He was invited like all the other guests. The hosts simply wanted Him to be part of the happy crowd. They got more than they asked for.
“We request the honor of your presence at the marriage of...” Perhaps you have gotten an invitation like this before. Maybe you have sent one. This time of year, as summer wedding planning kicks into high gear for many young couples, countless invitations are being designed and prepared to be sent across the country. The people sending them, of course, are hoping the guests will come to the celebration and share in the joy.
As I read this familiar account of the wedding at Cana, it struck me how John explicitly notes that Jesus, together with His disciples, received an invitation (John 2:2). His presence was requested at this wedding, but not because the couple had insider knowledge of what He might do. At this point in His ministry, He had done nothing other than gather a collection of disciples to follow Him (John 1:35-51). He was invited like all the other guests. The hosts simply wanted Him to be part of the happy crowd.
They got more than they asked for.
“More Than You Asked For,” if I were going to give a sermon on this text a title, that would be it. I would preach this as a narrative sermon, perhaps with the biblical-story applied structure. The purpose of this type of sermon is to tell the biblical account and then apply something from it to your hearers. How you tell the story is important. Rather than treating the narrative as a container of doctrine or as a proof text to support a teaching of the faith, the preacher proclaims the story in such a way that draws the hearers into the event itself. They become witnesses of the narrative, rather than analyzers. To do this well, it helps to use descriptive and image-rich language. You will want to help the hearers see, smell, and feel what happened along with the characters in the event.
You might, for instance, help them experience the story from Mary’s perspective. It is worth noting this is the first time in the Gospel of John that we encounter the mother of Jesus. Or you could help the hearers experience it from the disciples’ perspective. They appear as bookends in this account. John includes them in verse 2 with Jesus’ invitation, and then they appear again in verse 11 when John tells us they believed in Jesus. A third perspective could be the perspective of the servants. They, after all, would have been on the hook to tell everyone the wine was gone. Jesus saved them a lot of trouble as much as He saved the couple. Speaking of the couple, it is interesting that John sees no need to mention their names or even their existence. Unlike most weddings, the couple could not be farther from the center of attention.
What makes this narrative so fascinating is it takes place on two different levels. There is the surface level of the celebration. At this level, the eating and drinking (and presumably dancing) took place without a hitch. This was the master of the feast’s point of view, and perhaps also many of the guests. But then, at the same time, behind the scenes there was a mad scramble to provide for the guests and save face for the hosts. This is where the action took place and why this story appears in John’s account of the Gospel.
Not only did they get more, and better, wine, but they also got relief from social embarrassment and great shame.
As you tell this story, you could emphasize (perhaps with a refrain) that the couple got “more than they asked for” when they sent Jesus an invitation. Not only did they get more, and better, wine, but they also got relief from social embarrassment and great shame. They may not have even known about what He was doing to provide for them. Even more, they (and everyone else) got the first sign Jesus did in the Gospel of John to demonstrate who He is and what He had come to do.
After drawing your hearers into the biblical narrative, you could proceed by leading them back out of the story into the contemporary situation and their own lives. As you do this, you might revise the refrain from “more than THEY asked for” to “more than WE ask for.”
We also extend invitations to Jesus. Many of us invite Him to join us at every meal. “Come, Lord Jesus, be our guest.” We invite Him to be present in each worship service as we begin with the Invocation. We invite Him to reign among us when we pray “Thy Kingdom come” in the Lord’s Prayer. He answers these prayers, always in His way and His timing, by working for us and through us. In this way, your hearers are a bit like the servants in the biblical story. Jesus provided FOR them by turning the water into wine. This saved them the shame of having to tell the guests repeatedly that there was no more to drink. Jesus also provided THROUGH them as they continued serving what Jesus had miraculous provided.
God provides “more than we ask for,” too. His love and forgiveness in Christ are more abundant than we could ask or imagine (refer to Ephesians 3:20). He repeatedly provides more ways than we ask. Luther put it like this, “We now want to return to the Gospel, which gives guidance and help against sin in more than one way, because God is extravagantly rich in His grace” (Smalcald Article III.4). Luther goes on to list the many means of the Gospel, including preaching, absolution, baptism, the Lord’s Supper, and the mutual conversation and consolation of the brothers and sisters.
These are also signs. They assure us that the final sign in John’s Gospel, Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, was, in fact, only the beginning. The good news is God will raise us from the dead, as well. In the meantime, God also provides “more than we ask for” when it comes to living fruitful and productive lives. He puts people in our lives (sometimes more than we can seemingly handle!) who need our love and service. But even here, He does not leave us alone to provide. As Jesus did with the servants in the text, His Spirit bears fruit in and through us for His glory and for their good.
--------
Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on John 2:1-11.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching John 2:1-11
Text Week-A treasury of resources from various traditions to help you preach John 2:1-11.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
Lectionary Podcast-Dr. Charles Gieschen of Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN walks us through John 2:1-11.
