John 2 - NIV Foundation Study Bible

2:1–2 Cana. This city was about four and a half miles northwest of Nazareth. Jesus’ mother was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. This suggests that Jesus and His disciples were invited because of Mary. Her forwardness in asking Jesus to help when the wine ran out (v. 3) may indicate that she was in some way related to the family holding the wedding.

2:3 They have no more wine. Hospitality in the East was a sacred duty. A wedding feast often lasted for a week. To run out of wine at such an important event would have been humiliating for the bride and groom. The family of Jesus was not wealthy, and it is likely their relatives and acquaintances were not either. This may have been a “low-budget” wedding feast.

2:6 six stone water jars. Each jar held 20–30 gallons, for a total of 120–180 gallons of the finest wine (v. 10). by the Jews for ceremonial washing. Jewish tradition required several kinds of ceremonial washings. Strict Jews washed their hands before a meal, between courses, and after the meal. This “purifying” extended not only to washing hands, but also to washing cups and vessels (Mark 7:3–4).

2:11 the first of the signs. In the Gospel of John, the miracles of Jesus are called signs, indicating that they pointed to His messiahship. This sign signified Christ’s glory—that is, His deity. When Jesus transformed water into wine, He demonstrated His power.

2:13 the Jewish Passover. Every male Jew was required to go to Jerusalem three times a year—for the Festival of Passover, the Festival of Weeks, and the Festival of Tabernacles (Ex. 23:14–19; Lev. 23). Jerusalem. The Synoptic Gospels concentrate on Jesus’ Galilean ministry. John focuses on Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem.

2:14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves. The Synoptic Gospels place the cleansing of the temple at the conclusion of Jesus’ ministry (Matt. 21:12–13), whereas John puts it at the beginning. Apparently, Jesus cleansed the temple two different times. The law of Moses required that any animal offered in sacrifice be unblemished and that every Jewish male over 19 years of age pay a temple tax (Lev. 1:3; Deut. 17:1). As a result, tax collectors and inspectors of sacrificial animals were present at the temple. However, these officials would not accept secular coins because they had an image of the Roman emperor. To put such coins into the temple treasury was thought to be an offense. Accordingly, merchants and moneychangers set up shop and charged high prices for changing currency and for sacrificial animals.

2:19 Destroy this temple. Jesus was not talking about the physical building; He was referring to His body, as John emphasizes in verse 21. Jesus was speaking of His death. I will raise it again. Note that Jesus did not say, “I will build it again.” He was referring to His resurrection, three days after His death.

2:20 forty-six years. Herod the Great began restoring the temple in 20 b.c. The work was not finished at the time of this conversation. In fact, it was not completed until around a.d. 64 under Herod Agrippa.

2:23 many people . . . believed in his name. This was saving faith. John’s purpose in recording Jesus’ miracles was for people to believe and have eternal life (20:30–31).

2:24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them. The word translated entrust is the same Greek word translated believe in verse 23. There is a play on words here. These individuals trusted Jesus, but Jesus did not entrust Himself to them.