John 2:1-11
Chapter 2
The Wedding at Cana
Jesus was also invited to the wedding with his disciples.
When all the wine for the celebration was served, and they had run out, Jesus’ mother told him:
“They have no wine.”
Jesus answered:
“Woman, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.”
His mother said to the servants:
“Do whatever he tells you.”
Nearby were six stone water jars set there for ritual washing as practiced by the Jews; each jar could hold twenty or thirty gallons.
Jesus said to the servants:
“Fill the jars with water.”
And they filled them to the brim.
Then Jesus said:
“Now draw some out and take it to the chief steward.”
So they did.
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
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.”
Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory, and his disciples began to believe in him.
Commentaries
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.