PDF version of these notes: 014a Water into wine cf cleansing of the temple
The texts of the wedding at Cana and Jesus’ cleansing of the Temple can be read side by side and compared. John indicates this by bracketing each story with the event and its location in John 2:1 and 2:11, 2:13 and 2:23. Then we see each story has a postscript which can also be compared.
[See PDF version for figure missing from this post]
Once we know that the two stories are intended to be compared, we begin to see other parallels. I have listed some below. You may be able to find others.
| JESUS TURNS WATER INTO WINE (John 2:1-12) | JESUS CLEANSES THE TEMPLE (John 2:13-25) |
| A sign of His kingdom | A ‘sign’ of his judgment |
| Marriage | Passover of the Jews |
| In Cana of Galilee (countryside) | In Jerusalem (city) |
| Jesus invited | Jesus went there |
| Jesus’ mother and disciples were there (in obedience) | Those selling animals and money changers were there (in rebellion) |
| The wine failed | Temple worship failed |
| Jesus appears not to act – by questioning His mother | Jesus acts immediately – by clearing the Temple |
| Faith of the Galileans who obey Jesus | Unbelief of the Jews who question Jesus |
| Jesus performs a sign | Jesus doesn’t perform a sign – but promises one |
| The disciples (immediately) believed in Him | The disciples (later) believed in the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken |
| Jesus entrusts himself to his family and his disciples | Jesus does not entrust himself to them |
| Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God. [John 1:12] | He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. [John 1:11] |