John 2:1-12 – The First Sign: Jesus Turns Water Into Wine
Read John 2:1-12
1) Read Genesis 29:20-30. What information about a Jewish wedding ceremony can you gather from this passage?
2) What other information can be found in Judges 14 where Samson is nearly married?
3) What kind of a role does it appear that Mary had at this wedding? Was she a guest at the wedding like the others, or does it look like she was more directly involved in the arrangements?
4) Later (John 21:2) John tells us that Nathaniel is from Cana, and so it would not be unreasonable to assume that he may have known the couple being married. Why else might Jesus and his disciples have been invited to this particular wedding?
5) Why did Mary tell Jesus that the wine was gone?
6) How does Jesus’ respond to the information Mary has just given him? To Mary herself?
7) Several times in John’s gospel (John 7:6-8, 7:30, 8:20, 17:1), Jesus refers to his “hour”? What “hour” is Jesus referring to? (See John 8:28)
8 ) Why did Mary still give orders to the servants after his response?
9) What were the water pots in verse 6 used for? (Mark 7:1-4)
10) Read the article on the recent discoveries at one of two sites that have been tentatively identified as the Cana spoken of in these verses. What would it take to convince you that either of these sites was actually the city spoken of in the Bible? What difference would it make to you if one of these sites was firmly identified as Cana? Is there anything else about these investigations that stands out to you?
11) A firkin was about 9 gallons. What would the total capacity of the jars have been?
12) If you were one of the servants who had filled the jars with water and was now bringing wine to the governor of the feast, what would be going through your mind?
13) The governor expresses surprise about the quality of the wine this late in the festivities. According to some commentators, there is evidence that running out of supplies for the feast could leave the groom open to a lawsuit from the relatives of the bride. What is the importance of this miracle for the wedding itself?
14) What is a miracle? Is it the same thing that John is calling “signs” in John 20:30-31? What would you say to someone who said that they would believe if they just had proof or if they saw a miracle themselves?
15) John tells us this was the beginning of Jesus’ miracles and that two things happened as a result. What are those two things (v.11)?
16) How would turning water into wine at a wedding feast show Jesus’ glory?
17) This miracle occurs two days after John the Baptist’s two disciples begin to follow Jesus and Andrew tells his brother they have found the Messiah, and one day after Nathaniel calls Jesus the Son of God and the King of Israel. What was missing from their belief that caused John to say they believed on him after this miracle?
18) If you have a set of maps in your Bible, locate Cana and Capernaum. How far apart were they (roughly)? How long would it have taken to travel this distance on foot (roughly)?
