[:en]SCRIPTURE: JOHN 2
“Dear Woman, why do you involve me, my time has not yet come” (John 2:4)
“Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5)
“Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market?” (John 2:16)
“Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in 3 days” (John 2:19)
JESUS CHANGES WATER TO WINE (vs. 1-11)
There was a wedding that took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus, His mother Mary and His disciples attended the wedding banquet. The wine had run out and Mary said to Jesus: “They have no wine”. Jesus replied: “Dear woman, why do you involve me? My time has not yet come” (vs. 3-4). Then, Mary said to the servants: “Do whatever He tells you” (v. 5).
Jesus asked the servants to fill out all the empty jars with water and draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet. When the master of the banquet tasted, he declared it to be the best wine ever. The changing of water into wine was the first miracle that Jesus performed.
JESUS CLEARS THE TEMPLE (vs. 12-25)
Jesus and His disciples together with Mary went up to Jerusalem for the Jewish Passover. When He found men doing business outside the temple area, He drove the doves, sheep and cattle out and overturned their tables and scattered the coins. He said: “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my father’s house into a market?” (v. 16).
The Jews demanded a miraculous sign to prove His authority, Jesus answered them: “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in 3 days (v. 19). The temple that Jesus was saying was His body, but the Jews thought it literally as the temple building.
SUMMARY:
During the wedding banquet, when the wine was gone, Mary, the mother of Jesus told Him that they have no more wine. The response of Jesus may surprise us when He addressed her mother woman and said: “Why do you involve me?” My time has not yet come” (v. 34). What does it imply? Jesus was trying to make known that Mary is his earthly mother, not godly mother. So, if we want to ask something from God, we must not ask through Mary. It is Jesus who will give us what we ask at His time. Mary was not angry with Jesus’ reply. Instead, she told the servants: “Do whatever He tells you” (v.5). It proves that Mary was humble to admit her status as an earthly mother and she herself was obedient to follow what Jesus said.
Weddings in Jesus’ day was a week-long festival celebrating the new life of a married couple. Careful planning was needed. To run out of wine was embarrassing because it broke the strong unwritten law of hospitality. So, Jesus responded to their urgent needs. He told the servants to fill up the jars with water and the water became wine. When the disciples saw his power over nature, they put their faith in Him (v. 11). Jesus knows our every need. He will provide us in His time if we follow what He told us to do.
The Passover celebration took place at the temple in Jerusalem. It was the political and religious place where the Messiah was expected to arrive. Every Jewish male was expected to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the festival. The religious leaders allowed money changers and merchants to set up and do business outside the temple. Jesus was angry because they were using the Temple for profit, making a mockery of God’s house of worship.
Our attitude toward the church is wrong if we see it as a place for personal contact or business advantage. Our purpose of attending church is to come to His presence and worship God.
Anger can be classified into uncontrolled rage or righteous indignation. It is right to be angry about injustice and sin. It is wrong to be angry over trivial personal offenses. Jesus was consumed with righteous anger against disrespect for God.
When Jesus made a cord whip to chase out the money changers, does it permit us to use violence against wrongdoers? Jesus has God’s authority to do so. But we have to follow the authority of the land. Police officers are granted the authority to use weapon to restrain people. Judges have their authority to imprison criminals. So, individual citizens cannot exercise authority not given to him.
When Jesus talked about Temple, He was referring to His body, which will be raised in 3 days. The disciples recalled what He had said when Jesus was resurrected.[:]