Rev Chris Roth

John 2:1-11 In the Gospel of John, I love that Jesus’ ministry starts at a wedding. Isn’t it great to imagine Jesus at this huge celebration, laughing with friends and relatives, dancing, and drinking wine? And this wasn’t like a modern wedding which is usually the good part of an afternoon and evening. This was a huge event. It was a celebration that involved the whole town. Family traveled from other places. Jesus and his mother travelled from Nazareth, which was about 3 miles away. That part isn’t hard to grasp- we understand big weddings. But this wedding would have lasted for several days. People would come and go, and new people would arrive, friends and family, neighbours, all to celebrate the new couple. Hospitality was a huge issue in the Middle East. It still is. Your honour can be bound to your ability to be hospitable and welcoming. The preparation for this party fell on the shoulders of the groom. It was his job to talk to all his family and friends a...

Isaiah 60:1-6 ; Psalm 72:1-7, 10-14 ; Ephesians 3:1-12 ; Matthew 2:1-12 It is a very interesting passage we have here before us in the Gospel of Matthew. Men came to Jerusalem from somewhere in the East. We don’t know from where- perhaps Persia, or Arabia, or somewhere else, we don’t know. The song we often sing on this day proclaims “three kings”, but Matthew doesn’t actually indicate that they were kings. Though, perhaps someone could have mistaken them for kings based on the gifts they carried. In the story of the magi later Christians heard an echo of Isaiah 60:3,6b  “Nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn ...  They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD" .  Likewise, in Psalm 72:10-11  “May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts. May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service”.  In the ma...