A wedding celebration could last as long as a week. Nathanael, one of the twelve disciples, is described as a native of Cana. When a wedding was held, the entire town was invited, and most made the effort to come (it was considered an insult to refuse an invitation to a wedding). Cana was Jesus’ home region, so he may have known the bride and groom. In any case, his presence was intentional.Running out of wine meant more than embarrassment; it broke the strong unwritten laws of hospitality. Jesus was about to respond to a heartfelt need. Mary told Jesus of the predicament, perhaps expecting him to do something about it. Some believe Mary was not assuming that Jesus would perform a miracle; she was simply hoping that her son would help solve this major problem and find some wine.
In any case, Jesus made it clear to his mother that his life was following a different timetable; he lived to carry out his Father’s business, according to his Father’s plans. Whatever Jesus’ intended response to the problem at hand, he expressed to his mother a firm reminder that his priorities were different from hers—his time had not yet come.
Mary’s words to the servants to do whatever they are told show her respect for Jesus’ authority. The six stone waterpots were normally used for the ceremonial washing of hands as part of the Jewish purification rites before and after meals. When full, each jar would hold twenty to thirty gallons.
When Jesus performed the miracle, all the water was changed to wine; wine was not added to the water. It portrays the abundance of Christ’s gracious work; it also indicates the wholeheartedness of the servants’ obedience. The servants dipped into the jars and drew out the water that had been miraculously changed to wine. Jesus instructed them to take it to the master of ceremonies.
The water turned into wine was of such quality that the master of ceremonies made a point of mentioning this to the bridegroom, who also probably reacted in surprise. Neither of them knew where this wine came from, but Mary, the servants, and the disciples were aware of what had happened.
The Gospels record thirty-five miraculous signs performed by Jesus. In the Gospel of John, each miracle was a sign intended to point people to the truth that Jesus is the divine Son of God come down from heaven. These signs were remarkable actions that displayed the presence and power of God. According to John’s Gospel, this was Jesus’ first sign—and it was performed in Cana in Galilee (his own region). His second was also performed in Galilee.
The Passover celebration took place yearly at the Temple in Jerusalem. Every Jewish male was expected to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem during this time, so Jesus went (Deuteronomy 16:16). This was a week-long festival—the Passover was one day, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted the rest of the week. The entire week commemorated the freeing of the Jews from slavery in Egypt.
God had originally instructed the people of Israel to bring from their own flocks the best animals for sacrifice (Deuteronomy 12:5-7). This would make the sacrifice more personal. But the Temple priests instituted a market for buying sacrificial animals so the pilgrims would not have to bring their animals on the long journey. In addition, the merchants and money changers were dishonest. The businesspeople selling these animals expected to turn a profit.
The price of sacrificial animals was much higher in the Temple area than elsewhere. In order to purchase the animals, travelers from other lands would need local currency, and the Temple tax had to be paid in local currency; so money changers exchanged foreign money, but made huge profits by charging exorbitant exchange rates.
Jesus was angry at the dishonest, greedy practices of the money changers and merchants, and he particularly disliked their presence on the Temple grounds. They had set up shop in the Court of the Gentiles, making it so full of merchants that foreigners found it difficult to worship—and worship was the main purpose for visiting the Temple. With all the merchandising taking place in the area allotted for the Gentiles, how could they spend time with God in prayer? No wonder Jesus was angry!
Jesus’ response to the desecration of the Temple was deliberate and forceful. He was intent on scouring the Temple. This cleansing was significantly appropriate during Passover because that was the time when all the Jews were supposed to cleanse their houses of all leaven (yeast). During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, no leaven was used in any baking and, in fact, was not even to be found in the Israelite homes (Exodus 12:17-20).
Jesus did not lose his temper; his action expressed anger, but he was clearly in control of himself. Jesus was zealous for the reverence due to God the Father, and he knew that the irreverent marketplace within the very courts of God’s Temple would not be expelled without the use of force. He made a whip and chased them all out of the Temple.
SO WHAT? (what will I do with what I have read today?)
It is so clear that Jesus is in the business of doing miracles in peoples lives. Jesus is in the business of changing lives. Lord, I ask you this morning to change lives at COV today. Draw people here - even on a holiday weekend, place a burden on their hearts to be here in worship and to make worship a priority in their lives. And Lord, help us celebrate you today. Make this a place where people want to be because life is here. Family is here. YOU are here.
Lord, speak through me this morning. May my words be YOUR words. Encourage people. Draw people to you. Open their eyes and hearts to the blessing that you are waiting to pour out upon them.
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