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?