ST JOHN
CHAPTER 2
Jesus turns water into wine in Cana—He
attends the passover, cleanses the temple, foretells his death and
resurrection, and performs miracles.
2 And
both Jesus was called, and his disciples,[ Who was there then? Jesus, John, Andrew, Peter, Phillip, Nathaneal. What do we know about Jew customs for a wedding during that period? They usually lasted from 7 to 14 days.], to the marriage.
3 And
when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. [ Or they have run out already. So we are getting to the end of the celebration and they have run out of wine. wine - or Fruit of the vine (Matt 26:29 a light sweet wine (normally unfermented), eaten with bread it was one of the staple foods of the day. ]
4 Jesus
saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? [ "ti emoi kai soi, gunai": O, woman, what is this to thee and me? In a way he is saying: "WE are not employed to provide the necessaries for this feast: this matter belongs to others, who should have made a proper and sufficient provision for the persons they had
invited. ] mine hour is not yet come. [ Inspired Version: JST John 2:4 … "Woman, what wilt thou have me to do for thee? that will I do; for mine hour is not yet come." Does that suggest a different meaning to you? Does it suggest that I will do whatever you want because I have not started my ministry yet, I am not called to worry about other things yet. The response that Jesus gave would have been in traditional response at a jewish wedding feast. That being that the wine was to be served according to custom by important guests, who would each take their turn in serving the wine. This was always done in order, and everyone knew their assignment and when it would be their turn to serve. To serve the wine out of your turn would have meant that you would have offended the persons whom turn it was to serve the wine. This was usually done by going from the most important guest who was asked to serve down to the least important guest who was aksed to serve. The most important guest was usually serving up the best wine as well. ]
5 His
mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. [ John is known as the one who tried to be meticulous with names, details and symbolism. In other words John typically only includes details for a purpose. What do you think that Mary was expecting to happen exactly? Has she seen Jesus perform miracles before? So with that in mind Why might have John selected to include that phrase? Implications for us today? ]
6 And
there were set there six waterpots of stone,& [ John loves numbers - he makes sure to note that there are six - symbolic that they are not complete or whole - they will need the Savior to make them so where he turns the water to wine. ] after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, [ So what was the purpose of these 6 pots? It was customary in Jewish tradition for a person to wash his or her hands before eating (see Mark 7:3; Luke 11:37–38), and that if he or she were deemed “unclean” by the law of Moses because of bleeding, leprosy, or disease, anything touched without clean hands was also considered unclean: “And whomsoever he toucheth that hath the issue [of Mosaic uncleanliness], and hath not rinsed his hands in water . . . be unclean” (Leviticus 15:11). Thus, observant Jews would have washed their hands before and after most
activities, including before eating at a party or a wedding. The six
large water pots that, presumably, sat at the door of the wedding at
Cana were there for the attendees to wash their hands “after the manner
of the purifying of the Jews” (John 2:6)—so they would be both
physically and ritually clean. These pots held about 100 to 150
gallons total—and so after dozens of ceremonial hand washings, thet
were not vessels from which you would want totake a drink from, or use
as the base of the wine. Yet Jesus chose those murky, filthy,
bacteria-laced water pots for this miracle, and asked the servants to
fill them to the brim. Using His divine power, He turned water from
those unclean vessels into the finest, best wine of the night (see John
2:10). And therein lies the heavenly lesson: Jesus used the miracle of
turning water into wine to send the profound message that He had the
power to change the very nature of things—to transform not just the
state of liquids, but the state of lives. “Don’t you see?” He could
have said to the amazed servants afterward, “I can take dirty things
and make them clean. I can take everyday elements and make them
exceptional. I can take things into my hands and change them. And if
you come unto me, I can do the same for you. I can take you and
transform you from a natural person into a heavenly saint. That’s why I
am here. That’s what I have power to do.” This first miracle sets
the stage for his life work. ] containing two or three firkins apiece.
[ How many gallon in a firkin? a firkin being nine gallons. So each pot contained between 18 and 27 gallons and there was 6 pots. How many gallons? between 108 to 162
gallons total. ]
9 When
the ruler of the feast [ It was customary to appoint a "master of the ceremonies" from among the invited guests. It was his duty to determine the places of the guests, to see that the ordinary rules of etiquette were observed, etc., and generally to supervise the arrangements. ] had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast [ The original word, "arcitriklinov", signifies one who is chief or head over three couches, or tables. In the Asiatic countries, they take their meals sitting, or rather reclining, on small low couches. And
when many people are present, so that they cannot all eat together,
three of these low tables or couches are put together in form of a
crescent, and some one of the guests is appointed to take charge of the
persons who sit at these tables. Hence the appellation of
architriclinus, the chief over three couches or tables, which in
process of time became applied to the governor or steward of a feast,
let the guests be many or few; and such person, having conducted the
business well, had a festive crown put on his head by the guests, at
the conclusion of the feast. ] called the bridegroom, [ According to Orson Hyde in a Talk Entitled "THE MARRIAGE RELATIONS - A Lecture by President Orson Hyde, Delivered at the General Conference, in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1854." Orson Hyde:He was somewhat of an expert on Jewish tradition and practices. It was Orson Hyde that dedicated the Holy Land for the return of the Jews. He said in that same talk that he had one time memorized the entire Bible in English, German and Hebrew. He said that Jesus was the bridegroom. "Gentlemen, that is as plain as the translators, or different councils over this Scripture, dare allow it to go to the world, but the thing is there; it is told; Jesus was the bridegroom at the marriage of Cana of Galilee, and he told them what to do.
Now there was actually a marriage; and if Jesus was not the bridegroom on that occasion, please tell who was. If any man can show this, and prove that it was not the Savior of the world, then I will acknowledge I am in error. We say it was Jesus Christ who was married, to be brought into the relation whereby he could see his seed, before he was crucified. “Has he indeed passed by the nature of angels, and taken upon himself the seed of Abraham, to die without leaving a seed to bear his name on the earth?” No. But when the secret is fully out, the seed of the blessed shall be gathered in, in the last days; and he who has not the blood of Abraham flowing in his veins, who has not one particle of the Savior’s in him, I am afraid is a stereotyped Gentile, who will be left out and not be gathered in the last days; for I tell you it is the chosen of God, the seed of the blessed, that shall be gathered. I do not despise to be called a son of Abraham, if he had a dozen wives; or to be called a brother, a son, a child of the Savior, if he had Mary, and Martha, and several others, as wives; and though he did cast seven devils out of one of them, it is all the same to me.
Well, then, he shall see his seed, and who shall declare his generation, for he was cut off from the earth? I shall say here, that before the Savior died, he looked upon his own natural children, as we look upon ours; he saw his seed, and immediately afterwards he was cut off from the earth; but who shall declare his generation? They had no father to hold them in honorable remembrance; they passed into the shades of obscurity, never to be exposed to mortal eye as the seed of the blessed one. For no doubt had they been exposed to the eye of the world, those infants might have shared the same fate as the children in Jeru– salem in the days of Herod, when all the children were ordered to be slain under such an age, with the hopes of slaying the infant Savior. They might have suffered by the hand of the assassin, as the sons of many kings have done who were heirs apparent to the thrones of their fathers." ]
10 And
saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but
thou hast kept the good wine until now. [
So God knows something about chemistry as he has made water into wine
and the wine that he has made is the best that they have had that day.
We know for a fact that it is not the oldest wine which would usually
make it better. ]
11 This
beginning of
miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory;
and his disciples believed on him.
12 ¶
After this he
went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his
disciples: and they continued there not many days.
13 ¶ And the Jews’ passover was at hand, [ This was the reason why he stayed but a few days at
Capernaum, per verse 12, as he wished to be present at the celebration
of this feast at Jerusalem. ] and Jesus went up to
Jerusalem,
14 And
found in the
temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of
money sitting:
15 And
when he had
made a scourge of small cords,[ This suggests to me that Jesus did not just happen upon the temple and then go into a rage, rather he sat down, stent some time in making a small whip with some cordage. Then proceeded to drive out the money changes and the animals. ], he drove them all out of the temple, and
the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money,[ What did the money changers actually do? They converted Roman and other coins for temple coins for a fee. The high priest ordered that only Tyrian shekels would be accepted for the annual half-shekel Temple tax because they contained a higher percentage of silver, so the money changers exchanged unacceptable coins for these shekels. Of course, they extracted a profit, sometimes much more than the law allowed. The temple coins could then be used to purchase sacrificial offerrings. This was a way for the Romans to collect their taxes. Since all good jews would go make their offerrings as required the Romans levied the tax and called them Temple tax coins. The high priest received a percentage of the profit from the money changers. these temple-sanctioned businesspeople were inside a place of worship. So both the High Priest and the Romans made a profit on the transactions. At the Great Temple in Jerusalem the annual tax levied on Jews was 1/2 shekel per male. The 1/2 shekel and shekel were not always used in everyday commerce, but were the only coins accepted by the temple. Many taxpayers required a currency exchange, so money changers set up in the Temple court. Jesus found this business and their shouting (advertising rates) offensive, so he threw over their tables. " 
], and
overthrew the tables;
], and
overthrew the tables; 16 And
said unto them
that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an
house of merchandise.
18 ¶
Then answered
the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest
thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? [ What is the signifigance of this statement? When Moses came to deliver Israel, he gave signs, or miracles, that he acted under a Divine commission. What
miracle dost thou work to show us that thou art vested with similar authority? Also, since the High priest would have been taking a cut of the profits, Jesus would have been taking revenue from them, so of coarse they would fight back. ]
19 Jesus
answered and
said unto them, Destroy this temple, [ What temple is he referring to here? "ton naon touton" or This very temple; perhaps pointing to his body at the same time. His own body. vs 21] and in three days I will raise it
up.
20 Then
said the
Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou
rear it up in three days?
22 When
therefore he
was risen from the dead,[ John is writing after the death of Jesus so he has the ability to interject things that are not in the timeline of events. Matt 27:63 is the quote of what they said at the time. He said that he would be resurrected after three days. ], his disciples remembered that he had said this
unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus
had said.
23 ¶
Now when he was
in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed
in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.
24 But
Jesus did not
commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, [ It is interrupted here as "pantav" meaning all men, however some have interrupted it as "panta" which means every man, or all things; IV says " But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all things." In D&C 93:6-28 We are taught that it was not until his exhaulted and resurrected state that he came to know all things. However in the coarse of his mortal probation he knew all things in the sense that he had the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost with him who does know all things. ]