seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 2:1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”
4 “Woman,[a] why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”
5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b]
7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.
8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”
They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.
13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[c]
18 The Jews then responded to him, “What sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”
19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”
20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
Footnotes:a. John 2:4 The Greek for Woman does not denote any disrespect.
b. John 2:6 Or from about 75 to about 115 liters
c. John 2:17 Psalm 69:9
d. John 2:23 Or in him
I think verse 24 and the commentary on that verse at the blueletterbible.org site.... pretty well sums up what I've been saying all through the Gospels. Jesus knew humans inside and out. I think this chapter is more about how Jesus interacted with the "special" humans in His life. His human mother, the disciples, Gentiles, and all the other descendants of Jacob [Israel] all had an attitude... something that made their relationship unique.... and Jesus understood them all.
He knew what was in man: Yet Jesus still loved the multitudes, though he would not commit Himself to them. We can love people without entrusting ourselves to them. Even though God knows exactly what is in us, He still loves us powerfully.
This description of the wedding at bible-studys.org helps. His friend John [not John the Baptist.... John the author] shows us a little about how Jesus felt about the humans in His life. God created relationships.... Jesus would understand them better because He was there when God decided to give humans the ability to respond by giving and doing..... or.... taking and destroying.This third day speaks of the third day in Jesus' gathering of His disciples. It is interesting to note that Jesus' mother, Jesus, and the disciples would be invited to this type of wedding. This is obviously a Jewish wedding and sometimes they lasted seven to fourteen days. It was a very festive occasion.
These have to be prominent people in the community to have this large of a wedding. The guests as well, would be people who were upper-middle class to upper class as far as financial standing in the community went. Carpenters would fall into that category in those days and so would fishermen who owned their own boats. Both occupations were honorable.
This is not a poverty-stricken group at this wedding. Some would think, why would Jesus waste His time going to such an affair? Marriage the Bible says, is honorable.
This couple was following God's teaching in getting married. Jesus also loved people and this would show His concern for all things His people on earth are involved in. After Jesus became an adult, there is very little shown in contact with His mother Mary.
Perhaps this wedding was family or close friends. We are not told those details. Possibly, word had already travelled about Jesus' baptism. At any rate, Jesus and His disciples were invited to this wedding.
The disciples who accompanied Him are the 5 mentioned in chapter 1: Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael and the unnamed disciple who was surely John, who also witnessed this miracle.
The God part of Jesus had to be really restrained. I wonder.... when Jesus saw what was going on in the temple.... did He take the time to construct the whip so He could have a few minutes to cool down before attacking those humans? I can only imagine the mess that would have occurred had He called down a Legion of Angels to clean up the Temple Courts. [this is from the same commentary... different post]Because many traveled large distances, it was inconvenient to bring their sacrificial animals with them. Opportunistic merchants, seeing a chance to provide a service and probably eyeing considerable profits during this time, set up areas in the outer courts of the temple in order for travelers to buy animals.
The money changers were needed because the temple tax, paid annually by every conscientious Jewish male 20 years of age and older had to be in Jewish or Tyrian coinage (because of its high purity of silver). Those coming from foreign lands would need to exchange their money into the proper coinage for the tax.
In the outer courts, a market had been set up to sell animals for sacrifice and there was a place to exchange the weary travelers' money for the half-shekel suitable for the temple. No coin which had an earthly ruler on it could be used in the temple.
The money changers charged a high fee for the exchange. With such a large group of travelers and because of the seasonal nature of the celebration, both the animal dealers and money exchangers exploited the situation for monetary gain (Robber’s den). Religion had become crass and materialistic.
This place was not only located in a place that God called a place of prayer, but these animals were not the quality the Lord required. These merchants were really not honest.
And this is from the same commentary....about the relationship between Jesus and His disciples..... and followers....Faith that is based upon things you can see is not really faith at all. It takes no faith at all to believe a miracle you see with your own eyes. Jesus knew that the faith of these people was shallow and not the kind that would stand up in tribulation. Their faith was not in the giver, but in the gift. This is a dangerous type of faith. When the gifts stop, so does the faith.
Jesus did not bare Himself to them, because He sensed this. A faith that is based on getting from God and not giving will not hold up in tribulation.
Jesus looked for genuine conversion rather than enthusiasm for the spectacular. This verse also leaves a subtle doubt as to the genuineness of the conversion of some. This emphatic contrast between (verses 23 & 24), in terms of type of trust, therefore, reveals that “belief into His name” involved much more that intellectual assent. It called for whole hearted commitment of one’s life as Jesus’ disciple.
Many believed in Jesus when they witnessed His miracles, but Jesus did not entrust His fate to their hands, for He knew what was in man. The same word, pisteuo (“believe or commit”), is used (in verses 23 and 34). Jesus knew men’s hearts. This is illustrated by His subsequent interviews with Nicodemus, the woman at the well and the nobleman.
Now I'm not a big fan of making Mary, the mother of Jesus, a saintly woman. As a matter of fact.... I don't like what Mary did here. But then again... if I saw one bird throw another bird out of the nest.... I don't think I would like that at all either. Preachers always want to make her out to be the loving mother who is pushing her son into doing His first miracle. I've read the three other Gospels.... I know she thinks Jesus might be insane at one point. She sent her other boys to get Him when He was teaching stuff people didn't understand or like. Fact is though.... I'm not new to this rodeo and I know that Jesus asked John [the disciple and author] to watch over His human mother after the crucifixion.Jesus didn't want humans to turn His ministry into a side show. Making water into wine to make His mommy happy wasn't exactly a glorious way to start..... but Jesus also had to choose His battles. There wasn't a lot of time left for Him to do what He had to do.
IMHO... Jesus got sidetracked sometimes. I don't think driving the coin changers out of the Temple was part of the ministry of bringing the anti-dote to death..... but it was a kind gesture towards the Gentiles and the traveling descendants of Jacob [Israel]. Those vendors stood in the way of worship. Those vendors were taking advantage of the least likely to pay. Those vendors were stealing from people.... right there in the Temple.... and Jesus had to make a stand.... I love the constraint He used. He proved He could handle that human body with all its intricate emotions and instincts. He kept His cool a lot....thankfully
I wonder.... what would have happened if Jesus had moved all the humans out of the Temple..... pulled it apart each rock separated from the other.... and then built it back up in three days? I bet every human on earth would have run...... some would have run towards Him because they were looking for a ruler bigger and badder than Rome. Some would have run away from Him because He was way way way too powerful for them... so He must be a buddy of satan himself.
Jesus didn't want the humans to worship Him because He could do tricks. Jesus didn't even want humans to worship Him because He is the Son of God. He really wanted people to worship His Father.... not Him..... He's the Son.
This book is written by a man who understood Jesus a little better than anyone else. I know the type.... a bestest buddy..... John understood the man because John was His friend.... John didn't idolize Jesus.... John loved Jesus.
