Photo by Fauzan Saari on Unsplash

Dear Saints of First Lutheran,

Championship time reminds us, “It’s not how you start … but how you finish.”  In other words, “Save the best for last.”  As a Steelers fan, things were looking good early on.  Now … well the Steelers are golfing, fishing, or healing.  I’m also a Red Sox fan.  They started the year on fire.  Struggled a bit through the middle.  But they saved the best for last and won the World Series.  It’s not how one starts, but how one finishes.

Jesus’ first miracle turned water into wine.  He’s at a wedding enjoying the festivities.  Jesus has been baptized and some heard His Father’s voice, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17) He called a few disciples.  But He hadn’t really done much in His ministry.  At this wedding, Mary, His mother, informs Him the party is out of wine.  Jesus says in essence, “So what. What’s that got to do with anything?”  But Jesus listens to His mom’s request and promptly turns six jars filled with water into wine.  When the host tasted the wine Jesus created, he was amazed saying, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then the poor wine.  But you have kept the good wine until now.” (John 2:10) Jesus first miracle looks to save the best for last. 

Throughout His earthly ministry Jesus does many truly miraculous things.  He heals lepers.  He returns sight to the blind.  He restores mobility to the crippled.  He shows His mastery over nature by stilling storms, walking on water, and multiplying fish and bread to feed the hungry.  Jesus even raises people from the dead!  But these miracles pale in comparison to what He saved for last.

Jesus claimed to be God.  He did things only God could do … chief among them, forgiving sins and restoring peace between man and God just as God had promised through His prophets.  Yet, despite these acts, His own people failed to see Jesus for who He truly was … the Son of God.  Instead, they saw Him as one who claimed to be God – a blasphemer who deserved to die.  So, they had Him crucified.  Three days later, Jesus, saving the best for last, showed them He truly was the Son of God.  He rose from the dead to new life.  In doing so, He proved, in the end that He is indeed who He said He was … that He had the authority to claim to be … the Son of God.

The Son of God saves the best for last for us too.  We all have moments of triumph in life.  We experience the joy of achievement.  We might even contribute to the excitement of many victories.  But, we also experience sorrow and suffering.  Then we die.  All along though, we also live in peace, through faith in Christ, knowing that as high as our highs might be … or as low as the lows are … the best will be saved for last.  When our Lord, Jesus Christ returns on the last day, we will join Him in the eternal wedding feast in the Kingdom of Heaven.  The best wine will be ours for eternity.

                                      Your Fellow Saint,

                                                                                                Pastor Jim