John 2:9 - Printer Friendly

ESV: When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom

NIV: and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside

NASB: Now when the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter *called the groom,

CSB: When the headwaiter tasted the water (after it had become wine), he did not know where it came from—though the servants who had drawn the water knew. He called the groom

NLT: When the master of ceremonies tasted the water that was now wine, not knowing where it had come from (though, of course, the servants knew), he called the bridegroom over.

KJV: When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,

NKJV: When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.

Wedding planners are not a modern invention. The master of the banquet, or chief servant, was the man responsible for overseeing the wedding arrangements. He probably checked all food and wine before it was served to the guests. Here, John's account makes it clear that the chief servant was not aware of Jesus' involvement. It's possible the man never found out. On the other hand, it's virtually certain he knew the wine originally intended for the guests had been used up. This would explain part of his amazement (John 2:10). Suddenly finding 120-plus gallons—or some 450 liters—of wine would have been a pleasant surprise.

The other amazing aspect of the wine was its quality. As the servant will explain, better wines were usually served first. Poorer wines were served once the guests had already had something to drink. By then, the alcohol would have taken effect and they'd be less sensitive to the quality of the wine. But this wine—the better wine—was being served after all the other wine was gone.

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.