Passover was one of the three required feasts in Jewish law. Why did the temple need cleansing? Why was Jesus so incensed with the condition of His Father’s house? McConkie, Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 1:636). Differences in language between John’s account and the others suggest that there may well have been two cleansings, the second of which so enraged the chief priests and scribes that they sought to destroy Jesus (see Mark 11:18 Luke 19:47 Bruce R. The account in John 2:13–22 may refer to the same event, which John decided to relate early in his Gospel, or it may refer to an earlier cleansing of the temple that occurred near the beginning of Jesus’s ministry. The synoptic Gospels relate that Jesus cleansed the temple after entering Jerusalem during the last week of His mortal life (see Matthew 21:12–16 Mark 11:15–18 Luke 19:45–48). It took the Atonement and the blood of Christ, symbolized through wine, to totally cleanse a soul and make it pure. Jesus came to do away with the imperfections of this law and to put in their place the new wine of the gospel. What can we learn from this symbolism? The situation begs the question, “Could one be cleansed completely through Judaism?” The six stone water pots stand for all the imperfections of the Jewish law. ( Barclay’s Study Bible, available online on various websites) According to the Jews, seven is the number which is complete and finished, and six is the number which is incomplete and unfinished. The water in the stone water pots was used for the many ritual purifications necessitated by the law of Moses. A firkin was about nine gallons, so two to three firkins meant that each pot held 25 gallons apiece, for a total 150 gallons. John 2:6 According to Jewish tradition, vessels made of stone retained their ritual purity, while ceramic vessels could become ritually impure. Its purpose is to enliven us! The time for the real wine has not yet come, so Jesus performs this “sign.” We drink and eat to partake of His divinity. His blood is represented by the water or the wine. We drink a liquid that represents the Divinity of the Savior. The wedding feast itself has Messianic symbolism, where LORD (Hebrew: Jehovah) will bring new wine to “feast of fat things”. Goodenough, Jewish Symbols in the Greco-Roman Period). One Bible scholar reports that wine symbolizes life, blood, and partaking of life. What is the symbolism of wine in the scriptures and in the ancient Near Eastern culture? Wine was an integral part of the wedding celebration. The Greek says literally, “what to me and to you” which essentially meant, “What do you want me to do?” The Savior’s words to His mother may be viewed as a subtle, yet tender, way for Him to tell her that while His hour had not yet come,” He was now making the transition from being the son of Mary to fulfilling His role as the Son of God (see New Testament Institute Manual). The JST translation clarifies the situation greatly. It is the same term He uses when He speaks to His mother while on the cross when requesting that the apostle John care for this mother. The English makes it sound rather disrespectful. John 2:4 “Woman, what have I to do with thee?” The Savior’s response to His mother’s request for help might seem abrupt to our 21 st century ears.When Jesus uses the term “Woman,” He uses it as a term of affection or devotion. This would explain Mary’s involvement at her sister’s son’s wedding. A third century text was found which contained, in the introduction, evidence that this was the wedding of John, the son of Zebedee. Scholars generally feel that some member of the family was being married, and that Mary, Jesus’s mother, was supervising and guiding what went on. Marriage with a maiden usually took place on a Wednesday, which allowed the first days of the week for preparation, and enabled the husband, if he had any complaint about the chastity of his bride, to make immediate complaint before the local Sanhedrin, which sat every Thursday. Jewish men were usually married at 18 to girls about 14. (In fact, some sources report that a guest could sue the host if he was not cared for properly.) At weddings in the Near East at that time, people would stay at least a week and up to two or two and a half weeks as guests, and it was a matter of great embarrassment to those in charge of the feast if the needs of the guests went unheeded. A little background is needed to understand what is going on here. After Jesus was baptized, he performed his first miracle, changing water to wine at a wedding feast in Cana.
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