Read the Passage: John 2

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: John 2

Mary’s Request (2:1–5)

The first chapter of John’s Gospel covers significant ground in Jesus’ life and ministry. It is interesting that John does not record the details of Jesus’ birth or many of the events in His early ministry, such as Christ’s temptation and the Sermon on the Mount. Indeed, John’s approach is less biographical and more theological than the other Gospel writers. This can be explained, in part, since John wrote his Gospel after Matthew, Mark, and Luke. John 1 has three main sections—namely, the incarnation of Christ (cf. John 1:1–18), the ministry of John the Baptist (cf. John 1:19–34), and Jesus’ calling of the disciples (cf. John 1:35–51). John’s reference to “the third day” (John 2:1) is three days after the earlier cited “following day” (John 1:43) on which Jesus had called Philip and Nathaniel. John records that at this time, Jesus, Mary, and the disciples were at a wedding in Cana of Galilee.

It is interesting that John does not give the name of Jesus’ mother in this passage. In fact, John never reveals Mary’s name in his entire Gospel. As the narrative about the wedding in Cana unfolds, Mary informs Jesus that they had run out of wine. Note that weddings could last for a week, and the groom was responsible for financing the feast. Mary’s implicit request of Christ may indicate that the wedding in Cana, which was located nine miles north of Nazareth, involved Jesus’ extended family. Christ’s response to Mary was, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4). This ought not to be viewed as a refusal to provide wine; rather it is a statement that Jesus’ immediate purpose was not to usher in God’s kingdom, in which new wine would freely flow (cf. Jer. 31:12; Amos 9:13–14). Christ was not correcting Mary’s assessment of Him, but her understanding of God’s timeline.

Jesus’ Miracle (2:6–10)

Jesus addressing His mother as “woman” (John 2:4) was not disrespectful, rather the term is equivalent to the modern-day “ma’am.” Before responding to Mary’s implicit request, Christ instructed her, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:5). Next, Jesus instructed that six large ceremonial waterpots that were present should be filled with water. John records that these waterpots were made of stone and were 20 to 30 gallons in capacity. These were made of stone, making them both more durable and less porous than earthenware vessels. The presence of these waterpots was not unusual, for ceremonial washing was an important component of Jewish culture (cf. Mark 7:3–4). Like many of His other signs and wonders, Jesus’ actual performance of this miracle was not theatrical. Rather, Christ simply told the servants to bring a drink from the waterpots to the master of the feast.

As this narrative unfolds, when the servants brought the new wine to the master of the feast, he called the bridegroom and at John 2:10 declared, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!” Note that the master of the feast would have been a family member or hired worker who was tasked with overseeing the coordination of the wedding, whereas it was the bridegroom who financed the celebration. The comment on the quality of the wine is meant to confirm the authenticity of the miracle, as well as to communicate that Jesus’ ministry entailed bringing festive joy. It was not yet time for Christ to usher in the new heavens and earth (cf. John 2:4); yet, by beginning His earthly ministry Jesus was instituting the kingdom of God, which entails peace and joy (cf. Rom. 14:17).

John’s Commentary (2:11–25)

John 2:11 says, “This [is the] beginning of signs Jesus did . . . and His disciples believed in Him.” This observation is significant, for John was with Jesus when this miracle was performed. Note that John refers to this miracle as a “sign.” This is the term that John uses most frequently to refer to Christ’s miracles, and it highlights the fact that these external, physical acts all point to an internal, spiritual reality. Indeed, Jesus’ miracles all “manifested His glory” (John 2:11), which fostered the growing faith of His disciples. John refers to this as the beginning of Christ’s signs, for it is the first of eight of Jesus’ miracles that John chooses to record in this Gospel. Next, John reports Jesus’ travel to Capernaum, which would serve as a ministry center for Christ. This was followed by the narrative of a short trip to Jerusalem, where Jesus would cleanse the Temple and teach about His ministry.

Application Questions:

1. Why does John only record eight of Jesus’ miracles? Why are many of the miracles that John mentions only found in this Gospel?
2. Given the potential for the abuse of alcohol, how ought we to view Jesus’ creation of wine (cf. Luke 21:34)?
3. Why does Jesus’ performance of miracles lack a theatrical component? Would miracles be more effective if they were more dramatic?
4. How can Christians experience the peace and joy of Jesus amid the chaos and suffering of the present world?
5. What types of signs are manifest in the life of modern Christians that point people toward the truth of the gospel?