First impressions matter. While John introduced us to Jesus in the last chapter, this is our first extended look at Jesus, according to John. And where do we see him? An epic party.
In first-century Jewish culture, a wedding was a week-long celebration. These people knew how to eat, drink, and have fun. And this is our first look into the life Jesus. As far as John is concerned, this is where the story begins. At a party.
Is this the Jesus you know?
First impressions matter. That Jesus is even at this wedding tells us something about what Jesus was like. Apparently, he was a guy you wanted to party with. You don’t invite people to your wedding celebration that you don’t want there, right?
One thing John is preoccupied with in his gospel is the idea of “life.” What is “life”? What does it mean? What does it look like?
This is part of John’s agenda in what he wants to tell us about Jesus. That John shows us Jesus’ ministry kicking off at a wedding party means Jesus didn’t come to take us to church or go to Bible study or pray in a corner by ourselves. Jesus didn’t come to be super-spiritual. John isn’t about the “other-ness” of Jesus. John’s Jesus is one of us, eating and drinking and celebrating. Jesus is a human person, doing the things every normal person loves to do.
First impressions matter. John explicitly tells us that Jesus did too many things to write down. And that begs the question: Why does John tell us the things he did write down?
He offers 7 “signs” or miracles that Jesus did, of which this is the first one. How significant is it that Jesus turns water into wine? Not raising the dead. Not healing the sick. He makes more booze so the party can keep going.
This is what “life” for John looks like.
What about you? What do you see?
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