1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus and His twelve newly selected disciples have now arrived in the district of Galilee and have been in Cana for three days. Cana was a town five miles northeast of Nazareth. Again, Nazareth was Jesus’ home town. He was at the wedding celebration with His mother, Mary, and His disciples. Typically, a Jewish wedding celebration lasted seven days. If both couples had been divorced then the celebration is cut short to three days
Apparently this was the former situation and not the later. Three days into the celebration the wine ran out causing Mary a great deal of concern for the Bride and Bridegroom. Essentially, the party was cut short. It was not just a breach of etiquette but a social catastrophe and a psychological embarrassment as they began their lives together as husband and wife.
Some people have taken offence that Jesus addressed His mother as 4“Woman,…?” However, this was not a derogatory term, but used more along the lines of “Dear woman,…?” She listened to her son’s words and told the servants, 5“Do whatever he tells you.” Remember her visitation from the angel Gabriel before Jesus was born. She knew her son and who He was. Mary had faith that God would not allow the Bride and the Bridegroom to be embarrassed on their day of celebration.
As you study the scriptures you will see many references to Christians as “the Bride” and Jesus as “the Bridegroom”. A relationship where the believer becomes one with Christ.
Genesis 2:23-24:
23 The man said,
“This is now bone of my bones
and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
for she was taken out of man.”
24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.
This was the first recorded miracle in Jesus ministry. The significance of this was that we were assured that when we unify ourselves with Christ it would not be a union where the celebration is cut short. There would be no embarrassment. The celebration will continue as we begin our new lives with Him.
It was considered a great deed and obligatory act of love to cause the bride and groom to rejoice at their wedding. The Talmud declared that whoever gladdens the bridal couple was considered as if they had brought a sacrificial offering at the Temple in Jerusalem, or as if they had rebuilt one of the ruins of Jerusalem. To this end it was not remarkable that Mary said to the servants, 5“Do whatever he tells you.”
When Jesus addressed his mother and said, 4“My hour has not yet come.” He was really stating that was not His final hour. His final hour was upon the cross. Yet, while he was still here as the true Bridegroom it was a time for celebration and not a time of mourning. He explained this in the Gospel of Mark.
Mark 2:18
8 Now John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. Some people came and asked Jesus, “How is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees are fasting, but yours are not?”
19 Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? They cannot, so long as they have him with them. 20 But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them, and on that day they will fast.
The water jugs in John 2:6 were huge. They held twenty to thirty gallons each. That’s a lot of wine. Considering the guests had already gone through seven days of wine in three days, I don’t think Jesus had a problem with drinking and celebrating. The problem lies in overindulgence and bad behavior. Jesus had changed 180 gallons of water into 180 gallons of premium wine.
The master of the banquet was responsible for overseeing the wedding celebration and resolving any issues that came up. Jesus did not want to undermine the order of authority at the wedding and chose to send the wine first to the master of the banquet where it was deemed more than worthy. In fact, it was better than the wine that had previously been served.
9…Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
Throughout the scriptures it can be noted that “the first will be last and the last will be first”. This refers to a matter of the heart and not rank, status or wealth. We are judged by our ability to sacrifice for Christ’s sake. Though we may be first in rank, status or wealth we may very well be last in humility and willingness to follow Christ. As you continue your studies you will continue to see this as a rule. It’s a rule highlights areas of pride. The less you are, the more you become in God’s eyes. The more you become one with Christ.
John 2:12
12 After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.” This pretty much dispels the issue of whether Mary had children after Jesus. Apparently, He had more than one brother and sisters as well.
Matthew 13:54-57:
54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.
John 2:13
13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Remember, it was not Passover yet, but Passover was almost at hand. Passover was celebrated on the 15th of Nisan (the first month of spring stemming from a Sumerian word meaning “First Fruits) and lasted for seven days. It was a celebration of being chosen by God to escape the final plague described in Exodus 11. Before this final plague God commanded Moses to tell the Israelites to mark an unblemished lamb’s blood above their doors such that they were not to be touched by the death of the firstborn. This plague would “pass over them” but not the Egyptians. They would be the first fruits out of the tribulation suffered in Egypt. The first to leave Egypt and enter the Promised Land.
Jesus, being the true “Paschal Lamb”, went up to the temple before the Jewish Passover and cleansed the temple courts of what He knew to be practices disrespectful to God and His temple. I believe He did this not only out of zeal for His Father’s House but also that He would be teaching there during the week of Passover.
John 2:23-25
23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, many people saw the signs he was performing and believed in his name. 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind, for he knew what was in each person.
The word “entrust” implies Jesus was unwilling to commit Himself with trust and confidence to the people who believed in Him during the Passover. He knew that in their hearts they did not trust in Him. They only believed because of the signs (miracles and healings) that established His words to be true. However, being a Christian requires us to “trust” God and not the miracles and other signs. Christ knew what was in their hearts. Furthermore, He did not need them to give testimony about Him and the signs he was performing.
