In Series C, the three readings for the 2nd Sunday after the Epiphany, are Isaiah 62:1-5; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 and John 2:1-11. Chosen to analyze this coming Sunday is John 2:11, “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”

This true event of Jesus changing 180 gallons of water into the best wine is a great example of how the true purpose of this passage can get lost in trying to figure out certain questions of doctrine. This passage has been used to argue whether God permits us to drink wine or only grape juice, whether or not Mary is sinless and how this passage shows why we should pray to her and also a principle of life that one should give out the bad first and then later give out the best. Ridiculous. While these themes can be discussed on the basis of other passages, none of these themes are why the Holy Spirit inspired John to remember this event among all the other events that could not be contained in all the books of the world (John 21:25).

What then is the purpose of this passage? Part of the answer is that it is a primary text used for Epiphany. Epiphany reminds us of God’s way of revealing and disclosing the Person and Work of Jesus. Last week’s Baptism of our Lord was that He is seen as the Son of God. This week’s emphasis is Jesus as manifesting His glory which is the glory of God Himself. Jesus is more than the Son of Man; He is more than the promised Messiah; He is more than Savior; He is indeed God Himself!

One way to bring in a Law and Gospel theme would be to accuse the hearers of not believing how God uses the plain things of this world to accomplish the impossible. For example, this event demonstrates how Jesus as God changed simple water into wine which from a physics point of view takes the energy of an atomic bomb. But this is the same One Who raised a dead Lazarus simply by speaking a word. For the comfort of the hearers, this is also the One Who through the power of the Holy Spirit takes simple water and creates a new heart and new spirit within an infant.

Baptism, therefore is not only an important theme for the Baptism of our Lord, but it is also a significant theme in regard to Jesus’ use of water to make wine. It is of some interest that the rabbis in Jesus’ day conjectured that the fruit Eve and Adam ate was that of the fruit of the grape. How interesting is that the fruit which was traditionally part of the Fall of human beings into sin is also the fruit of Jesus’ first miracle as He begins to usher in the Kingdom of God.

Every passage of Scripture according to John himself is to “believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” That is not the subject of just interpretation using the principle of Scripture interprets Scripture, but also the subject of application which takes place through the distinctions of Law and Gospel. During this entire Epiphany season, the goal of every Bible study and sermon should be to give glory to Jesus because He Himself is God indeed!