Miracle at Cana

On (A)the third day there was a wedding in (B)Cana of Galilee, and the (C)mother of Jesus was there; and both Jesus and His (D)disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus *said to Him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus *said to her, [a](E)What business do you have with Me, (F)woman? (G)My hour has not yet come.” His (H)mother *said to the servants, “Whatever He tells you, do it.” Now there were six stone waterpots standing there (I)for the Jewish custom of purification, containing [b]two or three measures each. Jesus *said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. And He *said to them, “Draw some out now and take it to the [c]headwaiter.” And they took it to him. Now when the headwaiter tasted the water (J)which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter *called the groom, 10 and *said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first, and when the guests (K)are drunk, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.” 11 This beginning of His [d](L)signs Jesus did in Cana of (M)Galilee, and revealed His (N)glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

12 After this He went down to (O)Capernaum, He and His (P)mother, and His (Q)brothers and His (R)disciples; and they stayed there a few days.

First Passover—Cleansing the Temple

13 (S)The Passover of the Jews was near, and Jesus (T)went up to Jerusalem. 14 (U)And within the temple grounds He found those who were selling oxen, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables. 15 And He made a whip of [e]cords, and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and the oxen; and He poured out the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables; 16 and to those who were selling (V)the doves He said, “Take these things away from here; stop making (W)My Father’s house a [f]place of business!” 17 His (X)disciples remembered that it was written: “(Y)Zeal for Your house will consume me.” 18 (Z)The Jews then said to Him, “(AA)What sign do You show us [g]as your authority for doing these things?” 19 Jesus answered them, (AB)Destroy this [h]temple, and in three days I will raise it up.” 20 (AC)The Jews then said, “It took (AD)forty-six years to build this [i]temple, and yet You will raise it up in three days?” 21 But He was speaking about (AE)the [j]temple of His body. 22 So when He was raised from the dead, His (AF)disciples (AG)remembered that He said this; and they believed (AH)the Scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.

23 Now when He was in Jerusalem at (AI)the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name as they (AJ)observed His signs which He was doing. 24 But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, because (AK)He knew all people, 25 and because He did not need anyone to testify about mankind, (AL)for He Himself knew what was in mankind.

Footnotes

  1. John 2:4 Lit What to Me and to you (an ancient idiom)
  2. John 2:6 About 18 or 27 gallons each; or 68 or 102 liters
  3. John 2:8 I.e., manager of the banquet
  4. John 2:11 I.e., confirming miracles
  5. John 2:15 Or pieces of rope
  6. John 2:16 Lit house
  7. John 2:18 Lit that You do these
  8. John 2:19 Or sanctuary
  9. John 2:20 Or sanctuary
  10. John 2:21 Or sanctuary

Jesus Changes Water Into Wine

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee.(A) Jesus’ mother(B) was there, and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine was gone, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”

“Woman,[a](C) why do you involve me?”(D) Jesus replied. “My hour(E) has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”(F)

Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing,(G) each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.[b]

Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.

Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.(H) He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. 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.”

11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs(I) through which he revealed his glory;(J) and his disciples believed in him.(K)

12 After this he went down to Capernaum(L) with his mother(M) and brothers(N) and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

Jesus Clears the Temple Courts(O)

13 When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover,(P) Jesus went up to Jerusalem.(Q) 14 In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves,(R) and others sitting at tables exchanging money.(S) 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables. 16 To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house(T) into a market!” 17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”[c](U)

18 The Jews(V) then responded to him, “What sign(W) can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?”(X)

19 Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.”(Y)

20 They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21 But the temple he had spoken of was his body.(Z) 22 After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said.(AA) Then they believed the scripture(AB) and the words that Jesus had spoken.

23 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival,(AC) many people saw the signs(AD) he was performing and believed(AE) in his name.[d] 24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, for he knew all people. 25 He did not need any testimony about mankind,(AF) for he knew what was in each person.(AG)

Footnotes

  1. John 2:4 The Greek for Woman does not denote any disrespect.
  2. John 2:6 Or from about 75 to about 115 liters
  3. John 2:17 Psalm 69:9
  4. John 2:23 Or in him

Jesus at a Wedding in Cana

Three days later Mary, the mother of Jesus, was at a wedding feast in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited and were there.

When the wine was all gone, Mary said to Jesus, “They don't have any more wine.”

Jesus replied, “Mother, my time hasn't yet come![a] You must not tell me what to do.”

Mary then said to the servants, “Do whatever Jesus tells you to do.”

At the feast there were six stone water jars that were used by the people for washing themselves in the way that their religion said they must. Each jar held about 100 liters. Jesus told the servants to fill them to the top with water. Then after the jars had been filled, he said, “Now take some water and give it to the man in charge of the feast.”

The servants did as Jesus told them, and the man in charge drank some of the water that had now turned into wine. He did not know where the wine had come from, but the servants did. He called the bridegroom over 10 and said, “The best wine is always served first. Then after the guests have had plenty, the other wine is served. But you have kept the best until last!”

11 This was Jesus' first miracle,[b] and he did it in the village of Cana in Galilee. There Jesus showed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him. 12 (A) After this, he went with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples to the town of Capernaum, where they stayed for a few days.

Jesus in the Temple

(Matthew 21.12,13; Mark 11.15-17; Luke 19.45,46)

13 (B) Not long before the Jewish festival of Passover, Jesus went to Jerusalem. 14 There he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves in the temple. He also saw moneychangers sitting at their tables. 15 So he took some rope and made a whip. Then he chased everyone out of the temple, together with their sheep and cattle. He turned over the tables of the moneychangers and scattered their coins.

16 Jesus said to the people who had been selling doves, “Get those doves out of here! Don't make my Father's house a marketplace.”

17 (C) The disciples then remembered that the Scriptures say, “My love for your house burns in me like a fire.”

18 The Jewish leaders asked Jesus, “What miracle[c] will you work to show us why you have done this?”

19 (D) “Destroy this temple,” Jesus answered, “and in three days I will build it again!”

20 The leaders replied, “It took 46 years to build this temple. What makes you think you can rebuild it in three days?”

21 But Jesus was talking about his body as a temple. 22 And when he was raised from death, his disciples remembered what he had told them. Then they believed the Scriptures and the words of Jesus.

Jesus Knows What People Are Like

23 In Jerusalem during Passover many people put their faith in Jesus, because they saw him work miracles.[d] 24 But Jesus knew what was in their hearts, and he would not let them have power over him. 25 No one had to tell him what people were like. He already knew.

Footnotes

  1. 2.4 my time hasn't yet come: The time when the true glory of Jesus would be seen, and he would be recognized as God's Son (see 12.23).
  2. 2.11 miracle: The Greek text has “sign.” In the Gospel of John the word “sign” is used for the miracle itself and as a way of pointing to Jesus as the Son of God.
  3. 2.18 miracle: See the note at 2.11.
  4. 2.23 miracle: See the note at 2.11.

From Water to Wine

1-3 Three days later there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. Jesus and his disciples were guests also. When they started running low on wine at the wedding banquet, Jesus’ mother told him, “They’re just about out of wine.”

Jesus said, “Is that any of our business, Mother—yours or mine? This isn’t my time. Don’t push me.”

She went ahead anyway, telling the servants, “Whatever he tells you, do it.”

6-7 Six stoneware water pots were there, used by the Jews for ritual washings. Each held twenty to thirty gallons. Jesus ordered the servants, “Fill the pots with water.” And they filled them to the brim.

“Now fill your pitchers and take them to the host,” Jesus said, and they did.

9-10 When the host tasted the water that had become wine (he didn’t know what had just happened but the servants, of course, knew), he called out to the bridegroom, “Everybody I know begins with their finest wines and after the guests have had their fill brings in the cheap stuff. But you’ve saved the best till now!”

11 This act in Cana of Galilee was the first sign Jesus gave, the first glimpse of his glory. And his disciples believed in him.

12 After this he went down to Capernaum along with his mother, brothers, and disciples, and stayed several days.

Tear Down This Temple . . .

13-14 When the Passover Feast, celebrated each spring by the Jews, was about to take place, Jesus traveled up to Jerusalem. He found the Temple teeming with people selling cattle and sheep and doves. The loan sharks were also there in full strength.

15-17 Jesus put together a whip out of strips of leather and chased them out of the Temple, stampeding the sheep and cattle, upending the tables of the loan sharks, spilling coins left and right. He told the dove merchants, “Get your things out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a shopping mall!” That’s when his disciples remembered the Scripture, “Zeal for your house consumes me.”

18-19 But the Jews were upset. They asked, “What credentials can you present to justify this?” Jesus answered, “Tear down this Temple and in three days I’ll put it back together.”

20-22 They were indignant: “It took forty-six years to build this Temple, and you’re going to rebuild it in three days?” But Jesus was talking about his body as the Temple. Later, after he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered he had said this. They then put two and two together and believed both what was written in Scripture and what Jesus had said.

23-25 During the time he was in Jerusalem, those days of the Passover Feast, many people noticed the signs he was displaying and, seeing they pointed straight to God, entrusted their lives to him. But Jesus didn’t entrust his life to them. He knew them inside and out, knew how untrustworthy they were. He didn’t need any help in seeing right through them.