In last week’s comments Bob asks the important question about how we should read the differences in the four gospels. Derek responds with his usual critical insights. You can read what they said and contribute your ideas on the site or in my next “Just in Case” email.
Let me make a contribution by examining what I think John is doing in John 2 when he makes a marriage feast at Cana the first sign in Jesus’ ministry. He gives us a clue when Jesus resists doing anything, because “it is not yet time,” but then goes ahead at his mother’s urging. In a sense, his mother’s compassion for a family about to be publicly embarrassed by not having enough wine at an extremely important social event moves Jesus to begin his saving actions.
In the other three gospels, the marriage feast takes place at the end of time when Jesus returns in glory to be married to his bride the church. Playing on first century marriage procedures, they admonish us to be patient, endure, and keep our lights burning as we wait. Once the groom arrives, the party can begin. John proclaims the party has begun already. Because God has compassion on us, he has moved the time up. There is no need to wait. To put off living in Jesus’ Way is to lose out on what is available now.
John goes on to assure us that the wine of the old covenant might have run out, but there is no need to worry; because the new wine is better. In fact, it is as different as wine is to water or baptism to purification.
Immediately John then makes another incredible modification. In the other three gospels the cleansing of the temple is presented at the end of Jesus’ ministry as an offense leading to his arrest and execution. John moves this incident to the beginning to make a point. If you want to be silly, you can pretend there might have been two separate incidents or that John did not know his history. However, it makes much better sense to see John moves it up to make clear the Way is not simply partying at a marriage feast, but also suffering for God’s truth.
As we proceed through the gospel we’ll find these themes over and over. John proclaims Jesus’ glorification does not only take place when he returns at the end of time. Much more important for us, he is glorified when he is raised up as the Lamb of God on the Cross. And, of course, we glorify him when we proclaim his Gospel carefully.
Concordia speaks of these important Johanine characteristics in her comment, ”It seems to me that in the past few years some Lutheran sermons have acknowledged that we poor humans are capable of doing good because we have the Divine God within us. This attitude is very different from the previous emphasis of our sinful, wicked nature. Interestingly enough, the 19th century American transcendentalists, and poets such as Walt Whitman, believed that the divine was within all humans.”
Next week we’ll examine the beloved John 3: 16 as we move on to the next chapter.
