Jesus Displays His Power -John 2:1-25
Behold and Believe • Sermon • Submitted
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· 7 viewsJesus’ ministry begins by displaying his power as the Christ, demonstrating his passion for His Father’s glory, and by giving His disciples a promise.
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John 2:1-25
John 2:1-25
1 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. 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.
12 After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days.
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, 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.
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.
In Chapter 2 John spotlights Jesus's own example and testimony as proof that he is the Christ.
The Cycle: Signs & Discourses
Discourses: The word “discourse” in a wide sense to include meaningful conversations with individuals as well as addresses given to groups.
Signs: Thus, John is saying that Jesus did His miracles not for their own sake but to point the observer and the reader beyond them to something that was significant—to Himself as the One who spoke the unvarnished word of truth.
Jesus’ public ministry extends from 2:1 to 12:50
Some scholars treat John 2 as the beginning of the unit that ends at 4:54, often given the title “From Cana to Cana.”
2 Cor. 5:17 - Theme for this section
The third day.... John has already drawn attention to creation: the good news he proclaims in this Gospel reflects a new creation (cf. notes on 1:1).
The week of days climaxing in the miracle at Cana may provide an echo of creation-week (Gn. 1).
Jesus Displays his Power as the Christ - vv. 1-11
Jesus Displays his Power as the Christ - vv. 1-11
The Wedding crisis - v.1-2
The mother of Jesus appear twice in John’s gospel. Here and at the cross.
Josephus - Cana 9 miles north of Nazareth
A wedding celebration could last as long as a week, and the financial responsibility lay with the groom (cf. 2:9–10).
That Jesus, his mother and his disciples were all invited to the same wedding suggests the wedding was for a relative or close family friend.
It is not impossible that Mary had some responsibility for the organization of the catering: hence her attempt to deal with the shortage of wine (2:3).
The Crisis:
To run out of supplies would be a dreadful embarrassment in a ‘shame’ culture; there is some evidence it could also lay the groom open to a lawsuit from aggrieved relatives of the bride.
The traditions that make her a widow by this period are plausible enough: Joseph does not appear on the scene after the episode in the temple when Jesus was twelve years of age (Lk. 2:41–52; though cf. Jn. 6:42 and notes there), and Jesus himself was known not only as the carpenter’s son (Mt. 13:55) but as the carpenter (Mk. 6:3).
Apparently the family fortunes had, up to this point, depended on Jesus’ manual labour.
Like any widow, Mary had leaned hard on her firstborn son.
The Response: - v.4
In our day and age, this way of speaking sounds almost rude.
However, in Jesus’ time, “Woman” was a title of respect. It was like saying “Ma’am” or “Madam.”
Jesus addresses his mother the same way when he is on the cross- John 19:26
The expression is, at the very least, a measured rebuke;
Jesus had left home and began his ministry - Relationship change - Young adults who leave home should seek to obey God’s will.
Every relationship is subordinated to God Will Why trouble me with this?
John 12:23 -the hour has come
The “hour” is the Pinnacle of human history, when the perfect Son of God became sin for us so that we might be made righteous.
Four times more in this Gospel we are told that Jesus delayed something or that his enemies could not seize him because his time had not yet come.
But as he approached the time of his death on the cross, Jesus prayed, “Father, the time has come” (John 17:1).
The Priority of Jesus
But it seems clear that Jesus was saying to his mother, “Don’t tell Me what to do in My earthly ministry.”
Jesus demonstrates his single-minded Focus to accomplish his father's will- John 4:34; 17:4
V. 5 - Do whatever he tells you. Mary’s faith stood strong; she knew that Jesus could do whatever was necessary in the situation as long as the servants obeyed.
The New Wine -v.6-8
Myths: Bad water and unfermented grape juice - No they had good water and knew nothing of unfermented grape juice. This was wine.
Wine was a special drink; it was reserved for special occasions. - celebratory - Psalm 104:15
Jesus also used wine as a symbol when He announced the coming of the kingdom.
Luke 5:36-37
The old - The jars
John is writing to a largely Gentile audience this verse contain the spiritual meaning - purification practice
The use of “stone jars” for purification is mentioned not in Lev 11:32–38, but in the Mishnah, a Rabbinic text of the second century that reflects the life situation of the late first century (m. Kelim 5:11; m. Beṣah 2:3).
Filling to brim and drawing as from a well - The time of ceremonial observances and Jewish law is fulfilled and a new order is being inaugurated.
The new
Jesus was telling the people that He represented a change from the order of the Old Testament, for He was bringing the new wine of the kingdom.
The disciples response
Finally, John notes that by this miracle Jesus manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him (v. 11).
His disciples came to faith in Him; they saw His significance. Jesus began His public ministry with a work that drew attention both to Him and to the new kingdom He was bringing to pass.
The narrative of the wedding at Cana reaches its climax in 2:11, where the manifestation of Jesus’ glory through this sign leads the disciples to believe in him, while for others it is only a satisfaction of physical thirst (see comments on 1:14 for understanding “glory”).
This sign renews the disciples’ commitment to Jesus and leads them into deeper faith.
Jesus Demonstrates His Passion for His Father Glory -vv.12-17
Jesus Demonstrates His Passion for His Father Glory -vv.12-17
The Better Temple
The disciples response
Jesus Gives His Disciples a Promise - vv. 18-22
Jesus Gives His Disciples a Promise - vv. 18-22
I will raise it up!
The Disciples response
So What?
So What?
V.23-25
Is my faith Authentic
How am I responding to Jesus?