TWO DAYS LATER. [Two days later = the third day.] This is two days later, measured from the calling of Philip (John 1:43). The "days" mentioned in the first two Chapter s of John make a week, and may form a contrast to the last week of Christ's public ministry (John 12:1). A WEDDING IN THE TOWN OF C... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS AND HIS DISCIPLES HAD ALSO BEEN INVITED. Jesus now had disciples with him: John, Andrew, Peter, Philip, Nathanael.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ARE OUT OF WINE. This would be a great disgrace in the East, at such a celebration. The fact that she says this shows both that she must have been related to the family [or at least a very close friend]; and that she expected Jesus to do something about it. [Wine = oinos.]... [ Continue Reading ]
YOU MOST NOT TELL ME WHAT TO DO, WOMAN. This sounds harsh and rude in our language, but "woman" is a term of gentle respect (John 19:26), even though Jesus is mildly scolding his human mother here. There is also a hint in this that his _mission_ would require him to follow a different route than she... [ Continue Reading ]
DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU. She seems to understand that he will do something about the shortage of wine.... [ Continue Reading ]
SIX STONE WATER JARS WERE THERE. On the "religious rules," see note on Matthew 15:2; Mark 7:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW DRAW SOME WATER OUT. Note Jesus made between 120 and 180 gallons of wine [oraos]. _Augustine_ says: "He that hath made wine that day in those six waterpots does the same every year in the vines. For as what the servants put in the waterpots was changed into wine by the operation of the Lord, jus... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE TASTED THE WATER, WHICH HAD TURNED INTO WINE. The man in charge of the feast would be similar to our "toastmaster.... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERYONE ELSE SERVES THE BEST WINE FIRST. Notice that even though they have already drunk up all the wine in the house, he immediately tastes the superiority of the wine Jesus made. [Scholars have argued long and loud over the wine Jesus made here. It may have been a kind of "grape-cider." The Bible... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS PERFORMED THIS FIRST OF HIS MIGHTY WORKS IN CANA OF GALILEE. We think of Jesus as a "man of sorrows" [which is true, up to a point], but we see him perform his first miracle in the happy and festive atmosphere of a _wedding-feast_! AND HIS DISCIPLES BELIEVED IN HIM. That is, their faith was ma... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS AND HIS MOTHER, BROTHERS. The natural meaning of this is that these were his brothers in the flesh, sons of Mary. His sisters in the flesh are mentioned in Matthew 13:55-56; Mark 6:3. No hint is given in the Bible of the _dogma_ of "Mary's perpetual virginity." See note on Luke 11:27-28. WENT... [ Continue Reading ]
IT WAS ALMOST TIME. This will be Jesus' first Passover since he began his public ministry. Only John tells us about this first purifying of the temple. See notes on Matthew 21:12-13.... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE TEMPLE. This would be in the Court of the Gentiles. HE FOUND MEN SELLING. It was not proper for them to be selling animals for sacrifice inside the temple. [The selling of animals for sacrifice was all right in itself, and was a needed service for the great crowds of people who came to worshi... [ Continue Reading ]
HE MADE A WHIP FROM CORDS. Notice he used it on the animals. The whip was mostly _symbolic._ This is the first time he demonstrated his _authority._... [ Continue Reading ]
DO NOT MAKE MY FATHER'S HOUSE A MARKET PLACE! God no longer lives in temples made by men (Acts 17:24). It is a sin to use religion as a money making scheme (1 Timothy 6:5). [But "the worker deserves his wages" (1 Timothy 5:17-18).]... [ Continue Reading ]
MY DEVOTION TO YOUR HOUSE, GOD. Quoted from Psalms 69:9.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT MIRACLE CAN YOU PERFORM? To do what Jesus had just done required some authority. They are asking him to prove this authority by performing some miracle that would impress them.... [ Continue Reading ]
TEAR DOWN THIS HOUSE OF GOD. He speaks of the miracle of Jonah (see note on John 2:4). The "house of God" is his own human body. Even his disciples didn't understand this, until after he raised from death. IT HAS TAKEN FORTY-SIX YEARS. Solomon had built the first temple, which had been destroyed. Af... [ Continue Reading ]
MANY BELIEVED IN HIM. These "mighty works" are mentioned again in John 3:4, but nothing else is known of them.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT JESUS DID NOT TRUST HIMSELF TO THEM. He knew only too well what their real character was, and what some of them would do to him.... [ Continue Reading ]