John 2:12 - Printer Friendly

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

NIV: After this he went down to Capernaum with his mother and brothers and his disciples. There they stayed for a few days.

NASB: After this He went down to Capernaum, He and His mother, and His brothers and His disciples; and they stayed there a few days.

CSB: After this, he went down to Capernaum, together with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples, and they stayed there only a few days.

NLT: After the wedding he went to Capernaum for a few days with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples.

KJV: After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days.

NKJV: After this He went down to Capernaum, He, His mother, His brothers, and His disciples; and they did not stay there many days.

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.

Chapter 2 begins to show Jesus' "signs," or miracles, which will prove that He is the Savior. The miracles will become more spectacular over time, but they start quietly. Contrast is an important part of the gospel of John. The quiet, joyful miracle at the wedding is starkly different from the loud public spectacle of clearing the temple. Jesus' first miracle symbolizes His mission. During the temple clearing, He also predicts His death and resurrection. This sets the stage for Jesus' private discussion with Nicodemus, a respected and influential man.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 11/21/2024 3:38:19 PM