EXPLORE IT! - John 2:1-12

The second chapter of John begins with the miracle of Jesus turning the water into wine at a marriage at Cana. 

He is attending a wedding with his disciples and the hosts run out of wine. 

His mother is also there and asks him to help. He seems annoyed that she would ask him for a miracle and says that it is not his time yet. 

Nevertheless, she still tells the servants to do whatever he asks, so he tells them to fill up the empty wine containers with water…which miraculously turns into wine. 

Afterwards, the headwaiter of the wedding tastes it and remarks to the groom that they have saved the best wine for last. 

John tells his audience that the water was there for the Jewish rite of purification.

According to John, this was his first miracle; and according to the hypothesis of the Signs Gospel, this miracle of turning water into wine was the first of seven signs to appear in an ancient gospel known as The Signs Gospel which would later be incorporated into the Gospel of John.

John’s Gospel was most likely written for the Johannine community living in Asia Minor. One of the main headquarters of the church at the time this Gospel was written was in the city of Pergamum. And this Gospel has been custom made for those living in Asia Minor at this time. Jesus’ story is laid out in such a way as to show Jesus’ superiority over the various local pagan gods.

The people John was writing to in Asia Minor believed in the god Dionysus, who every year was believed to turn water to wine on his birthday.

This miraculous sign was well-known among the people at the time, and they would have recognized when they heard John’s Gospel that he was stating that Jesus was not inferior to Dionysus because he could turn water into wine, too – and he was better at it! The headwaiter even exclaims that it’s the best wine he’s ever tasted!