JOHN 2
JESUS TURNS WATER INTO WINE + FLIPS TABLES AT THE TEMPLE
Along with His mother and disciples, Jesus attends a wedding in Galilee. During the celebration, the wine runs out. Mary, knowing what Jesus is capable of, encourages Jesus to fix the problem of the wine. Until this point, Jesus has been private about performing miracles. Being cautious of God’s timing for Jesus’s ministry, He tells Mary that the time has not yet come. Mary persists and tells the servants to follow whatever Jesus tells them.
Jesus requests that the six large jars, each holding twenty to thirty gallons, be filled with water. When the water is drawn out of the jars, it is miraculously turned into fine wine. Typically, the best wine is served first, but in this case, the best wine is served last. This is the first public sign of Jesus as God in person. The disciples marvel at His glory and believe that He is the Son of God.
The symbolism of this event is not lost on the Israelite people. Isaiah foretold that Jesus would make a rich feast and well-aged wine for all people (Isaiah 25:6). Moses's first miracle was turning water into blood (Exodus 7), and now Jesus turns water into wine! Moses offered a new law, but Jesus offers a new life.
Later on, Jesus travels to Jerusalem for the annual Passover festival. He sees people selling animals for sacrifice inside the temple groups, profiting off of the travelers coming to give generously to God. Righteously angry that God’s temple is being used for trade, Jesus makes a whip and drives the people out of the temple, flipping over the tables of the sellers and pouring out their coins. It is not implied that Jesus is promoting violence or hurting anyone with the whip, but simply causing a stir and bringing an end to the selling of animal sacrifices.
Jesus compares Himself to the temple and says that if it is destroyed, He will raise it again three days later. The actions of Jesus remind the disciples of Psalm 69:6, which says, “Zeal for your house will consume me.” By comparing Himself to the temple, Jesus stakes His claim as the place where God dwells on Earth.
