JESUS' FIRST MIRACLE AND THE CLEANSING OF THE TEMPLE
[John:2:1-25 [1] And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: [2] And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. [3] And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. [4] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. [5] His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. [6] And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. [7] Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. [8] And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. [9] When the ruler of the feast 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 called the bridegroom, [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. [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, 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, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, 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. [17] And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. [18] Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? [19] Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, 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? [21] But he spake of the temple of his body. [22] When therefore he was risen from the dead, 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, [25] And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. ].
"And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer?" (Mark 11:17).
I The Marriage at Cana of Galilee
1. Jesus' mother and brethren are present at the ceremony, [John:2:1And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
,12].
2. Jesus and His disciples are invited to the marriage, [John:2:2And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
].
3. Mary's request and Jesus' mild reproof, [John:2:3-4 [3] And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
[4] Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
].
4. "Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it," [John:2:5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
]; [Matthew:7:24-27 [24] Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
[25] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
[26] And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
[27] And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
].
II The Miracle Jesus Wrought at the Marriage
1. Jesus commands the servants to fill the waterpots with water, [John:2:6-7 [6] And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
[7] Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
].
2. The water is changed to wine and taken to the governor, [John:2:8And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
].
3. Its excellency is greater than that of the former wine, [John:2:9-10 [9] When the ruler of the feast 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 called the bridegroom,
[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.
].
4. His glory is manifested to His disciples by the miracle, [John:2:11This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
].
III The Cleansing of the Temple
1. Jesus journeys to Jerusalem for the Passover, [John:2:12-13 [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, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
].
2. He finds oxen, sheep, doves, and money-changers in the Temple, [John:2:14And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
].
3. The offenders are driven out and the money-changers' tables overthrown, [John:2:15-16 [15] And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, 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.
].
4. "Make not my Father's house an house of merchandise," [John:2:16-17 [16] And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
[17] And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
]; [Matthew:21:13And said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves.
].
IV A Sign of Authority Demanded by the Jews
1. "What sign shewest thou unto us?" [John:2:18Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
]; [Matthew:12:38-42 [38] Then certain of the scribes and of the Pharisees answered, saying, Master, we would see a sign from thee.
[39] But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
[40] For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
[41] The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.
[42] The queen of the south shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for she came from the uttermost parts of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and, behold, a greater than Solomon is here.
].
2. "Destroy this temple, . . . I will raise it up," [John:2:19Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
].
3. "But he spake of the temple of his body," [John:2:20-22 [20] Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
[21] But he spake of the temple of his body.
[22] When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
].
4. Many professed to believe, but Jesus knew their hearts, [John:2:23-25 [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,
[25] And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
].
In the account of the first miracle of Jesus we see Him in His human, social relations. Jesus did not lead an ascetic life. He mingled with the people. Sometimes He dined with publicans and sinners. Some people of His day thought He should hold Himself aloof, and called Him a "gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners" (Luke:7:34And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened. ). He lived among men as one of them. Because of close relationship between Jesus and the people, Paul could say of Him: "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews:4:15). “Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest" (Hebrews:2:17, 18).
Jesus in His miracle at Cana lent His sanction to an institution, which God, not man, established ([Genesis:2:24Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. ]). His glory was also revealed to His disciples in this miracle (verse 11), Cana of Galilee was about four miles from Nazareth where Jesus was reared. Although Jesus had performed no miracles up to this time, His mother looked to Him in this time of need and said, "They have no wine." She believed He could do something about it. Mary knew that Christ was more than an ordinary person. She had pondered the things concerning Him in her heart ([Luke:2:19But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. ],[Luke:2:51And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart. ]).
Jesus, as the son of man, was the son of David and the son of Mary; but being the Son of God, He was the Lord of David, which David himself acknowledged ([Mark:12:35-37 [35] And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David? [36] For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool. [37] David therefore himself calleth him Lord; and whence is he then his son? And the common people heard him gladly. ]; [Revelation:22:16I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. ]). He was also the Lord of His mother. When it came to His divine side He did not hesitate to take the position that belonged to Him. When it came to a matter of miracles, that bore relationship to His divine realm, His reply -- "Woman, what have I to do with thee?" -- seems to indicate that in expecting a miracle, Mary was entering into His divine realm, in which He was not subject to His mother.
Mary said no more to Jesus, but her faith led her to say to the servants, “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it."
This miracle was wrought without any demonstration or show. Six water-pots with a capacity of eighteen to twenty-seven gallons each were standing near by. Jesus told the servants to fill them up with water, then draw and bear to the governor of the feast. The governor called it good wine. In all His ministry Christ did not work a single miracle to be seen of men, but He never failed to meet a need.
Some people like to use the fact that Jesus turned water into wine as an excuse for social drinking and getting drunk. To produce a drink that would harm man, or the excess of which would cause intoxication, is contrary to the nature of Christ and all His works on earth. All His miracles were works of mercy. Drunkenness is condemned in the Bible: "Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise" (Proverbs:20:1The LORD hear thee in the day of trouble; the name of the God of Jacob defend thee; ). "Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh" (Proverbs:23:20). "Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself alight" (Proverbs 23: 29-31). See also [Isaiah:5:11Woe unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! ]; [Romans:13:13Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. ]; I Corinthians:6:10; and Ephesians:5:18But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. .
In the dictionary we read that the unfermented juice of any fruit or plant used as a beverage may be called wine. This water that was turned to wine by Jesus was served immediately and, no doubt, was still fresh and unfermented.
After the wedding Jesus went with His mother and brethren and His disciples down to Capernaum on the shores of Galilee. Here was the home of Peter and Andrew and later the scene of many of the miracles of Christ. But the day came when Jesus condemned the people of this city because they did not repent. "And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted unto heaven, shalt be brought down to hell: for if the mighty works, which have been done in thee, had been done in Sodom, it would have remained unto this day" (Matthew:11:23).
From Capernaum Jesus went to Jerusalem to the first Passover of His public ministry. Upon arrival at the Temple He found it desecrated by the money-changers. The demand for animals to be used for sacrifices made it convenient for the merchants to sell these animals in the Temple. The changers of money were no doubt changing the money of the various countries from which the Jews had journeyed to go to the feast, into the half-shekel of the Temple. (See [Exodus:30:13-14 [13] This they shall give, every one that passeth among them that are numbered, half a shekel after the shekel of the sanctuary: (a shekel is twenty gerahs:) an half shekel shall be the offering of the LORD. [14] Every one that passeth among them that are numbered, from twenty years old and above, shall give an offering unto the LORD. ]; [2 Chronicles:24:6And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness? ], [2 Chronicles:24:9And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness. ].) The greed for profits entered into these transactions. On a similar cleansing of the Temple three years later, Jesus said, "It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves" (Matthew:21:13).
The church should be held in respect and reverence as the house of God. Jesus did not let anyone carry a vessel through the Temple ([Mark:11:16And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. ]). Many people treat the house of God too lightly by transacting business or by doing unnecessary talking before or during the service. Many modern churches have lowered their respect for the house of God by holding bazaars, raffles, social functions, and have even introduced gambling into the church as a means of raising money. Children should not be allowed to be noisy, play, chew gum, or in any other way show a lack of regard for the house of God.
The Jews asked for a sign. Jesus replied, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." Another time they sought a sign and Jesus told them, "For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale's belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matthew:12:40).
Although neither the Pharisees nor the disciples seemed to understand these sayings when given, after His crucifixion the chief priests and Pharisees came to Pilate, saying, "Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, after three days I will rise again" (Matthew:27:63). They were, no doubt, referring to His words, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
At His trial before the high priest, false witnesses had tried to bring testimony against Him by saying, "We heard him say, I will destroy this temple that is made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands" (Mark:14:58). No doubt, these false witnesses were among the number who sought a sign from Him in the Temple when He drove out those that would make merchandise of the house of God.
It is evident from the request made to Pilate for a guard that the Jews knew that these words had reference to His body, but at the trial they had given these words a literal interpretation and used them against Him. Just so are many today watching every opportunity to bring accusations against a Christian.
Jesus knew what was in man. Jeremiah testified of this when he wrote, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings" (Jeremiah:17:9In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation. , 10).
1. How old was Jesus when He wrought His first miracle?
2. Where was the first miracle wrought,
3. How far was this town from Nazareth where Jesus was brought up?
4. Who was at the marriage?
5. About how much water was turned into wine?
6. Does "when men have well drunk" mean that they are intoxicated?
7. How far is Capernaum from Cana? From Jerusalem?
8. Name a disciple whose home was in Capernaum?
9. Find some miracles that were wrought in Capernaum.
10. Why did Jesus drive out the sheep and oxen from the Temple?
11. When and by whom was this Temple built?
12. What previous temples had been erected on the same site?
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