WEBVTT 00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:06.799 In John chapter 2, that passage we've read about the wedding in Cana. 00:00:12.439 --> 00:00:14.800 Shame is a powerful tool. 00:00:16.740 --> 00:00:21.400 We know it in the toolkit of the playground bully. 00:00:21.399 --> 00:00:30.759 Heaping embarrassment on young men or women in front of their peers is a great way to get what they want. 00:00:32.179 --> 00:00:35.579 Even the threat of it is powerful. 00:00:37.539 --> 00:00:41.759 I think we see it as well in the toolkit of some politicians. 00:00:41.759 --> 00:01:04.680 Can an opponent be shamed into a humiliating resignation or a U-turn in full sight of the media who are just as mean and merciless an audience as the kids chanting and egging on a bully in the playground? 00:01:04.680 --> 00:01:15.300 Shame has been abused in the toolkit of some pastors of God's flock. 00:01:16.220 --> 00:01:32.240 The woman caught in adultery, treated so gently by Jesus, might have not so long ago found herself on a sinner's stool in front of the whole congregation, publicly shamed and rebuked from the pulpit. 00:01:34.680 --> 00:01:37.900 Shame is a powerful tool of abuse. 00:01:39.360 --> 00:01:41.820 Sometimes has its uses internally. 00:01:43.700 --> 00:01:49.840 We might feel ashamed of our sin and be moved to do something about it. 00:01:51.600 --> 00:01:56.100 But more often than not, shame leads us away from God. 00:01:57.320 --> 00:02:00.219 It doesn't lead us to do much about our problem. 00:02:00.219 --> 00:02:05.159 It leaves us like Adam and Eve, ashamed of their nakedness in the garden, running and fleeing. 00:02:07.060 --> 00:02:18.860 Or it can be destructive, like it was for Judas, who cast his 30 pieces of silver before the Sanhedrin and then went out and took his own life. 00:02:20.759 --> 00:02:22.840 Shame is a powerful thing. 00:02:22.840 --> 00:02:24.840 Shame is a powerful thing. 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:36.819 And there's a symmetry in John's gospel where the themes at the beginning of the gospel are really important when you come to the end of John's gospel. 00:02:37.360 --> 00:02:41.520 Angus Macrae, when he was with us at our recent communion weekend, highlighted some of this. 00:02:41.620 --> 00:02:43.219 He was saying there are things to see. 00:02:43.219 --> 00:02:48.759 You know, woman, see your son, and so on. 00:02:50.340 --> 00:02:55.219 There are things to see at the beginning of the gospel that we have to see at the end. 00:02:55.400 --> 00:03:01.719 So there is the glory of the only son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 00:03:02.960 --> 00:03:05.180 There's John's exclamation to his disciples, 00:03:05.379 --> 00:03:09.819 Behold, see the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. 00:03:09.819 --> 00:03:16.000 And here in John chapter 2, Jesus is the one who is doing the showing. 00:03:17.199 --> 00:03:20.079 John tells us this was the first miracle that Jesus had done, 00:03:20.139 --> 00:03:23.079 and he did it to manifest his glory. 00:03:24.759 --> 00:03:28.299 And so right at the beginning of John's gospel, there is something there for us. 00:03:28.400 --> 00:03:33.299 This miracle tells us about Jesus showing us what's important, 00:03:34.459 --> 00:03:37.280 the glory that we need to see. 00:03:39.819 --> 00:03:46.639 I want to suggest this evening that we see the glory of Jesus in the way he removes shame. 00:03:48.560 --> 00:03:50.419 Angus preached on that at the communion season, 00:03:50.699 --> 00:03:54.639 how at the cross our shame is dealt with. 00:03:54.639 --> 00:04:01.759 And that's there at the beginning of John's gospel as a pointer for us, 00:04:01.919 --> 00:04:10.059 to see how Jesus is going to deal with shame in the experience of men and women. 00:04:11.439 --> 00:04:12.699 The context matters. 00:04:13.479 --> 00:04:14.619 It's a wedding feast. 00:04:14.620 --> 00:04:19.879 And in first century Jewish custom and culture, 00:04:20.220 --> 00:04:26.819 the job of the groom at a wedding feast was to prove his worth. 00:04:27.920 --> 00:04:35.740 He had to prove to the bride's family that he could be counted on to provide for this woman 00:04:35.740 --> 00:04:40.740 who was leaving her family and becoming part of his. 00:04:40.740 --> 00:04:48.100 And so this feast has a master. 00:04:49.199 --> 00:04:53.060 And the master could well have been, in fact, the groom's new father-in-law. 00:04:54.060 --> 00:05:01.060 And those of us who are married can know how intimidating that relationship might be at times, 00:05:01.620 --> 00:05:05.600 but how it can grow into something wonderful and a great friendship as well. 00:05:05.600 --> 00:05:07.760 But at the beginning, it's intimidating. 00:05:08.900 --> 00:05:18.700 And this groom has now committed an enormous blunder. 00:05:20.080 --> 00:05:22.120 The wedding feast isn't over yet, 00:05:22.820 --> 00:05:27.260 but the groom's provision of wine for the feast has run out. 00:05:27.259 --> 00:05:34.060 And he is about to experience the greatest shame imaginable, 00:05:34.719 --> 00:05:36.839 the greatest humiliation, 00:05:38.039 --> 00:05:46.319 a reputation earned in this moment that is going to linger with him probably his whole life. 00:05:48.719 --> 00:05:51.300 Mary finds out about the problem. 00:05:51.659 --> 00:05:54.360 She's probably a close relative of the groom's family, 00:05:54.360 --> 00:05:56.480 and that's why she's highlighted as being invited. 00:05:56.960 --> 00:06:00.500 And then Jesus with his disciples are invited along as well. 00:06:01.740 --> 00:06:09.540 And so in this context, we see Jesus appealed to by his mother to deal with this shameful situation. 00:06:10.060 --> 00:06:13.439 And there are three things that we need to spot that are just glorious. 00:06:14.120 --> 00:06:15.520 Because John tells us, 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:17.580 Jesus is revealing his glory. 00:06:17.800 --> 00:06:20.520 He's manifesting his glory in this, 00:06:20.519 --> 00:06:23.919 what is in fact in many ways an invisible miracle. 00:06:24.659 --> 00:06:26.680 It's not something done in front of great crowds. 00:06:27.259 --> 00:06:29.979 It's not something where people even know that Jesus is the one who did it. 00:06:29.979 --> 00:06:32.680 The only people who know are the servants. 00:06:34.439 --> 00:06:35.439 So it's private. 00:06:36.299 --> 00:06:38.060 It's a small thing done in a corner, 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:42.879 but it reveals the great glory of the Lord. 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:49.480 Firstly, Jesus deals with shame in God's gracious timing. 00:06:52.079 --> 00:06:55.699 Our shame is dealt with in God's gracious timing. 00:06:56.959 --> 00:06:58.579 Mary brings the problem to his attention. 00:06:59.860 --> 00:07:03.219 She says there's no wine. 00:07:03.980 --> 00:07:07.800 And his response is really a bit odd. 00:07:08.639 --> 00:07:10.719 The word that's used actually in Greek is gume. 00:07:10.720 --> 00:07:12.940 It's not mum. 00:07:13.960 --> 00:07:16.220 It's not even mother. 00:07:17.900 --> 00:07:19.200 It's very formal. 00:07:19.340 --> 00:07:22.460 The closest I think in English would probably be something like mom. 00:07:23.140 --> 00:07:25.200 The way folk in the southern states would, 00:07:25.960 --> 00:07:27.740 younger men would talk to older women. 00:07:28.200 --> 00:07:29.060 They'd say mom. 00:07:29.340 --> 00:07:34.120 There's that formality to the way Jesus speaks to his mother. 00:07:34.540 --> 00:07:36.700 It's the same language in fact that he uses at the cross. 00:07:37.180 --> 00:07:39.020 When he says woman behold your son. 00:07:39.019 --> 00:07:42.259 There's that same formality to the language that's used. 00:07:43.319 --> 00:07:45.799 And the way it's recorded by John for us. 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:48.759 It's full of respect. 00:07:49.299 --> 00:07:50.439 But it's very formal. 00:07:51.779 --> 00:07:53.500 But then there's that strange comment. 00:07:53.639 --> 00:07:54.939 What has this to do with me? 00:07:55.959 --> 00:07:57.620 What has this got to do with me? 00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:00.659 It's a phrase that you find in fact quite often in the Gospels. 00:08:00.660 --> 00:08:03.220 But only here on the lips of Jesus. 00:08:03.460 --> 00:08:05.680 Normally in the Gospels where this phrase is used. 00:08:06.080 --> 00:08:07.160 It's on the lips of demons. 00:08:08.920 --> 00:08:13.340 Demons who are aware of the authority of Jesus. 00:08:14.080 --> 00:08:18.600 But issue a futile denial or challenge to his authority. 00:08:18.960 --> 00:08:21.379 And say what have you to do with me? 00:08:21.379 --> 00:08:24.459 I know who you are. 00:08:24.740 --> 00:08:25.959 The son of the most high. 00:08:26.600 --> 00:08:27.500 Get away from me. 00:08:27.579 --> 00:08:29.439 Don't cast me out into outer darkness. 00:08:30.279 --> 00:08:35.659 Don't destroy my presence and power and influence and grip on this world. 00:08:36.200 --> 00:08:39.500 The demons would want to deny the power of Jesus. 00:08:40.159 --> 00:08:43.379 Which just serves to show his great authority. 00:08:43.379 --> 00:08:49.919 And Jesus when he firmly says to his mother and respectfully tells her. 00:08:50.820 --> 00:08:54.519 Basically that she doesn't have the authority to tell him what to do here. 00:08:55.480 --> 00:08:56.580 It's of that order. 00:08:56.759 --> 00:09:00.879 It's saying if I'm going to act here it's not because you've asked me to. 00:09:02.139 --> 00:09:05.960 The timing of my miracle here is not yours to command. 00:09:07.379 --> 00:09:10.139 It's entirely of God's grace. 00:09:10.139 --> 00:09:14.139 I will act according to my father's will. 00:09:14.919 --> 00:09:16.759 Not according to what you want me to do. 00:09:18.319 --> 00:09:21.819 And so having told Mary that he's not going to act for her sake. 00:09:22.899 --> 00:09:25.539 He then, Mary very intuitively and wisely. 00:09:26.439 --> 00:09:29.740 Recognizes what's about to happen and she says to the servants do whatever he tells you. 00:09:30.819 --> 00:09:31.919 Then he acts. 00:09:34.120 --> 00:09:40.059 He comes and acts not on the strength of his family connection into the situation. 00:09:40.139 --> 00:09:53.419 He comes and he acts because God is a gracious God who overflows with grace into situations mired in human shame. 00:09:55.759 --> 00:10:05.379 And this is an evidence I think of right at the beginning of John's gospel of the covenant love of God. 00:10:05.379 --> 00:10:11.159 The covenant love of God is that word in the Old Testament in Hebrew. 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:12.139 It's the word chesed. 00:10:13.620 --> 00:10:17.120 It's maybe best described as God's love for the unlovable. 00:10:17.340 --> 00:10:19.360 It's his sovereign choosing love. 00:10:20.360 --> 00:10:25.399 That God in his love comes into the garden knowing full well that Adam and Eve have sinned against him. 00:10:25.659 --> 00:10:28.200 But he comes into the garden to find them and to talk to them. 00:10:28.200 --> 00:10:34.900 He comes to Abraham and makes his covenant with Abraham and promises him a land and an inheritance and descendants. 00:10:35.620 --> 00:10:39.300 And ultimately one final descendant who will come and be there. 00:10:40.280 --> 00:10:44.800 And when Abraham asks for a proof of this, God establishes his covenant with him. 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:49.299 And it is when Abraham falls asleep and the covenant is formed. 00:10:49.839 --> 00:10:52.879 It's not Abraham who's a party to the covenant, but God himself. 00:10:53.459 --> 00:10:57.839 As the father and the son, I think, who pass between the torn animals of the covenant. 00:10:58.559 --> 00:11:03.059 Taking full responsibility for Abraham's future promise and salvation. 00:11:04.939 --> 00:11:06.939 It's covenant love. 00:11:07.859 --> 00:11:09.740 It's love without any obligation. 00:11:09.740 --> 00:11:17.779 It's love without any purpose or foundation outside of God's own mere good pleasure. 00:11:19.060 --> 00:11:24.139 And that is tonight where our salvation ultimately comes from. 00:11:25.720 --> 00:11:26.779 He saves us. 00:11:27.560 --> 00:11:33.560 He takes away our shame and our guilt simply because he has chosen to. 00:11:33.559 --> 00:11:40.319 We are the product tonight as an assembly of saints. 00:11:41.079 --> 00:11:43.739 The product of God's good pleasure. 00:11:45.159 --> 00:11:47.359 Electing some to everlasting life. 00:11:47.819 --> 00:11:50.319 And all the benefits of salvation. 00:11:51.479 --> 00:11:53.039 And so for us, that should move us to worship. 00:11:53.899 --> 00:11:57.519 It should inspire us to bow before him and give him our praise. 00:11:57.839 --> 00:11:58.739 But there's also a lesson. 00:11:58.740 --> 00:12:08.139 Because for us, we have to ask the question, how do we deal with the urge to use shame in our day-to-day lives? 00:12:09.600 --> 00:12:20.019 There's sometimes a great desire to jump in with a gotcha moment when somebody that we're in competition with has blundered, has been left vulnerable. 00:12:20.019 --> 00:12:32.679 And we want to rush in and shame them because it might get us some advance, some promotion, some success, some victory. 00:12:32.679 --> 00:12:39.259 The way of Christ's disciples is to be like the master. 00:12:40.479 --> 00:12:48.099 And therefore, when we see someone's shame, we should act graciously as Jesus does. 00:12:48.819 --> 00:12:51.819 To cover it and do what we can to bring help. 00:12:53.819 --> 00:13:01.039 You see, secondly, when Jesus kind of deals with his shame in this situation, he deals with it by offering a new kind of purity. 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:03.559 And again, it's a glorious way forward. 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:05.740 There's two features of this miracle that tell us that. 00:13:06.599 --> 00:13:10.879 The first is, Jesus says to Mary, my hour is not yet. 00:13:12.019 --> 00:13:17.459 The hour in John's gospel, it's like a thread, a golden thread really, that runs through the gospel. 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:20.860 The hour is the moment of the cross, the moment of the crucifixion. 00:13:20.939 --> 00:13:23.240 That's where John's gospel is heading, right from the beginning. 00:13:25.059 --> 00:13:27.500 And the hour is still to come. 00:13:27.500 --> 00:13:42.639 And when Jesus here says, my hour has not yet come, he's drawing attention to this idea that what he's about to do here is somehow a pointer towards that moment. 00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:50.699 He's taking us on the first step in the gospel towards the hour. 00:13:50.819 --> 00:13:52.360 We're now aware there's an hour still to come. 00:13:52.419 --> 00:13:54.080 So when you're reading this for the first time, that's what you think. 00:13:54.179 --> 00:13:55.439 Oh, what's the hour? 00:13:56.419 --> 00:13:57.740 The hour is still to come. 00:13:58.539 --> 00:13:59.980 Let's look for the hour coming. 00:14:00.120 --> 00:14:04.159 And you see like a trail of breadcrumbs that take us towards it. 00:14:04.159 --> 00:14:10.519 And so there's something about this miracle that shows us something about the hour. 00:14:12.159 --> 00:14:16.079 And that's this revelation of the grace with which he acts. 00:14:17.659 --> 00:14:25.100 The climatic three hours of darkness on the cross where Jesus has resolved to act graciously, not under compulsion, 00:14:25.100 --> 00:14:35.340 but because of the mere pleasure of God in bringing salvation, the hour of shame for him when all of his shame covering work is going to be done. 00:14:37.560 --> 00:14:44.720 There's also the mode of the miracle that points us towards that idea of him bringing purity and a covering for our shame. 00:14:45.480 --> 00:14:47.420 And it's what he uses to perform the miracle. 00:14:47.580 --> 00:14:49.500 There's these vats and they are vats. 00:14:49.500 --> 00:14:55.159 I don't know if you've ever seen them, these blue drums that are filled with water or chemicals or something. 00:14:55.279 --> 00:14:56.980 This is a 120-liter drum. 00:14:57.620 --> 00:15:00.179 So from the table, it's probably something about that high. 00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:07.700 If it's full with water, 120 kilos, you're not going to easily carry it yourself, maybe if you're very strong. 00:15:07.799 --> 00:15:10.899 But this is a big stone jar full of water. 00:15:11.000 --> 00:15:11.960 So it's a heavy thing. 00:15:12.460 --> 00:15:18.080 And they're used for ritual purification because for the Jews, everything in life revolves around purity. 00:15:18.080 --> 00:15:20.780 How am I pure in order to go to the temple? 00:15:20.879 --> 00:15:23.280 How do I purify myself after I've touched a dead body? 00:15:23.620 --> 00:15:28.060 How do I purify myself after some event in my life that is beyond my control? 00:15:28.139 --> 00:15:33.540 But how do I get myself pure in order to go about my religious duties and life? 00:15:34.060 --> 00:15:36.440 And so they had these vats for purification. 00:15:36.440 --> 00:15:48.080 And Jesus comes into this situation and he takes these vats, which would have been holy, set apart, specially for this purpose. 00:15:48.560 --> 00:15:50.120 And he says, fill them with water. 00:15:50.580 --> 00:15:54.360 And everyone's thinking, well, the servants probably are thinking, okay, they're ritual purification. 00:15:54.500 --> 00:15:55.920 Vats, water is what you put in them. 00:15:56.900 --> 00:15:59.800 And in the course of the miracle, the contents are transformed. 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:00.440 They're now wine. 00:16:00.440 --> 00:16:00.940 Wine. 00:16:02.140 --> 00:16:09.440 And that means, incidentally, that these vats can never be used again for ritual purification. 00:16:10.540 --> 00:16:12.020 They are now unholy. 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:13.740 They're now common. 00:16:14.300 --> 00:16:15.020 They're secular. 00:16:16.920 --> 00:16:18.620 They're just ordinary vats. 00:16:18.620 --> 00:16:30.039 And no Jew would dream of going back to that empty vat to fill it with water for a religious purpose now because its special holiness is compromised. 00:16:32.379 --> 00:16:41.620 And Jesus is saying the old paths for sin and shame's removal are over. 00:16:43.399 --> 00:16:47.299 The hour that's to come is going to replace these. 00:16:47.419 --> 00:16:48.399 It's going to fulfill them. 00:16:49.299 --> 00:16:56.480 The ritual cleansing that we need, the baptism that we need, is not a baptism of mere washing with water. 00:16:56.700 --> 00:16:58.480 It's a baptism into Jesus himself. 00:16:58.620 --> 00:17:00.519 It's into his shed blood at the cross. 00:17:01.700 --> 00:17:07.099 It's a baptism of union with Christ through which we now will have our purity. 00:17:08.099 --> 00:17:10.259 That's where our purification will come from. 00:17:10.259 --> 00:17:20.460 And there is this incredible, glorious symmetry to John's gospel that at the end of the gospel, that's where purity comes from. 00:17:20.460 --> 00:17:27.740 What makes the disciples pure is the work of Jesus to cleanse them. 00:17:29.120 --> 00:17:31.059 He is the bread of life. 00:17:31.059 --> 00:17:39.619 He is the lamb of God who takes away their sin and their shame and their guilt. 00:17:39.619 --> 00:17:46.359 Simply put, Jesus is our purification tonight. 00:17:46.359 --> 00:17:58.000 When we're feeling ashamed, when we know our sin is awful and overwhelming, we're invited tonight to come to Jesus anew, 00:17:58.000 --> 00:18:05.240 to recognize his sufficiency for us and to find cleansing and hope in him. 00:18:05.240 --> 00:18:08.759 Just finally, there's one last thought. 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:15.720 And it's this that Jesus deals with shame by putting something much better in its place. 00:18:15.720 --> 00:18:19.819 Imagine the bridegroom in this story. 00:18:21.480 --> 00:18:23.720 What happens to him is really amazing. 00:18:25.539 --> 00:18:28.860 He has blundered. 00:18:29.480 --> 00:18:30.799 He's messed up. 00:18:31.940 --> 00:18:35.420 The shame is going to haunt him for the rest of his days. 00:18:36.640 --> 00:18:44.700 But the servants take the water that is now wine to the master of the feast, like I was saying, possibly his father-in-law. 00:18:44.700 --> 00:18:47.900 And they take it to him and they say, try this. 00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:51.019 And the master of the feast tries the wine. 00:18:51.880 --> 00:18:55.240 And his reaction is astonishing. 00:18:57.380 --> 00:18:58.779 It's a wow moment. 00:18:59.279 --> 00:19:04.160 The wine that was normally served by this point in the feast would be the cheap stuff. 00:19:04.259 --> 00:19:06.900 You get the good stuff in at the beginning when people are likely to remember. 00:19:07.220 --> 00:19:12.420 At the end of the story, at the end of the festival, at the end of the feast, you bring out the bad stuff. 00:19:12.420 --> 00:19:17.039 But here, the master of the feast says, you're unusual. 00:19:18.440 --> 00:19:20.400 Because normally, this isn't what people do. 00:19:20.539 --> 00:19:24.019 Normally, people save the best for the beginning and the rubbish stuff at the end. 00:19:24.080 --> 00:19:27.519 But you've saved the best until last. 00:19:27.519 --> 00:19:33.079 And can you just imagine that bridegroom's reputation? 00:19:34.299 --> 00:19:39.099 He's expecting to be utterly ashamed and humiliated in his community, worthless. 00:19:39.099 --> 00:19:47.679 But instead, he is the guy who uniquely has taken the best wine at the end of the festival. 00:19:49.099 --> 00:19:50.259 How great is he? 00:19:50.339 --> 00:19:51.359 How marvelous is he? 00:19:51.419 --> 00:19:52.899 How thoughtful is he? 00:19:53.000 --> 00:19:54.639 How wise is he? 00:19:54.819 --> 00:19:57.439 How generous is he? 00:19:57.539 --> 00:19:58.699 How magnanimous is he? 00:19:58.700 --> 00:20:00.680 How wealthy must he be? 00:20:00.759 --> 00:20:04.819 How capable must he be to support the bride that is now his? 00:20:06.160 --> 00:20:06.980 Isn't he great? 00:20:08.299 --> 00:20:14.240 And that is now the reputation that remains with this man, probably for the rest of his life. 00:20:15.580 --> 00:20:18.539 Jesus has given him a new name. 00:20:20.200 --> 00:20:23.100 Jesus has given him a new stature. 00:20:25.019 --> 00:20:26.840 And this is showing his glory. 00:20:28.700 --> 00:20:33.200 Remember, as John has told us already, we've seen this glory of the only son from the father. 00:20:33.360 --> 00:20:37.799 It's a glory that is full of grace and truth, full of faithfulness. 00:20:39.259 --> 00:20:41.779 And that's what Jesus comes into our lives to do. 00:20:41.779 --> 00:20:48.420 He comes into our lives with his grace to set us where? 00:20:50.680 --> 00:20:51.940 Now, what are we tonight? 00:20:53.779 --> 00:20:55.180 Are we worthless sinners? 00:20:55.180 --> 00:20:58.860 Are we ashamed of what we are? 00:21:01.240 --> 00:21:03.039 Perhaps secretly we might think that. 00:21:03.320 --> 00:21:04.420 We might believe we know it. 00:21:06.640 --> 00:21:07.900 But you read the New Testament. 00:21:08.140 --> 00:21:10.380 Tonight we are seated with Christ in the heavenly places. 00:21:11.259 --> 00:21:13.820 We are raised up to be called the sons and daughters of God. 00:21:14.440 --> 00:21:15.960 We are joint heirs with Christ. 00:21:16.039 --> 00:21:17.700 And one day we will judge the world with him. 00:21:18.799 --> 00:21:20.580 That we are inheritors of glory. 00:21:20.579 --> 00:21:23.319 That we are in fact God's inheritance. 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:27.259 We are in fact the righteousness of God. 00:21:28.899 --> 00:21:33.659 And the titles that belong to the saints, the titles that belong to the church, are not ours. 00:21:33.740 --> 00:21:34.519 We haven't earned them. 00:21:35.720 --> 00:21:40.879 They're given to us graciously by Jesus because of what he does in dealing with our shame. 00:21:40.880 --> 00:21:50.580 We are lifted out of the mire and seated at the right hand of God with our brother Christ. 00:21:52.440 --> 00:21:56.860 And tonight that status, that new change is ours. 00:21:58.540 --> 00:22:00.820 It took Christ great humility to do this. 00:22:00.819 --> 00:22:07.240 I mean this, you know, you look at this story and you think, well who deserves to have the great fame at the end of this? 00:22:07.299 --> 00:22:08.740 Does the bridegroom deserve the fame? 00:22:08.980 --> 00:22:09.919 No, Jesus does. 00:22:09.980 --> 00:22:10.980 He's the one who's done it. 00:22:11.819 --> 00:22:13.220 But it's a private miracle. 00:22:13.539 --> 00:22:14.500 It happens in a corner. 00:22:14.659 --> 00:22:15.639 Only the servants know. 00:22:16.839 --> 00:22:19.919 This is part of the humiliation of the divine son of God. 00:22:21.399 --> 00:22:26.200 That even the great miracles he performs, the first of his miracles, nobody sees it. 00:22:27.200 --> 00:22:29.740 There's no great audience that says, wow, look at him. 00:22:30.819 --> 00:22:31.839 It's just done in a corner. 00:22:33.639 --> 00:22:36.419 But it shows his glory. 00:22:38.740 --> 00:22:43.439 And so tonight we're invited as his disciples to follow in these footsteps. 00:22:44.359 --> 00:22:46.639 Showing grace and faithfulness. 00:22:47.720 --> 00:22:49.279 Perhaps in invisible ways. 00:22:50.639 --> 00:22:52.879 Perhaps in the closet in our prayer life. 00:22:54.099 --> 00:22:56.359 Perhaps in a corner where we're invisible to the world. 00:22:56.359 --> 00:22:59.359 And yet still glorious. 00:23:00.779 --> 00:23:02.799 And bringing forth the work of God. 00:23:04.559 --> 00:23:06.019 As we cover up shame. 00:23:06.919 --> 00:23:08.279 And bring forth glory. 00:23:09.399 --> 00:23:10.039 Let's pray. 00:23:11.639 --> 00:23:16.779 Heavenly Father, we ask that you would help us to grasp what Jesus has done all the more clearly. 00:23:17.439 --> 00:23:19.919 Help us to see that he has taken away our shame and guilt. 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:22.920 And he has clothed us tonight in righteousness. 00:23:23.140 --> 00:23:25.800 Given us a name that is wonderful. 00:23:27.420 --> 00:23:28.840 Because we are his brothers. 00:23:29.840 --> 00:23:30.980 Because he is our Lord. 00:23:32.680 --> 00:23:34.279 Because we are your children tonight. 00:23:35.700 --> 00:23:39.420 And so Father, help us tonight to rejoice in all that Jesus has done. 00:23:39.420 --> 00:23:42.620 And to delight all the more fully. 00:23:43.580 --> 00:23:45.840 In the covering for shame that you have provided. 00:23:46.620 --> 00:23:48.080 We ask this in Jesus' name. 00:23:48.580 --> 00:23:48.820 Amen.