What does John 2:12 mean?
Galilee is a region both north and west of the Sea of Galilee, and west of the Jordan River. The climate was cooler and wetter than the surrounding area. This made it a popular travel destination and full of beautiful plant life. Cana is the hometown of the disciple Nathanael (John 21:2), but historians are unsure of where it was. Most likely, Nazareth was in the same general area, but a bit further from the larger towns, such as Capernaum. Capernaum was a moderately-sized city at the north end of the Sea of Galilee. There was a Jewish synagogue there, probably one Jesus and disciples such as John, Philip, Peter, and Andrew had attended. Fishermen such as Jesus' disciples would have had plenty of friends and associates in this region.John also mentions Jesus' "brothers," as an entirely separate group from His disciples. In other words, the other men were also children of Jesus' mother Mary. This is one of several places where the New Testament indicates that Mary had other children after Jesus was born (Matthew 13:55–56; Luke 8:19; Galatians 1:19).
John 2:1–12 describes Jesus' first miracle, which is turning water into wine at a wedding. This miracle was discreet and known only to a few people. Changing water meant for purification into wine, symbolic of blood, is a reference to Jesus' role as Messiah. Instead of rituals, we are purified by the miraculous blood of Christ. John specifically uses the Greek word sēmeion, or "sign," for these miracles, since they are meant to prove that Jesus is God. This is the first of seven such signs in the gospel of John.
Jesus attends a wedding where He performs His first miracle: turning water into wine. This symbolizes a transformation of human rituals into divine sacrifice. Few people are even aware that a miracle has occurred. Jesus then drives crooked businessmen out of the temple, scolding them for turning a sacred area into a crass marketplace.
