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Read John 2

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine

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

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

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

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

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

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 10 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.”

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.

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

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 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. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

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

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

20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 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.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.

Go Deeper

Jesus’ first recorded sign (or miracle pointing to Him being the Messiah) takes place in John 2 when Jesus turns water into wine. At a wedding in Canaan, the Son of God turns gallons of plain old water into incredible tasting wine! He didn’t add grapes or mix in food coloring. Rather, He changed the composition of the water into wine. At a typical wedding, the best wine is brought out first and then the cheaper wine is brought out later. Jesus flipped it around by creating the better wine. In this first recorded miracle, Jesus does something no human being can do. And just as the wine He created was to drink as a celebration at the wedding, so we celebrate the arrival of Jesus onto the scene.

As a result of this first sign, He started to grow His following. His disciples who were with Him at the wedding believed in Him (see 2:11). At this point, His followers knew nothing about His death and resurrection, but they were witnesses to His power. A few verses later, after clearing the temple courts, Jesus talks about how His body will soon be resurrected after three days. His followers would later recall this statement and they too would trust in Him and believe. Once again, a few verses after that, while in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many saw the signs He performed and they also believed in Him.

At the end of the book, In John 20:30-31, John writes about the other signs Jesus performed that aren’t even recorded. Whether in print or not, the recorded miracles in this Gospel are written so that we might believe. Thousands of years later, we benefit from the recorded words of the Apostle John and the accomplished miracles of Jesus. We believe in Jesus and have life in His name. The words in the Gospel of John are recorded in part so that you and I may know about Jesus—who He is and what He accomplished. Through these written words we may believe in His name, and when we do, everything changes.

Questions

  1. Why did Jesus clear the temple courts in John 2:13-16?
  2. Why do you think Jesus chose to perform His first sign at a wedding?
  3. Since we don’t have Jesus in front of us performing signs and miracles, what did it take for you to believe in Him? Take a moment and thank God for your conversion from death to life through believing in what He did on our behalf.

Did You Know?

Some may be put off or confused by Jesus directly calling his mother, “Woman” in John 2:4. The same word is used in John 19:26 when Jesus asks John to take care of and look after His mother. It’s intended as a courteous expression, not the way we might interpret the word as used in modern day.

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3 thoughts on “John 2”

  1. •Mary knew.
    Maybe in this circumstance Mary had a flashback to the angel Gabriel’s visit announcing she would birth the Son of God. Surely, he could solve the problem of the lack of wine at the wedding, and she trusted him.
    •The servants knew.
    They were the ones who actually carried out Jesus’s directions and filled the huge pots with water. Water in, but choice wine came out to deliver to the guests. True to his character, Jesus first revealed his glory to the lowly.
    •Jesus knew.
    He completely understood fickle human nature and how quickly it could change from love to hate. He discerned what followers were superficial and which were committed.

  2. Verse 23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
    God knows our hearts. Jesus knew that the people were after a show. At the beginning of Jesus’s ministry all was rainbows and sunshine but as Jesus words started convicting their hearts people started turning away. Jesus knew what was in each person. He knows what is in us. That convicts me. True repentance, fully being at the end of myself, not defending my actions but just repenting completely. Like the wine in this chapter, our joy in the world runs out but when Jesus replenishes us internally with His joy, His blessings, His grace so that we can do His will in this world for Him.

    God thank You that You know what is in my heart. Thank You for loving me so much that You help me to turn from the junk that is causing my walk with You to not be fruitful. Thank You for helping me to truly die to self and to live for You. Help me to not defend myself but just repent, truly turn. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit living and working in me to do Your will and good pleasure in Jesus name amen.
    WOOHOO!!!

  3. Danny Coleman Jr

    There was a lot in the passage today that spoke to me. The first thing is that Jesus always provides the best. He wants to provide the best for us too. God is our Father and He always provides the best for those that love Him. I am reminded of the verse in Matthew 7:11 that says If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! Wow!

    The second thing that jumped out to me was that Jesus got angry and turned the tables upside down because the people had turned the Tempe into a marketplace. I think we should be careful what we do in the God’s house. We should be careful to not turn God’s house into a marketplace.

    There was so much in this chapter but I will stop there. Hope you are as blessed by today’s reading as I was!

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