Morning Prayer: Shannon Cook Hymn of Faith *Lift Every Voice and Sing* Witness of Scripture: John 2: 1-11 Anthem *Jesu, Lead My Footsteps Ever* J.S.Bach Chancel Choir Sermon *The Miracle is in Believing* Steve Graham
Recorded on January 19, 2025
The Miracle is Believing! The Good News Shared with the Beloved Community First Christian Church, Norman, Oklahoma Dr. Stephen D. Graham January 19, 2025 John 2:1-11
Ernest Hemingway’s short play “Today is Friday” tells the story of three Roman soldiers reflecting on the crucifixion of a Nazarene Carpenter who claimed to be the Son of God. After the execution, they stop at a tavern in ancient Jerusalem. One soldier, deeply affected, sits quietly, his mind still on the Man they had crucified. With a distant look in his eyes, he says, “He sure looked good in there today.”
Those who study the life and death of Jesus Christ often echo this sentiment: “He sure looked good in there.” The Gospel of John presents a series of signs revealing Jesus’ divine glory—powerful manifestations that demonstrate how profoundly “good” Jesus looked as he lived among us.
Our Gospel passage marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. In John’s account, Jesus calls his first disciples—two fishermen, Peter and Andrew, followed by Nathaniel and Philip—and then travels to Cana. It is there that he performs his first miracle, the turning of water into wine, the first of six “signs” in John’s Gospel. These signs are not merely acts of wonder but intentional revelations of Jesus’ identity and purpose. As John’s Gospel underscores, signs point to something beyond themselves—in this case, to Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, sent by the Father and acting with divine authority.
The miracle at Cana occurs during a wedding celebration filled with joy and abundance. John’s mention of “the third day” immediately signals a deeper significance, foreshadowing the resurrection. Indeed, the “third day” serves as a recurring motif in John’s Gospel, marking events of revelation and transformation. For example, the very next story, the cleansing of the temple (John 2:13-22), is another “third day” narrative. Scholars note the contrast between Jesus’ acceptance in Galilee, where the wedding takes
place, and his rejection in Jerusalem, where the temple cleansing occurs. The wedding signifies joy and unity, while the cleansing foretells judgment and conflict.
John’s retelling of the Cana miracle celebrates what it reveals about Jesus. Verse 11 highlights its impact: “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”
Ann Weems, one of my favorite worship writers, once said, “The real miracle is in believing.” For John, believing is not merely accepting an idea but trusting in a person—Jesus Christ. Jaime Clark-Soles, a New Testament scholar at Perkins Theological Seminary, offers a modern rendering of John 20:31: “But these things are written so that y’all may come to believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing, y’all may have life in his name.”
Notably, John avoids using the noun “faith,” opting instead for the active verb “believe” 98 times throughout his Gospel. For John, belief is dynamic—more than intellectual agreement. It is a personal, transformative commitment to Jesus as the Christ. Belief encompasses both trust and action, inviting us into a living, vibrant relationship with God.
The miracle at Cana revealed Jesus’ glory, even though his ultimate glorification through the cross and resurrection had not yet come. His disciples, seeing this sign, believed in him. The opening of John’s Gospel declares that in Jesus’ human form, we behold God’s glory. God’s glory, glimpsed throughout history, was revealed most fully in Jesus.
Jostein Gaarder’s story of a little girl named Elisabet beautifully illustrates this idea. While talking to an angel, she marvels at a field of wildflowers. The angel replies, “They are part of the glory of heaven that has strayed down to earth. You see, there’s so much glory in heaven that it’s very easy for it to spill over.”
The Old Testament lectionary text from Isaiah offers a similar vision. Isaiah speaks of God’s glory spilling over into the lives of God’s people, promising a new name and identity: “No longer will you be called Forsaken or your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah [My Delight Is in Her], and your land Beulah [Married]. For the Lord delights in you, and your land shall be married” (Isaiah 62:4).
Isaiah’s imagery of marriage reflects God’s covenantal love, a love that transforms desolation into delight. When the people of Israel lived in faithful response to God’s grace, they became signs of God’s glory spilling over into the world. God’s delight in them called them to a life of endless praise and faithful witness.
We, too, are called to invite Jesus to the wedding. And who is the bride? We are. As Christians, we are called to unite our hearts in love, living as witnesses to our belief in Jesus Christ. The hymn reminds us:
“Has he not your love excited? Then let love inspire each breast!”
On this Sunday before the observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, let us recommit to this unity in love. In the words of John Oxenham:
In Christ there is no East or West,In Him no South or North;
But one great fellowship of love
Throughout the whole wide earth.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., in his final sermon at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., just days before his assassination, spoke of his unwavering belief in the possibility of a better world. He said, “I still believe that we shall overcome because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice. I still believe that we shall overcome because Carlyle is right: No lie can live forever. I still believe that we shall overcome because William Cullen Bryant is right: Truth crushed to earth will rise again. I still believe that we shall overcome because James Russell Lowell is right: Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne—yet that scaffold sways the future.”
This enduring faith in justice and the power of truth reflects the kind of dynamic belief that transforms lives and societies. Dr. King’s belief was not passive; it was active, compelling him to act with courage and love, even in the face of adversity. As followers of Christ, we are called to embrace this same kind of belief—one that trusts in God’s promises and manifests in acts of love and unity.
Dr. T. B. Maston, a revered scholar and ethicist, exemplified this unity in his life and work. Although Southwestern Seminary discontinued its doctoral program in Christian
ethics, citing a desire to move “beyond the legacy of T. B. Maston,” his profound influence endures. Joel Gregory, one of his students, recalls visiting Dr. Maston in the hospital. Despite his frailty, Maston was re-reading the Gospels, meticulously noting insights about Jesus from each verse. His belief in Christ was not static but a lifelong pursuit of understanding and faithfulness. Those who knew him could say with certainty, “Christ sure looked good in T. B. Maston.”
In John’s Gospel, Jesus embodies the glory of God, pouring out love and laying down his life. Let us, too, reflect his love in our lives, becoming signs of God’s glory spilling over into the world. The true miracle lies in believing.
We Pray: Lord, may we die to self and live for you. May your love overflow through us, becoming a sign of your presence in the world. In the name of Christ Jesus, in whom we believe, we pray. Amen.