35 Again the next day after, John stood, and two of his disciples; 36 and looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb 37 of God! And the two disciples heard him speak, and they fol38 lowed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest 39 thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was 40 about the tenth hour. One of the two which heard John speak, 41 and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother. He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have 42 found the Messias; which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas; 43 which is, by interpretation, a stone. The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto 44 him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of An45 drew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, 46 did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? 47 Philip saith unto him, Come and see. Jesus saw Nathanael and demurred at baptizing Jesus, Mat. iii. 14, on account of his saintly character, not his official authority. Stood. Many translate, was there. 36. The Lamb of God. Verse 29. Andrew calls him the Messias, the Christ, verse 41; Philip speaks of him as the one predicted in the Old Testament, verse 45; and Nathanael, as the Son of God, the King of Israel. Probably these terms were nearly synonymous in their view. 37. Followed Jesus. At the recommendation of John, as it appears, not by the invitation of Jesus. 38, 39. Which is to say, &c. An indication, that John was writing to those, who did not understand the Hebrew language. Or, 4 o'clock, P. M. 40. One of the two. Tenth hour. The other has been conjectured to be John the evangelist. — Him, i. e. Jesus. 41, 42. The Messias. Then and long after, they viewed Jesus as only a temporal King. Verse 49.- A stone. Rather, Peter, as Wickliffe has it. 46. Nathanael. Supposed to be the same as Bartholomew. Mat. x. 3. Philip and Bartholomew are spoken of together, as Nathanael and Philip are here. We see how strong was the force of unjust prejudices even in this very excellent and guileless man. Let us suspect its blinding power even in our best moments, and strive continually to rise above it, into a clearer atmosphere. - Nazareth. This place was in very ill repute. Come and see. A common phrase among the Jewish teachers, inviting examination. coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest 48 thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig-tree, I saw thee. Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son 49 of God; thou art the King of Israel. Jesus answered and said 50 unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig-tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. And 51 he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man. CHAPTER II. The Miracle at Cana, Purging of the Temple, and Instructions of Jesus. AND the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee ; and the mother of Jesus was there. and his disciples, to the marriage. 47. Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile. An Israelite in nature, as well as by name, free from hypocrisy; a character especially worthy of praise in that crooked generation. 48. Fig-tree. This had a thick foliage, and was often used as a shade tree. 50. Thou shalt see greater things than these, i. e. his miracles, or, perhaps, the moral victories of his Gospels. 51. Ye shall see heaven open. Gen. xxviii. 12, 13. This is probably not a literal description, but vivid imagery, taken from the history of Jacob, to depict the intimate spiritual intercourse between Jesus and God. Such was the nature of the promise made to the guileless disciple. "The childlike faith, that asks not sight, "Twixt God above, and Christ below." And both Jesus was called, 2 And when they wanted wine, 3 CHAPTER II. 1. The third day. This is an uncertain date, as it may mean the third day after the interview with Nathanael, or the third day after Jesus returned to Galilee. Some conjecture that it was the third day of the marriage entertainment. Judges xiv. 12. - Marriage. Marriage-feast. Cana of Galilee. So called, to distinguish it from another Cana, in Samaria. Robinson supposes, that this town was located at a small and now ruined place, called Kâna el-Jelil, eight or nine miles north-easterly from Nazareth. Nathanael was of Cana. John xxi. 2.- The mother of Jesus was there. On account, probably, of some relationship to one of the parties. 4 the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour 5 is not yet come. His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever 6 he saith unto you, do it. And there were set there six water-pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing 7 two or three firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the gov9 ernor of the feast. And they bare it. When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was, (but the servants which drew the water knew,) 10 the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou exercised it, only not publicly, as he 5, 6. Whatsoever he saith, &c. His mother understands, that he would exert his aid when the proper time arrived.-Six water-pots of stone. Or, urns. Clarke and Wilson, oriental travellers, found large pots of stone ware still in existence, and in use at this place. The purifying of the Jews. Who were accustomed to perform many ablutions, both of their persons and articles of furniture. The writer states this fact, for the benefit of Gentile readers. -Two or three firkins. Or, measures; each supposed to contain about eight and a half gallons. The whole quantity, therefore, must have been considerable, and sufficient for the great numbers which probably attended during the long period of the marriage festival. 7, 8. With water. He could equally well have made the wine without the water; but in performing his miracles, Jesus added, and altered what already existed, instead of creating new substances. Thus he increased the bread and the fishes, and changed the water into wine. They filled them up to the brim. As this was done by the servants, not by the disciples, there was no opportunity for collusion. The vessels having been filled to the brim with water, no wine could be poured in to effect an imposition. Draw out. From which it is inferred, that the wonderful change was immediately produced. The governor of the feast. It was his office to preside at the table, direct the servants, and exercise a general superintendence over the festival. 9, 10. Knew not whence it was. His judgment, therefore, was unbiased, and his declaration that it was good wine, confirmed the reality of the miracle. The circumstances related in these verses, possess that simplici hast kept the good wine until now. This beginning of miracles 11 did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. After this he went down to 12 Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples; and they continued there not many days. ty and naturalness, which assure us that they actually occurred. 11. This beginning of miracles. This was his first public miracle, and was wrought as an act of kindness to his friends, as well as a proof of his divine authority.—Manifested forth his glory. Showed what a glorious being he was, in power and benevolence. - Believed on him. This was the effect of the miracle, to lead them to believe on him. We have in this verse three successive steps; first, the miracle, the supernatural wonder appealing to the marvellous in man, the water blushing into wine; secondly, the exhibition thereby, of the glory, authority, divinity of Christ; and, thirdly, the effect produced, belief in him as the Son and Messenger of God, verse 23. (1.) By relating this miracle, which took place on a social occasion, and consisted of changing water into wine, the evangelist continues to pursue a tacit course of argument against those Ascetic and Gnostic errors, which were at his day beginning to break into the Christian church, as well as vindicates the object proposed in chap. xx. 31. For various sects have maintained the unlawfulness of marriage, from the Marcionites of old to the Shakers of modern times; some enjoining universal celibacy, and others restricting it to one class, for example, to the clergy. Uncommon virtue, too, has been attached to mortifying and macerating the human body, under the Manichean notion, that all matter was evil, and that spirit only was of God. This scene teaches far different lessons. (2.) No argument can be drawn from this miracle, however, for the modern use of wine, on the marriage occasion, or elsewhere; for the wines, generally drank among us, are different from those produced in the vineyards of Judea, when the juice was pressed from the fresh grape, and drank without fermentation. Again, we cannot suppose that our benevolent Lord infused a single drop of alcohol, that most fatal of all poisons to man, into the excellent beverage he made. It would be acting the part of narrow interpreters of Scripture, if we should draw precise rules to guide our conduct, from a literal construction, perhaps a strained one, of individual acts or words of Jesus, instead of being guided by the clear, broad sunlight of his holy example, and the pure current of his divine instructions. (3.) "Benevolent Saviour! pleased to behold the innocent pleasures of the bridal circle! pleased to lend the sanction of thy presence to the holy tie which unites two kindred hearts! how has thy religion been misunderstood! True happiness and true piety are inseparable. The relations of social life, the affections of parent and child, of brothers and sisters, of friendship, of wedded love, all the gentler emotions, as they tend to develop what is amiable in us, tend to make us love and serve God better, and the love and the service of him lend a richer charm to the endearment of social intercourse. Friendship and affection are holy things.” BULFINCH. 12. Capernaum. His place of residence. Not many days. The pass 13 And the Jews' passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to 14 Jerusalem, and found in the temple those that sold oxen, and 15 sheep, and doves, and the changers of money, sitting: and when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the 16 changers' money, and overthrew the tables; and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence: make not my Father's 17 house a house of merchandise. And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thy house hath eaten me up. 18 Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, What sign showest 19 thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three 20 days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, Forty and six years over summoned them to the holy city. 13. Passover. Jesus appears to have attended all the festivals of his nation, during his ministry. This was, probably, the first passover after his baptism. 14. Compare Mat. xxi. 12, Mark xi. 15, and Luke xix.; which some have considered as parallel with this passage, and relating to the same event. But Jesus appears to have purged the temple twice, once at the beginning, and again at the close of his public life. It is, however, an open question.-Sheep. Josephus states, that an immense number of lambs was required at a single festival. 15. And when he had made, &c. As remarked by Furness, it offends our ideas of Jesus' character, to imagine him, as represented in pictures, with outstretched arm, wielding the Scourge with great vigor. Probably, when he entered the court, attended by a crowd of people, these traders, already conscience-stricken, fled precipitately at his rebuke. The scourge of small cords was taken up and formed into a species of whip, rather as a sign of his earnest purpose, an emblem of command, than to be used either on man or beast. As to pouring out the money, and over throwing the tables, &c., we know that it is not unusual to ascribe to a person the acts he causes, or permits to be done by others, as well as those done by himself. His disciples and adherents would not be backward to show their zeal. The purification of the temple would naturally be grateful to the feelings of a large part of the worshippers. 16, 17. This act rebuked at the same time the worldliness which had encroached into the sanctuary of God, and conveyed a strong intimation of the heavenly authority of the doer. The zeal of thy house, &c. Ps. lxix. 9. The energy and earnestness of Jesus reminded the disciples of the Psalmist's enthusiasm for the temple of God. |