What should we learn from the account of the wedding at Cana?
John 2:1 - 12
ESV - 1 On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.
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Asked June 20 2015
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STEWART DONOHOE
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For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Danny Hickman
I heard it said other day, 'Every word of a psalm has important meaning to the psalm.' I go a step further and say that about the whole Bible.
'One jot or tittle will by no means pass from the law' (Matt 5:18) means that every 'comma' has meaning, is the way I read it.
Why does John 2:1 begin, "On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee.."? On the third day... Well, what happened on the first and second day? The third day of what, Mardi Gras? Of Lent? What third day?
Then it let's us know that Jesus' mother was there. She's presented as being a star of this arrangement. We aren't told whose wedding this is, but that Jesus' mother was there. It's essentially the first thing out of this reporter's mouth. An inquiry-minded reader will suspect that she's going to figure BIG in this somewhere.
And then, what sounds like to me, 'And oh by the way, Jesus was there and he brought his disciples along with him,' in verse 2. BTW ?
To get to the "third day," you must read from Jn 1:19 on to Jn 2. Jewish authorities sent some priests to ask John the Baptist, "Who are you?" (John was baptizing). John told them he wasn't the Messiah.
On the "next" day (day 1), John saw Jesus coming to him (vs 29), and says, "There's the Lamb of God."
On the next day (day 2), John points him out again and Jesus picks two of his disciples; Andrew and Simon (vs 42). The next day (day 3), he chooses Phillip and Nathaniel (vs 45) and they all go to Galilee, presumably to go to the wedding.
Danny Hickman
The first thing this reporter tells us is that Jesus' mother was there. He doesn't call her by name. I guess it wasn't that important to him. If so, I think he would have included it. He told us the names of the men who Jesus had picked to accompany him to this wedding. These guys would be his disciples for the duration of his earthly ministry. Only 4 men mentioned so far; no Thomas, Matthew, Judas, James(2) etc, was listed to have been picked so far.
Each time Mother Mary is mentioned she is called "Jesus' mother." (vss 1, 3, 5,12). (He had plenty of chances to tell us her name, but he didn't).
He told us the names of his disciples who went with him, but once they got there, I don't see where they did anything. His mother (Mary) was evidently aware that the wine was out before Jesus was; she tells him about it; then she tells "the servants" to do whatever Jesus tells them to do. Her role is finished; she isn't mentioned again.
Then Jesus tells "the servants" what to do to assist him in fixing this problem. (John 2:7) He says two things: "fill these jars with water," and "now draw some water out and take it to the man in charge of the feast."
NOTHING is said about his disciples doing anything. I suspect he wanted them to have a front row seat for his first miracle. John wrote this:
Jesus performed this first miracle in Cana in Galilee; there he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him (John 2:11). I think that’s why he chose some of them before going...