John 2 - ESV Study Bible

2:1 This is the third day—that is, two days after Jesus’ encounter with Nathanael (1:43–51). This continues the narration of Jesus’ activities spanning an entire week (see the references to “the next day” in 1:29,35,43). Cana in Galilee. Archaeological attention has focused on the excavation site of Khirbet Kana, 8.3 miles (13 km) north of Nazareth, as the most likely locale for the Roman town of Cana. Excavation of this site has revealed substantial quantities of Roman potsherds, thus confirming Roman-era occupation; it also features a prime location on the Roman road from Ptolemais to Magdala.

2:3 The wedding party’s running out of wine may be seen as symbolizing the spiritual barrenness of first-century Judaism, especially against an OT background that viewed wine (but never drunkenness) as a sign of joy and God’s blessing (Ps. 104:15; Prov. 3:10; cf. Matt. 26:29).

2:4 Jesus’ address for his mother, Woman, is an expression of polite distance, as is his question to her. My hour has not yet come. In John, Jesus’ “hour” is the time of his crucifixion, at which time his saving work is accomplished in his atoning death (see 7:30; 8:20; 12:23,27; 13:1; 17:1; also note on 7:30). At this point in his ministry, because of people’s misconceptions about the coming Messiah, Jesus chooses not to reveal himself openly to Israel (though he does perform numerous messianic “signs”; see note on 2:11). Even this miracle is done quietly. Compared to the other Gospels, John places less emphasis on Jesus’ public ministry and more emphasis on his private ministry to specific individuals.

2:6 six stone water jars. Archaeologists have found large goblet-shaped stone storage jars from this period in Jerusalem and elsewhere. The examples were lathe-cut from sizable single blocks of stone.

2:11 signs. Miracles that attest to Jesus’ identity as Messiah and Son of God and lead unbelievers to faith. John specifies that after this sign, Jesus’ disciples believed in him (cf. v. 23). The statement that this was the first of his signs indicates that Jesus did not do any miracles during his childhood or early manhood (contrary to dozens of apocryphal “gospel stories” outside the NT) but lived as an ordinary man with his divine identity hidden (cf. 7:5). In each of the signs that John includes, the emphasis is on the way in which the “sign” reveals Jesus’ messianic character (cf. 12:37–40; 20:30–31) and on the exceptional and striking nature of the feat accomplished by Jesus—such as the large quantity and high quality of wine (2:6,10), the fact that the official’s son is healed a long distance away by the sheer power of Jesus’ word (4:47, 49–50), the invalid’s recovery from a 38-year-long ordeal (5:5), the large quantity of food produced by Jesus (6:13), the man’s recovery from lifelong blindness (9:1–2), and the raising of Lazarus after four days in the tomb (11:17,39). and manifested his glory. This miracle showed the glory of Jesus as the sovereign Creator and ruler of the material universe and also as the merciful God who provides abundantly for his people’s needs (cf. 1:14).

2:12–4:54 Jesus’ Ministry in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to Gentiles. Jesus’ Jerusalem ministry commences with the clearing of the temple. The bulk of Chs. 3 and 4 features two major encounters, one with a representative of the Jewish religious establishment (Nicodemus, 3:1–21), and one with the Samaritan religion (a Samaritan woman, 4:1–26). The section concludes with Jesus’ ministry to a Gentile official (4:43–54).

2:12 Jesus went down from Cana to Capernaum, since Cana was in the hill country while Capernaum was at the Sea of Galilee. Capernaum is about 16 miles (26 km) to the northeast of Cana and could easily be reached in a day’s journey (see note on Mark 1:21). Capernaum served as Jesus’ headquarters after the Baptist’s imprisonment (Matt. 4:12–13; Luke 4:28–31; cf. Matt. 9:1).

2:13 Here and in v. 23 are the first references to a Jewish festival in John’s Gospel and the first references to the Jewish Passover (see Ex. 12:1–28). Later, John refers to two more Passovers—at John 6:4 (Jesus in Galilee) and 11:55; 12:1 (Jesus’ final Passover in Jerusalem). Apart from these Passover references, John also mentions Jesus’ activities at an unnamed Jewish festival in 5:1 (possibly Tabernacles), at the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths) in 7:2, and at the Feast of Dedication (or Hanukkah) in 10:22. People went up to Jerusalem because it was located at a higher elevation than Galilee and because it was the capital.

2:13–22 The first major confrontation with the Jewish leaders in John’s Gospel takes place on the occasion of Jesus’ clearing of the Jerusalem temple at the Jewish Passover. (The Synoptic Gospels record a second, later temple clearing, just prior to the crucifixion; see Mark 11:15–19 par.) By clearing the temple, Jesus displays prophetic zeal for God’s house (John 2:17; cf. Ps. 69:9) and foreshadows judgment on the Jewish leaders who had allowed worship to deteriorate into commerce, rendering prayer difficult in the temple (see note on John 2:14).

2:14 Temple (Gk. hieron) denotes the area surrounding the temple, including the Court of the Gentiles, in distinction from the temple building proper (Gk. naos), from which non-Jews were excluded. By selling oxen, sheep, and pigeons, the merchants, as well as the money-changers, rendered a service to those who had traveled to Jerusalem from afar, enabling them to buy the animals on-site rather than having to carry them for long distances. By conducting their business in the temple complex, however, these individuals disrupted the worship of non-Jewish God-fearers (see note on 12:20) and thus obstructed the very purpose for which the temple existed.

2:19 I will raise it up implies that Jesus himself would have a part in raising himself from the dead, though other verses mention that the Father and the Holy Spirit were also involved (see Acts 2:24; Rom. 6:4; 1 Cor. 6:14; Gal. 1:1; Eph. 1:20; also Rom. 1:4; 8:11; and note on John 10:17). In fact, Jesus says that he is “the resurrection and the life” (11:25).

2:20 forty-six years. Herod the Great’s construction of the temple proper (Gk. naos; see note on v. 14) lasted from 20/19 to 18/17 B.C., but the larger temple area (Gk. hieron) was not finished until A.D. 66. Some scholars favor an alternative translation: “This temple (Gk. naos) was built forty-six years ago,” which would date this statement in A.D. 29/30, since there was no year “0” (see The Date of Jesus’ Crucifixion).

2:23–25 This section serves as an introduction to Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus in Ch. 3. Believed and did not entrust himself constitutes a wordplay in Greek (both use the verb pisteuō). Jesus knew all people, an affirmation of divine omniscience. His knowledge of people’s hearts is displayed in his encounters with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman in Chs. 3 and 4.