Even when you’re not looking, Jesus is still at work creating and breathing new life all around us. The second miracle in John happened when no one was looking. It was only after the fact that they truly saw the new life, the miracle that burst forth. Sometimes it takes a bit of hindsight to see exactly what Jesus is doing in our midst... and it’s no less remarkable.

This is for everyone. We often think of Jesus’ miracles as healing the sick, giving sight to the blind, or helping the lame to walk again. However his first miracle was for everyone, it was a great feast, a wedding banquet that didn’t end. There are 8 miracles in the book of John, 8 events that demonstrated and proclaimed the new creation that was bursting forth, the new world that you and I get to not only inhabit but help create. The party that Jesus started is open to all, and we’re only just beginning.

How does the resurrection speak into our current reality? What does resurrection have to do with our current situation? Quarantine is a difficult space, and as we continue to walk down this road, it can be hard to want to actually celebrate. But there’s something in the story of the resurrection that speaks to our current situation. Something that speaks deeply into our current reality. The Gospel of John enlightens us this Easter Sunday as together we walk a new road forward as an Easter people.

It’s hard to hold to the reality that God is with us always, caring for us, leading us, gently, and lovingly if he doesn’t actually like us. The 23rd Psalm shows us a different type of God, a God who is present with us in the ups and downs of life, who desires to show us the beauty of life amidst the pain and difficulties that we experience and that surround us. God is with you... and it’s different than you might expect.

God sees you. All of you. He sees your grit, the rough edges, the not-ready-for-prime-time parts of your being. He sees your stuff...and He still likes you, still wants to be with you, still enjoys your presence. You are seen. You are wanted. And God wants to be in your presence.