Bible Commentaries
John 2

Verses 1-25

1 Cana, in Hebrew, means "acquire". The marriage feast is a sign of the time when the Son acquires the kingdom, and as the bridegroom is elated over the bride, so will He be elated over Israel ( Isa_62:3 ; Isa_62:5 ). So long as they trust in the law, which was graven on stone, they will be in want of the wine which gladdens the heart of God and mortals ( Jud_9:13 ). When they are restored to Jehovah, He will write His laws on their hearts. This is the new covenant He will make with them in that day ( Jer_31:31-33 ). Then He will perform the much greater miracle of turning right into rejoicing and justice into joy. The power to transmute water into wine was the sign that He is competent to fill their hearts with the joy and gladness which can come only with the kingdom. He is the true Vine. Hence He is the Messiah. In general, it reveals the principle that God has the best still in reserve for His creatures, and that their lack is a lesson to lead them into an appreciation of His goodness. Men put their best forward at first, but God leaves His for the last. His saints will be satisfied but never satiated with Him Who is the never-failing source of joy. The best is always on before. Yet the poor wine serves its purpose to commend the good.

13 As the Passover was at hand, and every Jewish family was preparing for it by banishing all leaven from their houses ( Exo_12:15 ) , the Lord went up to His Father's house to cleanse it from the leaven of covetousness ( 1Co_5:10 ). Little did the priests dream that the dreaded leaven was in the most sacred place in all the land! While the meanest house was being cleansed of literal leaven, the priests actually allowed spiritual leaven in the courts of Jehovah. More than this, covetousness is idolatry ( Col_3:5 ). They boasted that they abhorred all idolatry, and here we find it in the very house of God! No wonder, when the Lord went up to Jerusalem, He found it necessary to cleanse His Father's house in preparation for the coming Passover. He drove out the beasts with a small whip, and ordered the culprits out of the temple precincts. Idolatry and leaven should find no harbor in the house of His Father!

18 The Jews ask for a sign. But if they have become so dense that they utterly fail to read the significance of His act in cleansing the temple of its spiritual leaven, how can they understand when He reveals its end ? Priesthood had apostatized, sacrifice had failed, the temple was doomed. Hence He points them away from the type to the Antitype. The temple was defiled, but He was holy. God had deserted it, but now He dwelt in His Son. The sacrifices were of no avail, they only wearied Jehovah. Then it was that He came to do God's will ( Heb_10:5-10 ). They would shudder at the thought of razing Herod's temple. They would never be guilty of such an awful crime against God! Yet their very zeal for Jehovah led them to destroy the true temple, His body. Mere religion, even if it is divine, only darkens the mind and hardens the heart. Forms are futile; it is the spirit that gives life. The very priests are ignorant of sacrifice.

They not only defile the literal temple with leaven, but are absolutely blind to the true temple of God when He appears in their midst. Even when He speaks of it they fail to find the force of the figure.

24 Our Lord's intimate insight into humanity is fully illustrated in this very evangel. No matter of what class or spiritual condition, all hearts were open to His gaze. He discovered the spjritual ignorance of Nicodemus, the teacher in Israel ( Joh_3:10 ), yet recognized in Peter, the fellaheen fisherman, a spiritual ( Joh_14:2 ) and a fond and faithful friend ( Joh_21:17 ). Guileless Nathallael is amazed at His acumen ( Joh_1:47 ), while Judas' treachery was ever before Him from the very first ( Joh_13:11 ). The woman of Samaria concluded that He knew all her past ( Joh_4:17 ), and the impotent man at Bethesda found that He fully understood his former failure ( Joh_5:6 ). The applause of the crowd did not blind Him to the motive which prompted it. He knew that they had no hunger for spiritual food. He is aware of all things ( Joh_21:17 ). Our character, our conduct, our condition, our inmost motives are transparent to His view. No wonder He did not entrust

Himself to faith secured by signs!