Epiphany Moments

Each church season offers a unique “movement of the soul,” a particular way of growing in grace. The movement of the soul Epiphany offers is not something we do, but instead something we receive. In Epiphany, we receive a revelation of God’s character in the person of Jesus Christ. Do we see him clearly? Do we receive him? To that end…

The Gospel of John has been called the most sacramental of the four Gospels, in spite of the fact that it doesn’t explicitly mention the institution of the Lord’s Supper and mentions baptism only in passing. Its sacramental nature isn’t hidden (read John 6:22-65!), yet it isn’t straightforward, either. You have to know what to look for, but when you do, it leaps off the page.

The wedding at Cana is one of those “hidden sacramental moments.” When you know what to look for, it seems obvious, but it isn’t spelled out. Jesus refers to “his hour,” which is the phrase he uses throughout John for his death. Then he takes jars used for purification and fills them with wine. We have wine, in jars of purification, connected to a reference to his death—wine that purifies pointing to his death! How much more sacramental can one get?

There are “epiphany moments” (i.e., revelations of the character of God) filling and spilling out of this triple connection. Our God purifies those who don’t have any resources—his purification is grace! He does it by means of the death of his Son—his purification is sacrifice! He connects it to a wedding feast to come—his purification is hope! He does it through the sacrament of wine—his purification is joy!

It is this last epiphany—Jesus linking his purifying blood to the joy of wine (God gave wine “to gladden the heart of man” according to Ps. 104:15)—that is most startling to me. How can his blood, poured out to wash away the filth of my sin, be a cup of joy? I might be thankful, but can I rejoice as I drink it, given that it reminds me of my sin? Yet Jesus offered his blood for the sake of joy (Heb. 12:2), and so it is fitting that the sacramental drink is a drink of joy, not sorrow or bitterness. He drank bitter vinegar on the cross (Mt. 27:48), so that we might drink joyful wine at his table. Think what this reveals of Jesus’ nature!

Steven+