John 2:7 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.

NIV: Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water'; so they filled them to the brim.

NASB: Jesus *said to them, 'Fill the waterpots with water.' So they filled them up to the brim.

CSB: "Fill the jars with water," Jesus told them. So they filled them to the brim.

NLT: Jesus told the servants, 'Fill the jars with water.' When the jars had been filled,

KJV: Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.

NKJV: Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.

Six stone jars would have held between 120 and 150 gallons of water, which is quite a bit! Notice that Jesus involves the servants in His miraculous work. Jesus frequently asks people to play some part in His miracles. The power is entirely His, but God wants us to express faith, and obedience. In the Greek of John's gospel, the action-word for "faithfulness" is used nearly one hundred times, but the noun for "faith" isn't used at all. True faith in Christ is living, active, and in motion.

Also, the gospel is all about changing us as people, not re-creating us. So, rather than just conjuring wine into existence, Jesus asks servants to supply water, so that He can change it into wine. And, as He often does, He expects us to use every little bit in response to Him—the jars are to be filled "to the brim."

John 2:1–12 describes Jesus’ first miracle, which is turning water into wine at a wedding. This miracle was very quiet, 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 semeion, 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 is symbolic of His 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 place into a market place.

Chapter 2 begins to show Jesus’ “signs,” or miracles, which will prove that He is the Savior. The miracles will grow more and more spectacular, but they start quietly. Contrast is an important part of the gospel of John. The quiet, joyful miracle at the wedding is very 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.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 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”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.

Accessed 5/7/2024 11:30:13 AM