Here is a wedding symbolizing and remembering God’s final great act of creation ”“ man and women in his image, different but coming together in intimate partnership for fruitfulness and stewardship. God is present, but incognito, and sees that the wine ”“ the spiritual heart of celebration and shalom ”“ has gone. V6 mentions jars were used to hold water for Jewish purification ceremonies. They are empty. Religious ceremonies, whether Jewish, Christian or otherwise, only point to the spiritual, supernatural dimension to life ”“ they cannot in themselves connect us to the life of God. What Jesus has come to do is to restore the ”˜God dimension’ to our humanity which religious works in themselves can’t do. But of course at that time in the story Jesus had not yet gone to the cross to die for our sins, he had not yet risen from the dead, breaking through death and showing God’s plans for eternal life for all who believe in him; he had not yet sent the Holy Spirit ”“ so at that time his hour had not yet come. But for us it has come!
So Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding is a picture of a divine restoration of humanity as originally intended: communities of celebration in relationship with God the Father who saves, communicates and sustains by his Word, built on the foundation of men and women in happy marriages. Instead of worship and witness being confined to empty religious forms, the presence and the truth of Christ and the free flowing new wine of the Spirit spill over into the whole of life. This is what churches are called to model.
But of course this brings huge questions for our day. What about people who are not married, and what about same sex marriage? Here are some brief thoughts:
I would like to report a broken link.
i second that motion, thanks!
Apologies – Link restored by Elf