Friday, December 30, 2022

 

Friday, December 30, 2022


Psalms 148; 149

Isaiah 30:29-31:9

John 2:1-12


Observance: Josephine Butler, social reformer (d. 1905)


The LORD takes pleasure in His people.


Often we will come across parts of scripture that seem confusing. Often that will be something that Jesus has said. Often that will be because it seems like He is speaking in a different conversation to everyone else. Today’s response to His mother Mary is one of those moments.


Some interpreters have tried to smooth over Jesus’ tone, by suggesting that the word we have translated as “woman” is a term of endearment, that only seems rough because we have not translated it well. This is not actually the case; the word is not an ancient synonym for “mummy dearest”: Jesus is being short with Mary.


So, Jesus seems to want Mary (and our author wants us) to understand that the next words out of His mouth are going to be important: we need to understand what is going through His mind. Look at the scene: Jesus is at a wedding, as a single man. That is indeed a tough position to be in. But remember, Jesus is also the Lamb of God. At the consummation of this age, the Lamb will be married to the church (Revelation 19:6-9; 21:1-4). Jesus could not have been celebrating this wedding without having a mind towards His own. He also must have been thinking about what, as the perfect Bridegroom, He would have to endure on the cross in order to gain our hand in marriage.


Jesus sets the perfect example for every husband: He is perfectly honourable, defending us from attacks without and repairing broken relationships within; He leads us in worship towards God; He provides for us; He never leads us astray. We are His bride and lover, and so are to display those attributes of a good wife: we listen to what He says, we care for His children, we love Him utterly and stand by Him in public when His name is slandered.


A human marriage is but a shadow, an imperfect sign of the heavenly perfection yet to come. But we all know what a perfect marriage should look like. The marriage between Christ and His church, between us and our God, when every tear will be wiped away and we will live in glorious perfect union with each other, truly is God “saving the best for last”.


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