An Expository Study of John’s Gospel
CHAPTER 2
Scripture Reading: John 2 (KJV)
Jesus – presenting Himself
Starting with our last study, we entered the Period of Consideration – the Lord presenting Himself to various people and groups of people, so they can meet and come to know Him; reacting to His claims as He begins His ministry on behalf of God the Father. Up to this point, He has been introduced to John the Baptizer's disciples who believed Him. We find throughout John's Gospel, that those who believed first, continued to reaffirm their belief. It is mentioned from time to time, as it is in this chapter.
THE REVELATION OF THE SON OF GOD TO ISRAEL
2:1, 2 … “And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.” The weddings at that time were different from ours. Usually, they were married at the end of a one year betrothal period. During that year, it was as if they were married, as far as keeping themselves from all others except the one to whom they were betrothed. It was almost the same as a marriage except they did not come together. At the end of the one year period, they were usually settled in on their prospective mate, often chosen by parents. It was hoped, during this betrothal period, they would learn to respect and regard their mate to be. So, when they finally were together at the marriage feast; usually a large gathering was invited and stayed for several days. This is about to happen in chapter two.
2:3 … “And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.” In that day, especially in this situation, failure of the wine was a social embarrassment, to say the least. If a large number was invited to a wedding, the host would certainly be embarrassed if at the height of the celebration refreshments ran out. In some situations, it would be enough to make the host family social outcasts. The nature and quality of the wine Jesus made was perhaps not the same as we might purchase today – His was the very best. It was usually fermented wine, if not new wine, often cut half with water and half with wine. This means one would have to drink a large amount to become giddy, or drunk. So, even though a number of people at the wedding feast had perhaps consumed a large amount of wine, they were still lucid and clear in their thinking at least enough to know if the wine ran out. To some extent, they would have been put to shame as guests. Mary demonstrates her respect for Jesus. She has already hidden several things about Him in her heart. She knows He is unusual, but does not yet fully know who He really is. She felt a responsibility for the wine supply failing. So, she says to Jesus, “They have no wine.”
2:4 … “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.” On first reading, this sounds impersonal, but it is not. In their day that kind of statement was acceptable. It was as if He said, “Mother what have I to do with this situation? I am a guest at this wedding. Why are you telling me they have run out of wine? Why is it My responsibility?” Of course, He knew what He could and would do about it, but He wanted to call her attention to the fact that she might be imposing upon His purpose – His plans. He says, more than once in the Gospel of John, “Mine hour is not yet come.” “Hora,” the word for “hour,” was a specified point in time when His destiny was to be fulfilled and that hour had not yet come and was a long way down the road. Saying to Mary, “Mine hour is not yet come,” was like saying, “What do you expect Me to do about it?” But, nevertheless, He is going to proceed.
2:5 … “His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” What confidence. When He gave Mary His reply (in verse 4), it certainly did not turn her off. Otherwise, she would not have turned to the servants and said, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.” She fully expected Him to do something. Perhaps not what He actually did, but she expected Him to do something.
2:6 … “And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.” The water was in jars for the purpose of cleansing or purifying; used in all ceremonial cleansings at a wedding feast. All these jars together contained approximately 150 gallons of water, and were not intended to be used for drinking but for cleansing. It was clean water and could have been, and perhaps was on occasions, used for drinking water. It was not sacred or holy; it was simply water used for cleansing. If we consider 150 gallons of water, half pint per serving, not too much wine, then it would perhaps serve about twenty-four hundred people. That does not mean there were twenty-four hundred people there at one time, but perhaps over a period of several days that many half pints could have been served.
2:7 … “Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.” The word “fill” means “fill to the brim.” They were to fill them so there would not be any doubt as to what happened after they had proceeded to do as He requested. So, all the water pots now are level full of water, ready to brim over.
2:8 … “And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast . . .” The ruler of the feast was like a master of ceremonies. At that time, the groom’s best man or someone of dear relationship to the bride, groom or both, usually presided over the wedding feast. And was in charge of whatever took place at the feast. The servants were to draw water in pots and “bear unto the governor of the feast” – serve the ruler of the feast.
2:9 … “When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.” This says several things: First, whatever amount of the former wine they had consumed in no way diminished the sharpness of their taste and the wine Jesus made was superior to what they had been drinking and it immediately came to the attention of the taster of the wine – the ruler of the feast. This reveals something about the social custom of that day: if they were going to serve a large number of people, they would serve the good wine until people had satisfied their thirst and then when they were less keen in taste, the lesser quality wine would be served. This wedding feast is just the opposite. Probably they first served what they considered good wine, but when the ruler of the feast tasted the water Jesus had turned to wine, he knew it was much better. Second, the wine Jesus made was probably new wine, not fermented. Also, they probably had been drinking none fermented wine or they would not have been able to taste the succulent, sweet wine made by the Lord. This miracle was a proof of the Lord’s mastery of quality. Whatever He makes it is always superior – turning water to wine certainly was.
2:10 … “This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.” The disciples had already believed on Him. John the Baptizer had introduced them to Jesus and up to this wedding feast they had spent four or five days with Him, and their knowledge of Him was already at a high level; they already believed. But John is pointing out that the Lord took their faith to a new and higher level. This is exactly what should happen to us. It does not matter how much faith we presently have, because we still have not achieved the maximum faith possible.
“For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith” (Rom. 1:17). This is a key point. God does not expect us to live today on yesterday’s faith. Our faith may not increase in a giant way from day to day, but, if we are sensitive, something will happen along the way to strengthen our faith daily – a word from a brother or sister in Christ; something we experience regarding the recovery of someone who is ill; a Scripture we read, or one called to mind. Our faith can grow from a number of things, and should be on a daily basis.
In Philippians 3, Paul says, “Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.” If we are following the principle of always pushing forward for growth and progress “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus,” then along the way God will continue revealing to us, through His Word. Paul says, “Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.” In other words, however carefully we came to whatever level of faith we now have, we should maintain that same degree of carefulness as we increase our faith. And if that is not our goal, we are falling short of what the Lord expects. The more we grow, the more God will reveal to us. This does not mean God is going to send us a new revelation; He is not going to talk to us in the night. As we open His Word, the Bible, having already attained a certain level of understanding, and read a passage again, maybe several times, we will probably perceive something new. Perhaps we could not see it at first, but now because we have grown to a higher level, we can see the deeper truth for the first time. This will continue as long as we live. God will keep on revealing from His Word new insights and perceptions. So, with the first miracle the Lord performs, the disciples have a new insight into Him; a new appreciation of His power; and they now know He is more remarkable than they formerly thought. They now believe at a new level.
2:12 … “After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.” He takes His family there probably because it is located in the center of most of His movements for the next three years. Peter, John, James and Andrew lived there and He now adopts Capernaum as His home base, and much will happen in and around the Synagogue in Capernaum. In fact, even today, the foundation and many of the fallen parts of the Synagogue in Capernaum are still there, on the Northern edge of the Sea of Galilee.
2:13 … “And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” This was the first Passover attended by the Lord. All males were required to attend three annual feasts: Passover; Pentecost and Harvest. The first feast of the season comes up and Jesus goes to Jerusalem. Jesus presents Himself in the small town of Cana of Galilee, where a few people evaluate Him, and His disciples believe on Him more. Then He moves on to Capernaum for a brief stay, evaluated again. He now goes to the capitol city, Jerusalem, where He meets a different kind of people. These people, in their judgment at least, were as different from the people in Galilee as East is from West, and North is from South. While we may from time to time, joke about our differences, to them it was no joke. They thought those from Galilee did not belong in the same company or nation with the Jews living around Jerusalem. So, Jesus is not going into a hostile environment but a less friendly one.
2:14 … “And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:” The fact that this was taking place should not shock us. At that time, the Jews were scattered across the known world. When they did come together they could not bring their own sacrifices. So, they brought money and upon arrival in Jerusalem, would purchase what they needed for their sacrifices. Some took months getting there and animals could not survive such a trip and be fit for sacrifice upon arrival. So, the selling of oxen, sheep, and doves was acceptable, if it had been done in the right way and with the right spirit. Also, the money changers needed to be there to exchange foreign coins into coins of the Temple, so visitors could pay their Temple tax and buy sacrifices. The presence of money changers was not offensive to the Lord, but their attitude of greed and spirit of merchandising certainly brought on His anger.
2:15-16 … “And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.” They had set up an open market; a person coming with a sense of need was one thing, but the way business was conducted was something different. God had instructed that the lamb, goat or sheep, to be sacrificed had to be without spot or blemish and one year old. But, often they sold defective animals. In other words, they sold culls, not prime animals, and charged a prime price. As is said today, “Demand governs price.” The visiting Jews needed animals to sacrifice. In fact, they came many miles to do just that. It was not an option; they had to have animals. So, they were being told, in effect, pay your money in the amount asked or you will not get an animal. The Lord was upset because of greed and the fact they showed no thought or concern about being in the area of the Temple – God’s place. They had turned the Temple into an animal market and a money changers store – a Wall Street. The Scriptures do not say the Lord used a whip on the people; perhaps on the animals to drive them out. He did not destroy the property of those selling doves. He did not release the doves from their cages, but told the owners to take them out. The cows, sheep, goats and oxen were sent out, but could not go far because of the outside wall. The owners could easily reclaim them. But, He turned over the money changers' tables and let them scramble to pick up their coins. He was upset over what they were doing to His Father’s house of worship and prayer. The Lord said they had made the Temple a den of thieves.
2:17 … “And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.” The disciples were not ignorant of the Hebrew Bible – the Old Testament Scriptures. So, when they saw the Lord do such things, they were reminded of Psalm 69:9 and they knew it was right for the Lord to feel that way in reference to God’s house.
2:18 … “Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?” This is another way of saying, “Who do you think you are?” “Why do you come down here and drive the animals out and tell the owners to take out the birds and turn the money tables over? Who do you think you are?” They figured He would have to be someone of authority, or He would not dare do such things.
2:19-21 … “Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” This was alluding to His death and resurrection. “Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he spake of the temple of his body.” If they had not been listening with deaf ears and with suspicion they never would have arrived at their conclusion. There is a skill to listening. One of the skills is respect for the one speaking. When someone has the floor, assuming he has been granted it and has not assumed it for himself, then those in attendance should listen because we never know what good might be said. They listened to Jesus, but only for something they could use against Him, because their anger against Him was raised by His actions cleansing the Temple. At this point, they do not know Who He is and furthermore they do not want to know.
2:22 … “When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.” Even after He was raised from the dead, they remembered this event, this situation, and their faith was increased even more. In Matthew’s Gospel, when Jesus was on trial, some of His enemies remembered this event, and though they misquoted Him, still they recalled this event and used it against Him. It is interesting what we remember. Often, we will remember someone treating us badly, more than one who treats us kindly, gracious, and good. We should remember that we are partly judged by what we cling to and hold in our memories. It has something to say about our disposition, temperament, even character. Notice, verse 18 starts with, “the Jews” and when John uses these two words together, he is usually referring to the hostile rulers of the Jews and not the people. These rulers were usually quick to speak and act; often speaking and acting incorrectly.
2:23 … “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.” So the miracles He did there, though not spelled out, caused some to believe Him. But, consider the next two verses:
2:24, 25 … “But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.” When the Scripture says in verse 23, “many believed in his name,” and in the next verse, “Jesus did not commit himself”, the word, “commit” is the same word as “trust” or “believe.” The Scriptures here reveal to us they believed on Him but He did not believe on them. Why? Because their faith was based on signs only. These verses say nothing about them accepting Jesus as a person; or accepting His mission and claims for Himself. He had performed non-human things – miracles. They said, in effect, “He is somebody.” Even today, some people are always ready to follow a magician. The people in our verse saw Jesus perform miracles and considered Him a great magician. And they were ready to go with Him to see more tricks. But, on that basis, the Lord does not trust them. This is not the kind of faith that brings us close to the Lord.
