When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

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.”

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.

- from John 2:3-9

Wedding feasts were a big deal in the ancient world. To run out of wine before the feast was over would be humiliating.

Things don’t always work the way we want them to work. We go to bed early but can’t fall asleep. We get the dream job but it isn’t what we expected. We throw a party but it ends before we’re ready for it to end.

Even our most festive moments can be tinged with disappointment. Whatever it was that was supposed to keep the party going, runs out.

Enter Jesus.

In a world that’s constantly running out of resources (“They have no more wine”), Jesus provides access to a uniquely abundant storehouse. Whatever causes our hopes and laughter to wind down – poor planning or malice or mismanagement – Jesus’ grace can cover it all.

Jesus is resource-rich. He has the authority, the permission, the connection to turn the tide of a collapsing party at a wedding in the ancient world. His whole life is marked by bringing abundance and life and play into all kinds of situations.

And then it was all interrupted.

One sudden, shocking night, the party ended early. The One who was the center of it all was taken away before it was over. His followers were left dazed and confused.

But then, as he did at that wedding, Jesus did the unexpected. He rose from the dead. He shook off the shame. He came back to the party.

And so we are no longer defined by scarcity, by what we lack. Instead, enjoy the life-giving Spirit of Jesus and look for opportunities to celebrate.

Where and how can you celebrate this week?