Isaiah 62:1-5

Late in the book of Isaiah we get another author, sometimes referred to as III Isaiah (3rd Isaiah). In this passage, he is quoting YHWH. He recognizes that Jerusalem has been so utterly destroyed that its very name is now Abandoned and Desolate. But those oh so optimistic prophets hear the word of the Lord and says its name will be My Delight is in Her and your land will be Married. "Beulah" is the Hebrew for those of you familiar with the hymn "Dwelling in Beulah Land". This part of Isaiah is used around Epiphany and Christmas precisely for its message of hope in the face an ugly reality. It's the same message as the gospels so the co-opting of it by Christianity is not surprising. A central theme of all Bible stories is that there is some intention to history, some ultimate goal.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

I covered this on Pentecost in Year A. I don't have anything add at this time.

John 2:1-11

The gospel of John shows a Jesus pretty full of himself. Unlike the other gospels, he knows his mission from the beginning and talks about it all the time. Not always so obvious though, is how it contradicts some of the more strict interpretations of that mission. Drinking for instance. This is a wedding, a sacred ritual, so I'm not advocating drinking every day all day, but under the right circumstances, it's obviously okay with Jesus. Not only that, Jesus brings the good stuff instead of getting chintzy with the guests that are already two sheets to the wind. There are some interesting analogies you could make from that, but as always, the author had to tack on that this is not just some cool trick, but a sign of his glory.