adulterous bride, the Lord promises to send his Messiah to cleanse her. Make her holy and blameless. 

You shall no more be termed Forsaken     and your land shall no more be termed Desolate,
but you shall be called My Delight Is in Her,     and your land Married;
for the Lord delights in you…    and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride,    so shall your God rejoice over you.

Same is true for us, God’s bridegroom, the church. Though our sins are as scarlet, Jesus our bridegroom makes them white as snow. Though we are unfaithful, Jesus is faithful for us. 

So it’s no coincidence that Jesus performs his first sign at a wedding. Jesus, the heavenly Bridegroom has come to rescue, redeem, and restore us, his holy bride and holy people. 

Jesus’ words to his mother are also a sign. “They have no wine.”Mary tells Jesus. Jesus replies: “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”

Is Jesus being snippy or rude? No. It’s neither a harsh rebuke, nor a pejorative, but a redirection, a sign pointing to Jesus’ words. “My hour has not yet come.” The next time Jesus addresses Mary this way is at the foot of the cross where he entrusts her to John’s care. “Woman, behold thy son.”That’s his hour. There’s his great glory. His death on the cross for Mary, for you, and for all.

In some way, Mary understands this. Do whatever he tells you, she tells the servants. These are words of faith. Though she doesn’t know how, she knows that someway, somehow Jesus will make things right.

All signs lead to the cross. The healing of the sick points to his crucifixion where he bears our diseases, griefs, and sorrows. The feeding the 5000 points to Jesus, the Bread of Life, who gives his flesh for the life of the world. The water poured into those 6 stone jars turns into wine and points us to the blood of Christ poured out on the cross for you. 

The 6 stone jars are a sign as well. There are 6, one short of 7 the number of completion, fulfillment. Jesus has the servants “fill them to the brim” just as he will fulfill the entire Law, every drop of it for you. The Law we break. The Law that condemns us. The Law that demands purification as it did for Israel - Jesus fills it with his perfect life and his sacrificial death that purifies us, cleanses us from all sin.

And this, like the wine at the wedding, is entirely undeserved. Unmerited. Unexpected. In the Old Testament, wine is a  gift of God that gladdens the hearts of men. Isaiah proclaims that on the mountain of the Lord he will prepare a meal of rich food and fine wine. Amos declares that when the Messiah comes the hills will drip with wine. When Jesus comes, he comes graciously. Abundantly. More than we desire or deserve. 

The master of the feast gets it. When he tasted the water now become wine, he called the bridegroom and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 

It’s unexpected. Undeserved. Unmerited. Just like the sign to which Cana points – the cross. You have kept the good wine until now.” The best for last. God has reserved the best for last, pouring out the finest vintage at the end. Every sign at Cana points to the greatest of all signs. God’s vintage wine is Jesus Himself, poured out for the life of the world in His death, in the water and the blood that came from His side that fills the baptismal font with washing water and fills the chalice with wine from heaven.

In our everyday life, signs come in all shapes and sizes: arrows, octagons, and rectangles. Jesus’ signs have a shape too. All signs lead to the cross. To Jesus crucified for you.

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.