v1-2: Ordinary Jewish life; Mary and Jesus and His disciples at the wedding, invited as friends and relatives. Cana is the place where Nathanael lives, and is well known for pomegranates.

Jesus' mother had been invited to the wedding. Jesus and His family were therefore part of the local community. Perhaps it was known that there was little money for the wine. Perhaps it was half-expected that they would run out.

We note that there is no reference to the ‘friend of the bridegroom,’ as John Baptist mentions in 3.29. This is helpful, as Galilean weddings did not follow this custom, although Jerusalem weddings did. Here is historical and cultural detail, reflecting John’s own understanding of the ways of his people.

v3-4: Mary knew that Jesus had power to change things. Jesus initially showed some reluctance, see also Mark 7.27, giving an answer to develop faith and to encourage prayer. Mary’s words are best described as a suggestion, not putting pressure upon Jesus to act.

v5: The need for submission to Christ, compare 2 Sam 15.15; this is the attitude of the real servant.

v6: John refers to Jewish ceremony, giving some explanation for his readers.

v7-10: Jesus performed the miracle in quiet anonymity. But He did instruct the servants to take the wine to the master of the banquet, so that there would be clear testimony of what had happened. The servants, in their zeal to obey the Rabbi’s command, fill the jars to the brim, another detail of observation, although there is no Jewish requirement that such jars be brim-full.

v11: This was the first miracle of Jesus' ministry, preceding those noted by the other gospel writers. It also destroys the argument of those who teach that Jesus performed miracles throughout His life, even in childhood. But, it was into this ordinary, everyday event, that Jesus first 'revealed His glory.' Something almost secret; yet His disciples put their faith in Him.

The miracle was a sign, it "revealed His glory," a real and specific purpose for the miracle. Jesus did not come to solve a Jewish wine shortage, nor to take away all illnesses from all Jewish people, compare Luke 4.25-27. It was through this demonstration of His glory that His disciples grew in faith.

No ostentation or show here; Jesus met an everyday need of ordinary people. See also Luke 4.3-4, where Jesus was tempted to perform a miracle for His own benefit. Wine makes glad the heart of man, how much more the One whose love is better than wine! There is always an immediate blessing or message, and often a clear meaning to the nation of Israel.

There is a spiritual lesson here;

• of quantity, since there was in excess of 120 gallons (v6); abundance (Heb 10.2), since Christ's work is sufficient for all our sins;
• of quality, since the wine was better (v10); real (Heb 8.12, Ps 85.2-3), since Christ's work is effective in dealing with our sins;
• The new covenant in Christ is better than the old, Heb 8.6-7; 9.13-14. Only Jesus Christ, who is God, could keep the good wine till later. This new covenant relates to God's promises to the Jewish people, should they accept Christ as their Messiah.

The list of signs recorded in John's gospel;

• Water into wine (2.1-12);
• Nobleman's son healed (4.46-54);
• Man at pool of Bethesda (5.1-15);
• Feeding of the 5000 (6.1-14);
• Walking on water (6.15-21);
• Blind man healed (9.1-12);
• Raising of Lazarus (11.1-44);
• Resurrection, the eighth sign (ch 20-21).

Most of Jesus' miracles are in and around Galilee, but John's emphasis is slightly different; the man at the pool of Bethesda, and the blind man, are both healed in Jerusalem. And Lazarus was raised near Jerusalem. The resurrection also was in Jerusalem. So four of John's eight signs were in or near Jerusalem.

The signs are presented as part of Jesus' ministry, consistent with everything He did and said. The word "sign" (Greek, signature, see 2 Thess 3.17) means something, or represents something. Here, Jesus taught that He came to bring something better than what was there before.

v12: Jesus returned to the region of Galilee, His home. His ministry was still secret. He had still not been rejected at Nazareth, see Luke 4.14-30.

v13-22: Jesus' first sign was followed by His first public declaration in Jerusalem. He confronts the corruption right at the heart of Jewish religious life.

v13: The "Jewish Passover," contrast 2 Chr 30.1,5, "the Passover to the Lord God." The feast that was God's, and for God, had effectively been taken over by the Jews. This is a further indication of the nominal religion dominating Jewish life. Even so, Jesus, as a faithful Jew, went up to Jerusalem for the feast. Just because others are disobedient, we cannot neglect our own obedience to God.

John uses the feasts as his dating system. Key events in the gospel are linked, in time, with various feasts. See:

• 5.1 Purim or Pentecost (commentators differ here);
• 6.4 the second Passover;
• 7.2 Feast of Tabernacles;
• 10.22 Dedication;
• 12.1 the third Passover.

Following this outline, the length of Christ’s ministry seems to be something over two years.

v14-16: Jesus the Judge, coming to see his Father's house, i.e: His own property. He found that trade had taken the place of devotion. The cares and desires of this world had pushed out love for God. It seems the High-Priestly family of Annas owned shops (‘booths’) in this area, and therefore benefited from the temple trading. Doubtless the presence of such tradesmen had official approval; changing money for Jewish proselytes beyond Judea, selling animals and other necessities for sacrifices, etc.

Quite a striking conrast with the homely scene in the wedding at Cana. Faith and love are manifest quite differently; such is the goodness and severity of God. True righteousness involves the meeting of personal needs and upholding justice.

The African Bible Commentary suggests two specific offences:

• Payment of the half-shekel temple tax (Ex 30.13) had to be made with the exact amount, and a heavy charge was made for changing shekels to half-shekels;
• Only flawless animals could be sacrificed. However, those who inspected the animals were in league with Annas (father-in-law of Caiaphas), and the sellers of (approved) animals.

The emphasis here is not so much of honesty, but of priority; no reference to a 'den of thieves' here. What they did was not wrong, but where they were doing it, Luke 19.46; 1 Cor 6.19-20.

Jesus used a whip of cords, the sign of a Judge.

Jesus did not whip those who sold doves; this was His mercy to those who sold to the poor; they were worthy of fewer stripes, see Luke 12.47-48.

v17: Zeal for the Father's house, and His Father's glory. Here is single-minded devotion, and costly zeal; this remained true throughout His ministry, although in different ways. The result of His zeal, even at this early point in His ministry was criticism.

Jesus was full of a passion for holiness, and a hatred of sin; His harshest words were reserved for the hypocritical religious leaders.

v18: The response of the Jews, 'What right do you have?' His action was certainly noticed, and may well have been a claim to be the Messiah, "My Father's house," (v16). These same leaders had profited from the trade, but would not expose their greed by attacking Jesus more overtly; the ordinary worshippers were ignorant of their material gain from sincere worship.

v19-22: The action here, and the brief exchange, gave Jesus the opportunity to prophesy His own resurrection. The writer explains that His words were parabolic, that "this temple" referred to "his body."

The temple represented a real paradox, built by Herod, well-known for his mistreatment of Jews, but advised by a Rabbi. The Rabbi said; ‘He that has not seen the Temple of Herod has never known what beauty is.’ The temple construction began around 19 B.C., indicating that the incident happening in 27 A.D.

Herod had been engaged on a number of building projects in and around Judea. He had rebuilt Samaria, Strato's tower whcih he named Caesarea, beofre building his own palace in Jerusalem. He had hoped that the construction of the temple would endear him to the Jews. Jewish Rabbis of early centuries AD never mention his name! 

v23-25: The people's belief was not real, it seems they only followed Jesus because of the signs He performed, see 4.48; 6.26. The heart of man is fickle and deceitful, it is as well that Christ did not commit Himself to them; they could not truly declare Him; the best testimony to Christ is the most Christ-like life.