CAF Bible Study - The Gospel of John

[Church_Militant]

John, chapter 2

1: On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;
2: Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples.
3: When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”
4: And Jesus said to her, “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
5: His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6: Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
7: Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
8: He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast.” So they took it.
9: When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward of the feast called the bridegroom
10: and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”
11: This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12: After this he went down to Caper’na-um, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples; and there they stayed for a few days.

 

[Church_Militant]

The Blessed Virgin’s message ever since.

5: His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

 

[Indyann]

The Blessed Virgin’s message ever since.

5: His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”

Can you just imagine what it would have been like to be one of the guests at that wedding?

I wonder what the bride, bridegroom and other guests thought? The news of the miracle must have spread like wildfire! Did those who were not already disciples think that Jesus must be a magician? I wonder what I would have done? I hope I would have recognized the Messiah and followed Him immediately.

But, being sort of skeptical and not too adventurous, I am really not sure. But, I am sure I would have tried to make friends with Mary so I could be “in the know” about her Son.

Love thinking about the wedding at Cana, and also the Coronation. Party in Heaven!

 

[NotWorthy]

Can you just imagine what it would have been like to be one of the guests at that wedding?

I wonder what the bride, bridegroom and other guests thought? The news of the miracle must have spread like wildfire! Did those who were not already disciples think that Jesus must be a magician? I wonder what I would have done? I hope I would have recognized the Messiah and followed Him immediately.

But, being sort of skeptical and not too adventurous, I am really not sure. But, I am sure I would have tried to make friends with Mary so I could be “in the know” about her Son.

Love thinking about the wedding at Cana, and also the Coronation. Party in Heaven!

Knowing how I’ve acted in the past, sadly I would have focused on having some more of that wine until I couldn’t focus anymore!!!

I posted this elsewhere, but the fact that this wedding takes place “on the third day” (verse 1), but it is also the 7th day of John’s Gospel.

A) There was a Jewish Purification Rite detailed probably in Leviticus that required the man to purify himself every third day and every seventh day, I think until the 21st day where the two cycles would unite. It’s one of those little coincidences (“God”-incidence is a better term) that has to have a deeper meaning, especially with the jars of Purification being a part of the act.

B) There is a wedding on the 7th day of John’s Gospel, where John has already established the link between Creation in Genesis and Jesus’ new Creation. In the first Creation account, there was a wedding on the 7th day between Adam and Eve. During this Gospel there are only two names revealed at the wedding - Jesus (the 2nd Adam) and Mary (the 2nd Eve). Now, I know Jesus is not marrying his mother (this isn’t Arkansas, mind you ), but remember Mary is a Type of the Church. Who is the bride of Christ? The Church!!!

C) This wedding is happening around the time of the Passover (see verse 13). During this Passover, Jesus introduces us to one of the key elements of the Real Presence - the wine which He will turn into His Precious Blood. During the next Passover in chapter 6, Jesus will bring up the bread, which He will turn into His Precious Body. Hmmmmmmm…

 

[katy]

I love Mary’s reply, “Do whatever he tells you.” What I don’t understand very well is where Jesus asks, “Oh woman, what have you to do with me?” She is his mother, after all. She has a lot to do with him. Is there any historical explanation of this?

 

[NotWorthy]

I love Mary’s reply, “Do whatever he tells you.” What I don’t understand very well is where Jesus asks, “Oh woman, what have you to do with me?” She is his mother, after all. She has a lot to do with him. Is there any historical explanation of this?

“woman” brings up again the imagery of Genesis, specifically Gen. 3:15, where God will put enmity between the serpent and “the woman”. This emphasizes John’s point of Mary being the New Eve.

Regarding, “what has this to do with me”, I’ve never found a satisfactory answer, other than, “once I do this Mother, the end (His Passion) is sure to follow very soon”.

 

[Church_Militant]

“woman” brings up again the imagery of Genesis, specifically Gen. 3:15, where God will put enmity between the serpent and “the woman”. This emphasizes John’s point of Mary being the New Eve.

Regarding, “what has this to do with me”, I’ve never found a satisfactory answer, other than, “once I do this Mother, the end (His Passion) is sure to follow very soon”.

Not bad…

DRV has this. “4 And Jesus saith to her: Woman, what is that to me and to thee? My hour is not yet come.” I think this gives us a better insight.

Our Lord seems to be saying. “This does not concern us. It’s not time for public miracles yet.”

An interesting point might even be made that perhaps the miracle was only known to a few disciples.

 

[NotWorthy]

Scott Hahn did a fascinating study on the use of “the hour” in John’s Gospel. He wrote about it in Scripture Matters. It seems Jesus used “the hour” throughout John’s Gospel for various reasons:

Besides the obvious literal meaning - the historical event of the Cross - what else have we learned about Jesus’ understanding of the hour? In the hour:

ØWe gather together as “Greeks” and “Jews” to celebrate the new Passover (cf. Jn. 4:23, 12:20, 13:1).

ØWe hear God’s Word in order to receive new life (cf. Jn. 5:25).

ØWe are empowered to worship in a new way: in spirit and truth (cf. Jn. 4:23-24).

ØWe will see the Lamb of God lifted up, drawing all men to Himself (cf. Jn. 12:32).

ØWe receive wine, the best wine (cf. Jn. 2:1-11)

ØWe receive the living bread, the fruit borne of the grain of wheat that has died (cf. Jn. 12:23-24).

Besides the obvious literal meaning - the historical event of the Cross - what else does the hour point to?
Anyone? Anyone? Beuller?

 

[franny33]

I thought of Jesus washing the feet of his disciples at the Holy Thursday service this year. I hadn’t seen the footwashing by the priest before. It was the object lesson that I suppose it was meant to be. Here was our leader washing the feet of 12 men from the congregation. And that is what Jesus did, and he is God. Amazing.

Dear Katy, I also saw this foot washing ceremony for the 1st & 2nd time at the Holy Thursday service in Bonita Springs, Florida. My husband and I went for a spring vacation & made sure it included all of Easter week. The 1st was by chance, the 2nd by choice. And for now on this will always be our dates. We live in ILL. near Chicago, and our parish does not have this.
I’ve been a Catholic all my life, now I’m 55, and just seeing this in LIVING COLOR WAS MAGNIFICENT!!! I agree. I’ve been reading the Bible about 5 yrs or so, maybe 1/4done. I read the King James 1897 and read the New Testament first. I do read the Book of John over and over again. He goes to my heart.
Katy, a little story…several years ago, my sister and I were at her vacation house. Summertime, she said “oh, you need some pink toenail polish.” I had darker polish on. She insisted “let me do it”. It was also Easter time! I remember her taking off my old polish which was just fine. And she washed my feet! She was taking Bible study classes at the time. I didnt realize what she was really doing until I began to read the Bible. Yes our God is Perfect in all ways, I agree. Sincerely

 

[Church_Militant]

John, chapter 2

13: The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14: In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business.
15: And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
16: And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”
17: His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for thy house will consume me.”
18: The Jews then said to him, “What sign have you to show us for doing this?”
19: Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20: The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”
21: But he spoke of the temple of his body.
22: When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
23: Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did;
24: but Jesus did not trust himself to them,
25: because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man.

 

[katy]

I would not want to have been one of those Jesus chased out of the Temple. It’s a scary thought.

 

[maryj]

John, chapter 2

1: On the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;
2: Jesus also was invited to the marriage, with his disciples.
3: When the wine failed, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.”
4: And Jesus said to her, “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”
5: His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
6: Now six stone jars were standing there, for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons.
7: Jesus said to them, “Fill the jars with water.” And they filled them up to the brim.
8: He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the steward of the feast.” So they took it.
9: When the steward of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward of the feast called the bridegroom
10: and said to him, “Every man serves the good wine first; and when men have drunk freely, then the poor wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.”
11: This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12: After this he went down to Caper’na-um, with his mother and his brothers and his disciples; and there they stayed for a few days.

Sorry been away for awhile so I’d like to first comment on the miracle of the wine. I read this and was fascinated…
The wine miracle contains three other Christian teachings. first it announces the arrival of the messianic times. The wedding party had 120 gallons of wine, the equivilent of 500 bottles. Such abundance recalled the prophecy of Amos that in the era of the messiah, rivers of wine would flow in the Judean hills. "the juice of grapes shall drip down the mountains, and the hills shall run with it (Amos 9:13)
Second it argues that the most stable source of ecstasy is union with Jesus. this is why the liturgy of early Christianity chose the Cana story as one of the readings for January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany. Greek pagan religion had used that date to celebrate the festival of Dionysus, the god of wine. On some wealthy estates wine flowed from the water fountains to mark the feast. The pagan holiday legitimized public drunkedness. The use of God’s gift of wine had become an abuse. Christians did not disdain the prudent use of wine, but condemned it’s abuse. they replace this frenzy with the restrained festival of Epiphany, the manifestation of Christ’s glory. The “wine” of Christ’s Holy Spirit was a true and enduring source of human happiness.
Third, the Cana miracle symbolized the wine of the Holy Eucharist. This is the sacramental interpretation of the miracle.

 

[maryj]

John, chapter 2

13: The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14: In the temple he found those who were selling oxen and sheep and pigeons, and the money-changers at their business.
15: And making a whip of cords, he drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple; and he poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables.
16: And he told those who sold the pigeons, “Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s house a house of trade.”
17: His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for thy house will consume me.”
18: The Jews then said to him, “What sign have you to show us for doing this?”
19: Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20: The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”
21: But he spoke of the temple of his body.
22: When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this; and they believed the scripture and the word which Jesus had spoken.
23: Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs which he did;
24: but Jesus did not trust himself to them,
25: because he knew all men and needed no one to bear witness of man; for he himself knew what was in man.

It was Passover time, so Jesus went to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast at the temple. He found the sellers of oxen, sheep and doves marketing the sacrificial animals at prices far above the going rate. The temple officials had a monopoly on these animals which they claimed were the only ones suitable for sacrifice. Poorer people were traped into buying from them rather than at more reasonable prices from other markets. To make matters worse, they could only use temple currency, so they had to exchange their money for temple cash - and naturally had to pay a fee for the exchange. Jesus’s radical behavuior reminded his disciples of Jeremiah the prophet who had condemned these same practices centuries ago. Jeremiah 7:10-11You do these things I hate and then you come and stand in my presence in my own temple and say “we are safe”! Do you think my temple is a hiding place for robbers? I have seen what you are doing.

 

[rob179ny]

Oremus, (Let us pray.)

COME, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Thy faithful and kindle in them the fire of Thy love.

O GOD, Who taught the hearts of the faithful by the light of the Holy Spirit, grant that, by the gift of the same Spirit, we may be always truly wise, and ever rejoice in His consolation. Through Christ our Lord. Amen

I just figure that every study needs to begin with prayer to the Holy Spirit.

I knew something was missing …

 

[maryj]

“woman” brings up again the imagery of Genesis, specifically Gen. 3:15, where God will put enmity between the serpent and “the woman”. This emphasizes John’s point of Mary being the New Eve.

Regarding, “what has this to do with me”, I’ve never found a satisfactory answer, other than, “once I do this Mother, the end (His Passion) is sure to follow very soon”.

We should remember that between Mary and her son there exsisted a bond, not just of an ordinary mother and her exceptionally devoted son, but that of a believer and a disciple. Her faith in her son began with her consent to conceive him. She was not only the teaching mother, but the learning disciple. It is probably no accident that mary is placed in the center of things just after the call of the disciples.(John 2 Jesus’ mother was there and, Jesus and his disciples had also been invited) almost reads like they were a second thought! She is not only the mother of Jesus, but the first and best disciple, for after all her call came some 30 years earlier on the lips of Gabriel.Theirs is a communion so deep that the words on the Gospel page should be matched by the unsaid words, understandings rooted in 30 years of mutual exchange. Who as a human being, with a loving devoted mother can not understand that mothers and their children can “speak” volumes without having to utter a word!! She knew that she was releasing Him from home life and urging Him to start his active ministry. Jesus knew exactly what she meant. So I think that not only was He refering to his mother as “woman” as the new eve, but also had he called her mother he would have been speaking of her physical parentage. By addressing her as “woman” He elevated her to a maternal role in the history of salvation. He confirmed her to be our “Spiritual Mother” The future called her to open her heart to all people. This was a specific concrete call, and her reply…Love it…Do whatever he tells you. What a great mom.

 

[NotWorthy]

Good point, MaryJ. I hope it’s not too far off the subject, but do you thing Mary was familiar with Isaiah’s Suffering Servant Songs? If I knew I was going to be the mother of the Messiah (yeah, first I’d probably call all the major networks, but after that), I’d probably want to learn all I can about the Messiah from all the Old Testament Prophecies.

If Mary did do that, she would have known what Jesus’ ministry would lead to…

 

[maryj]

Good point, MaryJ. I hope it’s not too far off the subject, but do you thing Mary was familiar with Isaiah’s Suffering Servant Songs? If I knew I was going to be the mother of the Messiah (yeah, first I’d probably call all the major networks, but after that), I’d probably want to learn all I can about the Messiah from all the Old Testament Prophecies.

If Mary did do that, she would have known what Jesus’ ministry would lead to…

Oh I’d bet she did. This was a long time ago but I started reading Dr. Spok when I found out I was pregnant! Just like young mothers today read" what to expect when your expecting" And would she not have been granted extraordinary insight from the Holy Spirit to not only prepare herself but also Jesus!! I don’t think God would have overlooked the fact of how protective mothers are to their children. After all He was hers first. How strong she was, what trust she had in God. I would do almost anything to keep my kids from suffering, and yet she had insight to know that this suffering that He went through was for all of her children. Like I said before What a great mom, and an incredible “woman”. Quite the gift.

 

[NotWorthy]

So is it true there was an ancient manuscript called,
“What to expect, when you’re expecting… the Messiah”, by Rabbi Joseph BarSpok?

 

[Church_Militant]

Good point, MaryJ. I hope it’s not too far off the subject, but do you thing Mary was familiar with Isaiah’s Suffering Servant Songs? If I knew I was going to be the mother of the Messiah (yeah, first I’d probably call all the major networks, but after that), I’d probably want to learn all I can about the Messiah from all the Old Testament Prophecies.

If Mary did do that, she would have known what Jesus’ ministry would lead to…

An interesting point and one that may be somewhat supported by traditional writings that say that the Blessed Virgin grew up in the temple the way that Samuel the prophet did. IOW she may well have been femiliar with Isaiah’s writings.

 

[katy]

I would think Jesus took some bit of time to help his mother and prepare her for what was to come. I expect she had to walk in faith quite a bit, but it would seem odd to me if her son didn’t talk to her about these things at all.