1

The Wedding at Cana

Three days later, there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and Jesus’ mother was there.

2

Jesus was also invited to the wedding with his disciples.

3

When all the wine for the celebration was served, and they had run out, Jesus’ mother told him:

“They have no wine.”

4

Jesus answered:

“Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”

5

His mother said to the servants:

“Do whatever he tells you.”

6

Nearby were six stone water jars set there for ritual washing as practiced by the Jews; each jar could hold twenty or thirty gallons.

7

Jesus said to the servants:

“Fill the jars with water.”

And they filled them to the brim.

8

Then Jesus said:

“Now draw some out and take it to the chief steward.”

So they did.

9

The steward tasted the water that had turned into wine without knowing where it came from; only the servants who had drawn the water knew. Immediately he called the bridegroom

10

and said,

“Everyone serves the best wine first, and once people have had enough, he serves the ordinary stuff. But you have kept the best wine for last.”

11

Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.

12

After this, Jesus went down to Capernaum with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.

13

Jesus Purifies the Temple

As the Passover of the Jews was approaching, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

14

In the temple courtyard, he saw merchants selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and moneychangers seated at their tables.

15

Making a whip out of cords, he drove them all out of the temple courtyard, along with the oxen and sheep. He knocked over the tables of the moneychangers, scattering the coins

16

and then ordered the people selling doves: “Take all this away and stop making a marketplace of my Father’s house!”

17

His disciples remembered the words of Scripture: Zeal for your house consumes me like fire.

18

The Jews then questioned Jesus:

“What sign can you show us for doing this?”

19

Jesus answered them:

“Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

20

The Jews then replied:

“The building of this temple has already taken forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?”

21

But he was speaking of the temple of his body.

22

It was only after he had risen from the dead that his disciples remembered these words; then they believed both the scripture and the words Jesus had spoken.

23

Reactions to Jesus

Jesus stayed in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival, and many believed in his name when they saw the miraculous signs he performed.

24

But Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew them all

25

and needed no one to testify about anyone; for he himself knew what there was in each one.

Commentaries

2:1 - 2:12

The Wedding at Cana.

This passage is not just about a wedding but includes various elements that make it a true Johannine “sign.” The main characters are Mary and Jesus. Mary, besides playing an important role, serves as a model of faith and obedience to God’s Word. Her statement, “Do whatever he tells you,” reflects an attitude of complete availability to Jesus Christ, similar to the stance of faithful people before the covenant: “We will do whatever the Lord says” (Ex 19:8). Jesus is at the center of the story. The new revelation, the ‘wine’ he brings, is superior to the law of Judaism, represented by the water in the “stone” jars. He does not come to establish a doctrinal system but to reveal his own mystery. That is why he chooses a wedding. The messianic covenant was announced by the prophets using the symbolism of a wedding (Hos 2:16-25; Jr 2:1f; 3:1-6; Ezk 16; Is 54:4-8), and similarly in the Song of Songs. In the fourth Gospel, Jesus’ activity (11) begins with the joy of a wedding, symbolizing the messianic wedding. The groom is Jesus, and the bride is the small community that joins him in faith. The glory the disciples see in Jesus is his manifestation as the new messianic groom.

2:13 - 2:22

Jesus Purifies the Temple.

The story’s theme is Jesus himself, portrayed by the evangelist as the new and ultimate temple.
Messianic Sign (13-17). Jesus’ action doesn’t seem to be a revolutionary act; in fact, the disciples do not intervene. However, Malachi’s prophecy (3:1f) is fulfilled: Jesus appears with divine powers to purify the house of God. This passionate zeal for the glory of the Father will consume him and ultimately lead him to death.
Sayings of Jesus (18-22). The Jews do not understand Jesus’ mysterious words (20). They think he is talking about a stone temple, but he is referring to the temple of his body. Jesus willingly gives up his body to destruction and death, but after three days, he will return to reclaim it in glory. The body of Jesus, dead and risen, becomes the place where God reveals himself, the only place of prayer, the true temple that connects us with God. Later, the disciples remember and understand Jesus’ mysterious words. It is an allusion to the Spirit, the living memory of the Church, who helps us remember, internalize, and truly understand Jesus’ words (14:26).

2:23 - 2:25

Reactions to Jesus.

John generally describes a typical pattern in the life of Jesus (4:45; 20:31): his signs were meant to inspire faith, but they remain ambiguous. Some believe (like the disciples at Cana); others do not, because they see only the miracle worker and not the Son of God.


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