John 2 - Wiersbe Study Bible

2:1,2 Our Lord was not a recluse, as was John the Baptist (Matt. 11:16–19). He accepted invitations to social events, even though His enemies used this practice to accuse Him (Luke 15:1,2). Our Lord entered into the normal experiences of life and sanctified them by His presence. Wise is that couple who invite Jesus to their wedding!

2:1–3 Jesus was accompanied by His mother and His six disciples. Perhaps it was the addition of seven more people that helped create the crisis, but it must have been a small wedding feast if this were the case. We have reason to believe that our Lord’s earthly family was not prosperous, and it is likely that their friends were not wealthy people. Perhaps the shortage of wine was related to a low-budget feast.

2:1–12 Our Lord would certainly have a special message here for His people, Israel. In the Old Testament, the nation is pictured as “married” to God and unfaithful to her marriage covenant (Is. 54:5; Jer. 31:32; Hos. 2:2ff.). The wine ran out, and all Israel had left were six empty waterpots! They held water for external washings, but they could provide nothing for internal cleansing and joy. In this miracle, our Lord brought fullness where there was emptiness, joy where there was disappointment, and something internal for that which was only external (water for ceremonial washings).

2:5 Mary’s words to the servants reveal that she was willing to let her Son do whatever He pleased, and that she trusted Him to do what was right. It would be wise for all of us to obey what she said! It is worth noting that it was Jesus, not Mary, who took command and solved the problem. Also note that Mary pointed not to herself, but to Jesus.

2:7,8 Each of the six stone waterpots could contain about twenty gallons each. However, we are not told that all of the available water in the jars turned into wine. Only that which the servants drew out and served was transformed into wine. The quality of this new wine was so superior that the man in charge of the banquet highly praised it, and, of course, the groom’s family basked in the glory of the compliments.

2:11 The miracle did something for His disciples. It revealed His glory (1:14) and gave them a stronger foundation for their faith. Though miracles alone are insufficient evidence for declaring Jesus to be the Son of God (2 Thess. 2:9,10), the cumulative effect of miracle after miracle should certainly convince them of His deity. The disciples had to begin somewhere, and over the months, their faith deepened as they got to know Jesus better.

2:14–16 The condition of the temple was a vivid indication of the spiritual condition of the nation. Their religion was a dull routine, presided over by worldly-minded men whose main desire was to exercise authority and get rich. Not only had the wine run out at the wedding feast but the glory had departed from the temple.

2:16 There was still a godly remnant in Israel who loved God and revered His temple (Luke 1:5–22; 2:25–38), but most religious leaders were false shepherds who exploited the people. When Jesus cleansed the temple, He “declared war” on the hypocritical religious leaders (Matt. 23), and this ultimately led to His death. Indeed, His passion for God’s house did consume Him!

2:19 In writing this gospel, John included a number of vivid pictures of the death of the Savior. The first is the slaying of the Lamb in 1:29, indicating that His death would be that of a substitute for sinners. The destroying of the temple is the second picture, suggesting a violent death that would end in victorious resurrection. The third picture is that of the serpent lifted up (3:14), a reference to Numbers 21:5–9.

2:20–22 The temple was an important element of the Jewish faith, for in it God was supposed to dwell. All of the ceremonies and sacrifices of the Jewish religion centered in the temple. When Jesus suggested that their precious building would be destroyed, their angry reaction was predictable. After all, if His body is the temple, then the Jewish temple would be needed no more. In this cryptic statement, our Lord actually predicted the end of the Jewish religious system.

2:23–25 John was not discrediting the importance of our Lord’s signs, because he wrote his book to record these signs and to encourage his readers to trust Jesus Christ and receive eternal life (20:30,31). However, throughout the book, John makes it clear that it takes more than believing in miracles for a person to be saved. Seeing the signs and believing in them would be a great beginning; in fact, even the disciples started that way and had to grow in their faith (compare 2:11 and 2:22).

2:24,25 “He knew all men” is a statement that is proved several times in John’s Gospel. Jesus knew the character of Simon (1:42). He knew what Nathanael was like (1:46ff.), and He told the Samaritan woman “all things” that she had ever done (4:29). He knew that the Jewish leaders did not have God’s love in their hearts (5:42), and that one of His disciples was not truly a believer (6:64). He saw the repentance in the heart of the adulteress (8:1–11) and the murder in the hearts of His enemies (8:40ff.). Several times in the Upper Room message, Jesus revealed to His disciples their own inner feelings and questions (13:1—17:26).

2:25 Our Lord’s accurate knowledge of the human heart is another evidence of His deity, for only God can see the inner person. This brief paragraph prepares us for the important interview with Nicodemus recorded in the next chapter. Nicodemus wanted to learn more about Jesus, but he ended up learning more about himself!