It started out as the Lord's passover. A layman's commentary on John chapter two, verses 11-13.

 A layman's commentary on John 2:6 through ??

Having covered the wedding at Cana, I do not want to go into all the details again, but John 2:10 offers an incredible opening statement.

Why choose the words, an astounding opening statement?

Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.”
John 2:11 BSB

Just toying with ideas, but I could read this passage one of two ways.

1. This, we are told, is the first sign He performed.

   If that is the case, how did his mother come to believe that He was capable of doing other things, like raising a human from the grave?

   The miracle that He performed at the wedding may have communicated, to those paying attention, on so many levels.

2. It may be that the statement we see in verse 11 was speaking exclusively to any miracles that He performed in Cana.

Signs seem like such a simplistic word, so let's look at it for a moment.

It is the Greek word sēmeion, and has meanings, given to us by [Thayer's Greek definitions], such as: (1) that by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others and is known. Well, Jesus was soon to be known more for the remarkable events, such as healing a crippled man who was lowered through the roof.

“And many were gathered together, so that there was no longer room, not even near the door; and He was speaking the word to them. And they *came, bringing to Him a paralytic, carried by four men. Being unable to get to Him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above Him; and when they had dug an opening, they let down the pallet on which the paralytic was lying.” Mark 2:2-4 NASB)

(2. An unusual occurrence, transcending the common course of nature. Certainly, reattaching Malchus' ear was unusual.

“Then Simon Peter drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.”
John 18:10 BSB

The narrative about Malchus does not end there.

“Those around Jesus saw what was about to happen and said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And He touched the man’s ear and healed him.”
Luke 22:49-51 BSB

Most of these retellings of Jesus's actions are sterile and devoid of background information; it does not seem to matter since the combination of passages, from the Apostle John, and Dr. Luke, who did not come into view until the Apostle Paul describes his actions in his letters to Timothy, Philemon, and the church in Colossae; leaving us to fill in blanks, with information such as: who saw this happen?

The answer to the question above was Peter, Andrew, James, John, and John Mark. John's recollection details that it was Malchus, the servant of the high priest.

Here is an interesting thought. Is it possible that Malchus came to be a follower of Jesus?
Moving on.

“After this, He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and His disciples, and they stayed there a few days.”
John 2:12 BSB

“After this?”

After the wedding at Cana.

“His mother and brothers and His disciples?”

We seem to forget, or ignore, that He had other brothers and sisters; remember, they were the

offspring of Joseph and Mary, not Mary carrying God's embryo, placed by the Holy Spirit.

“When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”
John 2:13 BSB

I cannot explain why this grabs my attention.

“Jesus went up to Jerusalem.”

Here is a piece of information that should help you understand biblical eschatology. Your point of reference when considering Israel and prophecy is to remember that the heart of Israel is Jerusalem.

Dake's notes indicate that this was and still should be the Lord's Passover.

It was the Passover.

“It started out to be "the Lord’s Passover."

• Exodus 12:11,

  'Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste--it is the LORD'S Passover.” NASB

• Leviticus 23:4-5;

  'These are the appointed times of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them. 5 'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD'S Passover.

• Numbers 28:16 NASB,

  'Then on the fourteenth day of the first month shall be the LORD'S Passover.”

But it had degenerated to be "the Jews’ Passover." Passover was one of the six yearly feasts dedicated to the Lord.

I want you to consider something before we move on to a commentary by E.W. Bullinger. As part of the wrath/signs that God poured out upon Egypt, as part of an extensive effort meant to motivate Pharaoh to release God's people, Israel.

The Passover, while meant to bring about the release of Israel, would also bring about a quick death to the firstborn of "anyone" in Egypt that did not protect themselves by having their door lintels covered by the blood.

The majority of Israel was effectively atheist.

How could I say that?

Well, seeing that many of us had been taught, in Sunday school, to assume that Israel followed, wholeheartedly, after God. Sorry, but that was not the case. To prove my point, after gaining their “freedom” from Egypt, several years passed, and this “prophet for hire,” Balaam, was brought in by Balak, the King of Moab, to curse Israel. The end result of that chapter of Israel's history was that Balaam conveyed to Balak how introducing the good-looking “foreign” women into the camp of Israel would corrupt and destroy Israel from the inside out. That is exactly what happened.

How many generations does it take to effectively strip the understanding and love of God out of your heart and mentality?

In some cases, one generation is about 20 to 30 years. Let's speculate that 20 years is the standard. Israel spent 40 years wandering in the desert, so we might be able to say, Israel, just based upon time spent in the desert wanderings, is looking at two generations. We have watched this very thing within our own family, as our oldest grandchild is now 23. Israel, before leaving Egypt, spent 400+ years in captivity. I like to describe what we call Israel as effectively Egyptians. This is why I can say, in a sense, Israel had to be taught rather quickly to obey.

Obey what?

A rather difficult set of instructions. No, it was not difficult to splash some paint on your door lintels, but it was difficult to bring a young lamb into your home, love it, and then slaughter “what had, in a sense, effectively become a family member”.

Understand that Israel had been living for over 400 years, with a mere trickle of the descendants of Judah following after God, and that these descendants now attempted to comprehend.

Did Moses have a strong grasp of God?

Moses was born into a Jewish family (If you know the narrative surrounding Moses, then you also know that the origins of this relationship, which led back to the God of Abraham, a relationship that had NO religion tied to it.)

How do I know that?

Because we see Moses, though raised in Pharaoh's courts, had some education in the ways and understanding of “his” people.

What does the book of Hebrews tell us?

“It was by faith that Moses, when he grew up, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to share the oppression of God’s people instead of enjoying the fleeting pleasures of sin. He thought it was better to suffer for the sake of Christ than to own the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking ahead to his great reward. It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:24-27 NLT

Pharaoh had given orders to kill off ALL the male children born to the people of Judah, “God's people.” Fortunately, Moses' mother chose to disobey that order and eventually put their baby boy in a reed basket, made waterproof with pitch. Who should find that basket? A servant girl, who then took the baby to the daughter of Pharaoh. Moses' sister had watched this and then offered the services of an Israelite who could nurse the baby. How convenient. I believe Pharaoh and his daughter both knew that this was the mother of the baby.

Now comes an extraordinary event. Moses came to understand who his family and relatives were, and what they believed – that there was a God in the heavens who was willing to make a covenant with a long-dead ancestor named Abraham.

How did that happen?

To answer that question, you have to assume and project a logical understanding into the scenario. That mother nursed that boy long enough, with probable visits from Pharaoh's daughter, to the point that Moses was familiar with both “parents.” He learned the language of his people as well as the Egyptian language, and seemed to understand the plight of the “Jews” and why they were here in Egypt.

This next verse, though vague, will help to explain Hebrews 11:24-27.

“Later, when the boy was older, his mother brought him back to Pharaoh’s daughter, who adopted him as her own son. The princess named him Moses, for she explained, “I lifted him out of the water.” Exodus 2:10 NLT

“Later, when the boy was older,” How old is older?

Honestly, I have seen a “documentary” that may have been made to show the ridiculousness of women breastfeeding children as old as 12 years of age.

Is that absurd?

It seems so, and my wife agrees, and yet the documentary indicates that the women were willing to do this for the sake of the child's emotional health. A rational answer will have to go unanswered, lacking an understanding of the culture of that time. If the Pharaoh's daughter had not been given access to the child throughout this time of nursing, she may have become bored with the idea of raising the child, and perhaps Moses would have been killed. Again, we don't know the answer short of speculation. You cannot walk through this narrative without seeing the hand of God in all of it.

Take this familiar scene one step further.

Over 40 years later, Moses will tell the people of Israel to take a lamb into their homes, love on it, and then on a specific day (the first day of the first month), a day which was as yet foreign to many of them, and slaughter that lamb. They then had to place the blood of that lamb upon the doorposts, in the sign of a cross, to “secure” the salvation of the firstborn, as the angel that was to bring death would pass over their home on that night. This angel did not merely kill newborn babies; it went after all ages. Surprise, I was the firstborn among my siblings, and Caleb (not a Jew) was the firstborn among his siblings. Interesting, yes.

The Companion Bible by E. W. Bullinger makes a point of telling us that Noah came out of the ark on “the first month, on the first day. Bullinger further indicates that there are six additional important events that occurred on the fourteenth day of the first month in the Bible:

1. The drying up of the flood waters from the earth. (Gen_8:13)

   “In Noah’s six hundred and first year, on the first day of the first month, the waters had dried up from the earth. So Noah removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry.” Genesis 8:13 BSB

   Noah, after a year in the ark, is now six hundred and one years old.

2. The setting up of the Tabernacle by Moses. (Exo_40:2)

   “On the first day of the first month you are to set up the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.” Exodus 40:2 BSB

   You should have enough of a grasp to understand that this ornate and heavy tent, Moses set up in the desert, was designed and purposed by God. This structure was for many years the temple of God, where the Mercy seat was.

3. The sanctification of the restored and cleaned-up Temple by Hezekiah (2Ch_29:17);

   They began the consecration on the first day of the first month, and on the eighth day of the month, they reached the portico of the LORD. For eight more days, they consecrated the house of the LORD itself, finishing on the sixteenth day of the first month. 2 Chronicles 29:17 BSB.

4. The going up of Ezra. (Ezra 7:6-10)

   This introduction is peculiar at best. Immediately, we see that Ezra was, too, a captive of Babylon.

   E. W. Bullinger established that Ezra was of the lineage of Aaron, and goes on to say,

   “This Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him. So in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, he went up to Jerusalem with some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants. Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. He had begun the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.” Ezra 7:6-10 BSB

5. The giving up of strange wives (Ezra_10:17);

   By the first day of the first month, they finished questioning all the men who had taken pagan wives.” Ezra 10:17 NKJV

   The KJV version used the term strange. Some can hear this, and at best, think it means ugly. I do not think so. Strange, in Hebrew, the word is nokrı̂y. It carries meanings of: stranger, foreigner. It refers to someone who was not part of the family. Under the Law, strangers were not allowed to rule in Israel (Deu_17:15). Strangers were regarded as unholy (Deu_14:21). More emphasis was placed on avoiding the defilement of foreign women (1Ki_11:1; Ezr_10:2, Ezr_10:10-11, Ezr_10:14, Ezr_10:17-18, Ezr_10:44; Pro_6:24); and foreign ways (Isa_2:6; Jer_2:21; Zep_1:8). Definitions from Brown-Driver-Briggs' Hebrew Definitions.

   So, lacking the willpower to say NO, Israel was ordered, by ordinance of scripture, to get rid of the foreign wives they had taken.

6. The offering up of a bullock in Ezekiel’s future Temple (Ezk_45:18).

   “This is what the Lord GOD says: ‘On the first day of the first month you are to take a young bull without blemish and purify the sanctuary. And the priest is to take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the temple, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the gateposts of the inner court. You must do the same thing on the seventh day of the month for anyone who strays unintentionally or in ignorance. In this way you will make atonement for the temple. On the fourteenth day of the first month you are to observe the Passover, a feast of seven days, during which unleavened bread shall be eaten. On that day the prince shall provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land.” Ezekiel 45:18-22 BSB

Ezekiel 45:18-22 is a forerunner of Jesus, who, as the high priest, offered His own body as the sacrifice, and His own blood for the cleansing of the sanctuary, a pattern of which was already in the heavens.

Continuing on with John 2.

John 2:13-22 NASB The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14) And He found in the temple those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15) And He made a scourge of cords, and drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16) and to those who were selling the doves He said, "Take these things away; stop making My Father's house a place of business." 17) His disciples remembered that it was written, "ZEAL FOR YOUR HOUSE WILL CONSUME ME." 18) The Jews then said to Him, "What sign do You show us as your authority 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 took forty-six years to build this temple, and will You raise it up in three days?" 21) But He was speaking of the temple of His body. 22) So when He was raised from the dead, His disciples remembered that He said this; and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

Matthew 21:12-17 NASB And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13) And He *said to them, "It is written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN." 14) And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. 15) But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things that He had done, and the children who were shouting in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became indignant 16) and said to Him, "Do You hear what these children are saying?" And Jesus *said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'OUT OF THE MOUTH OF INFANTS AND NURSING BABIES YOU HAVE PREPARED PRAISE FOR YOURSELF'?" 17) And He left them and went out of the city to Bethany, and spent the night there.

Mark 11:15-18 NASB Then they *came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16) and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. 17) And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? But you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN." 18) The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.

Luke is giving us second or third-hand information.

Luke 19:45-47 NASB Jesus entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling, 46) saying to them, "It is written, 'AND MY HOUSE SHALL BE A HOUSE OF PRAYER,' but you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN." 47) And He was teaching daily in the temple; but the chief priests and the scribes and the leading men among the people were trying to destroy Him,

• All three, Matthew, Mark, and John, have Him entering the Temple.

  A prime assumption, but a good one, is that He went straightway to the Temple. He was on a mission.

• Both Matthew and Mark show Him using the sentence, "MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER." Mark added, "FOR ALL NATIONS."

• While John and Mark both spell out that there were sellers and money changers in the temple, only John tells us that He intentionally made a scourge of cords.

Because, if I am going to be honest, the varied Sunday School inputs got me confused. I assumed that the clearing of the temple happened only once shortly after He rode into town on the young colt. Mark's gospel is a good example.

“Mark 11:15-16 NASB Then they *came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16) and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple.

The reason I grabbed this as an example is that it has verses that are comparable to Matthew's gospel and clearly show Him clearing the outer courts. Let's look at what Matthew tells us.

Matthew 21:2-12 NASB saying to them, "Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. 3) "If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, 'The Lord has need of them,' and immediately he will send them." 4) This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet: 5) "SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, 'BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.'" 6) The disciples went and did just as Jesus had instructed them, 7) and brought the donkey and the colt, and laid their coats on them; and He sat on the coats. 8) Most of the crowd spread their coats in the road, and others were cutting branches from the trees and spreading them in the road. 9) The crowds going ahead of Him, and those who followed, were shouting, "Hosanna to the Son of David; BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD; Hosanna in the highest!" 10) When He had entered Jerusalem, all the city was stirred, saying, "Who is this?" 11) And the crowds were saying, "This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth in Galilee." 12) And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves.

So I am always trying to build a clean chronology in my mind. If I could do this, then I would be able to say, without doubt, that Jesus entered the temple twice and raised a bit of a ruckus twice.

Perhaps this point is useless without a definition of ruckus, because while the chief priests and scribes were looking for a way to destroy Him, the crowd was astonished by His teachings.

Mark 11:18 NASB “The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.”

I, too, am astonished by Him, in a good way. I stand in awe of Him, and He lives in me.

Does He live in you?

The Wedding at Cana. a migration into John chapter two. A layman's commentary.

John chapter two. Here we find The Wedding at Cana.

“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.”
John 2:1 NKJV

What significance is there in the third day?

I am not finding a good explanation of what this third day is all about; there are possible clues, the strongest parallels have Jesus rising from the dead on the third day, and then there is Jonah, whom Jesus explains is the only sign that would be given to the Pharisees.

Jesus, after being in the wilderness for 40 days and nights, came back to the area in which John, the baptizer, was still baptizing.

There appears to be a connection between John baptizing in the Jordan and his location at the time. (Most commentaries will tell you that we don't really know where John was as he went where the water was deep enough to immerse people in.)

In Mark's gospel, chapter one, we have what seems like a historical overview of John the baptizer.

“Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” 

Mark 1:5 NKJV

Forty-plus days later, John is still in the region of Galilee, baptizing.

“Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.” Luke 4:14 NKJV

While I am not a fan of speculation, the best I can come up with is information about John the Baptizer, who gave witness to what he experienced when he baptized Jesus over a month earlier. The very next day, after speaking those words, Jesus shows up again.

"And John bore witness, saying, "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.'
John 1:32-33 NKJV

I have been reading through my stack of books by Tony Hillerman. He died several years ago, but he wrote primarily about a fictional Native American Navajo police officer. One of the many concepts that traditional natives hold closely is the notion that nothing in life is a coincidence. Considering that this word coincidence cannot be found in Scripture, we, as followers of Jesus Christ, should learn to accept the good and the bad as a Godly sentiment and recognize that God's plan is involved in everything.

For example, if local city ordinances do not allow you to operate an animal rescue lacking adequate, permanent facilities to handle said animals, it is not a coincidence. Or if you attempt to veil your contempt of local ordinances meant to prevent abuse of said animals, you are bringing the calamity upon yourself. Again, it is not simply a series of coincidences playing a role in your life, and God is not to blame, nor is He causing you to give up your obsession with having more than a reasonable number of pets. Perhaps God may be trying to clear your plate so that He can play a greater role in your life.

A question, although it doesn't seem like it should be that important.

How many disciples did Jesus take to the wedding at Cana?

Let's look at the scriptures and see if we can do the math.

“Again, the next day, John stood with two of his disciples. And looking at Jesus as He walked, he said, "Behold the Lamb of God!" The two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and seeing them following, said to them, "What do you seek?" They said to Him, "Rabbi" (which is to say, when translated, Teacher), "where are You staying?" He said to them, "Come and see." They came and saw where He was staying, and remained with Him that day (now it was about the tenth hour).”
John 1:35-39 NKJV

At this point, we have two disciples. Because

“One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, "We have found the Messiah" (which is translated, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Now when Jesus looked at him, He said, "You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas" (which is translated, A Stone).
John 1:40-42 NKJV

At this point, we should NOT assume that Peter and a few others joined Him immediately.

The Wedding at Cana.

John 2

This narrative is one of the most enjoyable stories to me. One of the reasons lies in the hidden depth that God saw fit to conceal in what many perceive as vague details, and yet, if it is apparent, rarely does anyone talk about the background details.

The other aspect is one that becomes apparent when you watch something like The Chosen, where they show the wedding at Cana. The setting is filled with such excitement and joy, and yet, it is a picture of things to come that have misery attached to the future events (By the way, we are almost there now.) Even what seemed to be a catastrophe was turned into delight as the Father of the bride proclaims, you have saved the best wine for last. This moment in time is symbolic of our eventual wedding celebration with Jesus once we all gather in heaven. What a time we will have, as people like me learn how to dance to Jewish songs, and Jesus will be dancing alongside us.

Several years ago, while I was still attending a Vineyard church, my wife, who was at the time still just my girlfriend, got sick and stayed home. That prompted me to sit with people I really did not know. Yes, they were regular attendees, but all I ever got out of them was a casual nod of the head.

Since I don't pay attention to sports, my conversations are attempts to share my understanding of Jesus. I truly believe that my mission is to the church, and so I began talking with these “strangers” about a recent Israeli archaeological discovery that I was made aware of. This discovery was about a quarter mile outside of Nazareth. At this site, the archaeologists found several broken endeavors at lathing out granite pots, cups, and plates. I had no idea that early Jews, around the time of Jesus, would have had the ability to lathe a large pot.

For most, this would be insignificant information, but several thousand years ago, an entrepreneurial Jew realized that the Levitical law concerning vessels of household or of sanctuary usage said nothing of articles made from granite. So, by the time Jesus comes along, and, He happens to be a craftsman and may well have been capable of making sizable granite vessels, which just happened to be in use at the wedding that day. I got excited because I could see the association that these vessels may have had with Jesus, and I had tried to point that association out to the guy I was eating lunch with. His response when I shared this information was to denounce me for not sticking with the canon (trusted religious interpretations) of scripture. That is when I said, it's fascinating that you should say that, because you and others like you are quick to talk about Jesus being a carpenter, when in reality the scriptures say nothing about Jesus being a carpenter. The Greek word used maliciously against Jesus's dead, earthly father, Joseph, was tektōn. Tektōn is a word that carries definitions such as: a craftsman, an artist, or a writer. The evidence concerning this confusion comes from Matthew 13:53 -55, where the Pharisees directed their comments toward Joseph, who was long since dead, making their efforts nothing more than a derogatory slur about Jesus's lowly character, upbringing, and current occupation.

If you have doubts about what I said, consider the backbone of a young virgin named Mary. Considering the conversations that she had with the angel, I am quite sure that she was convinced that the baby was God's baby – by the Holy Spirit, but that story does not and will NOT go over big with the busy bodies about town, some of whom are probably suggesting that she be stoned. And, we have scriptural evidence to show us that thirty years later, the implications of a virgin giving birth were still whispered about the town.

“They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham. But now ye seek to kill me, a man that hath told you the truth, which I have heard of God: this did not Abraham. Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.”
John 8:39-41 KJV

You know the story.

The angel (who, by the way, must have been quite large) eventually tells Joseph not to worry, saying, " It's God's baby.” Joseph, whom we are told was deemed to be a good man, takes Mary, his contractual wife, and leaves Nazareth for Bethlehem. How convenient that it was tax time, and the majority of his relatives live there. Isn't it peculiar that none of Joseph's kinfolk has any space available in their “homes” for Joseph and his pregnant wife, who happens to be carrying God's baby. This train of thought prompts me to consider the uncomfortable questions that may have been asked about why Mary is nine months pregnant; it also means that both Joseph and Mary must have told them that it was God's baby. None of them accepted this story, and they ended up in a cattle stall outside of town, with all the extras associated with a small farm.

After a two-year stay in Bethlehem, they, because of another admonition from an angel, flee to Egypt for the child's safety (Herod wanted this “King of the Jews” dead). Consider that they did not return to where this narrative began, in Nazareth.

Did you ever wonder why?

Remember all those busy bodies and gossips, and how, by the standards of the Torah and theirs, Jesus, the illegitimate child, would not be allowed in the synagogue. Well, when the angel tells them it is safe to return home, they go back to Nazareth. By this time, Jesus is several years older; some will tell you that He was now about four years old.

Having returned to Nazareth, what do we see?

Nothing; we see nothing. We know that:

1. Joseph and Mary had more children, and there is NO time frame or information wrapped around those children until we see passages like this:

   “Then His mother and His brothers came and, standing outside, they sent word to Him, calling [for] Him. And a crowd was sitting around Him, and they said to Him, Your mother and Your brothers and Your sisters are outside asking for You. And He replied, Who are My mother and My brothers?” Mark 3:31-33 AMPC

2. Jesus, after dispatching 12 of the disciples and giving them authority over demons, returns to a house (It will become obvious that it was NOT His mother's home). This is how His own family responded to Him.

   Note: By this point in time, He has selected the twelve.

   “He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (whom He named Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (whom He named Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. Then Jesus went home, and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat.” Mark 3:14-20 BSB

   “When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.” And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.” Mark 3:21-22 BSB

The passage above is the foundation upon which those who whine that they have blasphemed God and therefore committed the unpardonable sin. If you were to read on in Mark 3,0 then you would know that Jesus gathered those attempting to slander Him, and defined blasphemy as intentionally attributing the work of God to Satan.

How long did the people of Nazareth hold on to their hatred of Jesus, a mumzer (illegitimate) child?

The answer to the question is at least 30 to 33 years. This statement is conjectural and assumed, but it is based on the fact that Jesus initiated His ministry at age 30. What that start looked like was:

1. His Baptism by John the Baptizer;

2. He began to call the disciples to Himself. We know that when Jesus came back from His 40 days of testing in the wilderness, He returned to the “Jordan River,” where John was still baptizing.

3. He permitted Andrew and John to follow Him. I realize that this statement sounds rather cold, but they asked Him where He was staying, and He responded with, “come and see.” There is a reference there to Simon (who will become Peter) and Philip. But here is one of those Biblical peculiarities. What makes it peculiar is that some will teach this as though everyone was gathered quickly and at one time; that did not happen.

“As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow Me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” And at once they left their nets and followed Him.”
Mark 1:16-18 BSB

So with all that, let's start digging into John's gospel again.

“On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;” (John 2:1 NASB)

It is interesting how the passage focuses on the fact that Mary is not mentioned by name, yet her presence is highlighted without a name, dominating the conversation simply because she is there. This notable absence of a name may play into John's nature, as he says things about himself by referring to himself as that disciple whom Jesus loved. She will soon make much ado about them running out of wine to Jesus.

As you can see, Cana is North of Nazareth and a comparable distance from the shores of Galilee.

“and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.”
(John 2:2 NASB)

At this point in time, Jesus has not called all twelve disciples. Some of those numbers included: James, John, Peter, Philip, Nathanael, and Andrew – he was one of those who paid attention when Jesus showed up to be baptized by John.

So, where was Jesus on this map when this invitation to be a disciple reached their ears?

No one knows for sure, however, but it could point to the home of His mother.

Matthew 13:1-2 NASB “That day Jesus went out of the house and was sitting by the sea. (2) And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.”

You may have a similar problem/complaint, as I have, when you are trying to figure out whose house Jesus came out of, because that is not clear.

Let me show you something.

“While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him. Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee. But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.”
Matthew 12:46-50 KJV

It is evident that there was some distance between Jesus and His “family.” Mark's gospel adds:

“Then He went to a house [probably Peter's], but a throng came together again, so that Jesus and His disciples could not even take food. And when those who belonged to Him (His kinsmen) heard it, they went out to take Him by force, for they kept saying, He is out of His mind (beside Himself, deranged)!”
Mark 3:20-21 AMP

Most will tell you that this discussion is of no significance; the problem with that attitude is that there is nothing in scripture that is of no significance. But, as you can see on the map above, He was NOT in Nazareth, as it is NOT a coastal village.

Matthew's gospel tells us,

Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali.
(Matthew 4:12-13 NASB)

Settled is the Greek word katoikeō, which means to inhabit or to have an abode.

Ask yourself, where did the narrative of Jesus' conception begin?

Yep, Nazareth, where all those busy bodies lived that were more than willing to enforce the Levitical laws pertaining to mumzer's (bastard children) coming into the synagogue. For most, this would have had a detrimental impact on a child’s biblical education. With that in mind, remember that at age 12, Jesus stood in the temple holding a master class on apologetics with the scribes and Pharisees. So clearly, somebody taught Jesus, who?

Joseph, we are told, was a righteous man. Who gives you this title? Certainly not yourself. It would have to be those Joseph interacted with at the synagogue. Joseph was skilled in the understanding of the Law and the Prophets. For us unskilled, that is the Old Testament.

Matthew goes on to expound upon the move to Cana.

"The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, by way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the nations! The people who sat in darkness saw a great Light; and Light has sprung up to those who sat in the region and shadow of death."(Matthew 4:15-16 MKJV)

What is going on with Mary?

“And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, 'They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come."
(John 2:3-4 NKJV)

My mother would often attend events and insert herself into the wedding preparations in any way she could. If she stumbled upon the fact that they ran out of wine, she might have quietly rejoiced because she held to a religious, legalistic view that drinking alcohol would send you straight to hell, but I digress.

In “The Chosen,” Mary acted like the woman who was getting married was the closest of friends and appreciated her love and help. I appreciated this viewpoint because it removed the negative way that I looked at Mary's manner of handling this setting.

Note how Jesus responds to His mother. According to most translations, He merely calls her "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come."

The Greek word for woman is gunē. It means woman, maiden, wife, or damsel. The Ultimate Cross-Reference Treasury says that the word is “ far from implying anything disrespectful, and was employed as an honorable appellation” (designation)

What I perceived as Jesus' initial negative reaction to His mother gave way to Mary's persistent insistence. In the series, The Chosen, Mary repeated a phrase that John, the baptizer, said when she challenged Jesus by saying, if not now, when?

Well, it is a good question. If now is not your time, then when?

This next statement has me rather gobsmacked, as my wife's British relatives might say.

“But his mother told the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
(John 2:5 NLT)

Consider the conversational circumstances.

He had just responded to His mother's statement, “they have no wine.” His response has always taken me back a bit, as by my standards, Jesus responded rather poorly. saying “Woman, why does this concern us?” [Berean Study Bible.] Only moments ago, we looked at the word Woman, and because of that, I can now understand that He meant no disrespect.

How did Mary know what "her son" was capable of doing?

I asked my wife this same question. Her response leaned toward the idea that Mary knew what His capabilities were merely because He was the Son of God. If that is true, then what do you do with passages like this:

“Again the LORD spoke to Ahaz, saying, “Ask for a sign from the LORD your God, whether from the depths of Sheol or the heights of heaven.” But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask; I will not test the LORD.” Then Isaiah said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God as well? Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel. By the time He knows enough to reject evil and choose good, He will be eating curds and honey. For before the boy knows enough to reject evil and choose good, the land of the two kings you dread will be laid waste. The LORD will bring on you and on your people and on the house of your father a time unlike any since the day Ephraim separated from Judah—He will bring the king of Assyria.”
Isaiah 7:10-17 BSB

This conversation that we see in Isaiah came about because King Ahaz, the King of Judah, demonstrated little to no faith in God. A virgin giving birth to the Son of God should have changed all that. A quote from Dr. J. Vernon McGee reads like this: “God knows that Ahaz does not have faith, and He is willing to give the king faith; but Ahaz is nothing but a pious fraud...”

It is safe to assume that Mary witnessed Jesus in action.

Joseph, to say the least, was beside himself when he heard that Mary, his wife, proclaimed that she was pregnant and it was God's child; we know this because he was willing to quietly put Mary away. Thus, we have this conversation.

“But after he had pondered these things, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to embrace Mary as your wife, for the One conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel” (which means, “God with us”). When Joseph woke up, he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him, and embraced Mary as his wife.”
(Matthew 1:20-24 BSB)

From a human standpoint, the view that those of us with a sincere biological understanding seem to understand is this: virgins cannot have babies. With a man like Joseph, it was clear that there was no human intervention, but there was a young female virgin willing to carry that pre-fertilized egg.

“So the angel told her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end!” “How can this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?” The angel replied, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the Holy One to be born will be called the Son of God.”
(Luke 1:30-35 BSB)

From the garden expulsion forward, all of humanity, through Adam and Eve, was tainted by sin and passed that sin on to everyone. It seems clear that this drive to sin is transferred through genetics. God bypassed that genetic sin problem by producing His own fertilized egg and found a young lady willing to carry it to birth. Jesus was thus born without sin.

So while I may struggle with anger issues, Jesus was NOT driven to anger by sin. Nothing Jesus did was driven by sin. So when my acquaintances tell me, you need to love as Jesus loved, they might as well be speaking another language.

Sure, I get that the Apostle Paul wrote extensively about our freedom from sin, but my belief in Jesus Christ does not remove the embedded driving force that can only happen on that day, in the twinkling of an eye, when we shall be changed. Sorry, but that means we all have to die. When the sin-infested flesh dies, all sin goes with it. All that will be left is the body, which is made in the image of the Father, God.

Let's get back to Mary's understanding that Jesus's abilities were limitless.
Scripture says nothing that strictly applies to turning water into wine; it does, however, inform us that, at the command of the Father, Moses and Aaron turned, what we assume to be all the potable water that the Egyptians had available, into blood.
I choose to accept this as factual. Perhaps one of the reasons to accept that this happened was that the wizards of the Egyptian court also turned some potable water, which they had, into blood by their wizardry.

Hopefully, you understand that this turning of water into blood also means that God can turn water into grape juice (even if it is delicately blended and refined)

Mary had seen Jesus in action.

Does the scripture tell us this?

No, it does not, but based upon scripture, it seems like a logical assumption; clearly, Mary had examples.

They thought Jesus had lost His mind. Mark explains:

.Then Jesus went up on the mountain and called for those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve of them, whom He designated as apostles, to accompany Him, to be sent out to preach, and to have authority to drive out demons. These are the twelve He appointed: Simon (whom He named Peter), James son of Zebedee and his brother John (whom He named Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder”), Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. Then Jesus went home, and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat. When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.” And the scribes who had come down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and, “By the prince of the demons He drives out demons.” So Jesus called them together and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? If a kingdom is divided against itself, it cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand. And if Satan is divided and rises against himself, he cannot stand; his end has come. Indeed, no one can enter a strong man’s house to steal his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can plunder his house. Truly I tell you, the sons of men will be forgiven all sins and blasphemies, as many as they utter. But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of eternal sin.” Jesus made this statement because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” Then Jesus’ mother and brothers came and stood outside. They sent someone in to summon Him, and a crowd was sitting around Him. “Look,” He was told, “Your mother and brothers are outside, asking for You.”
Mark 3:13-32 BSB

This assertion by the scribes that had come down from Jerusalem, “By the prince of the demons (Satan) He drives out demons,” is what brought about Jesus' definition of blasphemy. It also seems to play a role in why Mary and His close relatives came to arrest Him. This train of thought creates havoc when Mary, along with Jesus' half brothers, James and Jude, stood outside the house where Jesus, who had been teaching is interrupted by a paralyzed man being let down through the hole that his friends had created, causing Jesus to stop what He was doing and resolve this man's issue.

“Then Jesus went home, and once again a crowd gathered, so that He and His disciples could not even eat. When His family heard about this, they went out to take custody of Him, saying, “He is out of His mind.”
(Mark 3:20-21 BSB)

Home, under such hostile circumstances, would not have been with Mary; their attitude toward Him tends to support that understanding. So the question then becomes whose house is He now living in?

The answer to this question is not essential to our salvation, but I have an inquiring mind, and we have clues that come from the disciples themselves.

“For even His own brothers did not believe in Him.”
(John 7:5 BSB)

Brothers”, in this case, are His half brothers. If that confuses you, consider that Jesus is the Son of God. His brothers would have been those born of Joseph and Mary, after the birth of Jesus.

To find a context for John 7:5, I had to go to John 6. Here, Jesus talked about how He, whom they assumed to be merely a man, is the bread of life. He referred to Himself as the Son of man and the Son of God. He also tells them that He is the food that doesn't perish; this conversation blended with them having communion and how He is the body and the blood. Many of those who followed Him and called themselves disciples were offended by this; they gathered their things and left. They asked Him, what do we have to do to perform the works of God? He replied with “believe in the One He has sent”. The process that changes us begins as simply as that. All these things, in addition to Him giving them authority over demons, seem to be the combination that drove Mary to try to arrest Him.

I believe in Him, do you?