Get Ready
Have you had an experience where someone did something to turn an ordinary event into something really special and memorable? What did the person do? What was your reaction? How did the other people who were present react?
The Word
2On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” 4 And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” 5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. 8 He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the chief steward.” So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they remained there a few days.
13 The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 Making a whip of cords, he drove all of them out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle. He also poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 He told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17 His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” 18 The Jews then said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” 19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20 The Jews then said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?” 21 But he was speaking of the temple of his body.
22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
23 When he was in Jerusalem during the Passover festival, many believed in his name because they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what was in everyone. NRSV
Get into the word
1. What is going on as this chapter opens? What role does Jesus have at the beginning of this story? Who else is involved?
2. What is Mary’s response to the problem with the wine? How does Jesus respond to her statement? Does this deter Mary? What happens next?
3. Why do you suppose John includes this incident in the Gospel? What does it tell us about Jesus?
4. What is the next incident the John reports? What is happening in the temple? What does Jesus do in response to the situation?
5. Why do you think Jesus reacted so strongly? What do the disciples do when they see Jesus’ actions?
6. Why do you think the Jews wanted a miraculous sign? Do you believe they really wanted Jesus to confirm who he was? What is Jesus’ answer?
7. What did the Jews do with Jesus response to their demand? How do the disciples react to this interchange? Did they “get it?”
Get Personal
What do Jesus’ actions in these two incidents tell you about his attitude toward daily life? Toward religion? How has God helped you see the path for your life? For your relationship with him?
Notes . . .
2:3. Gave out — a Jewish wedding lasted seven days, so the host needed a good supply of wine to cover that period of time. Running out of wine (or food) was considered a major social error.
Jesus’ mother — the men and women guests usually stayed in separate quarters, with the women’s area closer to the work and storage spaces, so Mary would hear about the problem before the men.
2:4. What concern is that — the Greek is actually “what have I to do with you?” which is a fairly abrupt statement of distance or non-involvement.
My hour — this is the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, which will end at the cross.
2:5. Do whatever he tells you — like many other people in the Bible, Mary basically ignores Jesus’ statement and expects that he will do something about the situation (think about Jacob, Moses, Ruth, the woman Elisha stays with [2 Kings4:14-28], or the Gentile woman with the sick child who confronts Jesus [Mark 7:24-30]).
2:7. Fill the jars with water — this is Jesus’ first public miracle and it shows the pattern for all the other miracles: first, Jesus works with what is at hand, he doesn’t create something out of thin air; second, he involves other people in the event; third, he demonstrates his authority over the natural world by changing the nature of the liquid in the jars; and he responds to a human need, just as God responds to our needs in this world.
2:11. Revealed his glory — miracles in the Old Testament showed God’s power and authority, his glory. Jesus has the same purpose.
2:12. Capernaum — Jesus used this city as his ministry base in Galilee, even though he did not have many followers there [check Matt 11:23 and Luke 10:15].
2:13. Passover — the annual celebration lasted a week – Passover the first day and the Feast of Unleavened Bread the other six days – and all Jewish males were expected to go to Jerusalem for the event [the requirement is at Deut 16:16].
2:14. Temple — the center of Jewish worship, the building Jesus knew was built in 515 BCE when the Jews returned from exile, and remodeled by Herod the Great (in fact the work was still going on during Jesus’ lifetime).
Merchants . . . dealers — Mosaic law required Jews to offer sacrifices from their own livestock when they went to the Temple, but by Jesus’ time most people bought a sacrificial animal after they arrived, and many needed to exchange their personal money for Jewish currency (at exorbitant exchange rates).
NOTE: The Synoptic Gospels place Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple during his final visit to Jerusalem (also during Passover) shortly before he was killed [compare Matt 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-46].
2:17. It was written — Psalm 69:9.
2:18. Miraculous sign — throughout their history the Jews demanded signs of God’s presence or power. Clearly they do not realize that Jesus is the sign God is giving them.
2:19. This temple — John clues in the reader in v. 21: Jesus means his own body.
Memory Verse
Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,” [2:19]
Next Lesson
Nicodemus and John the Baptist — John 3:1-36
