The Gospel of John II

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3.   The relationship of Jesus to His mother (John 2:3-5)

a.         Mary is called the mother of Jesus.

(1)      Before His birth (Luke 1:43)

(2)      While He is a child (Matthew 2:11; Luke 2:33, 43)

(3)      During His adult ministry (Luke 8:19; John 2:1, 3, 5, 12)

(4)      After His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:14)

b.        Jesus submitted to Mary while He was a child (Luke 2:51).

c.         Jesus separated Himself from Mary’s rule when He began His earthly ministry.

(1)      He refused to let her lead (John 2:3-4).

(2)      He called her by the title, Woman (John 2:4).

a)         We have no record of Jesus calling Mary, Mother.

b)        Though “Woman” was not a demeaning name, it was used to put distance between them. It is the same title that Jesus used in reference to the Samaritan woman (John 4:21) and the woman taken in adultery (John 8:10)

c)         Jesus used it again when He made provision for Mary after His death (John 19:26-27).

(3)      He identified His mother and brethren as those who are faithful followers of the Father (Matthew 12:46-50).

d.        After Jesus made His point about not following Mary, He was free to do something anyway, possibly out of love or from the fact that the time for acting was right.

e.         Mary gave a righteous command to the servants: “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5; Deuteronomy 18:15; Luke 5:5-6).

4.   The hour of Jesus (John 2:4)

a.         The hour of Jesus is the hour of His suffering (John 12:27; Matthew 26:45).

b.        Jesus mentions this hour seven times in John.

(1)      As not yet come (John 2:4; John 7:30; John 8:20)

(2)      As having come (John 12:23, 27; John 16:32; John 17:1)

B.                     The Performing of the Miracle (John 2:6-10)

1.   The definition of wine in the Bible

a.         The biblical word wine refers to the liquid that comes from grapes. It can be used to refer to fermented wine or to unfermented grape juice. Meaning must be determined from biblical context.

b.        Despite the teaching that grape juice could not be preserved in an unfermented form in Bible times, this view has been proven false by William Patton in his book called Bible Wines: or, The Laws of Fermentation and Wine of the Ancients. The following methods were used either separately or in combination by ancient peoples to retard or to halt fermentation by removing the air or the yeast required for the process.

(1)      Boiling it to a syrup to kill the yeast

(2)      Sealing out air in an airtight vessel to prevent the fermentation process

(3)      Straining out the yeast

c.         Kinds of wine identified in the Bible

(1)      New wine

a)         Refers to grape juice

b)        Found in the cluster of the vine (Isaiah 65:8)

c)         Called the “pure blood of the grape” – (Deuteronomy 32:14)

d)        Called the “fruit of the vine” (Matthew 26:29)

e)         A rich and tasty beverage

(2)      Old wine (Luke 5:39)

a)         In order to preserve wine, it was often boiled to a thick paste and stored in wax-sealed pottery. When time came to use it, it was mixed with water and served. Even that which had some alcohol (because the process was not always perfect) would be watered down to the point of low content (Isaiah 1:22). 

b)        This was probably the condition of the wine used at the marriage feast in John 2.

c)         The wine that Jesus made was tasty and refreshing. It was evidently like the fresh juice from the vine.

(3)      Active wine

a)         This was fermented wine (Proverbs 23:31-32) and was to be avoided.

b)        This wine was a mocker (Proverbs 20:1).

c)         To make wine strongly alcoholic like what we have today (10%-15%) requires the addition of much sugar and yeast. Natural grape juice does not have enough of these elements to make strong fermented wine.

d)        Wine does not naturally ferment to alcohol. Fermentation requires the right proportions of sugar, yeast, and water with an air temperature between 50 and 75 degrees. In the conditions found in the Middle East, grape juice naturally turns to vinegar, not alcoholic wine.

2.   The typology of wine; we will just consider the positive typology of wine since this is what would be applicable in our passage where the wine is obviously good.

a.         Blessing (Genesis 27:28; Deuteronomy 7:13; Proverbs 3:10; Isaiah 65:8; Amos 9:13)

b.        Joy (Psalm 4:7; Psalm 104:15; Ecclesiastes 9:7; Jeremiah 48:33; Zechariah 9:17; Zechariah 10:7)

c.         Wisdom (Proverbs 9:1-6)

3.   The typology of the miracle: a picture of dead Judaism, or any other form of dead religion

a.         The wine; it ran out (John 2:3); they lost their joy and blessing.

b.        The woman. Note: Mary tried to take the lead (John 2:3). This reminds us of the emphasis of Catholicism on Mary.

c.         The waterpots

(1)      They were to provide for the purification of the Jews (John 2:6); this is a picture of religious ceremony.

(2)      They were empty (John 2:7); as are the empty ceremonies of man.

(3)      There were six of them (John 2:6); the number of man.

(4)      They were made of stone (John 2:6); like their stony hearts (Ezekiel 36:26).

d.        The water

(1)      The waterpots were to be filled with water (John 2:7). Water is a picture of the word of God (Ephesians 5:26) and of the Spirit of God (John 7:38-39). This is the starting place for any revival.

(2)      They were filled to the brim (John 2:7).

a)         A firkin was about 9 gallons. That made the total about 120 gallons or so.

b)        By filling the waterpots to the brim, they were emptied of everything else.

e.         The work

(1)      The water was drawn out and taken to the guests (John 2:8). We must take the truth of God to others.

(2)      Only the servants knew the full extent of the miracle (John 2:9). Those who do the will of the Father know the doctrine (John 7:16-17).

C.                     The Aftermath of the Miracle (John 2:11-12)

1.   The purpose of the miracle (John 2:11)

a.         It proved the deity of Christ (John 1:14).

b.        It strengthened the faith of the disciples (John 2:11).

2.   The short stay in Capernaum (John 2:12)

a.         On the shore of the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 4:13)

b.        Called “his own city” (cp. Matthew 9:1 with Mark 2:1)

a.         The place of much teaching and numerous miracles

b.        A place especially condemned by Christ (Matthew 11:23-24)

II.                 THE PASSOVER IN JERUSALEM (John 2:13-25)

A.       Jesus Cleansed the Temple (John 2:13-17).

1.   The first cleansing

a.         At the beginning of the ministry of Christ

b.        The second cleansing is similar but not identical and it occurs at the close of His earthly ministry (Matthew 21:12-13).

2.   The act of cleansing the temple (John 2:14-16)

a.         He made a scourge of small cords (John 2:15).

b.        He drove out the sheep and oxen and their owners (John 2:15).

c.         He poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables (John 2:15).

d.        He commanded those who sold doves to leave (John 2:16).

3.   The purpose of the cleansing (John 2:16-17)

a.         To show Himself the keeper of the temple – “my Father’s house” (John 2:16)

b.        To oppose the greed connected with religion – “an house of merchandise” (John 2:16)

(1)      As the shepherds that feed themselves (Ezekiel 34:1-10) or who serve as hirelings (John 10:11-13)

(2)      As those who suppose that gain is godliness (1Timothy 6:5,10)

c.         To demonstrate His zeal for the house of the Lord (John 2:17; Psalm 69:9)