John 2: The Cana miracle & Jerusalem challenges

• v.1-12 Jesus Changes Water into Wine
• v.13-17 Jesus Clears the Temple Courts
• v.18-22 Jesus challenged over his authority
• v.23-25 Jesus ministers in Jerusalem

v.1-12 Jesus Changes Water into Wine

v.1-5 When there is a wine crisis at a wedding his mother tries to involve Jesus

v.1,2 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

v.3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

v.4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”

v.5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

[Note: Venue: a wedding in Cana. Jesus is invited. His mother points out a crisis.  Jesus hesitates but she nevertheless instructs the servants.]

v.6-10 Jesus instructs so water is turned into wine

v.6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.

v.7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

v.8-10 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. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside and 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.”

[Note: There were six large water jars there and so Jesus instructs the servants to fill them with water and then told then to draw some. It had turned into choice wine.]

v.11,12 John identifies this as ’a sign’, the first ‘sign’

v.11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

v.12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

[Note: This first sign stirred belief and afterwards they went to Capernaum.]

v.13-17 Jesus Clears the Temple Courts

v.13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

v.14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.

v.15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.

v.16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!”

v.17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

[Note: At Passover he went up to Jerusalem and went into the temple courts which had become a market. There he drove out the animals and upset the tables and rebuked the sellers. Later his disciples remember Psa 69:9]

v.18-22 Jesus challenged over his authority

v.18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”

v.19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”

v.20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?”

v.21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.

v.22 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.

[Note: The Jews demand a sign and so Jesus challenges them, destroy this temple and I will rebuild it in three days. They deny this is possible, but he is referring to his body. The disciples remember this after the resurrection.]

v.23-25 Jesus ministers in Jerusalem

v.23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.

v.24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people.

v.25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

[Note: In Jerusalem at the Passover, he heals people and there many believe, yet he didn’t open himself to them for he didn’t need their testimonies.]

For those who may wish to make a study of this chapter, to perhaps think some more about what you have been reading, use the link below: