Feasting at Jesus' Banquet
The Gospel of John • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 34:28
0 ratings
· 13 views7/12/2020 @ Hilltop Baptist Church
Files
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Introduction:
Introduction:
Men, has your wife ever casually said to you, “Trash day is tomorrow”? When she says that, is she just simply informing you of a fact? Of course not! There’s a deeper implication to that statement, isn’t there? But, oftentimes we men miss those deeper insinuations and just think our wives are making a random statement.
Have you ever read a passage of Scripture and thought to yourself, “I think there’s something more here that I’m missing. There seems to be a deeper significance to this passage than what is evident at first glance.” That’s happened to me frequently over the years, and usually, after a lot of careful studying, I find that there’s some cultural or historical difference between me and the original author and audience of the text which prevents me from understanding it fully. Fortunately, most passages are pretty simple, but occasionally, we run into one of these challenging passages which forces us to think a little.
Our passage this morning is one of those kinds of passage. On the surface, it’s pretty straightforward. Jesus, his disciples, and his mother go to a wedding. The wedding host runs out of wine for his guests. Jesus turns water into wine. Everyone is happy.
But all throughout John’s gospel, as we will see, he weaves in two layers of meaning. In almost every passage in John, there is a surface level, physical meaning and a much deeper spiritual meaning. This shows up in a number of Jesus’ metaphors— "I am the bread of life…unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood you have no life in you.” (Jn. 6:53) Jesus chides Nicodemus for misinterpreting his commands and thinking that he has to be physically “born again.” There’s a deeper meaning, a spiritual meaning that Nicodemus was missing. Now, you don’t want to go allegorizing the whole Bible. Not every author in Scripture uses this method. But John cues us in to his method from the very first verse in his Gospel by using the metaphor of the “Word” to describe Jesus. So, we’re justified in looking beyond the surface level when we’re reading John.
This is one of those types of passages. So, we’re going to spend some time this morning digging into the background of this passage so that we can see the spiritual truths which John is trying to communicate to us.
Read
1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. 3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. 9 When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him. 12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.
Some Cultural Obstacles to overcome.
Some Cultural Obstacles to overcome.
The use of alcohol by Jesus and his disciples
In our culture—Southern, American, evangelical, Bible-belt Baptists—drinking is taboo. So one of the first obstacles to our understanding this passage occurs when we realize that Jesus turned water into....wine? Really?
I’ve heard a number of different “solutions” posed to this problem:
“The word for ‘wine’ is really more like grape juice.”
“The wine back then was fermented, but not nearly as alcoholic as today’s wine.”
“The water back then was tainted, so it was safer to drink wine than water.”
Or, my personal favorite, “I know that Jesus drank wine, but I sure wish he hadn’t.”
There are elements of truth to some of these objections, but none of them are really sufficient to “solve” the “problem.”
While there are several words in Greek which refer to various types of drinks, none of them—least of all οἴνος—refer to grape juice. With a lack of refrigeration, grape juice would have spoiled quickly and would have been a very impractical drink.
There was a type of “wine” which was very commonly used back then which was less alcoholic than most of our modern wines. This type of wine was called ὀξος, usually translated as “sour wine” or “wine vinegar” in most English translations. It was a lesser quality wine with a high vinegar content, often diluted with water, and was far cheaper than the more expensive, good quality wine. This “wine vinegar” was still alcoholic, but less so, and it was one of the primary drinks consumed by first century Jews. This was the type of wine offered to Jesus on the cross. But, it’s not what Jesus made at the wedding in Cana. Of the range of words used in Scripture, the one used here in John 2 is οἴνος, which refers to the higher quality “good stuff,” as John makes clear in verse 10.
Water definitely is a dangerous thing when it’s not purified. As missionaries in a third world country, we know that all too well. But, we also know from Scripture that people drank water frequently. Rain water was collected in cisterns—large, dugout containers—or accessed via wells. In either of these methods, the water was reasonably safe to drink, and people drank it frequently. Regardless, if wine or alcohol was inherently evil, then no excuse would suffice to make it acceptable to consume. Better to cut off your hand than for your whole body to perish. Better to die of thirst than to consume that which is forbidden. So this objection—that the water wasn’t safe—ironically doesn’t hold water.
I once heard a Bible teacher whom I love and respect deeply, who realized the truth that Jesus turned water into real wine and that he and his disciples drank real wine, but simply couldn’t reconcile that with his understanding of the evil of alcohol, exasperatedly conclude, “I know that Jesus drank, but I sure wish he hadn’t.” Well, at least that’s honest. But, I think we can safely say that if our theology conflicts with Jesus, it’s probably us that need to change our theology, not the other way around. The discomfort we have with Jesus drinking comes from a simple misunderstanding of Scripture’s teaching on alcohol.
So, how does Scripture view alcohol? We don’t have time to examine every verse in Scripture about alcohol, but we’ll look at a few real quick.
First, the Bible views wine as a gift from God, something to be consumed in moderation and in faith with thanksgiving. Passages which demonstrate that wine/alcohol has a proper use:
Ex 29:40, Lev 23:13 (Wine is commanded to be offered as a drink offering)
Deut 14:22-27 (Wine or "strong drink" to be consumed as part of their tithe with rejoicing and given to Levites, cf. Num 18:12, 21)
Is 62:8-9 (God promises restoration of Israel's crops and wine and that they will eat and "drink it in the courts of my sanctuary")
Jer 31:1, 5, 12 (A great feast will happen when God restores his people's fortune, and the people will "plant vineyards" and thank God for "the grain, the wine, and the oil")
Joe 2:18-19 (God promises to restore his people and send them "grain, wine, and oil")
Mt 11:18-19 (Jesus rebukes the crowd for their sinful judgments. John abstains from alcohol and is assumed possessed, Jesus eats and drinks with sinners and is assumed a drunkard and glutton.)
Mt 26:26-29 (Jesus and the disciples celebrate Passover with wine)
Mk 2:18-22 (Jesus uses wine and wineskins as a metaphor for the New Covenant)
However, Scripture also sternly warns against the evil of drunkenness and the potential danger of alcohol. Passages which warn of the dangers of alcohol:
Pro 20:1 (General warning against being "led astray" by wine)
Gen 9:20-23 (Noah gets drunk and lays exposed)
Lev 10:8-9 (Levites forbidden to drink wine as part of their ritual purification before entering the Tabernacle/Temple)
Deut 21:18-21 (Rebellious son, a "drunkard and glutton," is to be stoned)
Is 5:11 (Judgment pronounced on those who "rise early...to run after strong drink")
So, how do we reconcile the two? Should we all drink? Should we all abstain, just to be safe? The general rule is that you should follow your conscience and operate out of love and faith.
4 Therefore, as to the eating of food offered to idols, we know that “an idol has no real existence,” and that “there is no God but one.” 5 For although there may be so-called gods in heaven or on earth—as indeed there are many “gods” and many “lords”— 6 yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist. 7 However, not all possess this knowledge. But some, through former association with idols, eat food as really offered to an idol, and their conscience, being weak, is defiled. 8 Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. 9 But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak. 10 For if anyone sees you who have knowledge eating in an idol’s temple, will he not be encouraged, if his conscience is weak, to eat food offered to idols? 11 And so by your knowledge this weak person is destroyed, the brother for whom Christ died. 12 Thus, sinning against your brothers and wounding their conscience when it is weak, you sin against Christ. 13 Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.
The act of drinking in moderation is morally neutral, if done properly. “We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do.” (v. 8) Think of guns, drugs, and sex. None of these are inherently evil. Each has a proper and God-glorifying use. Each of these has been perverted and corrupted in our culture and used for great evil.
Don’t drink if you’re a recovering or former alcoholic, or know that you will be tempted to overindulge.
Don’t drink if you’re in the presence of someone who is a former alcoholic or might be encouraged by your drinking to get drunk.
Don’t drink if your mind wavers or you feel guilty.
Do drink if you can do so without getting drunk.
Do drink if you can do so with a clear conscience, in faith, being fully convinced in your mind that it is not sin, giving thanks to God.
Resist the urge to judge Christians for their drinking or abstinence. If someone is getting drunk, then absolutely confront them about their sin. But if they exercise self-control, then do not judge. If you are convinced in your mind that drinking in moderation is not sinful, do not judge those who can’t bring themselves to accept it. There may be some legitimate reasons underlying their abstinence.
Weddings in Jewish culture
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Weddings
In biblical times the father selected the bride for his sons. Abraham sent his servant to Haran to find a wife for his son Isaac (Gen. 24). In arranging a marriage, the bridegroom’s family paid a price (Hb. mohar) for the bride (cp. Gen. 34:12; Exod. 22:16; 1 Sam. 28:25). When the marriage had been arranged, the couple entered the betrothal period, usually lasting a year and much more binding than the engagement of today. During that year the man prepared the home for his bride. The betrothal was established in one of two ways: a pledge in the presence of witnesses together with a sum of money or a written statement and a ceremony with a concluding benediction. Before Israel’s exile the betrothal was ratified by a verbal promise (Ezek. 16:8); after the exile the bride and groom’s parents signed a covenant binding the couple together. In NT times the parents of the bride and groom met, along with others as witnesses, while the groom gave the bride a gold ring or other valuable item. To the bride he spoke this promise: “See by this ring you are set apart for me, according to the law of Moses and of Israel.”
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Weddings
The serious nature of the betrothal is evident. If a man had sexual relations with a woman betrothed to another man, they were both subject to the death penalty (Deut. 22:23–24). Had she not been betrothed, the man would have paid 50 shekels to the woman’s father as a dowry, and she would have become his wife (Deut. 22:28–29).
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Weddings
The parable of the 10 virgins is rich with explanation of the Jewish wedding (Matt. 25:1–13). The wedding ceremony began with the bridegroom bringing home the bride from her parents’ house to his parental home. The bridegroom, accompanied by his friends and amid singing and music, led a procession through the streets of the town to the bride’s home (cp. Jer. 16:9). Along the way friends who were ready and waiting with their lamps lit would join in the procession (Matt. 25:7–10). Veiled and dressed in beautifully embroidered clothes and adorned with jewels, the bride, accompanied by her attendants, joined the bridegroom for the procession to his father’s house (Ps. 45:13–15). Isaiah 61:10 describes the bridegroom decked out with a garland and the bride adorned with jewels. The bride’s beauty would be forever remembered (Jer. 2:32). The bride and groom were considered king and queen for the week. Sometimes the groom even wore a gold crown.
Once at the home, the bridal couple sat under a canopy amid the festivities of games and dancing which lasted an entire week—sometimes longer (Song 2:4). Guests praised the newly married couple; songs of love for the couple graced the festival. Sumptuous meals and wine filled the home or banquet hall (John 2:1–11). Ample provision for an elaborate feast was essential—failure could bring a lawsuit (John 2:3). The bridal couple wore their wedding clothes throughout the week; guests also wore their finery, which was sometimes supplied by wealthy families (Matt. 22:12).
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary Weddings
In some cases the bride did not remove the veil from her face until the following morning. When Jacob thought he was marrying Rachel, in the morning he discovered his wife was Leah (Gen. 29:25). At other times the veil was removed during the feast and laid on the groom’s shoulder and the pronouncement made, “the government shall be on his shoulders” (cp. Isa. 9:6).
The family had a social and legal obligation to provide a feast sufficient for all of their guests for the entire week. Running out of food or wine would have greatly shamed the family and could have even incurred legal repercussions. The family could actually be sued for not providing for their guests.
Other symbols in this passage:
Wine is often used in Scripture as a symbol of prosperity
8 The Lord has sworn by his right hand and by his mighty arm: “I will not again give your grain to be food for your enemies, and foreigners shall not drink your wine for which you have labored; 9 but those who garner it shall eat it and praise the Lord, and those who gather it shall drink it in the courts of my sanctuary.”
1 “At that time, declares the Lord, I will be the God of all the clans of Israel, and they shall be my people.”
5 Again you shall plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria; the planters shall plant and shall enjoy the fruit.
12 They shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the Lord, over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd; their life shall be like a watered garden, and they shall languish no more.
18 Then the Lord became jealous for his land and had pity on his people. 19 The Lord answered and said to his people, “Behold, I am sending to you grain, wine, and oil, and you will be satisfied; and I will no more make you a reproach among the nations.
Jewish rites of purification
3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.)
So what?
Jesus covers over our shame.
Jesus brings spiritual prosperity into a time filled with empty rituals.
Jesus invites us to his wedding feast, clothes us in righteousness, and abundantly supplies all our spiritual needs.