SCRIPTURE: JOHN 2
JESUS CHANGES WATER TO WINE (vs. 1-11)
On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus, his mother and his disciples had been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.” (v. 32). Jesus replied, “Dear woman, why do you involve me?” My time has not yet come.” (v. 2). His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” (v. 3) There stood a six stone water jar used by the Jews for ceremonial washing 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 to 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 aside, “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.” (v. 10). This was the first miracle that Jesus performed at Canaan in Galilee. He revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
JESUS CLEARS THE TEMPLE (vs. 12-25)
Then Jesus, together with his mother and brothers and his disciples went down to Capernaum and stayed for a few days. When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of her! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!” (v. 16). His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.” (v. 17)
Then the Jews asked Jesus, “What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?” (v. 18). Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” (v. 19) The Jews replied, “It has taken 46 years to build this temple and you are going to raise it in three days?” (v. 20) But the temple Jesus had spoken of was his body. 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.
Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name. But he would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men.. He did not need man’s testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.
THOUGHTS:
In Jesus’ day, weddings were week-long festivals. Banquets would be prepared for many guests and often the whole town was invited. To accommodate many people, careful planning was needed. It was very embarrassing to run out of wine because it broke the strong unwritten laws of hospitality. Jesus and his mother were invited to the wedding banquet, while there, they ran out of wine. So Mary told Jesus that they have no more wine. Jesus did not immediately do anything when he answered his mother, “My time has not yet come” And his mother submitted to Jesus, trusting him to do what was right. When we run into situations we cannot understand, we must bring our problems to Christ. We must submit and allow him to deal with the problem in His time and as he sees best.
The Passover celebration took place yearly at the Temple in Jerusalem. Every Jewish male was expected to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem during this time. It was a week-long festival – one day for the Passover and The Festival of Unleavened Bread 6 days commemorating the freeing of Jews from slavery in Egypt. When Jesus went to the Temple, he found money changers and merchants doing dishonest, greedy practices in the temple courts for personal gain. He took the evil acts in the Temple as an insult against God because the place of worship became a marketplace making a mockery of God’s house of worship. Thus, he was consumed with righteous anger against their disrespect for God. If we see the church as a place for personal contacts or business advantage, we are no longer worshiping God with a sincere heart.
When Jesus talked about TEMPLE, it was not about the Temple made of stones, but about his body. His listeners did not understand. His words took on meaning for his disciples after his resurrection. For He had perfectly fulfilled the prediction proving that He is God.