John Chapter 2

2 ¹And 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.

This wedding must have been a large affair. In reading about it, it seems like Mary the mother of Jesus was a close friend as she was aware of what was going on behind the scenes and was invested in how well the wedding was going… like she knew there wasn’t any wine , and she wanted Jesus to help with that…. the governor of the feast didn’t know about it, so it wasn’t known to everyone, so she must have been behind the scenes helping. It’s just a thought I had reading about it.

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.

The way Jesus and his mother communicate was standard for the time. In current times, we would interpret this statement as being harsh, but back then it was considered polite and standard to call a female, “woman”. Mary wasn’t offended and didn’t take this statement as a rejection of help because she then instructed the servants to do what Jesus told them to do. Jesus did however remind her with this part, “… what have I to do with thee?” that he was the Son of God and that is why he was here.

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.

After the manner of the purifying of the Jews… so they got the vessels ready the way God instructed them to in the Law, then God provided the wine. While I don’t think this is the meaning behind this verse… it is kind of like when we come to Jesus, repent and receive him as our Savior and Lord, then God fills us with the Holy Spirit.

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.

This was the first miracle proving the Jesus is the Son of God.

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:

A man is a shepherd, he looks after his sheep and as such he comes to know these sheep and cares for them like his children… if one wanders off, he knows it… and goes looking for them. He is emotionally attached to each and every one of these sheep. Then the time comes when he must make his way down to make atonement for his sin, and he needs to bring a lamb without spot or blemish for a sacrifice… the best in his flock. This lamb means something to this shepherd… he loves it… he’s raised it himself. The giving up of this lamb will drive home the point to this shepherd that his sin comes with a price….one he will feel in his heart, it’s a sacrifice. So then Jesus comes up to find that someone, who could not possibly know the heart of God, has decided that he would turn a profit with the selling of these sacrificial animals in the very temple. In so doing 2 things have occurred to me…. these merchants have taken the part where a personal SACRIFICE is made and made a substitute where they can purchase a sacrificial animal they aren’t invested in (outside of what the Law states)…. like they never raised this animal or grew to love it…. they simply bought it. Again this is just my own thoughts… that these merchants have managed to remove the meaning behind following the Law and made it into a transaction in the flesh and a religion instead of a commitment. They’ve underminded God and the relationship between God and man. So when Jesus comes in and see this, he cleans them out of there with a scourge that he made. He drove them out and the oxen and sheep and poured out the money. The doves seller was told to take them out of the temple that the temple was not to be used as a market. The law does state in Leviticus 14 that you can purchase Dove and Pigeons if you are poor….
Leviticus 14:²¹ “But if he is poor and cannot afford so much, then he shall take one male lamb for a guilt offering to be waved, to make atonement for him, and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and a log of oil; ²² also two turtledoves or two pigeons, whichever he can afford. The one shall be a sin offering and the other a burnt offering.
The offense of the money changers in the temple was that they had turned the act of sacrificing into a business and to increase their profits, they set it up right there in the temple. These are just my thoughts on these verses.

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.

Psalms 69:9 For zeal for your house has consumed me,
    and the reproaches of those who reproach you have fallen on me.

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.

The money changers could not move past the flesh to even see that Jesus is the Son of God.

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.

Jesus began here by driving out the religiousness of man and replace it with the truth…. Jesus is the Son of God… the savior of the world… who would die for the sins of mankind and rise again from the dead the 3rd day.