John 2
1. And the third day there was 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.
5. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
6. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
7. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots 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.
9. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine and knew not when it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
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 hast kept the good wine until now.
11. This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.
(When I picture Jesus talking to his mother, I see him looking at her incredulously, because she has the audacity to press him into service. I think they must have had a very special connection. Maybe she realized that, since he had brought some disciples with him, he had begun his ministry and here was an opportunity to do a miracle. Jesus just couldn't refuse her faith! So, even though his hour hadn't come, Mary succeeded in getting her request.
Somehow with a look in her son's eye, she knew he was going to solve the problem, so she went ahead and told the servants to follow his instructions.)
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.
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;
16. And he said unto them that sold doves. Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.
(What a way to start off his ministry! He very deliberately sat down to make a whip to use on the backs of the temple merchants. It seemed like he was pretty angry. So, there is such a thing as righteous anger. Imagine pouring out the money. If someone did that today, we'd think that they were insane.
From the beginning, Jesus showed everyone he was going to do things a little differently. He wasn't born in a palace, but in a stable. He was so much like one of them that his own brothers didn't believe he was the Messiah! His message was almost always directed to the lowly members of society and his disciples were mere fishermen, not leaders of the Sanhedrin.)
17. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.
18. Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
(Now, since John the Baptist was pretty widely spoken of and his baptisms were probably the talk of the town, everyone must have known that Jesus was the One he was preparing them for, the Messiah. Yet, the Jews immediately wanted Jesus to give them a sign of some sort, as though it wasn't enough that God had spoken, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."
