Videos from Fr Claudio Doglio
Videos subtitled and voice over in the same languages are also available.
From Cana to Cana
In Cana of Galilee, Jesus performed His first sign. We have seen how the story of that event is symbolic, conveying an important message. Jesus fulfills the covenant. In the first part of the Gospel of John, often called the Book of Signs, we see that the first two signs occur in Cana of Galilee. The first is well known—the wedding at the start of chapter 2—and the second is explicitly called a sign by the evangelist, appearing at the end of chapter 4.
The second sign of Cana involves a son. A royal official in Capernaum travels to Jesus, who is in Cana. He meets Him and asks Him to come down to heal his dying son. Jesus simply says, “Go; your son will live.” That man believed in Jesus’ word, and he went back. The next day, he met the servants who told him, “Your son lives.” He asked when he started feeling better, and they told him, “The seventh hour.”
The translator states it is ‘after one hour of midday,’ but John tells them it is the seventh hour, based on how the hours were counted. The number seven symbolizes fulfillment and perfection, while Cana’s wedding is connected to six, representing the sixth day with six jars, and the second sign at Cana is also associated with seven. The father understood the exact hour Jesus said, “Your son will live.” He mentioned that the hour had not yet come at Cana, but at the seventh hour, the son begins to live.
In the second sign of Cana, another point is made. In the first sign, the focus is on a physical reality; water turns into wine. In the second sign of Cana, the focus shifts to a human being, the son, who is said to ‘live’ three times. The emphasis is less on healing and more on living. The son lives.
Let us examine these two stories carefully. The first sign shows Jesus turning water into fine wine. We said it symbolizes the renewal of the covenant. It does not replace or undo the old but completes the ancient covenant with the gift of his own life. The second sign reminds us of the living Son, whom Jesus introduced in the new covenant. Through the life given to children, people become sons and daughters and can maintain a full and perfect relationship with God the Father.
Two signs at Cana serve as the narrator’s way to introduce two new beginnings. ‘Caná’ in Hebrew is a verb that means a foundation. It represents a key action by Jesus in Cana; he establishes a base and starts a new phase. The evangelist shares several episodes from Cana, noting that Jesus moves to Jerusalem, where he encounters the temple authorities. Later, in Jerusalem, he meets Nicodemus and talks about the law and the spirit. Then John the Baptist, who steps aside to let Jesus take the spotlight, is introduced. Finally, after Jesus travels through Samaria and talks with the Samaritan woman about worship and the gift of the Spirit, he returns to Cana of Galilee, where he turns water into wine. This marks the start of the second sign, setting the stage for a new part of the story.
According to John, chapters 2, 3, and 4 of the Gospel are framed by the geographical name Cana of Galilee at the beginning and end. Both, marked by a sign performed by Jesus, constitute a narrative unit. By carefully analyzing the various episodes, we recognize that at the center of each episode’s interest is an institution of Israel.
Therefore, we can refer to this part of John’s narrative as ‘the cycle of institutions,’ where Jesus presents himself as the one who changes, renews, and completes. The first sign showed the renewal of the covenant. Jesus fulfills the covenant commitment but in a new and significantly superior way. The second event in this sequence takes Jesus to Jerusalem and highlights an issue he has with the authorities there. He tells them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days, I will raise it up.” The Jews at this time oppose Jesus — not all Jews in general but specifically that highly confrontational group against him. The Jews, therefore, reject his stance, mock him, and consider him blasphemous. “It took 46 years to build this temple, and you will resurrect it in three days?” But they did not understand the meaning Jesus intended.
In this episode, we encounter one of the narrator’s usual interruptions. In verses 21 and following, the narrator opens a parenthesis and says, “He spoke of the temple of his body.”First, he explains the meaning. He is concerned the reader might not understand the symbol of the temple being destroyed and rebuilt. Therefore, he clarifies that Jesus was referring to his body. He calls it a temple because the body of Jesus is the temple of God’s presence, not the brick building in Jerusalem. It is the center of God’s dwelling, the body of Christ. The evangelist further clarifies, “When he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this and believed the Scripture and the word said by Jesus.”
We can say that, for now, the disciples memorized the fact but did not understand its meaning. John was there; we mentioned he was a young man, probably from a priestly family connected to Jerusalem, and therefore knowledgeable about the temple. He heard that strange phrase; he didn’t understand it, but remembered it. After the resurrection, on the third day, he realized there was a connection. John later understood that Jesus was referring to his body that day. “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it in three days.” They understood those words after recalling the saying, and then they also understood the Scripture.
The Scripture spoke of a new temple and reconstruction, but it did not simply refer to a new building. Instead, it spoke of a personal priesthood and a new kind of worship—one not based on animal sacrifices but on offering oneself. In this way, John understands that Jesus fulfilled all the expectations regarding the temple, the priesthood, and the sacrifices. The events of his death and resurrection during the three days of Passover are the fulfillment of that history. They understood this after Easter, several years later. However, John did not write about it at that time. He wrote decades later, reflecting on it for 70 years, and this text became a profound spiritual interpretation of the episode. Therefore, in Cana, Jesus announced the new covenant; in Jerusalem, he announced the new temple. The covenant is his blood; the temple is his body.
The third episode, always set in Jerusalem, occurs during Passover, a significant time; Jesus encounters an older man, a teacher in Israel, who is searching and comes to him at night. It isn’t explained why he visits at night, but it’s easy to understand his desire to stay hidden. Nicodemus secretly approaches Jesus and tries to have a conversation. He begins by complimenting him, a way of gaining goodwill. He tells him, “I know you are a man from God because you could not do the signs you do if God were not with you.” Jesus responds in a mysterious way. “Unless one is born from above, one cannot see the kingdom of God.” In Greek, the adverb translated as ‘from above’ is ‘ἄνωθεν’ = ‘anozen,’ which could also mean ‘again.’
The expression is unclear. Jesus suddenly tells Nicodemus: if someone is not born again, they cannot enter the kingdom of God, meaning they must be born from above. Being born again signifies being born through God’s grace, by way of a new creation. It is not simply a repetition… How are we born again? That’s what Nicodemus asks himself. How can I do that when I am old? Can I perhaps go back into my mother’s womb and be born a second time? Smiling, Jesus responds, You are a teacher in Israel, but you don’t remember the prophet Ezekiel and the prophet Jeremiah when they spoke of the new heart, the new covenant, and the renewal that God will bring.
He does not properly quote these texts. It is I who have interpreted them. Jesus means that a master of Israel who has read the ancient scriptures should understand that God’s plan is specifically about this renewal of the heart. Saying ‘again’ or ‘from above’ does not change the meaning. They are two aspects of the same word that signify something new. It is not just a matter of changing a doctrine; it is about being reborn. It requires a new generation, and this new generation is only possible through the gift of the Spirit.
The old Pharisee Nicodemus, who visits Jesus at night, represents the law—one that is carefully followed but depends only on human effort. This kind of legalism doesn’t allow for any spark of innovation, doesn’t lead to salvation, and doesn’t open the heart to new life. There is a need for God’s creative work. The law alone is not enough for salvation; the Spirit of God is essential. At this point, Nicodemus stays silent; the dialogue ends, or rather, it becomes a monologue.
Jesus continues his speech at length, explaining the meaning of his story. In fact, “God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son so that whoever believes in him would not be lost but have eternal life. God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him.” It reveals the purpose of his mission. Jesus shows himself as the Son sent by the Father, not to judge but to save, and this salvation comes through faith. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but those who do not believe are already condemned; God does not punish them, but their unbelief condemns them. By rejecting faith, a person eliminates their chance for salvation. The judgment is this: “The light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light.”
Jesus presents himself as a light that shines into the world and exposes the dirt that exists. You notice the dirt when you open a window in a dimly lit room and let the light in. Once you see the disorder and dirt, it is better to turn the light off and close the shutters again, so you can no longer see or feel the need to clean up. Christ came into the world as a light that reveals the limits of man. Sunlight helps you see the dirt, but doesn’t remove it; it is up to the person to clean it away.
Here’s a different kind of announcement: the Christ who comes as light and reveals man’s limits is also the one who offers man the chance to overcome those limits if he chooses to accept. The danger is that people may prefer darkness over light. Dirt isn’t visible when the shutters are closed and the light is off, making it seem clean. We pretend we’re healthy, close our eyes, and ignore the problem. But if, through Jesus, we recognize the problem, man’s limits are brought to light. In him, there is always the possibility of salvation.
How does this salvation happen? Jesus describes it using an Old Testament image. “As Moses raised the serpent in the desert, so the Son of man must be raised up so that anyone who believes in him has eternal life.” Remember that Moses is mentioned in the book of Numbers, chapter 21. He built a bronze serpent and placed it on a staff, so those who were bitten by poisonous snakes and looked at it were healed. The bronze serpent represents the animals that cause death, but, objectively, it brings salvation. Raising the serpent becomes a symbol of what will be done to Jesus, who will be lifted up on the cross and raised to the glory of God. It means to elevate someone to the throne; it also means to hang them and kill them. The cross will be Jesus’ raising, with two meanings: he is truly killed, but the cross is the throne where Christ reigns, becomes king, and judges the universe. The serpent that causes death is symbolized and lifted up to become a source of salvation.
After all, Jesus’ death is a terrible evil; it is a grave injustice; it is the killing of the only innocent; it is a serious judicial mistake. Therefore, the death of the innocent is evil, but this meaning is transformed by how Jesus faced that unjust judgment and by His way of confronting the impious death on the cross, salvation is born. Evil hangs from the wood, and salvation flows from Jesus. Looking at the one they have pierced is the source of salvation. Jesus tells Nicodemus that the Pharisees’ law is good and beautiful, but it is not enough. We must observe and respect it, but that alone does not suffice. It requires the Spirit; it demands a transformation of the heart.
It is necessary to be born again, and who will give the Spirit? The Son was raised on the cross. Nicodemus must accept being born again to transition from the law to the gift of the Spirit. Soon after, we see an episode in which John the Baptist steps back and tells the disciples that Jesus is the bridegroom, while he compares himself to the friend who prepared the wedding. Now is the time for John to leave.
We learned from the account of the wedding at Cana that the bridegroom is Jesus. Now, John the Baptist tells us that Jesus is not only the Lamb of God but also the bridegroom; therefore, the mediators withdraw. By now, the bridegroom is present—a new covenant, a new temple, a new law—which is the Spirit, overcoming the mediators with the presence of God Himself. Finally, upon arriving in Samaria, He talks with the Samaritan woman about the place of worship: Where is God worshiped? In the spirit of truth, Jesus says.
Thus, we conclude the journey by returning to Cana. Jesus completes the institutions of Israel. He does not abolish them; he perfects them; he fulfills the prophecies in him. Jesus is the newness that fulfills the promises.