GOD REJOICES IN HIS PEOPLE

II SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Jn 2:1-11

The Gospel of John, being the last to be written, instead of repeating the same basic narratives of the other gospels, uses a different approach, giving us a deeper insight into the person of Jesus Christ and into his role and his salvific work.

In the Synoptics (the gospels of Matthew, Marc and Luke), the ministry of Jesus starts with his baptism, which is at the same time a vocation, an investiture and a manifestation (revelation): He is the Son, the beloved, who comes to proclaim the Good News of salvation and to carry it out. In John’s gospel, there is nothing about his baptism by the Baptist. Instead, we are presented with the testimony of John, who indicates Jesus as the Lamb of God to his disciples. Then Jesus gathered about himself a small group of disciples, with whom he went to the wedding at Cana. 

It was there, that he “revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.” (Jn 2:11)

Reading the passage about the wedding of Cana (Jn 2:1-11), we can easily notice that Jesus went in as a guest, and came out as the Messiah, in whom the disciples believed. The first community of faith - the Church, which is the body of Christ - was established. In the wedding, Jesus took the central stage, presenting himself as the true groom, who comes to establish a new covenant of everlasting love. Indeed, Jesus is going to bring to fulfilment God’s promise, proclaimed by the prophet Isaiah:

“no longer are you to be named ‘Forsaken’,

nor your land ‘Abandoned’,

but you shall be called ‘My Delight’

and your land ‘The Wedded’;

for the Lord takes delight in you

and your land will have its wedding.

Like a young man marrying a virgin,

so will the one who built you wed you,

and as the bridegroom rejoices in his bride,

so will your God rejoice in you.” (Is 62:4-5)

God cherishes, sustains, protects and defends his people, because they are his beloved spouse, to whom he has committed himself in a covenant of love. And God rejoices in his people. Jesus came to show God’s rejoicing in his people, a joy that fills our hearts, a contagious joy, which cannot be hidden, because in his mercy and faithful love, he has bestowed on us all his blessings.

In the Gospel of John, Jesus begins his ministry in a wedding. Interestingly, the book of Revelation presents the completion and fulfilment of our salvation as the wedding of the Lamb to his wife, the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:9).

At Cana, Jesus changed the water into wine, showing that he has come to change the water of our tears into the wine of joy that comes from God’s love poured into our hearts. God’s people will never more be called “Forsaken”, or “Abandoned”, because God himself will call them “My Delight”.