Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From JOHN #4 - 2:1-11)
D. 1:1-11 JESUS' FIRST SIGN: WATER TO WINE
a. 2:1-2 THE MARRIAGE AT CANA OF GALILEE
Kai te heMEra te TRIteGAmos [1062]eGEne-to en KaNA tes Ga-liLAIas; kai en heMEter tou IeSOU eKEI:
And the third :day there was a marriage in Cana of :Galilee; and the mother of :Jesus was there:
eKLEthe[2563]de kai ho IeSOUS, kai hoi ma-theTAI auTOU, eis ton GAmon.
2and :Jesus also was invited, and his :disciples, to the marriage.
b. 2:3 And when thewine failed, the mother of :Jesus said unto him, They have no wine.
kai hu-steREsan-tos [5302]OInou [3631], LEgei heMEter tou IeSOU pros auTON, OInon ouk Echou-sin.
c. 2:4 And :Jesus said to her, Woman, what have I to do with you? my :hour is not yet come.
kai LEgei auTEho IeSOUS, Ti eMOI kai soi, GUnai [1135]? OUpoHEkei heHOra [5610]mou.
d. 2:5 His :mother said to the servants, Whatever he says to you, do.
LEgei heMEter auTOU tois di-aKOnois [1249], HOti an LEgehuMIN, poiEsa-te.
e. 2:6 THE SIX WATERPOTS
Esan de eKEI LIthi-nai [3035]huDRIai [5201]hex kaTA ton ka-tha-risMON [2512]ton IouDAIon KEIme-nai,
Now six waterpots of stone were set there according to the purifying of the Jews,
choROUsai [5562] aNA me-treTAS [3355] DUo e treis.
containing two or three firkins apiece.
f. 2:7a :Jesus said to them, Fill the waterpots with water.
LEgei auTOIS ho IeSOUS, GeMIsate [1072]tas huDRIas HUda-tos.
g. 2:7b And they filled them up to the brim. kai eGEmi-san auTAS HEos Ano.
h. 2:8a And he said to them, Draw out now, and bear to the feast-ruler.
kai LEgei auTOIS, AnTLEsa-te [501]nun, kai PHEre-te toar-chi-triKLIno[755].
i. 2:8b And they brought it. hoi de Eneg-kan [5342].
j. 2:9-10 THE AMAZEMENT OF THE FEAST-RULER
hos de eGEUsa-to [1089] ho ar-chiTRIkli-nos to HUdor OInon ge-ge-neMEnon [1096],
And when the feast-ruler tasted the water become wine,
kai ouk Edei POthen esTIN (hoi de diAko-noi Edei-san hoi en-tleKOtes [561] to HUdor),
and knew not from where it was (but the servants that had drawn the water knew),
phoNEI ton numPHIon [3566] ho ar-chiTRIkli-nos,
the feast-ruler called the bridegroom,
kai LEgei auTO, Pas ANthro-pos PROton ton kaLON OInon TIthe-sin [5087];
10and said to him, Every man sets on the good wine first;
kai HOtan me-thusTHOsin [3184], ton eLASso [1640]: su teTEre-kas [5083] ton kaLON OInon HEos ARti.
and when they have drunk freely, thenthe inferior: YOU till now have kept the good wine.
k. 2:11 THE WATER TURNED INTO WINE
TAUten ePOIe-sen arCHEN ton seMEIon [4592] ho IeSOUS en KaNA tes Ga-liLAIas,
This beginning of :signs did :Jesus in Cana of :Galilee,
kai e-phaNEro-sen [5319] ten DOxan [1391] auTOU; kai ePIsteu-san eis auTON hoi ma-theTAI auTOU.
and manifested his :glory; and his disciples believed on him.
NOTE: In John 1:1-2:11, according to the Bible Numeric ability to discern the correct and original sentence and paragraph structure; the passage above, John 2:1-11, is a distinct and separate paragraph in the section - and also separate from the section or chapter equivalent that follows. Ivan Panin's “Introduction to his Numeric Greek NT, sets forth this most helpful feature in God's Bible Numerics.
John 2:3-4 reveals a conflict between Jesus and his mother. In true motherly concern for the problem at the wedding feast, she informs her son of the running out of wine. He clearly reminds her that He is not His own, but as Son of Man, He is the Father'sservant while on earth. This does not line up with Catholic doctrine concerning Mary.
However, continuing in true concern as an earthly mother, not as a heavenly mediator, she suggests that the deacon-servants follow anything her son should command. Apparently the Father then steps in, and by the Holy Spirit gives permission to His Son to perform this first “sign” on earth!
Then in 2:9-10 the “feast-ruler” is amazed at this “good wine” that is now available at the end of the feast. It is not possible to see this as grape-juice. Jews throughout history, even going back to Moses' Tabernacle in the Wilderness, used wine in the worship at the Table of the Bread of His Presence. See too the two older sons of Aaron and their drunkenness leading to their death. In the Seder Supper at the Feast of Passover (Pesach) - Jews regularly use wine in the form of the four cups. Children also partake, but the wine is then watered down to a quarter. In their weekly Sabbath service starting Friday evening at sunset. They also use wine as part of their service for all involved.
So is total abstinence taught in the Scriptures? Not really. But - “Temperance” or “Self-Control” certainly is! And because children are brought up in this spirit with self-control - drunkenness is seldom found in well-ordered Jewish families.
This miracle - called a “sign” - caused the 12 disciples to fully believe in Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah and prophet promised by Moses.
Concerning this order of “Total Abstinence” as taught for a time in the Catholic church, and today in some Protestant denominations; - it is understandable in the light of non-Jewish upbringing in wisdom and temperance or self-control - in the use of wine. The Salvation Army under General Booth omitted the “Communion” service as today practiced by most denominations - because new converts who had been delivered and saved from alcoholism, would face a severe temptation; for in that day wine only was used in Communion Services. That would perhaps explain in part why “Total Abstinence” and grape-juice for Communion became a part of this service as held in many Protestant denominations. And our part? The old Moravian proverb can help: “In essentials - unity; in non-essential - tolerance; in all things - charity or love. J.A.W.