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Across the Pastor’s Desk by Joshua Enderson

During the time after Epiphany, the church celebrates and explores God’s glory revealed in Jesus Christ.

It starts with the story of the wise men following a star. The heavens realign to shine out God’s glory and wise men from around the world seek him out.

The story continues on the shores of the River Jordan as Jesus is baptized. After Jesus is baptized, the heavens are ripped open, and God shouts out, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased.” God’s glory is revealed on the seashore.

But the church has often turned to another scene to show us God’s glory during this time: the wedding at Cana. After stars realigning and voices from the heavens, this scene seems out of place. Why not choose the story of Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead? That seems so profound. Why choose something as ordinary as a wedding feast, something in which we have all taken part?

Because it is in this ordinary scene that Jesus does his first sign in John’s gospel and lays out a theme of what is to come: Christ is all about revealing the abundant fullness of God’s grace.

In the beginning of his gospel, John writes that the word became flesh and dwelt among us, this word being Jesus Christ. And from him we have all received “grace upon grace.”

Now, grace is enough. But Jesus has brought grace upon grace — overflowing grace — into our lives.

That abundance can be seen in the wedding scene at Cana. Six water jars are filled up and changed into wine. This is the equivalent of 1,000 bottles of wine! That is a lot of wine! That is far more than enough for those who were at that party.

That is grace upon grace. It is the best wine given in abundance. He has come to bring grace to this world.

But not just grace: grace upon grace. He brings more than enough. This is revealed as this gospel continues.

A man born blind receives his sight; the lame walk; 5,000 people are fed with just a little food; Lazarus is brought back to life from death.

Finally, Christ dies on the cross, pouring out more grace than is needed for all of us.

And it is all a gift. All we can do is say thanks for the fullness of God, for his grace upon grace.

Joshua Enderson is a pastor at Hayward and Trondhjem Lutheran churches.