The Wedding at Cana

2 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ² Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. ³ When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” ⁴ And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” ⁵ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

⁶ Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.^{[a] 7} Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ And he said to them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.” So they took it. ⁹ When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom ¹⁰ and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.” ¹¹ This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

1. "Third day"  what day is that?   Weddings on the third day are still popular among some Jewish people because some consider it the day of "double blessing"  based on the creation account in Genesis 1.
   
   
2. "Woman, what does this have to do with me?"  Does Jesus sound annoyed?  
   
3. FAST FACTS: "Mother of Jesus"  When Jesus is on the cross he gives custody of his mother over to John (John 19:26-27) even though Mary had other sons.  John does not refer to himself or Mary by name in this gospel.  What does this say about Jesus and John's relationship?  John and Mary's relationship?
   
   
4. "My hour has not yet come"  and variations on it show up at least 11 times in John's Gospel (see below).  Why do you think Jesus and John use this phrase?  Does it mean the same to 1st century people as to us?
   
   
5. Six stone water jars for Jewish rites of purification:  See Numbers 19. Who or what is said to be defiled in Numbers 19:13?
   
   
6. How is Mary regarded by the servants?  How is Jesus regarded by Mary? 
   
   
7. If you stop at the end of vs. 9 -- very dramatic!
   
   
8. How do we know that this is Jesus first miracle?  What were some of the results of the miracle?  
   
   
9. Is it significant that the wine was remarkably good or remarkably abundant?  As we consider opportunities to serve others, how might this story affect our intentions and actions?  (Matthew 7:17-20)
   

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

¹³ The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers sitting there. ¹⁵ And making a whip of cords, he drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and oxen. And he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. ¹⁶ And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; do not make my Father's house a house of trade.” ¹⁷ His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will consume me.”

¹⁸ So the Jews said to him, “What sign do you show us for doing these things?” ¹⁹ Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” ²⁰ The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple,^[c] and will you raise it up in three days?” ²¹ But he was speaking about the temple of his body. ²² When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

1. Capernaum == "City of Naum" or city of comfort. About 20 miles from Cana.
   
2. 
   
   
3. The legitamate function of money changers was to exchange Roman currency for temple-approved currency. Where were the money-changers? Is that an important detail?  Other violations going on perhaps?
   
   
4. Can you imagine Jesus whipping people and animals and overturning tables?  "Zeal for your house will consume me" is a quote from Psalm 69.  Read Psalm 69:7-12.  John is linking this Psalm with Jesus.  In later chapters we will see a more complete linkage.
   
   
5. Is there any connection between the miracle at Cana and the cleansing of the temple?  
   
   
6. The Jewish leaders ask for a sign.  What would a sign mean to them? How might we ask for a sign when the Bible gives a clear answer?
   
   
7. How does the resurrection make sense of Jesus sayings to John and the disciples?  How would embracing the truth of the resurrection make sense of things that are hard for us to understand?

 Jesus Knows What Is in Man

²³ Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. ²⁴ But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people ²⁵ and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.