Sunday Reflection - "How Good is the Wine to Come?" - 2nd Sunday OT

How Good is the Wine to Come?

Isaiah 62:1-5; Psalm 96:1-2, 2-3, 7-8, 9-10; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; John 2:1-11

“Everyone serves good wine first… but you have kept the good wine until now.”

Moses and Aaron appeared before Pharaoh with God’s message. Pharaoh asked, “Who is your God that I have to listen to him?” Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. He didn’t listen to God speaking through Moses.

Because Pharaoh didn’t listen, God used Moses to answer. Moses touched the water of the Nile and it turned to blood. No one could drink the water and the plagues began. The water turning to blood was a curse on Pharaoh and Egypt for not hearing the word of God.

There was a wedding at Cana. Jesus’ mother was there and so were Jesus and his disciples.

When the wine ran short, his mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” And, they did. They filled six stone jars with water. They were stone jars for the ceremonial washing before worshiping God. Then, the waiters drew some out. The water had become the good wine.

And the headwaiter said, “Everyone serves good wine first… but you have kept the good wine until now.”

This passage from the Gospel of John is the first sign in Jesus’ ministry. Any one hearing this at the time the Gospel was written would have known that Moses had turned the water of the Nile into blood. Now, someone greater had come, someone turning water into wine.

Isaiah painted the picture of God’s blessing on Zion and Jerusalem. He speaks of a wedding, a covenant between God and his delight. This is a covenant in which the Lord rejoices.

Jesus is the new covenant; a covenant different from previous ones. It is a covenant of blessing manifest by Jesus turning water into wine. Wine is the symbol of abundance, blessing, celebration, and life.

This wedding at Cana is a symbol of the new covenants between God and all the earth. The Lord’s delight made evident through his son Jesus Christ. God rejoices in us and blesses us with gifts.  They are different that the ones that Isaiah proclaimed. They are different blessings but the same Lord. They are different workings but the same God. The Holy Spirit is itself a gift of the Lord’s; and when the Holy Spirit fills a person the Spirit brings gifts as well.

“Everyone serves good wine first… but you have kept the good wine until now.”

Now, we go back to the water. Water turned to blood. Water turned to wine. Water we can see as our life. Do we see curse or do we see blessing?

God shows his greatness through these miracles with water. In one, water becomes a curse of blood. The second, the water becomes the blessing of wine. “Wine.” as Scott Hahn points out, “that Jesus does something special with.” It becomes his blood. The Blood of Christ is our blessing.

We need to shout and sing the Psalm (96) - Proclaim his marvelous deeds to all the nations. Announce his salvation, day after day. Tell his glory among the nations; among all peoples, his wondrous deeds. Worship the LORD in holy attire. Tremble before him, all the earth.

“Everyone serves good wine first… but you have kept the good wine until now.”

Follow the instructions of the Holy Mother of Jesus, “Do what he tells you!” Listen to him.  

Jesus… so revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him. What does the future hold for us who believe? How good is the wine to come?

“Y’all be good, y’all be Holy, and always preach the Gospel by the way you live.” Amen.