John 2

John 2:4

But Christ repressed her, saying, that this matter of his office to which he was sent by God was a thing wherein she, though his earthly parent, was not to interpose; farther telling her that it was not yet seasonable for him to shew forth his power unto all, intimating his purpose that he would do it more privately than by her words she appeared to design it.

[a] what have I to do with thee?] It is not easy to resolve what is the importance of this speech of Christ to his mother, Τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί; What have I to do with thee? yet by the next verse, which tells us what Mary did upon it, (viz. spake to the attendants, that they should do whatsoever Christ bade them,) it is clear that she did not conclude from his speech that he would not make use of his power to help them to wine, but directly the contrary, that she believed that he would. And it is clear by ver. 7, that Christ immediately goes about it, bids them fill the waterpots of water, and immediately turns it into wine. By this it is manifest that the meaning of Christ’s speech must not be that his time of working miracles was not yet come, but either that it was not yet the fittest point of time to do this particular miracle, but it would be more fit, because more beneficial, when the wine was quite spent, or else that it was not yet his time to do his miracles so openly and publicly as Mary seemed to believe, (and his kindred after insist on, ch. vii. 4.) but Christ frequently provides against, (for what reasons, see note [b] Matt. viii.) To this latter the circumstances of the context, considered all together, do most incline. And accordingly the result is, that though he meant to work this miracle, yet he would do it more privately, so as it should appear to none of the guests, or to the bridegroom, or to the ruler of the feast, but only to the waiters and his own disciples and mother, that came along with him. This is manifest by the event; for, ver. 9, the ἀρχιερίκλυνός, the manager or orderer of the feast, knew it not, but only they that drew the water, that is, the waiters; nor is there any further public notice taken of the miracle, but only that the Evangelist mentions it as a beginning or præludium of his σημεία, signs or wonders, ver. 11, by which, by little and little, he made himself known to the world, and manifested his glory, that is, made it appear that the Godhead dwelt in him, but this not to all, but his disciples, of whom peculiarly it is added, that they believed on him. As for that form of speech, τί ἐμοὶ καὶ σοί; it is only a form of repressing, (as much as ἓα, let alone, with which it is joined, Mark i. 24,) and so is used 2 Sam. xix. 22. Matt. viii. 29. Mark v. 7. Luke viii. 28. to express dislike to the proposal in the first, in the rest to desire him to let them alone, not to meddle with them. And accordingly it here signifies Christ’s dislike of Mary’s proposal, which was (without any care of secrecy) publicly to supply them with wine now it was

John 2:5

Whereupon, that none but the waiters might take notice of it, (who knowing the wine was all spent could not choose but know if any supply were made,) she bids them be obedient to him, and without any noise do what he should bid them.

John 2:6

And there were there six vessels of stone, cisterns of a competent bigness, out of which they were wont to draw water for every man’s use; these were set there to wash in, after the manner of the Jews, who constantly wash before meals: see note [a] Mark vii.

John 2:15

And using no other weapon but only a whip of little cords, which he found there, he drove them all out of the temple, no man making any resistance, (in like manner as he after did again, Matt. xxi. 12,) and the sheep— the temple set apart for God’s peculiar presence and service, a shop of trade to buy and sell in it. “Jesus made the beginning of his miracles, ἐποίησε τὴν ἀρχὴν exchangers, κεραματισταί. “money-merchants, κολλυβιστῶν:

John 2:18

Hereupon the Jews came and questioned him, saying, What commission dost thou bring? what evidence of thy coming from God, or, what miracles dost thou do by which it may appear to us that thou art invested with such authority as these acts of thine pretend to?

John 2:19

Jesus said unto them, The sign that is to be shewn to you is this, that when you have put me to death, I now tell you, that I shall within three days rise again: see Matt. xii. 39.

John 2:20

This being said by him in a parabolical manner, calling his body this temple, and the putting him to death the destroying of this temple, and his resurrection the rearing it again; they mistook his meaning, and thought he had spoken of the temple of Jerusalem, (and laid it up as an accusation against him, Matt. xxvi. 61,) and argued against it as an impossible thing for him to rebuild that in so small a time.

John 2:21

But the truth was, he spake of his body’s being killed, and rising again the third day, which after the manner of prophets he thus expressed, and mentioned this as the miracle by which his doctrine was to be confirmed.

John 2:22

This speech of his the disciples called to mind after his resurrection, and upon that, added to many other completions of his own predictions, and the predictions of scripture concerning him, they believed those prophecies as fulfilled in him, and believed his own words as agreeable thereto, and so resolved that he was the Messias.

John 2:23

Many others did so also at Jerusalem when he came thither, and acknowledged the power by which he acted to be divine, being convinced thereof by the miracles which he did there at the time of the feast of the passover and unleavened bread.

² that, &c.