Word for the day by Christian Education Forum
Abundance of wine: Sign of God’s Glory
“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” (V.4)
The present necessarily grows out of the past. No age or concept stands in isolation but interconnected and interdependent. It stands up on foundation of all that went before. The present reality of abundance of wine by Jesus Christ’s intervention at the banquet of Cana, testifies continuity of the Old Testament motives of ‘glory’ and the ‘Kingdom of God.’ The abundance of wine often occurs in the prophecy of Isaiah, Amos and Jeremiah as characteristic for the glory of the Kingdom of God. (See. Is 25: 6; Amos 9:13; Jeremiah 3:12).The text therefore is an occasion to see continuity of God’s action in the world through Jesus Christ. The continuity must be remembered. The traditions, which are in conformity with the Bible, of the church, are the living continuity of the past and it should be respected. Jesus Christ’s breakthrough at the beginning of his ministry shows his participation in the continuing mission of God in the world.
Epiphany of the God’s Glory
The use of the word ‘hour’ and subsequent transformation of the water into wine determines the nature of Jesus Christ’s break through in time. His miracle at Cana had an inevitable debt to the past and to full revelation of his glory at the cross, in future. Jesus was conscious that the moment, at which, the Father called him to the epiphany of God’s glory, had not yet come. But what comes to the fore here is Jesus Christ’s awareness that his life was subject to a certain calling that he had to fulfil at His Father’s direction. The same pathway is the proposed pathway of his disciples.
The miracle at Cana ties chronologically with the preceding story mentioned with John 1: 14 -51 and it sought to find answers to the question - what is the role of Jesus Disciples? The role of his disciples is to witness the glory of God (1:14; 51). This is the foundation of the Church.
Epiphany of God’s Glory puts us Obligation to the Future
Jesus’ address to his mother, ‘woman’, which appeared in vs 4, and his subsequent expression - ‘ my hour has not yet come’- refers to the beginning of Jesus’ mission of suffering and it also refers the end of his earthly ministry and his final glorification by the Father at the cross. Although his address to his mother, -‘woman’ appeared to be impolite, it seems the distance and impersonal nature of his ministry. He acknowledges that he is a decisive link in a chain, inseparably attached to what has gone before, and what will come after in the glory of the Kingdom of God, initiated by His father. He also instructs his disciples that some day you will enter into my mission of glory, which is characterised by suffering. Lent season is a designed by the church to meditate on the epiphany of God in history, and to develop a self consciousness of our divine discipleship in Christ through His Church. The Mary’s words, - ‘Do whatever he tells you’ - after Jesus’ reaction to her request represents the role of the believing community, which impatiently awaiting the breakthrough of the promised salvation. Are we able to rally under this band of believing community.
Abundance of wine: Sign of God’s Glory
“Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.” (V.4)
The present necessarily grows out of the past. No age or concept stands in isolation but interconnected and interdependent. It stands up on foundation of all that went before. The present reality of abundance of wine by Jesus Christ’s intervention at the banquet of Cana, testifies continuity of the Old Testament motives of ‘glory’ and the ‘Kingdom of God.’ The abundance of wine often occurs in the prophecy of Isaiah, Amos and Jeremiah as characteristic for the glory of the Kingdom of God. (See. Is 25: 6; Amos 9:13; Jeremiah 3:12).The text therefore is an occasion to see continuity of God’s action in the world through Jesus Christ. The continuity must be remembered. The traditions, which are in conformity with the Bible, of the church, are the living continuity of the past and it should be respected. Jesus Christ’s breakthrough at the beginning of his ministry shows his participation in the continuing mission of God in the world.
Epiphany of the God’s Glory
The use of the word ‘hour’ and subsequent transformation of the water into wine determines the nature of Jesus Christ’s break through in time. His miracle at Cana had an inevitable debt to the past and to full revelation of his glory at the cross, in future. Jesus was conscious that the moment, at which, the Father called him to the epiphany of God’s glory, had not yet come. But what comes to the fore here is Jesus Christ’s awareness that his life was subject to a certain calling that he had to fulfil at His Father’s direction. The same pathway is the proposed pathway of his disciples.
The miracle at Cana ties chronologically with the preceding story mentioned with John 1: 14 -51 and it sought to find answers to the question - what is the role of Jesus Disciples? The role of his disciples is to witness the glory of God (1:14; 51). This is the foundation of the Church.
Epiphany of God’s Glory puts us Obligation to the Future
Jesus’ address to his mother, ‘woman’, which appeared in vs 4, and his subsequent expression - ‘ my hour has not yet come’- refers to the beginning of Jesus’ mission of suffering and it also refers the end of his earthly ministry and his final glorification by the Father at the cross. Although his address to his mother, -‘woman’ appeared to be impolite, it seems the distance and impersonal nature of his ministry. He acknowledges that he is a decisive link in a chain, inseparably attached to what has gone before, and what will come after in the glory of the Kingdom of God, initiated by His father. He also instructs his disciples that some day you will enter into my mission of glory, which is characterised by suffering. Lent season is a designed by the church to meditate on the epiphany of God in history, and to develop a self consciousness of our divine discipleship in Christ through His Church. The Mary’s words, - ‘Do whatever he tells you’ - after Jesus’ reaction to her request represents the role of the believing community, which impatiently awaiting the breakthrough of the promised salvation. Are we able to rally under this band of believing community.
Prayer: Gracious Lord, give us the serenity to continue your pathways in our life and ministry. Amen.
Rev. Joseph Daniel, Switzerland