John 2

King James Version

Full text for John Chapter 2

1¶ And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:

2And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.

3And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.

4Jesus saith unto her, ‹Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.›

5His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do [it].

6And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.

7Jesus saith unto them, ‹Fill the waterpots with water.› And they filled them up to the brim.

8And he saith unto them, ‹Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.› And they bare [it].

9When 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,

10And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: [but] thou hast kept the good wine until now.

11This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.

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

13And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,

14And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting:

15And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables;

16And said unto them that sold doves, ‹Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise.›

17And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

18Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?

19Jesus answered and said unto them, ‹Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.›

20Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days?

21But he spake of the temple of his body.

22When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

23¶ Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast [day], many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.

24But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all [men],

25And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Jesus performs his first miracle at a marriage in Cana of Galilee, turning water into wine and manifesting his glory, leading his disciples to believe. He then travels to Jerusalem for the Passover, where he cleanses the Temple by driving out merchants and money changers. When challenged, Jesus prophesies about raising "this temple" in three days, referring to his own body. Many believe in him due to his miracles, yet Jesus, knowing all men, does not fully entrust himself to them.

Medium Summary

The chapter begins with Jesus, his mother, and disciples attending a wedding in Cana, where Jesus miraculously transforms water into excellent wine, marking his first public miracle and revealing his glory to his disciples. Following this, he briefly visits Capernaum before ascending to Jerusalem for the Passover feast. In the Temple courts, Jesus finds merchants selling animals and money changers, which prompts him to fashion a scourge and drive them all out, overturning their tables and declaring the Temple his Father's house. When the Jews demand a sign for his authority, Jesus enigmatically states, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," a statement later understood by his disciples to refer to his own body. During this time in Jerusalem, many believe in Jesus because of the miracles they witness, but Jesus, possessing divine insight, does not commit himself to them, for he knows the hearts of all people.

Long Summary

John chapter 2 opens with an account of a marriage feast in Cana of Galilee, attended by Jesus, his mother, and his disciples. When the wine supply runs out, Jesus' mother informs him of the situation. Though Jesus initially responds that his "hour is not yet come," his mother instructs the servants to follow his directions. Jesus then commands them to fill six large stone waterpots, typically used for Jewish purification rites, with water. Upon filling them to the brim, he instructs them to draw some out and present it to the governor of the feast. The governor, unaware of the miracle, tastes the water, now transformed into superior wine, and commends the bridegroom for saving the best until last. This event is identified as the beginning of Jesus' miracles, performed in Cana, which served to manifest his glory and solidify the belief of his disciples. Following this, Jesus, his mother, brethren, and disciples travel to Capernaum for a short stay. As the Jewish Passover approaches, Jesus ascends to Jerusalem. There, he discovers the outer courts of the Temple being used as a marketplace, with sellers of oxen, sheep, and doves, alongside money changers. Incensed by this desecration of a sacred space, Jesus creates a whip of cords and forcefully expels all the merchants and their animals, overturning the tables of the money changers and scattering their coins. He sternly declares to those selling doves, "Make not my Father's house an house of merchandise." His disciples recall the scripture, "The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up," in light of his actions. When the Jews demand a sign to justify his authority, Jesus responds with a profound prophecy: "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up." The Jews, misunderstanding, refer to the forty-six years it took to build their physical temple. However, the narrative clarifies that Jesus was speaking of "the temple of his body," a statement his disciples would fully comprehend and believe only after his resurrection from the dead. During his time in Jerusalem for the Passover feast, many witnessed his miracles and believed in his name, yet Jesus, possessing an inherent knowledge of all humanity, did not fully entrust himself to them, for he knew what was in man without needing external testimony.

Core Concepts

  • First Miracle at CanaJesus performs his initial public miracle at a wedding feast, transforming water into wine, which serves to manifest his glory and strengthen his disciples' faith.
  • Manifestation of GloryThrough the miraculous transformation of water into wine, Jesus publicly displayed his divine power and nature, leading his disciples to a deeper belief in him.
  • Cleansing of the TempleJesus forcefully expels merchants and money changers from the Temple courts, demonstrating his zeal for God's house and challenging the commercialization of worship.
  • Prophecy of the Temple of His BodyJesus' enigmatic statement about destroying and raising "this temple" in three days is clarified by the text as a reference to his own physical body and subsequent resurrection.
  • Jesus' Divine KnowledgeDespite many believing in him due to his miracles, Jesus did not fully commit himself to them, possessing an innate understanding of human nature and motives without needing external testimony.
  • Passover ContextThe setting of the Jewish Passover feast in Jerusalem provides the backdrop for Jesus' cleansing of the Temple and his initial public engagement with the Jewish authorities.
  • Zeal for God's HouseJesus' actions in the Temple are presented as an embodiment of prophetic zeal, fulfilling scripture and asserting the sanctity of the place of worship against its desecration.