Continuing a Bible study of the Gospels:
(John 2:1) And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee and the mother of Jesus was there.
In the last chapter, Jesus had been introduced to His first two disciples, Andrew and Peter. The next day He called Philip and Nathanael (Bartholomew). This may be the third day after that; however, what is more likely is that this was the third day of a marriage feast in Cana in Galilee. Often such marriage feasts would last for days. Jesus's mother was at that feast.
(2) And both Jesus was called and His disciples to the marriage.
Jesus and His four disciples thus far were also invited and present at the marriage feast.
(3) And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."
The wedding guests were wanting more wine and apparently they had run out, which supports the fact that this was probably the third day of the wedding feast. Jesus's mother, probably wishing to avoid embarrassment for their hosts and knowing that Jesus could do something about it, told Jesus of the situation.
(4) Jesus said to her, "Woman, what have I to do with it? My hour is not yet come."
Jesus answered her by referring to her as "Woman." That sounds like a reproof, but it was not. Just as we today might address one as "Son" and "Brother" when talking to them, the Jews used "Woman" when talking to a woman. It's obvious that it was not meant as a reproof as Jesus also used the term in tender moments as demonstrated in John 19:26 and John 20:15. However, Jesus did ask her what concern it was to Him since His hour had not yet come, which probably meant His time for ministry and public display of miracles had not yet come. However, it could have meant that it was not quite the right time to perform this particular miracle. Perhaps the wine was getting very low but not completely gone and Jesus was waiting for just the right time to perform His miracle so there would be no doubt that He was the one who did it. He may have desired to use it as confirmation to His new disciples that He was who He said He was. Jesus knew the situation and the right time for remedying it and didn't need His mother to tell Him.
(5) His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."
It does seem like Jesus's mother took what He said to mean that He would remedy their situation but that time was not right at that moment. She told the servants to do whatever Jesus told them to do, knowing that it might seem strange to them.
(6) And there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
There at the feast were six stone waterpots that were used for the Jews' purification or washing, such as washing their hands before they ate. Each waterpot contained two or three firkins. A firkin was about nine gallons so each waterpot contained 18 to 27 gallons of water, which could be close to 150 gallons in all of them.
(7) Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim.
Apparently the waterpots were empty as Jesus told the servants to fill them with water. They filled them to the very brim with water. I believe this was done so that the servants would be witnesses to the fact that there was only water in the pots, not wine. By filling the pots to the brim, there would be no doubt that the pots had only water in them, and not water that would be mixed with a little wine.
(8) And He said to them, "Draw out now and carry it to the master of the feast." And they carried it.
Jesus told the servants to draw some of the water out and take it to the master, or the manager or director, of the feast. They did as Jesus instructed them.
(9) When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who drew the water knew), the ruler of the feast called the bridegroom, (10) And said to him, "Every man at the beginning sets out good wine, and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse, but you have kept the good wine until now."
The ruler of the feast tasted the water that had been made into wine that the servants had brought to him. He had not known where the wine had come from, but the servants knew. He then called the bridegroom and told him that he knew that everyone usually brought out their best wine at the beginning of a feast, and then after the guests had drunk a great deal and were perhaps a little intoxicated, then they would bring out an inferior wine. However, he commended the bridegroom for bringing out the best wine at the last, which the bridegroom may have known nothing about. The fact that the ruler of the feast had known nothing about what had taken place proves that the water had indeed been turned into wine, and the very best wine, at that! When Jesus does something for us, He gives us the very best!
(11) This beginning of miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
This turning of water into wine was the first miracle Jesus wrought. This miracle manifested His glory, the glory of His divine nature and deity. This miracle solidified the four disciples' belief in Him.
(12) After this He went down to Capernaum, He, and His mother, and His brothers, and His disciples, and they continued there not many days. (13) And the Jews' Passover was at hand and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
After the wedding at Cana, Jesus, His mother, His brothers or kinsmen, and His four disciples Andrew, Peter, Philip, and Nathanael, went to Capernaum. They didn't stay very long because the Passover in Jerusalem was near, and Jesus went forth to Jerusalem.
(14) And found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting.
When Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem, He found it filled with people doing business selling oxen, sheep, and doves, most likely for people to use as sacrifices.
(15) 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.
Jesus actually made a whip and drove all the merchants out of the temple, along with their animals. He poured out their money and overthrew their tables. Although very similar to what He did in the accounts in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, this appears to be a separate incident as John places it early in Jesus's ministry and the others' occurred in the last week of His life. This was a fulfillment of the prophecy in Malachi 3:1 which said in part, "Behold, I will send My messenger and He shall prepare the way before Me, and the Lord whom you seek shall suddenly come to His temple..."
(16) And said to those who sold doves, "Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!"
The doves were surely in cages, so Jesus had not driven them out. He ordered those who sold them to take them out of the temple and not to make His Father's house a house of merchandise.
(17) And His disciples remembered that it was written, "The zeal of Your house has eaten Me up."
His disciples, observing all this, remembered the scripture in Psalms 69:9 which read word for word as they remembered it, "The zeal of Your house has eaten Me up." They had witnessed great zeal and a burning passion in Jesus for His Father's house that appeared to consume Him.
(18) Then answered the Jews and said to Him, "What sign do You show to us, seeing that You do these things?"
Either some of the Jews He had driven out of the temple or some who were witnessing it, or both, asked Jesus for some sign that proved His authority to do what He had done.
(19) Jesus answered and said to them, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up."
Jesus gave them a rather cryptic answer. The way He said, "this temple," it is plausible to assume He may have pointed to His own body. Jesus was not one to perform a miracle on demand. He had already said it was His Father's house and surely by then there had been some amount of knowledge about Him. And Jesus didn't cast His pearls before swine delivering deep spiritual answers to those who weren't really interested and only wanted to condemn Him. Jesus always knows the heart of whom He is speaking to. He said that the ultimate sign would be when they destroyed the temple of His body and He raised it up in three days.
(20) Then said the Jews, "Forty-six years was this temple in building, and will You rear it up in three days?"
This temple was known as the second temple which was rebuilt by Herod the great. It had been forty-six years in the rebuilding and repairing, and the Jews now asked with contempt if Jesus really thought He would raise it again in three days.
(21) But He spoke of the temple of His body.
John lets us know that it was indeed Jesus's body that He spoke of being raised three days after it was destroyed.
(22) When therefore He was 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.
Throughout Jesus's ministry and His teaching to His disciples, we have found them in previous places in scripture being rather slow to understand the spiritual mysteries Jesus taught. John seems to be saying here that even Jesus's disciples did not fully comprehend what Jesus had meant regarding His temple being raised until He was actually risen from the dead three days after His crucifixion. It was then that they remembered what He had said to those Jews and they fully understood the scriptures and Jesus's words about it.
(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.
While Jesus was there in Jerusalem for the Passover, specifically at the Feast day, there were many who believed in His name as the promised Messiah because He had performed miracles which they witnessed.
(24) But Jesus did not commit Himself to them because He knew all, (25) And did not need that any should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.
However, Jesus did not commit the totality of His Gospel to them because as was said before, He knew their hearts. He didn't need anyone to tell Him what was in a man; He already well knew. These people had a shallow belief in Him because of His miracles but He knew they would not accept Him for the salvation of their souls. He knew their hearts had not been changed by witnessing His miracles. I believe there is a wise lesson in this that Jesus expressed in Matthew 7:6:
"Do not give what is holy to the dogs, neither cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet and turn again and attack you."
We should not speak of the deep holy things of God to those who only wish to profane it and attack us.
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