Worship Helps for Epiphany 2
Artist: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld
Worship Theme: In today’s Gospel Jesus performs his first
miracle: He turns over 120 gallons of water into wine. Jesus doesn’t touch the
water. It’s no trick. It’s a real miracle. He does it because the Father now
wants him to go “public” and reveal his glory. As a result, his disciples trust
in him as the Son of God.
Old Testament: Exodus 7:14–24
14Then the Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh’s heart is unyielding. He refuses to let the people go. 15Go to
Pharaoh in the morning. When he goes out by the water, stand on the bank of the
Nile to meet him. Take in your hand the staff that was turned into a snake.
16“You are to tell him: ‘The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has sent
me to you. He says, “Let my people go so that they may serve me in the
wilderness.” But look, until now you have not listened. 17So this is
what the Lord says: “In this way,
you will know that I am the Lord.”
Look! With the staff that is in my hand, I will strike the water in the Nile,
and it will be turned to blood. 18The fish that are in the Nile will
die, and the Nile will stink. The Egyptians will not be able to drink water
from the Nile.’”
19The Lord
said to Moses, “Tell Aaron, ‘Take your staff, and stretch out your hand over
the waters of Egypt—over its rivers, its streams, its ponds, and all the
reservoirs—and they will become blood. There will be blood in the entire land
of Egypt, even in containers made of wood and stone.’”
20Moses and Aaron did just as the Lord had commanded. In the sight of
Pharaoh and his officials, Aaron lifted up the staff and struck the water that
was in the Nile. All the water in the Nile was turned to blood. 21The
fish that were in the river died, and the river smelled so bad that the
Egyptians were not able to drink water from the Nile. There was blood in the entire
land of Egypt. 22But the magicians of Egypt did the same thing by
their occult practices. So Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he did not listen to
them, just as the Lord had told
them. 23Pharaoh turned and went to his palace. He did not take to
heart even this. 24All the Egyptians dug around the Nile for water
to drink, because they were not able to drink the water from the Nile.
1. Why did God demand that Pharaoh let his people go? (See
7:16 )
2. What else besides the Nile turned to blood?
3. Did the great miracle convince Pharaoh?
Epistle: Ephesians
3:14–21
14For this reason I kneel before the
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15from whom the entire family in
heaven and on earth receives its name. 16I pray that, according to
the riches of his glory, he would strengthen you with power through his Spirit
in your inner self, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts
through faith. Then, being rooted and grounded in love, 18I pray
that you would be able to comprehend, along with all the saints, how wide and
long and high and deep his love is, 19and that you would be able to
know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled to
all the fullness of God.
20Now to him, who is able, according
to the power that is at work within us, to do infinitely more than we can ask
or imagine, 21to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus
throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.
4. Jesus came to visit a wedding in Cana. What does Paul
pray for the Christians in Ephesus, by contrast? (See 3:17 )
5. Nobody knew how Jesus turned water to wine. Likewise,
what does Paul want Christians to know? (See 3:19 )
6. How much is God able to do? (See 3:20-21)
Gospel: John 2:1–11
Three days later, there was a wedding in
Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. 2Jesus and his disciples
were also invited to the wedding.
3When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said
to him, “They have no wine.”
4Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that
have to do with you and me? My time has not come yet.”
5His mother said to the servants, “Do
whatever he tells you.”
6Six stone water jars, which the Jews used
for ceremonial cleansing, were standing there, each holding twenty or thirty
gallons. 7Jesus told them, “Fill the jars with water.” So they
filled them to the brim. 8Then he said to them, “Now draw some out
and take it to the master of the banquet.” And they did.
9When the master of the banquet tasted the
water that had now become wine, he did not know where it came from (though the
servants who had drawn the water knew). The master of the banquet called the
bridegroom 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first,
and when the guests have had plenty to drink, then the cheaper wine. You saved
the good wine until now!”
11This, the beginning of his miraculous signs,
Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples
believed in him.
7. What problem arose at the wedding in Cana to which
Jesus and his disciples were invited?
8. How did Jesus react when Mary told him that they had
run out of wine? Why did he react this way?
9. What did Jesus do to resolve the problem?
Answers:
1. God demanded that Pharaoh let his people go so they
could worship him in the desert (east of Egypt).
2. Besides the Nile, the water in streams, canals, ponds
and reservoirs turned to blood. So did water in buckets and jars.
3. No, the miracle did not convince Pharaoh. His heart
stayed stubborn.
4. Paul prays that Christ may not just visit, but dwell in
the hearts of believers through their trust in Christ.
5. Paul wants Christians to know the love that surpasses
knowledge, the immense love Christ has for us. (Note the irony. How do you
truly know something that surpasses knowledge?)
6. God is not just able to do what we ask. God is not just
able to do more than we ask, God is able to do immeasurably more than all we
ask or imagine.
7. The wedding had run out of wine. It was customary in
Jesus’ day for weddings to be celebrated for several days. It seems clear that
the wedding hosts had not adequately prepared.
8. Jesus wondered why Mary involved him, stating, “My time
has not yet come.” Jesus seems to be suggesting that it wasn’t yet time for him
to publicly reveal himself as the promised Savior through his miracles. As it
was, the forthcoming miracle seemed to be performed quietly.
9. Jesus changed water into wine. Although his disciples
trusted in him, it seems his miracle went otherwise unnoticed. (Note also the
wondrous kindness of Jesus in performing a miracle that improved a celebration,
but was not necessary. What a Savior we have, one who loves to do more
than he promises and more than we need.)
Putting your faith
into action
Logic might indicate that Jesus’ first
miracle should be something more amazing, more noble than this. It shows how
concerned God is about every aspect of our lives. Notice also the generosity of
our Lord: 120 to 180 gallons—and not the cheap stuff either. It was the best!
Don’t overlook the last verse. It shows the purpose of all of Jesus’ miracles.
They revealed his glory as true God. He is exactly who he says he is! The
miracles did not create faith in the disciples’ hearts. The Holy Spirit did
that through the Word. The miracle reinforced what they already had been led to
know and believe.
[Jesus] did all His miracles
by the power of this personal union. He showed His divine majesty, according to
His pleasure, when and as He willed. He did this not just after His resurrection
and ascension, but also in His state of humiliation. For example:
(a) At the wedding at Cana of
Galilee
(b) When He was twelve years
old, among the learned
(c) In the garden, when with a
word He cast His enemies to the ground
(d) In death, when He died not
simply as any other man, but in and with His death conquered sin, death, devil,
hell, and eternal damnation
The human nature alone would
not have been able to do these miracles if it had not been personally united
and had communion with the divine nature.
The human nature, after the
resurrection, is exalted above all creatures in heaven and on earth. This is nothing other than that He entirely
laid aside the form of a servant. He has
the full possession and use of the divine majesty according to His received
human nature. However, He had this majesty immediately at His conception, even
in His mother’s womb. As the apostle
testifies, He laid it aside. Luther explains,
He kept it concealed in the state of His humiliation and did not always use it,
but only when He wanted to use it. – Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Articles
VIII, The Person of Christ (paragraphs 25-26)
1 The star proclaims the King is here; But,
Herod, why this senseless fear?
For
he who came from heaven’s throne Does not desire an earthly crown.
2 The wiser Magi saw from far And followed on
his guiding star,
And,
led by light, to Light they pressed And by their gifts their God confessed.
3 Within the Jordan River stood The pure and
holy Lamb of God;
The
Father’s voice, the Spirit-dove, Confirmed the Savior from above.
4 At Cana—miracle divine—When water reddened into
wine,
The
faithful saw his glory shown And put their trust in him alone.
5 All glory unto Jesus be And praise for his
epiphany,
Whom
with the Father we adore And Holy Spirit evermore.
Text:
Coelius Sedulius, 5th century, abr.; tr. John M. Neale, 1818–66, alt.
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