CHAPTER II. 5 His mother saith unto the AND the third day there was servants, Whatsoever he saith 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. CHAPTER II. 1. The third day; that is, from the conversation with Nathanael, mentioned in the preceding chapter. ||In Cana; a town situated a short distance north-east from Nazareth. 2. Called; invited. || His disciples. See 1: 40, &c. 3. When they wanted wine; when the wine failed. 4. Woman. Our habits and manners are such, that to address one's mother by this term, would be disrespectful; but it was not so accounted among the Jews. This is sufficiently proved by the fact that the Saviour employed the same term when, on the cross, he most affectionately spoke to his mother. Compare also 4:21. 20:15. || What have I to do with thee? See on Matt. 8: 29. Jesus meant to relieve his mother's anxiety, as well as, perhaps, mildly to suggest that she needed not, and ought not, to interfere with him. Her mind was much occupied about the arrangements for the wedding entertainment, the care of which appears, in part at least, to have rested on her. It is probable that one of the parties concerned in this wedding was a relative of hers, and that she attended for the sake of giving assistance. Hence she knew respecting the wine, and was desirous that the deficiency might be seasonably supplied. To unto you, do it. 6 And there were set there six water-pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. 7 Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water-pots 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. her son she looked, placing confidence in his power and kindness. He was probably engaged in religious conversation, which ought not to have been interrupted; and probably as yet no one of the guests had discovered the lack of wine, and there was no need of immediate attention to that matter. Mine hour is not yet come; the precise time for me to exert my power has not yet arrived. So long as the wine was not quite exhausted, it was best to defer his miraculous interposition, so that, when it was afforded, it might be properly acknowledged. 5. His mother saith to the servants, &c. This circumstance shows that the reply of Jesus to his mother was neither a harsh one, nor a denial of the request which was couched in her remark. She felt encouraged that he would grant her request. 6. Water-pots of stone; stone vessels for holding water. || The purifying of the Jews. The Jews, on account of the regulations respecting ceremonial cleanness and uncleanness, had occasion for a constant supply of water, in readiness for washing. See on Mark 7: 1—4. || Firkins. The word thus translated signifies a measure containing somewhat more than eight gallons. 8. Bear; carry. The governor of the feast; the person who had the 9 When the ruler of the hast kept the good wine until feast had tasted the water that now. was made wine, and knew not whence it was, (but the servants 11 This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Gali which drew the water knew,) lee, and manifested forth his the governor of the feast called glory; and his disciples believed the bridegroom, on him. 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 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. general superintendence of the enter- furnished by our Lord at this entertainment, and who arranged the tainment, may seem needlessly large. guests. It was not the master of the There were six vessels, each confamily, but a person who was ap-taining at least as much as sixteen pointed to take the management on such an occasion. 9. Ruler of the feast; the same as is called governor in the preceding verse. 10. At the beginning; that is, of an entertainment. || When men have well drunk, &c. This remark was a general one in respect to what usually took place at great entertainments; namely, that when the guests had used a considerable quantity of wine, and had begun to be affected by it, then wine of an inferior quality was brought on, inasmuch as the guests would not then so easily distinguish between good wine and poor wine. There is not the slightest intimation that the guests at this entertainment had gone at all beyond the acknowledged bounds of propriety. 11. Manifested forth his glory; those glorious qualities which proved him to be the Messiah. On this occasion, his power and kindness were signally displayed; and the display which he had made of these qualities would excite anticipations of other methods by which he would prove himself the glorious being that had been expected. || Believed on him; that is, more firmly. The confidence which they had reposed in him (see 1: 40-51) was strengthened by this miracle. The quantity of wine miraculously Hence gallons. But it must be considered, that wedding-festivals were prolonged sometimes through a whole week. See Judges 14: 12. Besides, Jesus and his disciples were, perhaps, invited after the arrangements had been made, as they had but recently come into Cana. Our Lord's presence at the entertainment might also have been an occasion for still further enlarging the number of guests, and perhaps for some persons remaining longer than they had intended, or had been expected, to remain. the wine which had been procured proved insufficient; and an opportu nity occurred for Jesus to show forth both his power and his benevolence. Though, according to the custom of the times, a considerable quantity of wine was needed for the remaining part of the celebration, yet we can easily believe that all which our Lord miraculously furnished was not actually used on that occasion. The quantity left after the celebration, would be a very acceptable present to the newly-married couple, and would serve to illustrate the kindness of Jesus. At the same time, the presence of Jesus, to say nothing of the presence of such men as his disciples, would be a sufficient security against excess during the entertain ment. 12. His brethren. See on Matt. 1: 25 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; 13. Passover. See Matt. 26: 2. 14. Found in the temple, &c. See on Matt. 21: 12. 16 And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence make not my Father's house a house of merchandise. 17 And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up. 18 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, What sign showest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? lated it at an early period by way of anticipation. But there are also circumstances in the two accounts which seem to indicate two separate transactions; and the accurate notices of time furnished by John in this part of his Gospel (see vs. 1, 12) do not agree with the supposition that he placed at the beginning of Jesus's public ministry an event which occurred near the end of it. It has also been suggested as worthy of distinct notice, that, both at the commencement and at the close of his public ministry, Jesus in a very special manner showed his abhorrence of the prevailing desecration of the temple, and his zeal for the holy house. 15. A scourge of small cords. Cords, or ropes, could easily be found in the place where sheep and oxen were exposed for sale. No intimation is given that the Saviour used any external violence in inducing the traders to depart. He made the scourge so as to show his earnestness and determination in rescuing the temple from such profanation. Violence, probably, was not needed. The traffickers were doubtless conscious that they were profaning the Lord's house, and acquiring unlawful gain by various forms of extortion, under pretence of accommodating the 17. That it was written. See Ps. people in respect to the services of 69: 9. The saying there recorded the temple. The mild dignity of Je- was strikingly applicable to Jesus sus, and the fervor of his zeal, so on this occasion. The zeal of thy suitable to the times, would have dis- house; zeal for thy house, for its armed them, even if any had wished purity and honor. || Hath eaten me to make resistance; and the by-stand-up; hath preyed upon my spirit. ers, who had become acquainted with the claims of Jesus, might have manifested so cordial an approbation of his proceedings as at once to convince them that compliance with the demand of Jesus was the most expedient course for them. The account here given by John agrees, in several circumstances, with the account of a similar transaction given by Matthew, 21: 12, 13; and it has been questioned whether the two accounts do not relate to the same transaction, John having reVOL. II. 13 In other words, Intense anxiety for the honor of thy house has taken possession of me; so that I am willing to undergo any labors, and expose myself to any reproach, if I may recover thy house from pollution. The fervid zeal which Jesus felt for the honor of his Father, when he witnessed the abuses committed in the temple, was, as it were, a fire in his bones; and impelled by this holy zeal, he sought to rescue the temple from such an unauthorized and unsuitable use. 18. What sign showest thou unto us, 19 Jesus answered and said! 21 But he spake of the temunto them, Destroy this temple, ple of his body. 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? &c.; what miraculous token dost thou exhibit? The same spirit here displayed itself, which prompted the demand in Matt. 12: 38. The act which Jesus had performed was one of very serious import, and contained in it a profession of great authority on his part. The abuses which had excited his indignation, had been of long standing, and had been quietly permitted by the chief men of the nation. But Jesus showed a decided disapprobation of them, and, as one clothed with authority from God, vindicated the divine honor. In support of his claim to such authority, some demanded a miraculous token. 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. remark of Jesus was not apprehended by all who were present. As the conversation occurred in the temple, some appear to have understood him as speaking of the literal temple. Some of his hearers probably perceived that he did not mean to be understood as speaking of the real temple; but in a mixed company, some might have misapprehended him. Besides, the Jews were in the habit of cavilling with the Saviour; and some would be very willing, in a perverse way, and for the sake of prejudicing the minds of the common people, to misrepresent his language. Forty and six years, &c. The temre-ple which was built after the return of the people from the Babylonian captivity (see Ezra 3: 8-13. ̊ 6: 14, 15), had received numerous repairs and additions at various times. Particularly did Herod the Great distinguish himself by renewing and decorating it; so that he was said to have rebuilt the temple. After his death this work went on with several intervals, so that a long time was occupied in laboring on the temple. It is to the time thus occupied that the Jews referred in this verse. Herod is said to have commenced repairing and adorning the temple in the eighteenth year of his reign, which is believed to have been sixteen years before the birth of Christ; and Jesus was now somewhat more than thirty years old. These two numbers, sixteen and thirty, make the amount of forty-six. 19. Jesus answered, &c. In plying to their question, Jesus availed himself of certain figurative language to which they were accustomed, and by which the human body, or a human person, was spoken of as a house or temple. Compare 1 Cor. 3: 16. 6:19. 2 Cor. 5: 1. He probably used this manner of speaking in order to excite the attention of the people. It might have been suggested by the fact that he was then standing in the temple. Using, perhaps, some significant gesture, such as pointing to his own person, or employing a significant tone of voice, he told them, Destroy this temple, &c. In three days I will raise it up. Jesus referred to his resurrection from the dead, as an event which would furnish very special evidence of his being THE ONE to whom, as the Messiah, such authority pertained as they 22. They believed the scripture. See had just witnessed. The Saviour re- Ps. 16: 10, 11, compared with Acts ferred to this same proof on the occa-2: 22-36. Previously to the resursion related in Matt. 12: 38-40. rection of Jesus, his disciples greatly Compare, too, Rom. 1: 4. misapprehended the testimony of the Scriptures concerning the Messiah; 20. Then said the Jews, &c. The 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. 25 And needed not that any should testify of man for he knew what was in man. 24 But Jesus did not commit THE himself unto them, because he knew all men, CHAPTER III. HERE was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: and though he repeatedly told them 24, 25, is best accounted for by referof his expected death and resurrec- ring to Rev. 2: 23. Jesus knew fully tion, they did not understand him. the plan which he came to accomSee Mark 9: 30-32. Luke 9: 43-plish, both in its ultimate result, and 45. But after his resurrection, they perceived what he meant, and their confidence in the Scriptures was confirmed. The declarations of Jesus, and the facts concerning him, agreed with the writings of the Old Testament; hence, the disciples trusted with a firmer confidence both in the Scriptures and in their Master's declarations. 23. In the feast-day. The word day was added by the translators, as is signified by its being printed in Italics. It is not needed; for the passover was a festival, not of one day's duration merely, but of a week's duration. See on Matt. 26: 2. The expression during the festival better conveys the idea of the evangelist. In his name; in him. See I: 12. in all its details. He knew how grossly misapprehended by the people was this plan, and yet how determined and ardent the people might become in endeavoring to effect their own views of what the Messiah should attempt. The utmost circumspection on his part was needed. Caution was extremely requisite in meeting the ignorance and ill-will even of the principal men, as well as the headlong rashness by which the multitude were ready to distinguish themselves in carrying into effect their views of a temporal Messiah, who should rescue the nation from the Roman yoke, and exalt them to the summit of power. SUGGESTION. But let us not fail to APPLY TO OURSELVES the closing thoughts of this chapter. Jesus knows what is in man. How suitable, then, to be our Saviour! He knows our ignorance, and all our liability to error and sin. At the same time, he looks on us with the most tender compassion, and is accomplishing for his followers a plan, the results of which, however feeble and however erroneous may be our views of it, will far exceed what eye hath seen or heart conceived. To his wis 24. Commit himself unto them; trust himself to them, put himself in their power. As an illustration of his not trusting himself to the people who were filled with admiration at his miracles, see 6; 15. The reason of his not putting himself in the power of the people is stated by this evangelist to have been, his intimate knowledge of the human character. John had a most exalted opinion of his Lord. In looking back on the conduct of Jesus, he was struck with admiration at the wisdom, love, and power, let us heartily dom which that conduct displayed, and and entirely yield up ourselves. he recognized in it a knowledge of man which elevated Jesus immensely above all human beings that had ever claimed the respect and obedience of men. The statement of John in vs. CHAPTER III. 1. A ruler of the Jews; a principal man among the Jews, a member, also, of the Sanhedrim. Compare 7: 45, 50. |