John 2
http://reborn-babies-dolls.com/tag/reborn-dolls/ Bonnie’s Notes on Dr. Dave’s Comments — John 2
The wedding at Cana. It may be assumed that Joseph is no longer alive at this point as we don’t see any mention of him. It may be that God doesn’t want any confusion about who Jesus’ Father is during the ministry of Christ. The wedding would probably have some connection to Mary and the family and maybe she was even involved in the preparations for it. During the course of the wedding the wine ran out.
Sorenson tells us that the Jews of that time had a way of producing a fine wine that was not fermented. “Though the Greek word . . . commonly translated as wine, can refer to alcoholic wine, it can also refer to non-fermented wine. Context is the basic determinant. It is totally incongruous to assume our Lord participated in an ongoing drunken party, much less providing even more alcohol. Without question, the wine drank and produced here was unfermented.”
Mary is most often featured at the Incarnation (when the baby Jesus was implanted in her womb). The Roman Catholics even exalt her above Christ. Based on the amount of coverage in Scripture, you would think they’d exalt John and Paul not Peter and Mary. Maybe a distraction from what is featured in Scripture? John and Paul’s writings clearly refute the Catholic church more than others. Roman Catholics don’t camp on Peter’s epistles either for that matter. They don’t seem to like Revelation much either.
Here Mary asks Jesus to figure out how to solve this problem. Is she looking for a miracle? We don’t know but Jesus responds as though she is. He sometimes does that anyway. Chris made the point that her own conception was the greatest miracle of all so maybe she did expect something special. The worst commentary in the Morris study Bible is on this point. This was not a drunken party. Wine means the fruit of the vine. Jn. 17:1 (upper room) “the hour” is the cross in this context. The Lord will reveal Himself when it is time. At the wedding, His mother asks Him to help out and He says it is not time to reveal Himself yet. The response He gives her is somewhat mysterious to us. Some think He is being quite rude especially in calling her woman. In our day it would be equivalent to “my lady” or “dear lady” so it’s not as harsh as it seems. What is interesting is that He gives her no more special elevation than he would give to any other lady. This tends to annul the status that the Roman Catholic Church gives her. The Lord does do as she asks even though He says it is not His time to reveal Himself to the world. If she hadn’t asked, He wouldn’t have complied. In modern terms, He is saying something like, “My lady, this really isn’t important.”
Sorenson adds, “According to the Levitical practice of washing of hands prior to eating, six, large, stone water pots were at hand for the use of the wedding guests. These vessels could contain as much as twenty gallons. They were not full. Therefore, Jesus ordered them filled to the brim. Whereupon He instructed them to draw out and serve the ‘governor of the feast.’ The ‘governor of the feast’ would be the equivalent in modern terms of being the head waiter, or caterer. He was in charge of actually serving the guests.” The servants drew water but it turned into wine while being carried to the governor. He did not know where it had come from so he complimented the bridegroom on the quality of the wine.
v.10 — This is a miracle of creation. It would be the best tasting grape juice imaginable because it had been made by the One who created the world.
v. 11 – “His disciples believed on Him.” This event reinforced their belief in Jesus. Scripture tells us that the Jews were looking for signs.
v.12 – He is traveling with His physical siblings not cousins. Mark 6:3 names the Lord’s brothers for us.
v. 15 – This is the first time Jesus rails against the moneylenders and sellers. He does it again at the end of His ministry. Why were they selling oxen, sheep, doves etc.? Deut. 14:24 gives permission for people to buy the offering (especially those that must come a long way to offer a sacrifice and find it difficult to bring it along). What the Lord was incensed about were the exorbitant prices and the fact that sellers were getting rich on the system. What began as a service became extortion. Prices were greatly inflated and money changers charged high fees. The outer courts were for the Gentiles and selling should have been done outside the Temple.
Sorenson tell us that each male was to pay a Temple tax each year. Many were living outside of Israel and did not carry Hebrew coinage so bankers were allowed to set up money exchanging services. It’s likely that by this time in history, the area was more like a bazaar since the word merchandise is used. We get our word emporium from the Greek word here.
v. 17 – Ps. 69:7-9 “Thine house” is God’s house. In verse 8, another reference is made to Jesus’ physical brothers and sisters (mother’s children). The resurrection converted Jesus’ brothers and sisters ( at least some of them) to belief in Him. Because Jesus and God are one, to reproach Jesus reproaches God and vice versa.
v.18-21 – They just missed a prophesied sign. (The disciples missed it initially and remembered it later). Jesus is accused at His trial in a distorted way of wanting to destroy the Temple (Mark 14:58 and Matt. 26:61) but here He is not talking about the building. This is the precursor to believers being temples. The resurrection is a key point making Christianity different from all other world religions and on which all believers focus their hope. If Jesus’ body is destroyed, He will bring it back. In Scripture there is reference to all three persons of the Trinity in the resurrection. Jn. 10:17-18 (Jesus) / 1 Pet. 3:18 (Holy Spirit) / 1 Thess. 1:10 (God)
v. 22 – It’s important to believe the words of Jesus. A good way to test “professors” of Christianity is to test their acceptance and belief in key doctrines. It’s all or nothing with Christ. You can’t pick and choose what to believe. The belief of the Christian is so strong that it changes his life, his behavior, his thinking, his desires. Intellectual shallow belief is not enough to be reborn into a new creation.
v. 23 – When we repent and believe and turn to Christ, then He can commit to us. In fact, He will regenerate us in a way that cannot be undone. The Lord knows His creation fully. Signs and miracles don’t convert. Their belief on seeing the miracles was not enough to produce a repentant heart and new birth. Miracles make people say, “Oh, my!” instead of “Oh, me!” The pentecostals don’t get this either. Their emphasis on miracles, new prophecy and prosperity is very misleading and unscriptural.
Matthew Henry says “Our Lord knew all men, their nature, dispositions, affections, designs, as we do not know any man, not even ourselves. He knows his crafty enemies, and all their secret projects; his false friends, and their true characters. He knows who are truly his, knows their uprightness, and knows their weaknesses. We know what is done by men; Christ knows what is in them, he tries the heart. Beware of a dead faith, or a formal profession: carnal, empty professors are not to be trusted, and however men deceive others or themselves, they cannot deceive the heart-searching God.”
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