John — Chapter 2
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1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,
2and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
3When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to Him, “They have no more wine.”
4“Woman, what is that to you and to Me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”
6Now six stone water jars had been set there for the Jewish rites of purification. Each could hold from twenty to thirty gallons.
7Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.
8“Now draw some out,” He said, “and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so,
9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not know where it was from, but the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside
10and said, “Everyone serves the fine wine first, and then the cheap wine after the guests are drunk. But you have saved the fine wine until now!”
11Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.
12After this, He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and His disciples, and they stayed there a few days.
13When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14In the temple courts He found men selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers seated at their tables.
15So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle. He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
16To those selling doves He said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn My Father’s house into a marketplace!”
17His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”
18On account of this, the Jews demanded, “What sign can You show us to prove Your authority to do these things?”
19Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”
20“This temple took forty-six years to build,” the Jews replied, “and You are going to raise it up in three days?”
21But Jesus was speaking about the temple of His body.
22After He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this. Then they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.
23While He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the signs He was doing and believed in His name.
24But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew them all.
25He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.
1And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
6And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
9When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
10And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
11This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
12After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
13And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
14And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15And 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;
16And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
17And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
18Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21But he spake of the temple of his body.
22When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
23Now 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.
24But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
25And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
1And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2and Jesus also was bidden, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3And when the wine failed, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4And Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
6Now there were six waterpots of stone set there after the Jews` manner of purifying, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the ruler of the feast. And they bare it.
9And when the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and knew not whence it was (but the servants that had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast calleth the bridegroom,
10and saith unto him, Every man setteth on first the good wine; and when [men] have drunk freely, [then] that which is worse: thou hast kept the good wine until now.
11This beginning of his signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
12After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and [his] brethren, and his disciples; and there they abode not many days.
13And the passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14And he found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15and he made a scourge of cords, and cast all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers` money, and overthrew their tables;
16and to them that sold the doves he said, Take these things hence; make not my Father`s house a house of merchandise.
17His disciples remembered that it was written, Zeal for thy house shall eat me up.
18The Jews therefore answered and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20The Jews therefore said, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou raise it up in three days?
21But he spake of the temple of his body.
22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he spake this; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
23Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, during the feast, many believed on his name, beholding his signs which he did.
24But Jesus did not trust himself unto them, for that he knew all men,
25and because he needed not that any one should bear witness concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.
1Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,
2and Jesus and his disciples were also invited to the wedding.
3When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine left.”
4Jesus replied, “Woman, why are you saying this to me? My time has not yet come.”
5His mother told the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.”
6Now there were six stone water jars there for Jewish ceremonial washing, each holding 20 or 30 gallons.
7Jesus told the servants, “Fill the water jars with water.” So they filled them up to the very top.
8Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the head steward,” and they did.
9When the head steward tasted the water that had been turned to wine, not knowing where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he called the bridegroom
10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper wine when the guests are drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!”
11Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, in Cana of Galilee. In this way he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him.
12After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there a few days.
13Now the Jewish Feast of Passover was near, so Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14He found in the temple courts those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at tables.
15So he made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple courts, with the sheep and the oxen. He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
16To those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things away from here! Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace!”
17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will devour me.”
18So then the Jewish leaders responded, “What sign can you show us, since you are doing these things?”
19Jesus replied, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.”
20Then the Jewish leaders said to him, “This temple has been under construction for 46 years, and are you going to raise it up in three days?”
21But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his body.
22So after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the saying that Jesus had spoken.
23Now while Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Feast of the Passover, many people believed in his name because they saw the miraculous signs he was doing.
24But Jesus would not entrust himself to them because he knew all people.
25He did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew what was in man.
1The third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there.
2Jesus also was invited, with his disciples, to the marriage.
3When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine.”
4Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My hour has not yet come.”
5His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it.”
6Now there were six water pots of stone set there after the Jews’ way of purifying, containing two or three metretes apiece.
7Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” They filled them up to the brim.
8He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the ruler of the feast.” So they took it.
9When the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and didn’t know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast called the bridegroom,
10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the guests have drunk freely, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now!”
11This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they stayed there a few days.
13The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting.
15He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew their tables.
16To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!”
17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will eat me up.”
18The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?”
19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?”
21But he spoke of the temple of his body.
22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
23Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name, observing his signs which he did.
24But Jesus didn’t entrust himself to them, because he knew everyone,
25and because he didn’t need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.
Summary
At a wedding in Cana, Jesus turns water into wine at His mother's request, performing His first sign and revealing His glory so that His disciples believe in Him (vv. 1-11). He then travels to Jerusalem for Passover and drives the money changers and animal sellers out of the temple, declaring zeal for His Father's house (vv. 13-17). When the Jewish leaders demand a sign to justify this, Jesus speaks of destroying and raising up "this temple" in three days, words His disciples only understood after the resurrection as referring to His own body (vv. 18-22). Many in Jerusalem believe in Him because of the signs He performs, but Jesus does not entrust Himself to them, since He knows what is in every person (vv. 23-25).
Authorship & Background
Map & Geography
- Cana of Galilee (v.1): A village in Galilee (exact location debated — possibly Kefr Kenna, 4 miles northeast of Nazareth). Jesus performed His first miracle here.
- Jerusalem / the Temple (v.13): Jesus went up to Jerusalem for Passover and cleansed the Temple. John places this early in Jesus' ministry (the Synoptics record a later cleansing).
Places on this map
- Galileenorthern IsraelThe northern hill country above the Jezreel Valley, wetter and greener than Judah and crossed by the trade road to Damascus. That traffic is why Judeans considered it mixed and provincial, and why Jesus grew up hearing more than one language. Wikipedia
- NazarethNazareth, IsraelA small village in a hollow of the Galilean hills, unmentioned in the Old Testament or by Josephus. The Roman city of Sepphoris was four miles away and the Via Maris ran below, so it was obscure without being isolated. Wikipedia
- JerusalemJerusalemA hill town about 2,500 feet up in the central spine of Judah, roughly 35 miles inland from the Mediterranean and 15 miles west of the Jordan. It sits on no trade route and has no river, which is why it mattered as a fortress and a sanctuary rather than as a market. Wikipedia
- CanaKhirbet Qana, IsraelA Galilean village a few miles north of Nazareth, site of the first sign. Two candidate locations compete and neither is settled. Wikipedia
Towns sit on their excavated or traditional site. Regions, rivers and seas are ringed rather than dotted, because for those a single point is only an anchor. Coastlines from Natural Earth.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik addresses the meaning of "mine hour is not yet come" (v.4), the significance of the six stone waterpots, and the two Temple cleansings (John's early cleansing vs. the synoptic Gospels' later one).
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown (1871): blueletterbible.org A critical and explanatory commentary on the whole Bible, more concise than Matthew Henry and closer to the Hebrew and Greek, with attention to historical and geographical detail. Public domain.
- Matthew Henry's Exposition (1710): blueletterbible.org A devotional verse-by-verse commentary in the Puritan tradition, still among the most widely read three centuries on. Public domain.
Videos
Articles
- GotQuestions.org: gotquestions.org On the whole book: an overview of the book of John -- who wrote it, when, why, and how it fits the rest of Scripture.
Links open on the publisher's own site. Nothing here is reproduced on this page.
Reflection
- Complete Obedience (v.5) — Mary's instruction to the servants, to do whatever He tells you, is the simplest possible description of the Christian life. What is Christ currently asking of you that you haven't fully acted on yet?
- God's Timing and Provision (v.10) — Jesus saved the best wine for last, defying the usual order of things. Where in your life are you struggling to trust that God's timing, not your own, will bring the better outcome?
- Zeal for What Matters to God (v.17) — Jesus' passion for His Father's house shows that righteous anger has a place when God's honor is at stake. What in your home, work, or community should stir that kind of zeal in you?
- Understanding That Comes Later (v.22) — The disciples didn't grasp what Jesus meant about the temple until after the resurrection. Is there something in Scripture or your own life you're trusting God to make clear only in time?
- Fully Known (vv.24-25) — Jesus didn't entrust Himself to the crowds because He already knew what was in their hearts. Does it comfort or unsettle you to know Christ sees you completely, past whatever impression you try to make?