The Gospel According to St. John

⭑ Catholic Public Domain :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

⮜ Back | Contents | Next ⮞

- Chapter 2 -

And on the third day, a wedding was held in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

Now Jesus was also invited to the wedding, with his disciples.

And when the wine was failing, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”(a)

And Jesus said to her: “What is that to me and to you, woman? My hour has not yet arrived.”(b)

(c)

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

Now in that place, there were six stone water jars, for the purification ritual of the Jews, containing two or three measures each.

Jesus said to them, “Fill the water jars with water.” And they filled them to the very top.

And Jesus said to them, “Now draw from it, and carry it to the chief steward of the feast.” And they took it to him.

Then, when the chief steward had tasted the water made into wine, since he did not know where it was from, for only the servants who had drawn the water knew, the chief steward called the groom,

and he said to him: “Every man offers the good wine first, and then, when they have become inebriated, he offers what is worse. But you have kept the good wine until now.”(d)

This was the beginning of the signs that Jesus accomplished in Cana of Galilee, and it manifested his glory, and his disciples believed in him.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Matthew 21:12–17; Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48)

After this, he descended to Capernaum, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples, but they did not remain there for many days.

And the Passover of the Jews was near, and so Jesus ascended to Jerusalem.

And he found, sitting in the temple, sellers of oxen and sheep and doves, and the moneychangers.

And when he had made something like a whip out of little cords, he drove them all out of the temple, including the sheep and the oxen. And he poured out the brass coins of the moneychangers, and he overturned their tables.

And to those who were selling doves, he said: “Take these things out of here, and do not make my Father’s house into a house of commerce.”

And truly, his disciples were reminded that it is written: “Zeal for your house consumes me.”

Then the Jews responded and said to him, “What sign can you show to us, that you may do these things?”

Jesus responded and said to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”(e)

Then the Jews said, “This temple has been built up over forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?”(f)

(g)

Yet he was speaking about the Temple of his body.

Therefore, when he had resurrected from the dead, his disciples were reminded that he had said this, and they believed in the Scriptures and in the word that Jesus had spoken.

Now while he was at Jerusalem during the Passover, on the day of the feast, many trusted in his name, seeing his signs that he was accomplishing.

But Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he himself had knowledge of all persons,

and because he had no need of anyone to offer testimony about a man. For he knew what was within a man.

Footnotes

(a)2:3 Mary is saying that they lack the wine of a true Sacrament of marriage, for all they have is the water of an Old Testament (natural) marriage.(Conte)

(b)2:4 Jesus replies that He has not yet died on the Cross, which is the source of all the Sacraments. But she knows that time is no obstacle to God.(Conte)

(c)2:4 What is that to me, etc:These words of our Saviour, spoken to his mother, have been understood by some commentators as harsh, they not considering the next following verse: Whatsoever he shall say to you, do ye, which plainly shows that his mother knew of the miracle that he was to perform, and that it was at her request he wrought it; besides the manner of speaking the words as to the tone, and the countenance shown at the same time, which could only be known to those who were present, or from what had followed: for words indicating anger in one tone of voice, would be understood quite the reverse in another.(Challoner)

(d)2:10 Jesus turned the water of the Old Testament marriage into the wine of the New Testament marriage.(Conte)

(e)2:19 The word ‘Solvite’ is not so much ‘destroy’ as it is to loosen or release or set free. Jesus is referring primarily to his own death, which is not his destruction, but the separation of his soul from his body, a kind of loosening or release.(Conte)

(f)2:20 The length of time, 46 years, is divided into 40 plus 6 providentially. The 46 years is counted as the 46th Passover since the completion of the rebuilding of the Temple Sanctuary, which took 1.5 years. Josephus tell us that the Temple more generally, not merely the Sanctuary alone, took 8 years. Subtracting 1.5 years gives us 6.5 years: the length of time from the completion of the Sanctuary (at which time the rebuilt Temple was consecrated to God and the count of the years began) to the completion of the other buildings related to the Sanctuary. Then 40 more years are counted until Christ cleansed the temple by driving out the buyers and sellers.(Conte)

(g)2:20 Since Jesus was referring to his body as a temple, of which the temple building is merely a symbol, this passage also refers symbolically to the length of time since the Immaculate Conception. This was now the 46th Passover since the Immaculate Conception, when God began to build the temple of Christ’s body by first building the temple of Mary’s body, in which God dwelt for 9 months (in the womb).(Conte)

The third day, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there.

Jesus also was invited, with his disciples, to the wedding.

When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine.”

Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My hour has not yet come.”

His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it.”

Now there were six water pots of stone set there after the Jews’ way of purifying, containing two or three metretes(a) apiece.

Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim.

He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the ruler of the feast.” So they took it.

When the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and didn’t know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast called the bridegroom

and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the guests have drunk freely, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now!”

This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Jesus Cleanses the Temple

(Matthew 21:12–17; Mark 11:15–19; Luke 19:45–48)

After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they stayed there a few days.

The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting.

He made a whip of cords and drove all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables.

To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!”

His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will eat me up.”(b)

The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?”

Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”

The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?”

But he spoke of the temple of his body.

When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.

Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name, observing his signs which he did.

But Jesus didn’t entrust himself to them, because he knew everyone,

and because he didn’t need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.

Footnotes

(a)2:6 2 to 3 metretes is about 20 to 30 U. S. Gallons, or 75 to 115 liters.

(b)2:17 ℘ Psalms 69:9