Interpretation of the Gospel of John, compiled according to ancient patristic interpretations

Commentary on the Gospel of John, chapter 2

On the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the Mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and His disciples were also invited to a wedding. And because there was a shortage of wine, the Mother of Jesus said to Him: They have no wine. Jesus says to her: What is it for me and for you, woman? My hour has not yet come.

They invite the Lord to the wedding not because they have seen His miracles, not as a great man, but simply as an acquaintance. Denoting this, the evangelist says: “the Mother of Jesus was there” and His brothers. As she and her brothers were called, so was the Lord. The Lord does not reject the invitation and comes because He did not look at his own dignity, but at what is useful and beneficial for us. Anyone who did not consider it low to be among slaves, all the more could not consider it low to marry. - The Mother convinces Him to perform a miracle, because from the events of conception and birth She received a high concept of His power. For She kept everything in her heart (Luke 2:19-51) and from here she concluded that Her Son has power above man. But the Mother of God had no reason to ask Jesus to perform a miracle, as if He also performed other miracles. For, being a youth, He did not perform a single miracle; otherwise He would be known to everyone. At the same time, the Mother also remembered John’s reviews in which he testified about Him, she already saw that the disciples were following Him, and from all this she guessed about the power of the Son. - But He reproaches Her, and not without reason. If, he says, there is no wine, then it was necessary for those who do not have it to come and ask, and not for you. Mothers. For when one’s own people ask to perform a miracle, the spectators are tempted, but when those in need themselves ask, then the matter is free from suspicion. “My hour has not yet come,” he said, not because he is dependent on time or watches certain hours (for how befitting is this for the Creator of times and ages?), but because he does everything at the right time. Since He was invisible and unknown to many, because not everyone was disciples, and even those present at the wedding did not know Him, for in that case they themselves would have asked for wine, since all this was so, he said: “ My hour has not yet come,” that is, the proper time has not come. But the fury of Arius still arises, trying to prove that the Lord is subject to hours and times. So, learn, damn it! If He depended on the clock, then how did He finally perform the miracle? For if, according to you, He is dependent on hours and times, and His hour has not yet come, it would follow that He is not able to perform a miracle. However, He performed a miracle; hence independent of the clock. - Notice, perhaps, how He does not completely oppose the Mother in everything, but he reproached her a little and again fulfills her request, honoring her and giving us an example of respect for parents.

His mother said to the servants: whatever He tells you, do it. There were six stone waterpots here, standing according to the custom of Jewish purification, containing two or three measures. Jesus says to them: Fill the vessels with water. And they filled them to the top. And he says to them: Now draw some and bring it to the master of the feast. And they carried it.

The Mother says to the servants: whatever He tells you, do it, so that the request is strengthened through an attack and petition from them themselves, so that it is clear that the refusal was not due to impotence, but with the goal of averting the opinion that he is resorting to miracles out of self-praise and empty pomposity. — Stone water pots were used to cleanse the Jews. For the Jews washed themselves almost every day and then began to eat. Whether they touched a leper, a dead man, or communicated with a woman, they washed themselves as if they were already unclean. And since Palestine was waterless and it was impossible to find many sources, they always filled waterpots with water so as not to run to the rivers in case of desecration. It was not without purpose that he said: “according to the custom of the purification of the Jews,” but so that any of the infidels would not think that some sediment of wine remained in the vessels, then, when water was poured in and mixed, the weakest wine was formed - shows that they were never containers guilt. But could He really not produce wine from nothing without filling the vessels with water? Of course he could; but the greatness of miracles often reduces their acceptability. “The purpose could have been for the servants who carried the water in the vessels to be witnesses to the miracle.” Also, so that we learn that he transforms wine and the moisture of grapes, which is completely water. - He orders the servants to serve some drink for the master of the feast to taste, not without a purpose, but so that no one would think that there was a meeting of drunkards, their taste deteriorated, and in a state of intoxication they mistook the water for wine. To prevent such suspicion from taking place, He leaves the tasting to the sober steward of the feast. For those to whom the ministry was entrusted on such occasions strictly refrained, so that under their orders everything would happen in order and decorum. “But let us pray that this will happen to us too, that now a kind of marriage will take place, that is, the union of God with our soul, while we are still in Cana of Galilee, that is, in the country of this low and degraded world, in all respects perverse and transformative.” . This marriage does not happen without the presence of Christ and His Mother and disciples. For how can one be united with God who does not believe in Christ, who was born of Mary and spoke among the apostles? Let us see what miracle the Lord performs with such a marriage and with such a union of God with the soul. He turns water into wine and fills our six stone waterpots. By “water” you can understand our wateriness, humidity and relaxation in life and opinions; under the five “water bearers” there are five senses with which we make mistakes in business; under the sixth water bearer is the mind by which we waver in our opinions. So, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Gospel Word, healing our failures, whether in active life, in the mental or contemplative, transforms the liquid and non-solid in us into “wine,” that is, into life and teaching, astringent and cheerful, and thus six of our waterpots are filled with this wonderful drink - the senses, so that we do not sin in our activities, - the mind, so that we do not err in our opinions - Take into account that stone waterpots stood there according to the custom of Jewish purification. — The word “Judas” means “confession.” The one who confesses is cleansed in the five senses with which he previously sinned. The eye saw poorly; the eye cries during confession and thus serves for purification. The ear heard prodigal songs; it again leans towards the words of the mouth of God. This happens with other feelings too. Reason errs in opinions; he again cleanses the former evil, bowing to correct wisdom. Water pots are “stone” either because our composition is made of earth, or because the intended containers for such wine must be hard and indestructible. Paul's mind was a stone water-pot even at the time when he was persecuting, for according to the traditions of his fathers he was jealous more than all his peers (Gal. 1:14); and at the time when he preached, for he had such power in words that the Lycaonians, as the leader in words, considered him to be Hermias (Acts 14:12).

When the steward tasted the water that had become wine (and he did not know where this wine came from, only the servants who drew the water knew), then the steward calls the groom and says to him: every person first serves good wine, and when they are drunk, then the worst, and you I have saved good wine until now.

The master of the feast asks not the servants, but the groom. Why? Of course, according to God's dispensation. If he had asked the ministers, they would, of course, have discovered a miracle; but no one would have believed them, for it was the beginning of signs, and no one yet had a great idea about Christ, so no one would have believed it if the ministers had told about the miracle. However, when after this He performed other miracles, the present should have become reliable, and the ministers, telling everyone about it, could little by little gain confidence. For this reason, the Lord arranged it so that it was not the ministers who were asked, but the groom. The Lord not only created wine from water, but beautiful wine. For the miracles of Christ are such that they are much more excellent than what is performed by nature. The fact that the water was transformed into wine is evidenced by the servants who drew the water; that it was beautiful - the master of the feast. All this has been preached over time, and those who heard about it should have been very firmly convinced. — By “wine” you can mean the Gospel teaching, and by “water” everything that preceded the Gospel, which was very watery and did not have the perfection of the Gospel teaching. Let me give you an example: the Lord gave man different laws, one in paradise (Genesis 2:16-17), another under Noah (Genesis 9), a third under Abraham about circumcision (Genesis 17), a fourth through Moses ( Ex. 19; 20), fifth - through the prophets. All these laws are watery in comparison with the accuracy and power of the Gospel, if anyone understands them simply and literally. If someone delves into their spirit and understands what is hidden in them, he will find water turned into wine. For he who discerns spiritually what is said simply and is understood literally by many will, without a doubt, find in this water excellent wine, which is subsequently drunk and preserved by the bridegroom Christ, since the Gospel appeared in the last times.

Thus Jesus began miracles in Cana of Galilee and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

That the Lord began to work miracles after His baptism, we talked about this before. But it seems that He performed the first miracle precisely by turning water into wine. For it is said: this was the “beginning” of miracles. But another will say: if this miracle is the beginning of miracles, then not all, but only those performed in Cana of Galilee; since He performed various miracles in Cana, then this is the beginning for them. Although we have much to confirm that a real miracle is the beginning of all miracles, because the words: “and He revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him” show that before this He had not performed another miracle by which He would have revealed His glory; however, we will not argue whether it was the first miracle or another. - How did He reveal His glory? After all, few were present at this event, and it was not committed in front of the people? But if not then, then later everyone should have heard about this miracle, as it is still being proclaimed, and did not remain unknown. The words: “His disciples believed in Him” should be understood to mean that they had great and strong faith in Him. They believed before, of course, but they did not believe so firmly.

After this He came to Capernaum, Himself and His Mother, and His brothers, and His disciples; and they stayed there for a few days. The Passover of the Jews was approaching, and Jesus came to Jerusalem and found that oxen, sheep and doves were being sold in the temple, and money changers were sitting. And, making a scourge of ropes, he drove everyone out of the temple, including the sheep and oxen; and he scattered the money from the money changers and overturned their tables; and he said to those who sold doves, “Take this from here, and do not make My Father’s house a house of trade.” At the same time, His disciples remembered that it was written: Zeal for Your house consumes Me (Ps. 68:10).

The Lord comes to Capernaum for no other purpose than to leave His Mother there, so as not to lead her around with Him. Since they went to Cana for the wedding, but the marriage ended, He returns the Mother to Capernaum to Her house. And that for this very reason the Lord comes to Capernaum, this is revealed from the fact that He stayed there for a few days and did not perform miracles there, because the inhabitants of this city did not have faith in Him, which is why the Lord expresses grief to him in another place (Matt. 11:23). — With the words: “Easter was approaching,” the evangelist shows that Jesus was baptized shortly before Easter. Having come to Jerusalem, He does something that reveals complete autocracy, namely: he drives out of the temple those who were selling sheep and oxen. Although Matthew (21:12-13) talks about this, know that He did this more than once. He does what is told in Matthew close to His sufferings, and what is told in John He does at the beginning of the signs. Therefore, here he said with relief: “Do not make My Father’s house a house of trade.” For the miracles were just beginning, and He did not yet have the courage that the miracles gave. And there, that is, in Matthew, he says: “Do not make a den of thieves.” He clearly called them robbers, as those who profit by unjust means. For whoever values ​​a little thing at a high price and, on occasion, takes advantage of the poor and widows (as those who buy up necessary items and then sell them usually do), what else does he do but commit robbery, taking advantage of the misfortune of his neighbors? Why does He completely drive such people out of the temple? Not without reason: He will heal on the Sabbath and, as it were, break the law about it; therefore, so that He would not be considered an opponent of God, He prevents such a thought with this case. For whoever has shown such zeal for the temple will not deny God, the Lord of the temple. And he drove them out not just, but by hitting them with a whip from the ropes, and overturned tables, and scattered coins or money of the money changers, and decided on a very dangerous matter. And whoever puts himself in danger for the house of God will allow a deviation from the law of God, not as an opponent of God, but, without a doubt, as a Son who has equal power with God and the Father, who gave the law on the Sabbath. Therefore, he did not say: the house of “God,” but: the house of “My Father,” showing that He, as the Son, has power over everything that belongs to the Father. Moneychangers are those who sell small coins or nummata. Like the merchants of that time, many of the high priests sin when they sell “oxen” in the church, not giving honor to those who excel in the teaching word, but giving it to those who want to commit evil, when they sell “sheep” - the simple and ordinary people, “doves” - spiritual gifts, and when they put to the highest degree those who give more; The Lord “drives” such people out of the sanctuary, finding them, according to His judgment, unworthy of the high priesthood. Also, if someone sells large and small coin, that is, opinion and word, and being a teacher, but not foreseeing the benefit, does not proclaim the word of the Gospel, then the Lord “overturns” both his “table”, that is, the title of teacher, and the teaching that he withholds out of malice, not giving it to everyone; Meanwhile, the Lord Jesus removes such a one from power, and places another, worthy one, on the teacher’s table. - The disciples remembered what was written: jealousy for your house consumes me (Ps. 68:10). In a little more time they grow in goodness, but they already remember passages from the Scriptures and, finding evidence in them, become more and more confirmed in their knowledge of Christ.

To this the Jews said: By what sign will you prove to us that you have the power to do this? Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. To this the Jews said: This temple took forty-six years to build, and will You raise it up in three days? And He spoke about the temple of His body. When He rose from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said these things, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

When the Jews saw that the Lord was doing this with great authority and saying: Do not make My Father’s house a market, they said: Assure us by some miracle that You are the Son of God and that You were sent by Him. For how can it be seen that the Lord of this house is Your Father? He answers them in kind, saying: “Destroy this temple,” no doubt speaking about His body, because the entire Divinity of the Only Begotten dwelt in it. The word “destroy” does not encourage them to kill (get rid of such a thought!), but, knowing their intention to do this, it hints at what will happen urgently. “Let the Arians hear how the Lord and destroyer of death says: “I will erect.” He did not say: The Father will raise it up, but “I” will raise it up, using my own power, and not needing someone else’s from the outside. The Jews, thinking that He is talking about a soulless temple, laugh at Him. How, they say, do You say that You will erect it in three days, when it took forty-six years to build? You need to know that when the temple was first built under Solomon, then everything was needlessly completed in twenty years. Subsequently, when the Jews, after the captivity, received permission to build the temple, they began to renew it during the reign of Cyrus; then, having encountered obstacles from envious people, they continued construction until the reign of Artaxerxes; with him, enjoying complete safety, they could finish this matter with great difficulty. - When it is said that during the construction the Jews held a spear in one hand and a building tool in the other, then they were in such great fear from the neighboring Edomites, and not from the Persians, for from them, that is, from the Persians, like me said they enjoyed complete safety. About this construction, which took place after the captivity, they say that it lasted forty-six years, since the Jews were prevented, and therefore they extended it from the reign of Cyrus to Artaxerxes. “And it is not surprising that the Jews, as well as the disciples, did not understand the words of Jesus. For them there were two greatest difficulties: one is that the matter of the resurrection is very incomprehensible, especially since it is completely unknown to them; another is that he who lives in the body is God. However, after the resurrection, the disciples understood and believed the Scripture. Which Scripture? And to everyone who prefaces the resurrection, and, as the clearest, this: “You will not leave my soul in hell” (Ps. 15:10), and this: “The Lord wants to cleanse him from the wound and show him the light” (Isa. 53, 11). For these passages of Scripture very clearly foreshadow the resurrection. Apollinaris tries to find defense of his heresy here. Wanting to confirm that the Lord’s flesh was without a soul, he says: the flesh is called a temple, but the temple is soulless; therefore, she too is soulless. Thunderstruck and dizzy! You will make the flesh of the Lord, perhaps, with trees and stones, since the temple is made of them?! When you hear the words of the Lord: “My soul is now troubled” (John 12:27) and “I have power to lay down My life” (John 10:18), then how do you understand them? If you say that this is not said about the verbal and rational soul, then where will you put the words: “Father! “Into Your hands I commend My spirit” (Luke 23:46)? Will you really understand this about an unreasonable soul? And this: “You will not leave my soul in hell” (Ps. 15:10), what do you think? But perish with your like-minded people.

And when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover festival, many, seeing the miracles that He performed, believed in His name. But Jesus Himself did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew everyone, and did not need anyone to testify about the person; for He Himself knew what was in man.

Interpretation of Blessed Theophylact, Archbishop of Bulgaria

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They invite the Lord to the wedding not because they have seen His miracles, not as a great man, but simply as an acquaintance. Denoting this, the evangelist says: “the Mother of Jesus was there” and His brothers. As she and her brothers were called, so was the Lord. The Lord does not reject the invitation and comes because He did not look at his own dignity, but at what is useful and beneficial for us. Anyone who did not consider it low to be among slaves, all the more could not consider it low to marry. - The Mother convinces Him to perform a miracle, because from the events of conception and birth She received a high concept of His power. For She kept everything in her heart (Luke 2:19-51) and from here she concluded that Her Son has power above man. But the Mother of God had no reason to ask Jesus to perform a miracle, as if He also performed other miracles. For, being a youth, He did not perform a single miracle; otherwise He would be known to everyone. At the same time, the Mother also remembered John’s reviews in which he testified about Him, she already saw that the disciples were following Him, and from all this she guessed about the power of the Son. - But He reproaches Her, and not without reason. If, he says, there is no wine, then it was necessary for those who do not have it to come and ask, and not for you. Mothers. For when one’s own people ask to perform a miracle, the spectators are tempted, but when those in need themselves ask, then the matter is free from suspicion. “My hour has not yet come,” he said, not because he is dependent on time or watches certain hours (for how befitting is this for the Creator of times and ages?), but because he does everything at the right time. Since He was invisible and unknown to many, because not everyone was disciples, and even those present at the wedding did not know Him, for in that case they themselves would have asked for wine, since all this was so, he said: “ My hour has not yet come,” that is, the proper time has not come. But the fury of Arius still arises, trying to prove that the Lord is subject to hours and times. So, learn, damn it! If He depended on the clock, then how did He finally perform the miracle? For if, according to you, He is dependent on hours and times, and His hour has not yet come, it would follow that He is not able to perform a miracle. However, He performed a miracle; hence independent of the clock. - Notice, perhaps, how He does not completely oppose the Mother in everything, but he reproached her a little and again fulfills her request, honoring her and giving us an example of respect for parents.

His mother said to the servants: whatever He tells you, do it. There were six stone waterpots here, standing according to the custom of Jewish purification, containing two or three measures. Jesus says to them: Fill the vessels with water. And they filled them to the top. And he says to them: Now draw some and bring it to the master of the feast. And they carried it.

The Mother says to the servants: whatever He tells you, do it, so that the request is strengthened through an attack and petition from them themselves, so that it is clear that the refusal was not due to impotence, but with the goal of averting the opinion that he is resorting to miracles out of self-praise and empty pomposity. — Stone water pots were used to cleanse the Jews. For the Jews washed themselves almost every day and then began to eat. Whether they touched a leper, a dead man, or communicated with a woman, they washed themselves as if they were already unclean. And since Palestine was waterless and it was impossible to find many sources, they always filled waterpots with water so as not to run to the rivers in case of desecration. It was not without purpose that he said: “according to the custom of the purification of the Jews,” but so that any of the infidels would not think that some sediment of wine remained in the vessels, then, when water was poured in and mixed, the weakest wine was formed - shows that they were never containers guilt. But could He really not produce wine from nothing without filling the vessels with water? Of course he could; but the greatness of miracles often reduces their acceptability. “The purpose could have been for the servants who carried the water in the vessels to be witnesses to the miracle.” Also, so that we learn that he transforms wine and the moisture of grapes, which is completely water. - He orders the servants to serve some drink for the master of the feast to taste, not without a purpose, but so that no one would think that there was a meeting of drunkards, their taste deteriorated, and in a state of intoxication they mistook the water for wine. To prevent such suspicion from taking place, He leaves the tasting to the sober steward of the feast. For those to whom the ministry was entrusted on such occasions strictly refrained, so that under their orders everything would happen in order and decorum. “But let us pray that this will happen to us too, that now a kind of marriage will take place, that is, the union of God with our soul, while we are still in Cana of Galilee, that is, in the country of this low and degraded world, in all respects perverse and transformative.” . This marriage does not happen without the presence of Christ and His Mother and disciples. For how can one be united with God who does not believe in Christ, who was born of Mary and spoke among the apostles? Let us see what miracle the Lord performs with such a marriage and with such a union of God with the soul. He turns water into wine and fills our six stone waterpots. By “water” you can understand our wateriness, humidity and relaxation in life and opinions; under the five “water bearers” there are five senses with which we make mistakes in business; under the sixth water bearer is the mind by which we waver in our opinions. So, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Gospel Word, healing our failures, whether in active life, in the mental or contemplative, transforms the liquid and non-solid in us into “wine,” that is, into life and teaching, astringent and cheerful, and thus six of our waterpots are filled with this wonderful drink - the senses, so that we do not sin in our activities, - the mind, so that we do not err in our opinions - Take into account that stone waterpots stood there according to the custom of Jewish purification. — The word “Judas” means “confession.” The one who confesses is cleansed in the five senses with which he previously sinned. The eye saw poorly; the eye cries during confession and thus serves for purification. The ear heard prodigal songs; it again leans towards the words of the mouth of God. This happens with other feelings too. Reason errs in opinions; he again cleanses the former evil, bowing to correct wisdom. Water pots are “stone” either because our composition is made of earth, or because the intended containers for such wine must be hard and indestructible. Paul's mind was a stone water-pot even at the time when he was persecuting, for according to the traditions of his fathers he was jealous more than all his peers (Gal. 1:14); and at the time when he preached, for he had such power in words that the Lycaonians, as the leader in words, considered him to be Hermias (Acts 14:12).

When the steward tasted the water that had become wine (and he did not know where this wine came from, only the servants who drew the water knew), then the steward calls the groom and says to him: every person first serves good wine, and when they are drunk, then the worst, and you I have saved good wine until now.

The master of the feast asks not the servants, but the groom. Why? Of course, according to God's dispensation. If he had asked the ministers, they would, of course, have discovered a miracle; but no one would have believed them, for it was the beginning of signs, and no one yet had a great idea about Christ, so no one would have believed it if the ministers had told about the miracle. However, when after this He performed other miracles, the present should have become reliable, and the ministers, telling everyone about it, could little by little gain confidence. For this reason, the Lord arranged it so that it was not the ministers who were asked, but the groom. The Lord not only created wine from water, but beautiful wine. For the miracles of Christ are such that they are much more excellent than what is performed by nature. The fact that the water was transformed into wine is evidenced by the servants who drew the water; that it was beautiful - the master of the feast. All this has been preached over time, and those who heard about it should have been very firmly convinced. — By “wine” you can mean the Gospel teaching, and by “water” everything that preceded the Gospel, which was very watery and did not have the perfection of the Gospel teaching. Let me give you an example: the Lord gave man different laws, one in paradise (Genesis 2:16-17), another under Noah (Genesis 9), a third under Abraham about circumcision (Genesis 17), a fourth through Moses ( Ex. 19; 20), fifth - through the prophets. All these laws are watery in comparison with the accuracy and power of the Gospel, if anyone understands them simply and literally. If someone delves into their spirit and understands what is hidden in them, he will find water turned into wine. For he who discerns spiritually what is said simply and is understood literally by many will, without a doubt, find in this water excellent wine, which is subsequently drunk and preserved by the bridegroom Christ, since the Gospel appeared in the last times.

Thus Jesus began miracles in Cana of Galilee and revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

That the Lord began to work miracles after His baptism, we talked about this before. But it seems that He performed the first miracle precisely by turning water into wine. For it is said: this was the “beginning” of miracles. But another will say: if this miracle is the beginning of miracles, then not all, but only those performed in Cana of Galilee; since He performed various miracles in Cana, then this is the beginning for them. Although we have much to confirm that a real miracle is the beginning of all miracles, because the words: “and He revealed His glory; and His disciples believed in Him” show that before this He had not performed another miracle by which He would have revealed His glory; however, we will not argue whether it was the first miracle or another. - How did He reveal His glory? After all, few were present at this event, and it was not committed in front of the people? But if not then, then later everyone should have heard about this miracle, as it is still being proclaimed, and did not remain unknown. The words: “His disciples believed in Him” should be understood to mean that they had great and strong faith in Him. They believed before, of course, but they did not believe so firmly.

After this He came to Capernaum, Himself and His Mother, and His brothers, and His disciples; and they stayed there for a few days. The Passover of the Jews was approaching, and Jesus came to Jerusalem and found that oxen, sheep and doves were being sold in the temple, and money changers were sitting. And, making a scourge of ropes, he drove everyone out of the temple, including the sheep and oxen; and he scattered the money from the money changers and overturned their tables; and he said to those who sold doves, “Take this from here, and do not make My Father’s house a house of trade.” At the same time, His disciples remembered that it was written: Zeal for Your house consumes Me (Ps. 68:10).

The Lord comes to Capernaum for no other purpose than to leave His Mother there, so as not to lead her around with Him. Since they went to Cana for the wedding, but the marriage ended, He returns the Mother to Capernaum to Her house. And that for this very reason the Lord comes to Capernaum, this is revealed from the fact that He stayed there for a few days and did not perform miracles there, because the inhabitants of this city did not have faith in Him, which is why the Lord expresses grief to him in another place (Matt. 11:23). — With the words: “Easter was approaching,” the evangelist shows that Jesus was baptized shortly before Easter. Having come to Jerusalem, He does something that reveals complete autocracy, namely: he drives out of the temple those who were selling sheep and oxen. Although Matthew (21:12-13) talks about this, know that He did this more than once. He does what is told in Matthew close to His sufferings, and what is told in John He does at the beginning of the signs. Therefore, here he said with relief: “Do not make My Father’s house a house of trade.” For the miracles were just beginning, and He did not yet have the courage that the miracles gave. And there, that is, in Matthew, he says: “Do not make a den of thieves.” He clearly called them robbers, as those who profit by unjust means. For whoever values ​​a little thing at a high price and, on occasion, takes advantage of the poor and widows (as those who buy up necessary items and then sell them usually do), what else does he do but commit robbery, taking advantage of the misfortune of his neighbors? Why does He completely drive such people out of the temple? Not without reason: He will heal on the Sabbath and, as it were, break the law about it; therefore, so that He would not be considered an opponent of God, He prevents such a thought with this case. For whoever has shown such zeal for the temple will not deny God, the Lord of the temple. And he drove them out not just, but by hitting them with a whip from the ropes, and overturned tables, and scattered coins or money of the money changers, and decided on a very dangerous matter. And whoever puts himself in danger for the house of God will allow a deviation from the law of God, not as an opponent of God, but, without a doubt, as a Son who has equal power with God and the Father, who gave the law on the Sabbath. Therefore, he did not say: the house of “God,” but: the house of “My Father,” showing that He, as the Son, has power over everything that belongs to the Father. Moneychangers are those who sell small coins or nummata. Like the merchants of that time, many of the high priests sin when they sell “oxen” in the church, not giving honor to those who excel in the teaching word, but giving it to those who want to commit evil, when they sell “sheep” - the simple and ordinary people, “doves” - spiritual gifts, and when they put to the highest degree those who give more; The Lord “drives” such people out of the sanctuary, finding them, according to His judgment, unworthy of the high priesthood. Also, if someone sells large and small coin, that is, opinion and word, and being a teacher, but not foreseeing the benefit, does not proclaim the word of the Gospel, then the Lord “overturns” both his “table”, that is, the title of teacher, and the teaching that he withholds out of malice, not giving it to everyone; Meanwhile, the Lord Jesus removes such a one from power, and places another, worthy one, on the teacher’s table. - The disciples remembered what was written: jealousy for your house consumes me (Ps. 68:10). In a little more time they grow in goodness, but they already remember passages from the Scriptures and, finding evidence in them, become more and more confirmed in their knowledge of Christ.

To this the Jews said: By what sign will you prove to us that you have the power to do this? Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. To this the Jews said: This temple took forty-six years to build, and will You raise it up in three days? And He spoke about the temple of His body. When He rose from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said these things, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken.

When the Jews saw that the Lord was doing this with great authority and saying: Do not make My Father’s house a market, they said: Assure us by some miracle that You are the Son of God and that You were sent by Him. For how can it be seen that the Lord of this house is Your Father? He answers them in kind, saying: “Destroy this temple,” no doubt speaking about His body, because the entire Divinity of the Only Begotten dwelt in it. The word “destroy” does not encourage them to kill (get rid of such a thought!), but, knowing their intention to do this, it hints at what will happen urgently. “Let the Arians hear how the Lord and destroyer of death says: “I will erect.” He did not say: The Father will raise it up, but “I” will raise it up, using my own power, and not needing someone else’s from the outside. The Jews, thinking that He is talking about a soulless temple, laugh at Him. How, they say, do You say that You will erect it in three days, when it took forty-six years to build? You need to know that when the temple was first built under Solomon, then everything was needlessly completed in twenty years. Subsequently, when the Jews, after the captivity, received permission to build the temple, they began to renew it during the reign of Cyrus; then, having encountered obstacles from envious people, they continued construction until the reign of Artaxerxes; with him, enjoying complete safety, they could finish this matter with great difficulty. - When it is said that during the construction the Jews held a spear in one hand and a building tool in the other, then they were in such great fear from the neighboring Edomites, and not from the Persians, for from them, that is, from the Persians, like me said they enjoyed complete safety. About this construction, which took place after the captivity, they say that it lasted forty-six years, since the Jews were prevented, and therefore they extended it from the reign of Cyrus to Artaxerxes. “And it is not surprising that the Jews, as well as the disciples, did not understand the words of Jesus. For them there were two greatest difficulties: one is that the matter of the resurrection is very incomprehensible, especially since it is completely unknown to them; another is that he who lives in the body is God. However, after the resurrection, the disciples understood and believed the Scripture. Which Scripture? And to everyone who prefaces the resurrection, and, as the clearest, this: “You will not leave my soul in hell” (Ps. 15:10), and this: “The Lord wants to cleanse him from the wound and show him the light” (Isa. 53, 11). For these passages of Scripture very clearly foreshadow the resurrection. Apollinaris tries to find defense of his heresy here. Wanting to confirm that the Lord’s flesh was without a soul, he says: the flesh is called a temple, but the temple is soulless; therefore, she too is soulless. Thunderstruck and dizzy! You will make the flesh of the Lord, perhaps, with trees and stones, since the temple is made of them?! When you hear the words of the Lord: “My soul is now troubled” (John 12:27) and “I have power to lay down My life” (John 10:18), then how do you understand them? If you say that this is not said about the verbal and rational soul, then where will you put the words: “Father! “Into Your hands I commend My spirit” (Luke 23:46)? Will you really understand this about an unreasonable soul? And this: “You will not leave my soul in hell” (Ps. 15:10), what do you think? But perish with your like-minded people.

And when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover festival, many, seeing the miracles that He performed, believed in His name. But Jesus Himself did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew everyone, and did not need anyone to testify about the person; for He Himself knew what was in man.

2:3,4 What is it to me and to you, wife?
My time has not yet come.
Jesus answered unexpectedly and not very politely, as it might seem: in other words, this text looks like “it’s none of our business that they have no wine.”
However, Mary, knowing her son well, did not take his answer as a categorical refusal to help, and therefore told the servants to listen to him, hoping that Jesus should not refuse.
Jesus showed his mother and those who heard them that he did not just come to distribute miracles right and left and benefit everyone who needed something. But he came to earth with a specific mission and in due time he will do what he came for.

2:5 — 9

Jesus still listened to his mother and turned the water into wine. Is it worth looking for in this the spiritual meaning of the abolition of the Mosaic Law, for example, which was symbolized by stone water carriers? (as some students of Scripture do). We don't think so. Jesus did not plan to turn water into wine. I just decided not to upset my mother, who regretted the lack of wine at such an important event: apparently, the nascent family was not very rich, and Maria sincerely wanted to help her.

2:10 The procedure for the actions of a practical man of this century is interestingly described, who realizes that a sober person is able to evaluate the quality of an amusing drink, so first they try to serve the best, and then, if someone wants to get to the “standard”, then he gets it with what is left. When drunk, the main role is played by degrees, not taste.

The wedding hosts probably also first put out the best wine they had, but the wine Jesus made turned out to be much better than the hosts' wine. Jesus, like the Father, does everything he does very well. 2:11 The mother’s request nevertheless accelerated the beginning of Christ’s miracles in Galilee, and God began to be glorified even before Jesus himself decided to reveal Him by performing miracles with His help. So sometimes our advice can play a role in the fateful decisions of those to whom we advise to reveal something about themselves before the intended “hour”.

Thus... Jesus... revealed His glory;

that is, he showed with the help of the ability to perform miracles that he was not a mere mortal, but came from God

and His disciples believed in Him.

The faith of Christ’s disciples that he was God’s messenger grew stronger after this miracle

2:12,13

Jesus travels through Galilee and comes to Jerusalem. Easter is coming soon.

2:14 -16 Do not make My Father's house a house of trade.

Under the guise of goodness and practical benefit for those wishing to worship God in Jerusalem, also taking advantage of God’s recommendations for those wishing to make a sacrifice from Deuteronomy 14:24-26 - the priests tried to organize the sale of sacrifices directly without leaving the temple, believing that this is the pinnacle of caring for worshipers of God. Jesus condemned the priests of the temple for turning the temple into a means of profit (see analysis of Matthew 21:12,13) ​​But he did not call them to repent of their evil deeds, knowing that they themselves did not see anything bad in it (if they had seen it, they would not have organized a market in the temple), but he himself took measures to cleanse his Father’s temple from uncleanness

2:17 At this, His disciples remembered that it was written: Zeal for the house of God consumes me.

- it is normal to be indignant at the desecration of a shrine and to be jealous that the honor of Jehovah or the honor of His servants does not “wash in the wind.”
It’s not normal to calmly and indifferently watch this “from behind cover” and wait to see what will come of it all. It is also noteworthy that the disciples, looking at the event that was taking place, REMEMBERED that this was predicted for Christ in Scripture: if you do not have an understanding of the word of God and do not study it, then it is impossible to notice the fulfillment of the prophecies in Christ, as well as Christ himself. 2:18-22 Then the Jews said, “By what sign will you prove to us that you [have] [the authority] to do this?” 19 Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. 20 Then the Jews said, “This temple took forty-six years to build, and will You raise it up in three days?”
21 And He spoke of the temple of His body. 22 And when He rose from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had spoken these things, and they believed the Scripture and the word that Jesus had spoken. Since the priests did not believe that Jesus was doing the right thing by dispersing the merchants at the temple, they demanded that Jesus provide additional “certificate” giving him the right to defend the honor of the Father’s House of Prayer in this way, for they were sure that they would act one way or another without the visible issuance of authority - no one has the right.
Jesus invited them to look at this, for example, as proof of their identity and authority to defend their Father’s house: Jesus answered and said to them: Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.
The meaning of Christ's spiritual language about the destruction and creation of his body (for Jesus was not talking about the building of the temple, but about the spiritual “place” where the holy spirit is present) was hidden from everyone at that time. Why then did Jesus say these words if no one understood his “identification” anyway? It’s just that whoever heard these words and put them in his heart had the opportunity to remember them later, when what was said about the creation of his “destroyed” body was fulfilled (first Christ was killed, and then he came to life) - and understand the fulfillment. How, for example, Christ’s disciples remembered and understood the moment from Scripture about zeal for the Father’s House. And whoever ignored these words did not have any chance to understand the fulfillment of this prophecy.

Now more about the temple of the body of Jesus: why does Jesus, who was to be resurrected as a spirit (disembodied person, 1 Peter 3:18), say that in three days his body will be restored?

The temple, as you know, is the location of the holy spirit, symbolizing the presence of Jehovah God. Bodies can be physical (material) and spiritual (1 Cor. 15:44). The Holy Spirit was in Christ the man, as God's anointed, and in all other anointed ones: 1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who dwells in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

The Holy Spirit will also be in Christ the spirit when he is resurrected in a spiritual body.

Based on this, it is clear that Jesus was saying here that although he would be killed as God’s anointed (as a spiritual “temple”), after three days he would be resurrected: HE HIMSELF, in whatever body he was in - before death as a man and after it with the spirit - filled with the holy spirit (is Jehovah’s anointed, a figurative “temple”).

Talking about the temple of your body is the same as saying, for example, “even if you kill ME, I will still be alive in 3 days, as God’s anointed.”

If we write explanations for John 2:19, 21, we get the following: Destroy this temple

(me, as the anointed one and the bearer of the holy spirit),
and I will raise it up in three days
(in three days I will live again as the anointed one and the bearer of the holy spirit).
... And He spoke about the temple of His body
(about Himself as Jehovah’s anointed).

2:23-25 ​​The miracles performed by Christ at the Passover holiday in Jerusalem helped people to guess and believe that Christ was not a mere mortal. And this is exactly what miracles were designed for at that time. But Jesus Himself did not trust Himself to them, because He knew everyone (But Jesus did not trust anyone, because He knew them all, V. Kuznetsova, R.V.)

But Jesus himself was in no hurry to trust those who believed in him because of his miracles.
He understood that they came to him out of curiosity.
They were looking for something sensational and exciting. He knew all the people - their thoughts and motivations. He knew why they acted the way they did. (McDonald)

and there was no need for anyone to testify about man, for He Himself knew what was in man. (so he didn’t need anyone to tell Him about people, He himself knew what was in a person’s soul, V. Kuznetsova, R.V.).

Jesus also did not need anyone to bother for someone, introduce him to Jesus as a believer or recommend him for something, since he himself
saw the hearts of everyone and could form an opinion about each of them without additional recommendations from human authorities .