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The Wedding of Cana refers to an episode in the lives of Jesus of Nazareth and Mary of Nazareth. The episode is narrated only in the Gospel of John (2:1-11).

• This page is edited by James E. West, Quartz Hill School of Theology, United States of America.

Overview

According to the Gospel of John, the Wedding at Cana was the 'first of Jesus' miracles.' The only Gospel to record this miracle is John and it is never referenced elsewhere in the New Testament at all. This suggests that the story had a particular significance to the author of the Gospel of John.

The miracle itself consists of the filling of six large water jars with water and those jars then being delivered to the 'head-waiter' of the marriage celebration where he announces that he has never had such excellent wine. There is no explicit mention of Jesus changing the water into wine. There is only the suggestion that he had done so.

In terms of the meaning of the event, the jars used were large purification jars, made of stone, and each containing a fairly substantial sum of water. If 6 large purification jars were at hand, and were filled with water, a huge crowd could have been rendered ritually pure since, according to Rabbinic tradition (admittedly later than the first century) the amount of water required for purification was, in volume, the amount that would fit in an egg (or about an ounce to an ounce and a half). Six large jars each holding 20-30 gallons of water could thus provide purification for a countless multitude.

When the water for purification was changed to wine, John simply implies that Jesus will provide purification for all comers (by his blood, represented, naturally, by that wine).

The Wedding at Cana in ancient sources

Gospel of John

John 2:1-11 (NRSV) -- [1] On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. 2 Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, "They have no wine." 4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Do whatever he tells you." 6 Now standing there were six stone water jars 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 chief steward." So they took it. 9 When the steward tasted the water that had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the bridegroom 10 and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But you have kept the good wine until now." 11 Jesus did this, the first of his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.

Notes:

v. 1- Many have offered varying interpretations concerning the significance of 'the third day'. Here John probably simply has in mind the fact that a 'few days' after 1:50-51 was uttered, it was fulfilled.

Cana is specified because there were, in fact, two Cana's in Israel. One in Galilee, and another in Samaria.

vv. 2-3 - George Beasley-Murray (John, Word Biblical Commentary, Vol 36, p. 34) remarks here '[Jesus] presence with his disciples, jointly embarked on a mendicant ministry which rendered them unable to fulfill the obligation of guests, contributed to the embarrassing situation'.

v. 4 - τι εμοι και σοι exists in Syriac and is understood to mean 'I'm with you on this'. Hence, rather than being a confrontational statement or a derogatory remark to Jesus' mother, it is simply a statement of agreement.

v. 5 - The mother of Jesus is never named in the Gospel of John. Were it not for the other gospels, we wouldn't have any indication of her name at all. This is, it must be admitted, quite a remarkable fact. John's failure to mention Mary has provoked a large number of essays and investigations.

v. 6 - Again, Beasley-Murry is doubtless correct when he states '... the great quantity they contained reflected the fullness of Christ's grace, in contrast to the limitations of the old covenant' (Ibid., p. 35).

v. 10- The head waiter's remark is neither a proverb nor a rule; it is simply a shrewd observation on human behavior. (Following Beasley-Murray ad loc).

The Wedding at Cana in the Arts

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  Wedding at Cana (1775 Gandolfi), art

External links

• Wikipedia