John 2 Bible Study

To what does “the third day” (John 2:1) refer?
The third day from the end of the previous “chapter.” When originally written, the Gospel of John and the other books of the Bible were not marked with chapter or verse numbers. That was done in the 16th century to make it easier to locate passages.

Where is “Cana” (John 2:1)?
Cana is in the region of “Galilee” (John 2:1), about 12 miles (19 kilometers) west of the Sea of Galilee (photo) and about 15 miles (24 kilometers) east of the Mediterranean Sea.

Why do you think Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding?
Mary is probably one of the people organizing the wedding.

What clues are there?
Mary tells the servants what to do. She knows the wine has run out even before the Master of the Feast knows, is concerned about it, and is trying to resolve the problem.

Why would running out of wine be a problem?
In those days, wine was the only drink other than water. Running out of wine at a wedding feast would be like a wedding reception today running out of all drinks except for tap water, and Jewish wedding feasts back then went on for up to seven days.

Why would Mary be helping to run the wedding feast in the first place?
It’s probably the wedding of a relative or a close family friend, hence the invitation to Jesus as well, and it was customary for the disciples of a rabbi to go everywhere he went.

Did Jesus praise Mary for telling Him that the wine has run out?
No, He rebuked her, and while γuναι (gynay), the original Greek word for “woman” (John 2:4) isn’t derogatory, the fact that Jesus addresses His mother with this term is significant.

Jesus must have called her, “mother” growing up. Why does He now call her, “woman”?
Since His ministry had started, Jesus was differentiating Himself - God the Son - from her, a human vessel through whom God chose to come into the world (see Birth of Jesus).

If His ministry had started, why did Jesus say, “My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4)?
The term, “my hour” refers not to His ministry but to his final confrontation with the Jewish leaders that will lead to the cross. The timing of that confrontation had to be precise and Jesus knew that His miracles would draw the attention of the Jewish leaders. We will read other references to His time not yet coming until Jesus declares, “the hour has come” in John chapter 12.

What did Mary say after hearing from Jesus?
“Whatever He says to you, do it” (John 2:5).

What else does the Bible quote Mary as having said after this?
Nothing. These are the final words that God, the author of the Bible, chose to quote from Mary. So anyone who seeks guidance from Mary should heed her final guidance and simply do whatever Jesus instructed.

Where are His instructions?
In the Bible.

What do you think about the description of the waterpots?
They are not described simply as “some” waterpots. There are “six” of them. They are made of “stone.” And they can hold “two or three metretas” (John 2:6), using the ancient measurement for the amount of liquid. Such precision in number, composition and volume is evidence of the gospels being eyewitness accounts.

How much were “two or three metretas” (John 2:6)?
2 metretas = 78.8 liters = 20.8 US gallons = 17.3 imperial (UK) gallons.
3 metretas = 118.2 liters = 31.2 US gallons = 26.0 imperial (UK) gallons.

What is meant by “for the purification of the Jews” (John 2:6)?
To be ceremonially clean, the Jews had to wash not just their hands before a meal, but their hands and the dishes after every course of the meal. They also had to wash their feet for the reasons mentioned earlier (see John the Baptist), hence the need for such large waterpots.