{"id":4237,"date":"2020-11-08T16:24:55","date_gmt":"2020-11-08T16:24:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/?p=4237"},"modified":"2020-11-08T16:24:55","modified_gmt":"2020-11-08T16:24:55","slug":"wedding-wine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wedding-wine\/","title":{"rendered":"Wedding Wine"},"content":{"rendered":"

The following is a very brief homily that I gave at my sister’s wedding.<\/em><\/p>\n

I would\u00a0 now like to say a few brief words about another wedding that took place about 2,000 years ago in Cana of Galilee. This is a wedding which Jesus of Nazareth attended, the account of it found in the second chapter of the gospel of St. John. It was the custom of those days to have wedding celebrations that lasted many days on end, a week, or more. There was of course much feasting, traditions, and celebrations. A primary feature of their wedding celebrations was wine. Indeed wine has been a hallmark of wedding celebrations from the dawn of time up to this very day. It is a source of enjoyment, merriment, and relaxation, given from God to gladden the heart of man as the one hundred and fourth Psalm tells us.<\/span><\/p>\n

So it was the custom that they would begin the wedding by putting out the best wine, and as the celebrations wore on, the cheaper wine would be brought out, for reasons you can probably imagine. However, the host of this wedding at Cana, which the Lord Jesus attended, had dropped the ball, and at some point amidst the wedding celebration they had run out of wine. As the events unfolded it was Mary, the mother of Jesus, who called upon him to provide more wine. Eventually Jesus did just this, as he had the servants fill several containers of water, that Jesus proceeded to turn into wine. As this wine that was once water was served to the wedding guests it was exclaimed that this was the best wine, and that the best wine was saved for last, contrary to the custom of the day.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are many things to learn from this first miracle of our Lord, but only one of which will draw our attention on this occasion. And that is, that the way of Jesus, is to save the best for last. In the beginning of the Holy Scriptures, the Old Testament, Yahweh God revealed that animal blood sacrifices were to be made for sins. However, just like the beginning wine at the wedding of Cana, the blood of those sacrifices ran out. It was cheap wine. But God was not done. He saved the best for last. It was Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was the final sacrifice for sins, because his blood was potent enough to cover them. At the Last Supper, Jesus raised the cup of the fruit of the vine, saying that this cup is the New Covenant in my blood, drink in remembrance of me. And thus from the same cup we drink, partaking of Christ and his blood-wine, by faith, for the forgiveness of sins, never running out of Christ\u2019s wine.<\/span><\/p>\n

So to Dan and Kayla, the great ideal and genuine possibility of marriage is that the best can be saved for last. Indeed it is the goal to which both of you commit to here today. Through hard work, faithfulness, forgiveness, and the grace of God, your later years can truly be your sweetest years. It is not easy, but nothing worthwhile is. Like a fine wine, your marriage can truly get better with age. Which is why we celebrate weddings with wine. The wine reminds us that weddings are just the beginning of something that is meant to last a lifetime. And that something, is not something cheap. It costs much, because it is worth much.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The following is a very brief homily that I gave at my sister’s wedding. I would\u00a0 now like to say a few brief words about another wedding that took place about 2,000 years ago in Cana of Galilee. This is a wedding which Jesus of Nazareth attended, the account of it found in the second […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":4238,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[27,30],"tags":[255,274,557,678,679,687,699,765,827,1331,1351],"class_list":{"0":"post-4237","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gospel","8":"category-preaching","9":"tag-cana","10":"tag-christ","11":"tag-god","12":"tag-jenkins","13":"tag-jesus","14":"tag-john","15":"tag-joshua","16":"tag-lord","17":"tag-miracle","18":"tag-wedding","19":"tag-wine","20":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/11\/wedding.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3759,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/you-have-kept-the-best-wine-until-now-john-21-12\/","url_meta":{"origin":4237,"position":0},"title":"You Have Kept the Best Wine Until Now, John 2:1-12","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"May 21, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 Introduction \u00a0 This miracle is not merely a miracle. Verse 11 tells us it is a sign. A sign is something that points to something greater than itself. What Jesus does here is not merely about this wedding; but it\u2019s pointing to something greater. Verse 11 also tells us\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/059_kariye-water-into-wine.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/059_kariye-water-into-wine.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/059_kariye-water-into-wine.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3767,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/jesus-cleanses-the-temple-john-213-22\/","url_meta":{"origin":4237,"position":1},"title":"Jesus Cleanses the Temple, John 2:13-22","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"May 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 \u00a0 Before we focus exclusively on our passage, I want to consider the wedding at Cana and the temple cleansing together, and why they might have been placed side by side in chapter 2. The gospel writer, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, placed these two accounts next\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/jesus-cleansing-the-temple.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/jesus-cleansing-the-temple.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/05\/jesus-cleansing-the-temple.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3954,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/christs-plenty-for-our-poverty-john-61-14\/","url_meta":{"origin":4237,"position":2},"title":"Christ’s Plenty for Our Poverty; John 6:1-14","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"November 11, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 After this\u00a0Jesus went away to the other side of\u00a0the Sea of Galilee, which is\u00a0the Sea of Tiberias.\u00a02\u00a0And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick.\u00a03\u00a0Jesus went up on\u00a0the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples.\u00a04\u00a0Now\u00a0the Passover, the\u00a0feast\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/11\/feeding-5000-450x225-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3945,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/if-you-believed-moses-you-would-believe-me-john-530-47\/","url_meta":{"origin":4237,"position":3},"title":"If You Believed Moses, You Would Believe Me; John 5:30-47","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"November 5, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 30\u00a0\u201cI can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and\u00a0my judgment is just, because\u00a0I seek not my own will\u00a0but the will of him who sent me.\u00a031\u00a0If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not true.\u00a032\u00a0There is\u00a0another who bears witness about me, and\u00a0I know that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/11\/download.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3890,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/faith-in-the-face-of-fatality-john-443-54\/","url_meta":{"origin":4237,"position":4},"title":"Faith in the Face of Fatality; John 4:43-54","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"September 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 43\u00a0After\u00a0the two days he departed for Galilee.\u00a044\u00a0(For Jesus himself had testified\u00a0that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.)\u00a045\u00a0So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him,\u00a0having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For\u00a0they too had gone to the feast. 46\u00a0So he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/09\/tiberias2.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/09\/tiberias2.gif?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/09\/tiberias2.gif?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2019\/09\/tiberias2.gif?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4033,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/why-the-world-hates-christ-john-71-7\/","url_meta":{"origin":4237,"position":5},"title":"Why the World Hates Christ; John 7:1-9","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"March 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because\u00a0the Jews[a]\u00a0were seeking to kill him.\u00a02\u00a0Now\u00a0the Jews' Feast of\u00a0Booths was at hand.\u00a03\u00a0So his brothers[b]\u00a0said to him, \u201cLeave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing.\u00a04\u00a0For no one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2020\/03\/unnamed.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4237","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/685"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4237"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4237\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4238"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}