John 2:1-25
Now, we are
going to fly through the first few years of Jesus ministry.
The first
miracle. The wedding at Cana.
The water of
purification (from the Ashes of the Red Heifer).
The first
Passover. Cleansing of the Temple
John 2:1 On the third day there was
a wedding in
Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was
there. {picture map}
As Joseph is never mentioned
as living after Jesus entered upon his ministry, he is supposed to have died
before this time. {pict}
3rd
day of the week, Tuesday. The “third
day” is known—among Jewish circles—as the “day of double blessing.” Thus,
Jewish weddings are usually done on a Tuesday (the 3rd day of the week)
These Jewish
wedding last 7 days. Why, See Gen 1:9-12, 3rd Day, God said the day
was good, twice. Other days, once was good.
John 2:2 Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
Jesus and
His disciples were invited, suggests
that Jesus and His disciples were invited because of Mary, probably the family in Cana was related to
Mary and she had some responsibility.
John 2:3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother
of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."
Mary asking
Jesus to help when the wine ran out is another indication that she was in some
way related to the family holding the wedding.
Jesus and friends might have received a last minute invite and cause a
shortage of wine. Jesus first miracle
was making wine.
John 2:4 Jesus said to her, "Woman,
what does your
concern have to do with Me? {or why do you involve me} My hour has not yet
come."
“Woman;” means
specifically a wife, a betrothed; actually an expression of respect, gentle and
affection; not one of abuse.
The choice of
woman over the word for “mother indicates to Mary she could not exercise her
authority over His religious work.
The mother of Jesus is never
called Mary in this Gospel. She became John’s "mother". 2 John calls her Lady chosen by God. John was given stewardship over Mary by Jesus at the Cross, and maybe
calling her “Mary” was odd for him and her being older.
It is the same word;
mother by which he tenderly addressed his mother when he was on the cross
John 19:26-27 When Jesus saw his
mother and the disciple whom he kept
loving standing there, he told his mother, "Dear lady, here is your son."
(27) Then he told the disciple, "Here is your mother." And from that hour the
disciple took her into his own home.
My hour has not yet come
seems to mean that the time for Jesus to publicly work miracles,
declaring Himself the Messiah, had not yet come
Absence of
Joseph: Most commentators believe he had died.
John 2:5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He
says to you, do
it."
Mary, with some
authority (family member – Priestly line) told the servants to do it.
This is probably
the last recorded words of Mary in the Bible.
John 2:6 Now there were set there six water jars of
stone, according to the manner of purification of
the Jews, containing
twenty or thirty gallons apiece.
{picture}
These water-pots were to supply water {spring or rain} for
the washings usual at feasts, to purified themselves with ashes of the red
heifer. The Jews were regarded ceremonially unclean if they did not wash both
before and after eating. Probably a
Priest Home.
Because the roads were not paved and people wore
sandals, water was needed for foot washing. At a large Jewish wedding, a large
amount of water would have been required and there were set
vessels of various sizes to wash hands and feet in; one vessel was a large
pitcher, or basin, out of which the whole company washed their hands and their
feet; and there was another was a lesser and beautiful basin, which was set
alone for the more honorable persons, as for the bride, and for any
gentlewoman; and such might be these six stone jars, or pots:
John 2:7-8 Jesus said to them, "Fill the water jars
with water." And they filled them up to the brim. (8) And He said to
them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of
the feast {banquet}." And they took it.
The master was the head waiter and responsible for
seating the guests and the correct running of the feast. {Wedding Planner}
Some say this was grape juice, but the problem is Grapes
were harvested in the autumn. No refrigeration available, so no grape juice was
available in the spring (i.e. Passover, et al.); The Greek word for unfermented grape juice is never used in the NT.
John 2:9 When the master of the feast had
tasted the water
that was made {or turned into} wine, and {the master} did not know
where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom {aside}.
John 2:10 And he said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine,
and when the guests have well {or too much to} drunk,
then the
inferior. You have kept the good {best} wine until now!" {Common practice use less quality wine last}
He tasted the
water that had turned to wine: it was excellent wine. The best saved to the
last. It doesn’t sound like this was grape juice
John 2:11 This beginning of signs Jesus did
in Cana of Galilee, and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.
The miracle performed here was to convince the disciples
and to make their faith firmer that He is and His miracles point to; He is the Messiah.
This was Jesus’
first recorded miracle after His baptism.
John 2:12 After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother,
His brothers,
and His disciples;
and they did not stay there many days {for a
few days}. {pictures map}
Cana was in the highlands {mountains} and Capernaum was
on the NW shore of the Sea of Galilee, which was below sea level. Jerusalem,
was situated on the top of a hill.
Jesus Cleanses
the Temple
John 2:13 Now the Passover
of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
{picture}
Passover: First
of four Passovers after beginning His
ministry; This is His first visit as the Messiah. Remember, Jerusalem was in the high
elevation, there we will go up to the City.
{Male Jews must go to Jerusalem during Passover to sacrifice a lamb}.
John 2:14 And He found in the temple {courts} those who {people} sold oxen and sheep and doves, and
the money
changers {siting at their tables} doing business. {pictures}
In the Court of the Gentiles, which was within the temple
walls.
The
priests made a monopoly of it and installed selling of the animal and money
changer right in the temple courtyard.
Money changers would sit, the seller of animals would stand.
Money changers and
selling of animals were necessary; they were just in the wrong place; inside a place
of worship of the Temple. Because of the
large crowds who came to Jerusalem to sacrifice, this would have been
proper enough if it had been conducted at stockyards.
For profit, the people had to pay a half-shekel annually
to support the Temple, could not use Roman money, had to use and was furnished
Jewish coin at a heavy exchange charge or rate.
The Priest alone cleared about $300,000 per year in this exchange.
Matthew 21:13 He told them, "It is written, 'My
house is to be called a house of prayer,' but you are turning it into a hideout
for bandits {or den of thieves}!"
John 2:15-16 When He
had made a whip {out}
of cords, He drove them all out of the temple {courts}, with
the sheep and the oxen, and poured out {or scattered} the changers' money and overturned
the tables. (16) And He said to those who sold doves, "Take these
things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"
{or a marketplace}
·
The
court of the Gentiles is a very large area, probably took some time.
·
Jesus drove them all out, men and animals, was
it from the terror or anger from God, that fell upon them.
·
Jesus was cleaning His house for Passover.
·
He did
not do it in a flash of anger. He carefully took the time to make a whip of cords,
·
So much
money, no wonder the Jewish leaders wanted to kill Jesus.
·
Jesus
did this 3 years later at the close of His Ministry because they did it
again. {Mat 21:12}
Notice; My
Father: Not Our Father: The
expression My Father’s
house was a distinct claim to Messiahship. Jesus just said He is the Son of God and
claiming to be the Messiah.
Most people have
the impression that Jesus was only meek, gentle and compassionate. Here we see him in a different light—as the
“wrath of the lamb!”
John 2:17 Then
His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your
house will consume {has eaten} me."
Zeal of your
house
Psalms 69:9 Because zeal for Your house has eaten me up, And the
reproaches of those who reproach You have fallen on me.
The disciples understood that Jesus was
claiming to be the Messiah. The Jewish did not really do anything
against Jesus.
John 2:18 So the Jews answered and said to
Him, "What
sign do You show to us, since You do these things?"
The Jewish officials demand some sign or authority that
would demonstrate that he had authority over the Temple to close down the
market. They require a miracle, to
confirm a miracle. This time they only ask a sign, but next appearance at
Jerusalem they sought to kill Him for speaking of His Father
John 2:19 Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise
it up."
Jesus was talking about His own body. The sign that he would give the
Jewish nation was his Resurrection.
The Jews did not understand him, nor his own disciples, until after he
rose from the dead. The Jews think Jesus
was referring to the Temple buildings.
John 2:20 Then the Jews said, "It has taken forty-six
years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in
three days?"
It had been forty-six years since Herod the Great started
upgrading (about 18 BC) began the reconstruction of the physical Temple, and it
was not yet entirely completed. 46 years suggest this time around 28 AD. When Jesus was on trial before the Sanhedrim,
these words were brought up as blasphemy.
The Temple construction continued thirty - six years
longer, till within six or seven years of the destruction of the state, city,
and temple by the Romans in 70 AD. If
Jesus was born around 2 BC, this would make Him around 30 or priesthood age.
John 2:21 But He {Jesus} was speaking of the Temple of His body.
Notice Jesus
also think of His body as a Temple
Yet, seven times
the Scriptures also declare, “Ye are the Temple of God.” (1 Cor 3:9-17; 1 Cor
6:19; 2 Cor 6:16; Eph 2:20,21; Heb 3:6; 1 Pet 2:5; 1 Pet 4:17).
Matthew 12:39-40 But He answered and said to them, "An evil
and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to
it except the
sign of the prophet Jonah. (40) For as Jonah was three days and
three nights in the belly of the
great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the
earth.
John 2:22 Therefore, when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered
that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
This happen 3
years after when disciples remembered he had said this, to them and believed
after he rose from the dead.
Psalms 16:10 For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow
Your Holy One to see corruption.
Jesus Knows What Is in
Man
John 2:23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His
name when they saw the signs {He was performing, miracles} which
He did.
The
miracles Jesus did, they saw at this time are not recorded in the Scriptures. They are alluded to again in John 3:2.
Many believed that he was a man / teacher / promised
Messiah sent from God, but did not really trust or believe in him to the
salvation of their souls:
Faith growing out of miracles would be likely cease when
the miracles ceased. For ‘miracles’ must have and read signs,
Jesus took occasion to work miracles, and to preach at
that time, for a great multitude were present from all parts of Judea. It was a
favorable opportunity for making known God doctrines and showing the evidence
that he was the Christ.
John 2:24 But Jesus did not commit {or entrust} Himself to them, because He knew all men {or people}.
For we find that their hearts were not at all changed,
because Jesus could not trust or commit himself to them, because He knew the
fickleness and inconstancy of the people.
He knew how easily they might be turned against him by the Jewish leaders.
These
individuals trusted Jesus, but Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, who trust
only because of miracles. Remember when all the disciples left him except for
the 120.
We can love people without entrusting ourselves to them
John 2:25 and had no need that anyone should testify
of man, for He
knew what was in {each person or} man.
In man - Namely, a desperately
deceitful heart.
Jeremiah 17:9 "The heart is deceitful
above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?
Jesus knows the hearts of people. He reads people like we
read billboards, another indication of His deity. God alone was said to know the hearts of all
people, Jesus still loves individuals
and gave himself as a sacrifice.
1 Kings 8:39 then hear in heaven Your dwelling
place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways,
whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men),
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