Wedding Gifts

January 20, 2013

Isaiah 62:1-5 John 2:1-11 1 Corinthians 12:1-11

I want those of you who are, or have been married to think back to your wedding day. For those of you who have never been married, I would like you to remember some of the weddings that you have likely attended during your life. Think back. Do you remember the expressions on the faces of the bride and groom? Do you remember how you felt? Think back. Do you remember what sorts of gifts that you, or others, were given for their wedding? For years when the economy was poorer, the famous gifts were toasters and towels. My parents were married after World War Two and I remember my mother telling me that they received so many towels as wedding presents that they boxed some of them up for future use and finally used them all a decade or two after they were married. Many people got three or four toasters or some other small, affordable, kitchen appliance. When my friends and I had just graduated from college we often went to the weddings of college friends and had little or no money to buy expensive gifts. One of my friends, I think it was Randy Crider or his mom, hit upon the idea of giving a good quality toilet plunger with rolls of toilet paper slid over the handle. There were several reasons for this; it was not terribly expensive, no one else was likely to give this to them, recent college graduates are not likely to already have one, they were useful, and finally, most people dont think to buy one until the toilet is overflowing and by then, its too late. Im not sure, but I think the one in our bathroom today might have been our wedding present from Randy. Remember how you felt on your wedding day. Remember the dreams that you had for the future. Do you remember what you hoped might be in those brightly wrapped presents? What sorts of gifts did you hope to receive? I ask you to remember because the memories and hopes that we had (or have) for our own weddings are often used as a picture of Gods love for us. In Isaiah 62:1-5, God declares that he will bring something greater than healing to Israel For Zions sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalems sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch. 2 The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. 3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORDs hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah [translation: My delight is in her], and your land Beulah [translation: married]; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. 5 As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. I would like to draw your attention to three verses within this passage. First, in verse two, God declares that Israel will be vindicated (which means to be cleared, absolved or exonerated). God says that Israel will be called by a new name that the Lord will give to her. Second, in verse four, God says that people will no longer say that Israel is desolate or deserted but that she is married to God and that God delights in her. Finally, God compares his relationship with his people to that of a young man rejoicing over his bride. This picture of God being married to his people is often repeated Remember that the later chapters of Isaiah were written to a nation that had been defeated in battle and carried off into slavery. Even worse, it was the Babylonians who defeated them and they were essentially the same nation with whom they had once been allies. Ahaz, The king of the tribes of Judah had made an alliance with 1

Assyria, despite the warnings of Isaiah, to fight against the northern tribes of Israel and the nation of Syria. After Israel had been defeated, the Assyrians were defeated by the Babylonians in what was very nearly a civil war (since Babylon was already a part of the Assyrian Empire) and who then turned on their allies and defeated Judah as well. Gods people felt downhearted, defeated, betrayed, even raped and abused. Their nation was gone, their temple was destroyed, their people, even their friends were all defeated, captured and relocated to other parts of the Babylonian Empire. The ten tribes of the northern kingdom of Israel would never be heard from again in history, and became known, even today, as the lost tribes. The people and the nation of Israel had been named or labeled as Desolate, Deserted, raped, pillaged, ruined, separated, enslaved, cursed and worse. The people labeled themselves too; they were ashamed, impure, hated, ugly, and forgotten. Although our cities werent burned to the ground we can see elements of that story in Trinitys story cant we? After the events of last year I have heard that Trinity Church is thought of as named or labeled. People have said that we are That church, damaged goods, troubled, afflicted, angry, and perhaps even cursed. I have heard people here say that they are saddened, hurt, wounded and ashamed. And what about you? Have you ever been labeled? Weve all been called names. What names have people tried to stick to you during the course of your life? Think of the names that others have thrown at you during your life loser, stupid, ugly, slow, untalented, angry, uncoordinated and worse. Into this gloom and depression come Gods words of a brighter future. Not just a better future, but an awesome one. God says that his people will be vindicated, cleared, exonerated of their slavery and embarrassment. The whole world will not only see that they have returned but also that the world will see their glory. So different will Gods people be, so different will their nation be, that they will be known by a new name that God will give to them. So blessed will they be, that they will be a crown of splendor in the Lords hand. Instead of being known as desolate and deserted, they will be known as Gods delight, or, married to God. Perhaps these things, taken together are a part of why a bride takes a new name when she is married. God says that he will marry his people just as a young man marries a woman and he will rejoice over his bride just as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride. The day after our wedding I couldnt understand why parts of my face hurt until I realized that the day before I had been smiling for the entire day. God loves us like that. God feels joy like that when he looks at his church when he looks at us. God writes to his people to declare his unending love for them and to declare that their mourning will be turned to dancing, their gloom turned to exaltation, and their depression turned to rejoicing. Jesus knows something about gifts and weddings. (John 2:1-11) On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus mother said to him, They have no more wine.
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Woman, why do you involve me? Jesus replied. My hour has not yet come. His mother said to the servants, Do whatever he tells you.

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.
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Jesus said to the servants, Fill the jars with water; so they filled them to the brim. Then he told them, Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet. 2

They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.
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What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him. Jesus had been baptized by John, but had not yet begun his ministry but he cared about the people who had been married (he had to know them, he was invited, his mother was invited and even his disciples had been invited). Jesus knew that it would be an embarrassment for the hosts to run out of wine so early in the celebration. Jesus knew that it could cause serious harm to their reputation and honor. On top of that, Jesus mother had not only asked him to do something about it, she had faith that he could and trusted that he would do the right thing. Jesus gave a wonderful wedding gift to the bride and groom as well as to the hosts who, more than likely, were the parents of the newly married couple. Why is this important? Because Jesus brings gifts to his wedding as well. Several times in Matthew, Mark and Luke, Jesus is referred to, or names himself as the bridegroom. If God is to be married to his people and Jesus is the bridegroom, then we, the church, are his bride. We are, as Isaiah said, married to God, who delights in us and rejoices over us and our wedding did not come without gifts. In 1 Corinthians 12:1-11, Paul writes to remind the church that the Spirit of God gives gifts to the followers of Jesus Christ. Not everyone gets the same gifts, but every one of us is given something. Now about the gifts of the Spirit, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be uninformed. 2 You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. 3 Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, Jesus be cursed, and no one can say, Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit.
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There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5 There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6 There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
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Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8 To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10 to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11 All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. There are people today who believe that God gave gifts to the early church in the first century after the resurrection of Jesus but that after a time stopped giving them. I dont see that idea in evidence anywhere. Clearly Pauls churches were given these gifts and more importantly, Paul says that these gifts are given by the Holy Spirit and each gift is designed to suit the type of service to which God has called that person. Because Jesus told us that he would send the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, after he returned to his Father in heaven, I dont see any reason why there would be a time limit or a statute of limitations on these sorts of gifts. While all of these gifts are not always in evidence in our local churches, I am not certain that their absence is caused by a shortage of Gods generosity or by a shortage of our faith. Certainly, we see some of these gifts, wisdom, knowledge, and discernment so why would we doubt the gifts of healing, language, and prophecy? Patti and I dont give useless gifts to our children and neither does God. Gods gifts are designed to suit the type of service 3

to which he has called each person. We receive the gifts that we need, when we need them. Because of our wealth and our technology, perhaps some of these gifts are less evident because we have less need of them or because we have less faith in them. For me, the one of the most important parts of Pauls message is this, to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. God loves you more than you can know. He loves us and rejoices over each of us just as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride. Jesus knew something about the tradition of gift giving at weddings, one of his first recorded acts was to give a grand gift to people that he knew and cared about. Because we are his beloved, the bride of Christ, the Holy Spirit gives us gifts, each according to the service to which he has called us. Each of us has received Gods gifts through the Holy Spirit, not for our personal benefit, but for the common good, for the benefit of Gods kingdom and building of Christs church on earth. Today we hear the message of God spoken through his prophet Isaiah. We are the bride of Christ. We have been given a new name. Israel will no longer be known as desolate or deserted or any of those other names. All the old labels are gone. Instead Israel is to be known as The delight of God and, Married to God. Trinity church will no longer be known as That church or wounded or separated, but instead will be known as Gods beloved and Blessed. We are the bride of Christ. Jesus looks us in the eyes, the eyes of his beloved, and tells us that there is no more shame I have taken it all. The message of God sent through his prophet Isaiah for the people of Israel is just as valid today as it was then, just as true for Trinity Church as it was for Israel and just as healing for each one of us as it once was for them. We will no longer be known as damaged goods, or ugly, or stupid or fat, or scrawny, or short or uncoordinated. God promises that you will reveal the glory of God to the world and everyone who labeled you will see your new name. You are the glory of God. And he loves you like a bridegroom loves his bride.

You have been reading a message presented at Trinity United Methodist Church on the date noted at the top of the first page. Rev. John Partridge is the pastor at Trinity of Perry heights in Massillon, Ohio. Duplication of this message is a part of our Media ministry, if you have received a blessing in this way, we would love to hear from you. Letters and donations in support of the Media ministry or any of our other projects may be sent to Trinity United Methodist Church, 3757 Lincoln Way E., Massillon, Ohio 44646. These messages are available to any interested persons regardless of membership. You may subscribe to these messages, in print or electronic formats, by writing to the address noted, or by contacting us at subscribe@trinityperryheights.org. If you have questions, you can ask them in our discussion forum on Facebook (search for Pastor John Online). These messages can also be found online at http://www.scribd.com/Pastor John Partridge. All Scripture references are from the New International Version unless otherwise noted.