More Than Enough

The Second Sunday after Epiphany

January 19, 2025

John 2:1-12

 “More Than Enough”

Last year was the year for weddings, it seemed. We had a family wedding in July when my nephew got married. And then there was the wedding of the daughter of longtime neighbors in September, followed by the daughter of friends in November. As you might expect, there was an abundance of food and drink at the dinner reception for each. Caterers and event planners who are in this business work in a margin of error to ensure that there is enough of everything. To run out of food or drink at a wedding banquet would be a huge embarrassment, but that’s what happened in today’s Gospel lesson. Jesus is at a wedding in a village called Cana in Galilee. He’s there with his disciples as well as his mother, Mary. We don’t know who the bride and groom were; they are not named. Perhaps they were friends, or neighbors, or even relatives. We’re not told, but what we are told is that there was a big problem. They had run out of wine at the wedding reception. Then as now, this would have reflected very badly on the bridal couple and their families, but this problem becomes the opportunity for Jesus to reveal his glory. Jesus does the impossible as he transforms water into wine. Through Jesus, there is more than enough. This becomes the theme for preaching on this Second Sunday after Epiphany. May the Lord’s rich and abundant blessing rest upon the preaching, the hearing, and the living of his Word for Jesus’ sake.

In John’s Gospel, Jesus doesn’t perform miracles, as Matthew, Mark and Luke’s Gospels all call them. Instead, in John these are called “signs” (σημείον), and there are seven of them: 1) changing water into wine (John 1:1-11); 2) healing the official’s son (John 4:46-54); 3) healing the man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-17); 4) feeding the 5,000 (John 6:1-15); 5) walking on water (John 6:16-21); 6) healing the man born blind (John 9:1-41); and 7) raising Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-53). But why sign instead of miracle? What’s the difference? All of these wonders done by Jesus, beginning with changing water into wine at the wedding in Cana, were not just for a “wow” effect to dazzle and amaze people. These signs were to point people to the greater reality, the saving truth, that Jesus is the promised Messiah. The purpose of these signs was to lead to faith and trust in him.

Sometimes in life, we find ourselves anxious over having enough. It might not be running out of wine at a wedding, but there are lots of other areas in life where we wonder how our needs will be supplied. We lay awake at night trying to figure out what to do. We may feel fear or shame, frustration or anger at our circumstances because we don’t know how to make things work. We don’t know where to turn. Jesus meets us where we are. He still loves us, even when we are fearful, frustrated or angry. He comes to help in time of need, just as he did with the wedding at Cana. The blessed truth is that Jesus is more than able to help us and meet our needs. And not just meet our needs, giving the bare minimum, but exceed all expectations. This is what Jesus did with the wedding at Cana by providing a super abundance of the very best wine. In his grace, Jesus blesses us with far more than we either expect or deserve. Jesus invites us to put our trust and confidence in him as the Son of God, the promised Messiah, our Savior.

Jesus transformed the water in those six stone jars that were reserved for ritual purification purposes (see Mark 7:1-4), each holding between 20-30 gallons. Think of it: that is somewhere between 120-180 gallons of wine! Prior to this, we are told that the jars were empty, and that Jesus then commanded the jars to be filled with water (John 2:6-7). And so it is in our own lives: we often find ourselves empty and depleted; needing to be filled. We are often content with just the basics; with just enough to get by; with only a little. But Jesus desires to give us so much more! He desires to fill us up to the brim, like those water jars, so that truly “my cup runneth over” (Psalm 23:5). And not just with ordinary water, but with the rich wine of his saving love that far exceeds all that we can ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20-21). In changing water into wine, Jesus fulfilled what was spoken by the prophets of the coming Messiah: that there would be more than enough to eat – not just ho-hum fare, but wine and fine foods (See Hosea 2:19-20; Isaiah 25:6-8; Jeremiah 2:2; Song of Songs). The central image of the kingdom of God in Scripture, spoken by the prophets and used repeatedly by Jesus in his preaching and teaching, is that of a rich banquet (Matthew 22:1-14; Luke 14:16-24). In doing what he did at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, Jesus proclaimed that this promised kingdom was now here, fulfilled in Jesus himself. The sign of the water-become-wine reveals Jesus’ glory, which leads to faith: “And his disciples believed in him” (John 2:11). That remains the goal today: that Jesus’ gracious work in our lives to supply our needs will reveal his glory, leading to our faith and trust in him.

 Sometimes people get concerned that Jesus seems to be disrespecting his mother when he says to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4). Actually, Jesus uses this same address for his mother when he is hanging on the cross, as he tenderly commends her into the care of his beloved disciple, John: “Woman, behold your son” (John 19:26). Jesus’ hour was not at the wedding at Cana in Galilee, even though he revealed his glory by changing water into wine. Again and again throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus refers to his “hour” that was coming when he would be ultimately glorified (John 2:4; 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28; 7:30; 8:20; 12:23, 27; 13:1; 17:1; 19:27). That would be upon the throne of the cross, where Jesus’ glory would be revealed in his suffering and death. The first miracle of transforming water into wine would give way to the ultimate miracle, the greater glory and eternal good: the shedding of his blood as payment for all our sins (John 19:1ff.). And that’s more than enough.

We get a foretaste of the richness of Jesus’ eternal glory and his kingdom here in the Lord’s Supper today. The same Jesus who changed water into wine comes to us under earthly forms of bread and wine to give us his very Body and Blood in this blessed Sacrament. Jesus comes to meet us in all our need; to assure us of the forgiveness of all our sins; and to strengthen us in our journey of faith. Thanks be to God that we have all that we need – more than enough – in Jesus. Amen.