A Work in Progress Bible Commentary
By: Chip Crush

JOHN
CHAPTER 2

Jesus Changes Water to Wine

1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no more wine."
4"Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come."
5His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you."
6Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[1]
7Jesus said to the servants, "Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim.
8Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."
9They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."
11This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.

Jesus Clears the Temple

12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16To those who sold doves he said, "Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father's house into a market!"
17His disciples remembered that it is written: "Zeal for your house will consume me."[2]
18Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days."
20The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.

In keeping with the tabernacle imagery theme, recall that the children of Israel passed through the waters of the Red Sea after the Passover and before they were sustained with manna in the wilderness. Similarly, on a visit to the tabernacle, you would first come to the altar – where the Passover lamb was sacrificed (the Lamb of God as we saw last time), then before entering the tent of meeting where the Bread of Presence was kept, you would pass by the laver – the washing basin for the priests to be cleansed. That is the imagery we get from John in this and upcoming passages – all the way to chapter 5 or 6. We are absolved from the guilt of sin through the blood sacrifice, and we are cleansed of impurity through the washing with water. Water is both cleansing and life-sustaining. We need both aspects of it, and God provides both to us in Christ. So think “water” as cleansing and sustaining as a behind-the-scenes theme for John in the next 3 chapters. A summary of this chapter, and maybe even the next 3, might be the phrase, “Out with the old and in with the new.”

  1. V1-2 – A wedding in Cana of Galilee. John explains first that this wedding took place “on the third day.” This could also be rendered, “Three days later.” While a simple read through the Gospels may fail to pick up on these timeline indicators, a study of the Gospels cannot fail to notice some apparent inconsistencies. If we go with the timeline John provides, this wedding and the first miracle that Jesus publicly performs occur on the third day after the beginning or on the third day of Jesus’ ministry. And so the question arises, “When did Jesus’ ministry begin?” Many say that His baptism signified the beginning of His ministry. The other Gospels record Jesus’ temptation in the desert for 40 days as occurring immediately after His baptism (Mark 1; Matthew 4; Luke 4-5), and upon hearing of the arrest of John the Baptist, only then did He come to Galilee and call His first disciples, thus commencing His ministry. So perhaps this timeline of John omits the 40 days of temptation to suggest that the timeline begins in John 1:19 after the temptation in the wilderness, when Jesus comes to Galilee. But what then do we make of John the Baptist’s arrest? Supposedly, Jesus only came to Galilee after hearing of John’s arrest, and only then did He call His first disciples. But here in John’s Gospel, Andrew and John begin following Jesus while in Bethany across the Jordan (John 1:28) – before Jesus left for Galilee (John 1:43). He even called Philip and Nathanael before coming to Galilee. The other Gospels record the calling of Andrew, Peter, James, and John in Galilee, while they are fishing, after John’s the Baptist’s arrest. So there are some difficulties. Some suggest John the Baptist was arrested on more than one occasion. Others say that it’s not important. Maybe John records events from early on and events from late in the game and leaves out the middle – as he knew it was covered in the other accounts. Jesus traveled to Galilee numerous times, and He could have called the disciples numerous times as well, as in different training sessions and finally a permanent residing mentorship. This issue may remain unresolved for now, the point for us to take from this passage is this: when Jesus begins His ministry, there’s no dilly-dallying. He’s called into action immediately.

    It is thought that there were at least three Canas in the general region at this time. This Cana is presumed to be the smallest and least significant Cana for a couple reasons: it was a one-day journey from Capernaum (John 4), it was no more than a three-day journey from Bethsaida, where Jesus had been in chapter 1, and it had to be near Nazareth as both Jesus and His mother were invited. Notice that Jesus’ disciples were also invited. This would lead us to believe that a close relative of Jesus was taking a wife. The groom would have gladly wanted his close relative, Jesus to have a good time, and if that meant bringing 4 extra friends along, he would accommodate them. Notice the bridegroom is the one offering the banquet, not the bride’s family. Finally, we can also infer that the man getting married was poor. After all, it’s a small-town wedding, and he runs out of wine prematurely. Nevertheless, he is still hospitable to Jesus’ disciples. The poor are generally the most welcoming.

  2. V3-5 – Mary and Jesus’ interaction. Mary tells Jesus that they have no more wine. It is suggested by some commentators that she merely expects Him to offer some kind words to draw any malcontent away from the bridegroom. But others with whom I agree think Mary intends for Jesus to do something about the situation. After all, she says to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” Jesus’ response is perhaps confusing, beginning first with what literally reads: “What’s it to Me?” It doesn’t sound polite. It is suggested that He calls Mary “woman,” rather than “mother,” to ensure that the focus on God’s work stays with Him and does not drift into sharing His glory with His mother. While it is right to give honor to whom honor is due, Jesus wants none of us to worship His mother for her role; all the worship must be directed to the Triune Godhead. It is also suggested that He calls Mary “woman” in light of Genesis 3:15, where it is prophesied that the seed of woman would crush the head of Satan. Perhaps Jesus is referring to Mary as that woman, and He is that seed. Consider that Jesus is saying to Mary, “I am your Son, but I’m more than that. I’m the Son. You aren’t the one who decides when I do the will of the Father. The Father decides.” And lastly, and perhaps most plainly, “woman” was a common way to address respectfully address a woman in the culture – Jesus normally addresses women in this manner (John 4:21; 8:10). Next, Jesus says, “My time has not yet come.” He suggests to Mary that He will do something about it, but it’s not because she wants Him to. And she seems to understand what He’s saying. She gets the message. She doesn’t bug Him about it. Let’s look at her final remarks:

    We acknowledge that when Mary tells the servants to do whatever Jesus tells them to do, she is specifically speaking of this episode involving the wine. But, as many commentators point out, we can take this further. Rather than tell Jesus what to do, Mary says to do what He says to do. How appropriate! In all things, Jesus has authority, and when we come to Him, He doesn’t send us to His mother. Of course, Catholics love to go to the Holy Mother and enter her presence. She tells us here: I can’t do anything, but my Son can. Obey Him. Mary rightly points us to Jesus.

  3. V6-11 – Jesus’ first miracle and the response to it. In v6, John describes the stone jars. Why? He is evidencing the validity of the miracle. If there were only one or two jars, it might be possible that they were carted in from some other place while no one was looking. But 6 jars (some 120-180 gallons) couldn’t have been produced on a whim. If only one jar had been changed from water to wine, the miracle could have been considered insignificant – a fluke. But all the jars were changed, and thus the miracle is not only authenticated, but also considered significant. Furthermore, the jars symbolize the old ritual of ceremonial washing, while the wine Jesus creates is a symbol of eternal life in God’s Kingdom.

    Jesus’ command to fill the jars with water served to authenticate the miracle as well. The servants could be certain that they themselves had put water in the jars, and thus only by miraculous means could wine be drawn out. And Jesus commands that the master of the banquet be the first to taste the wine. And the master was amazed at the quality and commended the bridegroom for providing the best wine near the end of the banquet. Essentially here, Jesus is solving a problem while at the same time putting the people on trial. If God blesses us with choice wines, are we able to maintain sobriety? If God blesses us with abundant food, do we have the self-control to avoid gluttony? If God gives us opportunity to give generously through a vast inheritance or successful career, do we have the discipline to avoid wasting wealth on a life of luxury? Isn’t that the way it seems to work? We pray for a blessing; the blessing is granted; we take it for granted or waste it away with poor choices. When we are blessed, we need to be discerning. But let’s not get whiny about this miracle. Rejoice! Here’s why: Everything Jesus does is good. He gives us the best. He pours out blessings on His people in abundance and extravagance.

    Finally, we are told that this first miracle, performed in an insignificant town at a significant event (marriage before God), served one purpose – to display or reveal or manifest His glory. We are not told that the bridegroom was ever made aware of what happened. We are not told that the master of the banquet ever found out what Jesus did. But the servants knew, and His disciples knew. They put their faith in Him. And His glory was revealed. Jesus’ glory is revealed when people believe on Him. This conclusion also fits with John’s overall theme (John 20:31).

  4. V12-13 – Jesus’ travels to Capernaum and on to Jerusalem. John here builds on to the timeline of Jesus’ ministry. After the wedding miracle, He heads to Capernaum with His mother, brothers, and disciples; John interestingly separates brothers and disciples here – Catholicism groups these into one group, denying that Jesus had any brothers since Mary remained a virgin her whole life (Matthew 12:46). Now a few days later, He comes to Jerusalem and cleanses the Temple. The other Gospel authors tell us of such an event (Matthew 21:12; Mark 11:15; Luke 19:45), but those accounts occur near the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, leaving us to wonder about the accuracy of John’s account.

    Most suggest that there were at least two such Temple cleansings in Jerusalem, one at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as recorded here by John, and another near the end of His ministry as recorded by the other Gospels. None of the Gospels record both, however, so some (especially liberal) commentators suggest that there was only one cleansing, likely occurring at the end of Jesus’ ministry. Those who hold this view make John’s account out to be non-chronological history. They must labor to explain that John’s timeline (i.e. the next day, three days later, a few days) is not literal, but being liberal, they generally don’t mind that. They suggest that those terms suggest an uncertain amount of time, as John is not interested in literal day-to-day events, but symbols and types. Here is one explanation of John’s symbolism:

    “There can be little doubt but that many of the events related by John have a symbolical significance that places Jesus’ ministry in the stream of redemptive history. The first miracle – the changing of water at the wedding in Cana – is a sign (2:11). A wedding is a symbol of the messianic days (Isaiah 54:4-8; 62:4-5), and both a wedding and a banquet appear in the Synoptic Gospels as symbols of the Messianic era (Matthew 8:11; 22:1-14; Luke 22:16-18). Revelation pictures the Messianic consummation in terms of a wedding (Revelation 19:9). In John’s Gospel, the wedding at Cana symbolizes the presence of the Messianic salvation; wine symbolizes the joy of the Messianic feast (see Mark 2:19); the six stone jars used for Jewish rites of purification symbolize the Old Testament era that is [imperfect and] now ending; and Mary’s statement, ‘they have no wine,’ becomes a pregnant reflection on the barrenness of Jewish purification, much in the vein of Mark 7:1-24. John deliberately places the cleansing of the Temple at the very beginning of his Gospel, much as Luke places Jesus’ rejection at Nazareth at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry as another sign (2:23). John interprets this to represent the Messiah’s lordship over the Temple. It will be destroyed and replaced by all that is represented in Jesus’ resurrection (2:19-20). The idea that the Temple worship, both in Jerusalem and in Samaria, is to be displaced by worship inspired by the Spirit is overtly asserted in 4:20-24.”

    I prefer the “two cleansings” view for the sake of the “the next day, the third day, and a few days” and its fit with the surrounding material toward the theme of Jesus’ ushering out the old and making all things new (it also makes sense when considered with Mark 11:15-18 – they didn’t plot to kill Jesus yet). Perhaps the best reason to prefer the “two cleansings” view is this: while John alone (v19) records Jesus claim, “Destroy this Temple, and I’ll raise it up again in three days,” the other Gospel writers refer to it (Matthew 26:61; 27:40; Mark 14:58; 15:29; Acts 6:14). These authors, though writing earlier, confirm the historicity of John’s account. Any thoughts? Finally, it is also suggested by commentators that the Cana wedding event is parallel to Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus and that the Temple cleansing event is parallel to Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman. What importance is that? We’ll talk more about it as we cross those passages in John 3-4.

  5. V14-16 – Jesus drives out the merchants from the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus heads to Jerusalem for Passover, as every law-abiding Jew would do, and He sees the merchants selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and others exchanging money right there in the Temple courts. Before going further, let’s consider the motive for bringing these practices to the Temple courts. Why were the moneychangers there? All Jewish males were required to pay a Temple tax at Passover, and the Jewish leadership did not accept Roman money, as Caesar’s likeness was engraved on the coins. So the moneychangers would take the Jews’ Roman money and give them coins that the Jewish leadership would accept for the Temple tax. And you know the exchange rates during Passover weren’t quite in the favor of the Jewish visitors to Jerusalem. Next, why were there folks selling doves, sheep, and cattle? Again, the visitors to Jerusalem were required by law to offer sacrifices according to what they could afford. Picture an influx of people to a relatively small city all hurried and forced to have animals for sacrifices. The visitors could come unprepared and get their taxes and sacrifices taken care of as they entered the Temple. What a great idea to make it easy and convenient on the visitors, right? Do you there was any price-gouging going on? Remember the animals offered for sacrifices had to be perfect – without spot or blemish. It’s tough to carry an animal for miles and miles on a long journey without something happening.

    Think about it: we have a bookstore and a café just outside the sanctuary at Southeast so that people can get everything they need for their spiritual walk and physical hunger and thirst requirements. It’s seems like a good idea, right? We’re taking care of people’s needs were they are, and that’s perhaps what these Temple merchants and moneychangers were thinking. But you know as well as I do that there were other motives. Think about buying a hotdog and coke at the basketball or baseball or football game. You could buy 10 times as much at the grocery store for the same money. It was all about the money. These folks had profit on their minds. Passover was the biggest money making event of the year for these folks. It’s like Christmas time at the mall. Folks will do just about anything to rent a prime space for the holiday shopping season. The Temple court was where a God-seeker, someone who really was taken up the monotheism of Jewish religion, could come, ask questions, and hear about faith in God. But with all of this commerce and noise and banter and commotion, people were being hindered from coming to know God. It desecrated God; it was worship without reverence. Worship should always be reverent. People who see a worship service for the first time ought to think, “Surely God is in this place!”

    So, with that said, some suggest that Jesus is angry about the motives of these folks – which He knows perfectly well. We’ll see how well He knows them in v23-25 of this chapter. They might say that it’s not their practices that He despises, but their attitudes. And He drives them out with a whip to show His disgust with their hearts, fulfilling Malachi 3:1-4 (We’ll talk about v17 at the end). What do you think? I’m not sure that’s it. That’s certainly part of it, but I think there’s more. Jesus drives them out with a whip, because He is disgusted with their hearts and actions. It is out of the heart that the mouth speaks (Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45). They were not prepared in their hearts to worship God at Passover, and their actions displayed that their hearts were unprepared to worship God. “These people…honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me” (Isaiah 29:13; Matthew 15:8; Mark 7:6). They were offering sacrifices and making it easy to offer sacrifices, but their sacrifices were empty rituals. “To obey is better than sacrifice” (1 Samuel 15:22). John Calvin says, “It was proper that the Jews should be aroused by this example to expect from Christ something that was unusual and out of the ordinary course; and it was also necessary to remind them that the worship of God had been corrupted and perverted, that they might not object to the reformation of those abuses.”

    Now how do we keep this in perspective? Remember that the Temple in Jerusalem was a type of Christ. It was representative of Emmanuel, God with us. It symbolizes the true Church. Our church buildings today do not reach that level of significance. Rather, we should view ourselves as temples of the Holy Spirit. Our bodies should not be corrupted like a den of robbers or a market place, but we must strive for purity, both inside and out. And so like Jesus, we drive out the sin from within and declare ourselves, “Holy – set apart for service to the Lord.”

    Lastly, Jesus says, “How dare you turn My Father’s house into a market!” Matthew 21:13 is harsher, quoting Jeremiah 7:11: They had made the Temple a “den of robbers.” That speaks to their motives and to their actions. Notice that Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of God by calling the Temple His Father’s house.

  6. V18-21 – Jesus’ sign of authority to drive out the merchants. Why didn’t the merchants and moneychangers fight back when Jesus drove them out? Their reaction is one of awe. They can’t believe that one man would dare pull such a stunt against so many. And the question posed to Jesus (by all the Jews) is, “What miraculous sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do all this?” They want Jesus to prove that He has authority to do this, and the only way that could be done is by a miracle. The Jews were willing – so they thought – to accept social and/or political change under the authority of one who is clearly and undoubtedly God’s chosen vessel to institute such change. Thus they were not necessarily wrong to ask for a sign of authority. Of course, we know that even the miraculous would not convince them (Luke 16:31). And that’s why we can say that they were only interested in the physical sign – not the spiritual reality to which the physical sign would point.

    Jesus responds to their request with a sort of a parable. It was not a direct response, but an allegorical one. Perhaps, says Calvin, Jesus “reckoned them unworthy of a direct reply,” given His reason for speaking in parables (Matthew 13:13). He gives no explicit promise, yet states, “Destroy this Temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” As is typical of unbelievers (and as we’ll see in the upcoming conversation that Jesus has with Nicodemus), the Jews understood Jesus in a physical sense and were clearly perplexed by His less literal verbiage. They say to Him, “It has taken us 46 years to build this Temple!” Work on the Temple began in 19 or 20 BC and was still conducted, likely until 63 AD – just seven years before its destruction in 70 AD. Of course, from v21, Jesus was speaking of His body as the Temple, which would soon be crucified, buried, and raised. The Jews, as recorded by the other Gospel writers, will remember this statement (misquoted) of Jesus when His trial comes to pass. Jesus came both to purify and to personify His house.

    John Calvin says here, “Jesus treats unbelievers as they deserve, and at the same time protects Himself against all contempt. It was not yet made evident, indeed, that they were obstinate, but Christ knew well what was the state of their feelings.” Jesus could have done and did do many other signs and wonders (miracles), but His point to the Jews is that the resurrection is sufficient. Yet not even a miracle like the resurrection is efficient in turning unbelief into faith (Luke 16:31). Not only is the resurrection sufficient, but Jesus is also pointing again to His complete authority over the Temple. Christ is the builder of the Body of Christ. The Temple is His. Furthermore, their response to Jesus’ parabolic sign shows that they had no desire to obey His authority, even if His authority had become clear to them. They were stubbornly enslaved to their own desires, which did not include genuine worship.

  7. V17,22 – The Disciples recalled the significance of Jesus’ words and actions long after they occurred. V17 says, “His disciples remembered that it is written: ‘Zeal for Your house will consume Me’ [Psalm 69:9].” The context of David’s quote is maintaining true and genuine worship, according to the Word of God. He is willing to bear any insults that would be thrown against the One True Living God. David thought of himself as having this great zeal for the worship of God, but his zeal paled in comparison to that of Christ, for Christ actually did bear those insults. David never could. Likewise, we ought to be zealous for genuine worship. And there is much to discuss regarding what that is, but let’s just agree that it has nothing to do with what we want and everything to do with what God wants. V22 says, “After He was raised from the dead, His disciples recalled what He had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.” Notice that only after the resurrection did the disciples of Jesus remember these events and realize the significance of them. Look at the result: THEN they believed the Scripture and Jesus’ words. John acknowledges that they didn’t really believe until after the Spirit brought these things to mind after the resurrection, as promised in John 14:26. It is also as if they went back over the Scripture and compared it with what Jesus had to say; then they realized that He was indeed the Messiah.

    These two verses are great encouragement to me, as it is my experience that I rarely see the significance of an event in my life until well after it leads to something else that points back to it. Jesus’ Temple-cleansing had little meaning to them at the time – other than to confuse them or lead them astray by making them think Jesus was going to create a political uprising of some sort. But 50 years later, as John recalls these things, he is clearly aware of the importance and meaning of Jesus’ actions. Some suggest that the disciples could not have recalled all of these events years after they supposedly occurred, so they conclude that the Scriptures are myth and embellishment. We point to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to overcome this obstacle (John 14:26). Certainly our memories are poor at best, but the Lord forgets nothing (Amos 8:7) – except our sins (Isaiah 43:25; Jeremiah 31:34). Many of Christ’s teachings may seem obscure for a time, but as the Spirit enlightens our minds and hearts, we will grasp the precious importance of all Christ’s teachings. C.S. Lewis said, “There are a great many things that cannot be understood until after you have gone a certain distance along the Christian road. … Whenever you find any statement in Christian writings which you can make nothing of, do not worry! Leave it alone. There will come a day, perhaps years later, when you suddenly see what it meant.”

    In conclusion, just as with the changing of water to wine, Christ is here demonstrating the passing of the old order of physical “shadows”, and promising the arrival of the new order of spiritual fulfillment – in Himself alone. But, whereas in the changing of water to wine the emphasis is on the blessedness of those who have a part in the new order, this event emphasizes the coming judgment of those who refuse to acknowledge the new order in Christ. Just as Christ drove out the men who had perverted the spiritual significance of the Temple in favor of material things; so in the future, those who refuse to embrace the spiritual realities of the new order in Christ would be eternally driven out from God’s presence.

23Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.[3] 24But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. 25He did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.

V23-25 – Sets the context for John 3 and the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus.

  1. V23 – Now while [Jesus] was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs He was doing and believed in His name [or in Him].
    • This “belief” was an admiration that God clearly had a purpose for Jesus; His character and impressive activity were noted. Miracles cannot be the root of saving faith. The Gospel must be. Nevertheless, miracles do confirm the truth of the Spirit.
    • It was superficial (compare other places in John – 6:25-26, 66; 8:30-31; 10:42; 12, etc.)
    • Rocky soil from Mark 4 – no root.

  2. V24-25 – But Jesus would not entrust Himself to them, for He knew all men. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.
    • All men are hypocrites. Even hypocrites assent to the Gospel for the simple reason that they don’t want to outright and finally reject it. Jesus knows the heart – Luke 16:15; John 5:42; Acts 15:8; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 14:25; Hebrews 4:12.
    • Be fearful – Ecclesiastes 12:13; John 15:10,14; Romans 3:18; Revelation 14:7. Jesus will not accept as His disciples those who are not willing to take up a cross and follow Him.
    • Matthew 7:21 – “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” 2 Peter 1:10 – “Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.”

  3. Be humbled entering chapter 3 that Jesus “came to seek and save what was lost” (Luke 19:10).

  4. John 3 & 4 are similar to Mark 5. There we saw Jairus and the bleeding woman. Here we see Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman. In both encounters, Jesus, upon being asked a question, steers the conversation into deeper spiritual levels that weren’t expected.

Footnotes

  1. 2:6 Greek two to three metretes (probably about 75 to 115 liters)
  2. 2:17 Psalm 69:9
  3. 2:23 Or and believed in him

Bible text from Gospelcom.net.  Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society.

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