Morning Moments

I love the Gospel of John. It is so packed with gems that glitter in the Sonlight. The second chapter, where Jesus began His ministry is of particular significance. It is the story of a wedding, a woman, want, wine, and water. But most importantly, it is the story of the Wonder of the Word of God.

The Wedding – we don’t know whose wedding this was, but we do know that Mary had a significant part in the arrangements. She had the authority to tell the servants to do what Jesus told them to do, which indicates that her part in the scheme of things was important.

Barclay says, ”One of the Coptic gospels tells us that Mary was a sister of the bridegroom's mother. There is an early set of Prefaces to the books of the New Testament called the Monarchian Prefaces which tell us that the bridegroom was no other than John himself, and that his mother was Salome, the sister of Mary”. We don’t know that this is true, but it would help explain why what happened so disturbed Mary.

It is also necessary that we note that Jesus and his disciples were also invited. The previous chapter in John gives us insight into which of the disciples might have been with Jesus. Apparently at this time Jesus had not yet begun preaching but was in the preparation stage of the initiation of His ministry.

I find it interesting that He chose a wedding to perform His first miracle. A wedding celebrates a new beginning of two who become one. That is precisely what Jesus offers those who come to Him; a oneness with Him as He has with the Father and that He desires for us to share with each other.

A wedding turns our minds to a love relationship, which is what God offers us in Christ. Not merely a fanciful, emotional kind of experience, but a love that transcends other loves and offers hope and trust and truth. An abiding confidence in the object of our love, a complete trust one of the other, and transparence between the two that is fed by honesty and openness are the basic essentials for oneness.

So we begin here with the One called Wonderful, working the wonder at a wedding and introducing us to the relationship of which the apostle Paul spoke when he said, “I have espoused you to one husband…” And again, speaking of marriage he said, “This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.” SELAH

BLESSINGS!