Chapter 2
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Scripture
KJV1And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
2And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
3And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
4Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
6And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
8And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
9When 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,
10And 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.
11This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
12After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.
13And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,
14And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:
15And 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;
16And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.
17And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
18Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
19Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
20Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?
21But he spake of the temple of his body.
22When 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.
23Now 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.
24But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,
25And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.
“Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
Overview
Jesus performs His first public miracle at a wedding in Cana of Galilee, turning water into wine, thereby manifesting His glory so that His disciples believe in Him. He then travels to Jerusalem for the Passover and drives the moneychangers out of the temple, declaring 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up' — a reference to His own body and future resurrection.
Key Themes
The First Sign — Water to Wine
Jesus' first miracle transforms ordinary water into the finest wine, signaling that He brings a new and better covenant that surpasses all that came before.
Righteous Zeal for God's House
By cleansing the temple, Jesus asserts His authority over Israel's worship and fulfills the prophecy that zeal for God's house would consume Him.
The Temple of His Body
Jesus redefines the temple — the true dwelling place of God is not a building but His own body, which will be destroyed and raised in three days.
Study Questions
Why does Jesus choose a wedding as the setting for His first miracle, and what might this reveal about His mission?
What is the significance of Jesus using the stone waterpots set aside for Jewish purification rites?
How does Mary's instruction to the servants — 'Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it' — serve as a model for discipleship?
What does Jesus' anger in the temple teach us about the difference between righteous indignation and sinful anger?
When Jesus says 'Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up,' why do the Jews misunderstand Him, and what does this reveal about spiritual blindness?
Connection to Christ
The water-to-wine miracle reveals Jesus as the one who brings the joy and abundance of the messianic age. The temple cleansing points forward to His death and resurrection — He Himself is the true temple where God and man meet. Both events declare that Jesus is replacing the old order with something infinitely greater.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through John 2. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?