The Way - Day 183 (John 2)

Pastor Tom's Journal on Today's Reading:
JOHN 2:1-25
As mentioned in the Introduction to John, the writer uses several miraculous signs to prove the deity of Jesus Christ. In John 2 the first miracle mentioned - Jesus turning the water to wine. On the third day after the calling of Philip and Nathanael (John 1:43), Jesus attends a wedding at Cana of Galilee with his mother (2:1). John also mentions that Jesus' disciples, five at this point in His ministry, were also guests at this wedding (2:2). In this culture, a marriage celebration lasted several days and included many festivities, many including food and drink. Wine was a major part of these ceremonies and it was the groom's responsibility to make sure that the guests had enough to drink. A failure of the groom to provide wine for his wedding guests was looked upon with shame.

So, when this celebration came to a halt for lack of wine, Jesus' mother turned to Him and said, "They have no wine" (2:3). It does not seem that Mary was looking for Jesus to perform a miracle because she had not yet witnessed His divine power as the Son of God. In response to her statement Jesus said, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come" (2:4). Jesus’ response was not disrespectful to His mother. He was simply declaring to her that His actions were subject to the will of His Father. Anytime Jesus mentions His "hour," He is referring directly to His death and resurrection. In this particular exchange, Jesus was declaring that His sacrifice for sin must come prior to people experiencing the blessings of the present age. Although Mary could not fully grasp Jesus' words at this time, she commanded the wedding attendants to do as Jesus told them (2:5).

Jesus commanded the servants to fill the six water pots (probably 20-30 gallons each) with water (2:6-7). After filling the pots with water, Jesus said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast" (2:8).

"When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom. And he said to him, ‘Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!’" (John 2:9-10)

John then writes that Jesus' miracle "manifested His glory" and His disciples believed in Him (2:11). Jesus' turning of the water into wine was not just a simple demonstration of His power, but a demonstration of a deeper reality - Jesus Christ was the Son of God.

Following this incident, Jesus departed to Capernaum for a few days and then went to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover (2:12-13). Since many Jews traveled great distances to celebrate Passover, they would choose to purchase their temple sacrifices such as oxen, sheep, and doves (2:14) when they arrived in Jerusalem. During this time of Passover, the temple collected a "temple tax" from all males over the age of 20 (Exodus 30:13-14). Seeing potential financial gain in these situations, money changers were charging high fees in order to exchange foreign money. The foreigners had to pay these excessive fees or they would have nothing to offer in worship and pay their temple tax.

When Jesus finds these dishonest people selling animals to worshipers and charging unnecessary fees, He becomes angry at their lack of respect for worship. John writes about Jesus' reaction -

"When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen, and poured out the changers' money and overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, 'Take these things away! Do not make My Father's house a house of merchandise!'" (John 2:15-16)

The religious Jewish leaders were obviously upset and wanted to know who had given Jesus the authority to throw out the money changers and merchants. They really wanted Jesus to prove, through a miraculous sign, that He had been given authority from God to take these actions (2:18). Instead of instantly demonstrating His power and authority, Jesus spoke to them saying, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (2:19). The Jews assumed Jesus was referring to the temple building (2:20), but He was referring to His body (2:21). Jesus’ statement is a veiled reference to His future death and resurrection (2:22), which would be the ultimate sign that He was the Son of God.

Although Jesus performed many other miracles while in Jerusalem, many only believed in Him because of what He could do instead of who He was. For this reason John writes,
"But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man" (John 2:24-25).
Jesus knows the hearts of men.

Dear God, help my faith not to just be in the miraculous, but also in Jesus Christ who can do the miraculous.