OneBook: The Gospel of John
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IntroductionWelcome to the OneBook Daily-Weekly
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Week One - Jesus Changes Water into Wine and Clears the Temple CourtsWeek One: Introduction
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Week One: Day One - Wedding Faux Pas
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Week One: Day Two - Saving The Best for Last
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Week One: Day Three - Trailing Clouds of Glory
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Week One: Day Four - Temple Tantrum
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Week One: Day Five - A Temple Raised in Record Time
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Week One: Gathering
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Week Two - Jesus Teaches NicodemusWeek Two: Introduction
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Week Two: Day One - Night Vision
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Week Two: Day Two - Twice Born
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Week Two: Day Three - Lifted Up
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Week Two: Day Four - Love's Gift
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Week Two: Day Five - Final Verdict
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Week Two: Gathering
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Week Three - Jesus Talks with a Samaritan WomanWeek Three: Introduction
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Week Three: Day One - Oh, Well
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Week Three: Day Two - Thirst Quencher
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Week Three: Day Three - All Will Be Revealed
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Week Three: Day Four - Food for Thought
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Week Three: Day Five - The Test of Testimony
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Week Three: Gathering
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Week Four - Jesus Heals a Man Born BlindWeek Four: Introduction
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Week Four: Day One - Born Blind
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Week Four: Day Two - Holy Spit!
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Week Four: Day Three - Prophet and Loss
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Week Four: Day Four - Passing the Buck
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Week Four: Day Five - Redeemer to the Rescue
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Week Four: Gathering
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Week Five - The Good Shepherd and His SheepWeek Five: Introduction
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Week Five: Day One - Sheep-Stealing
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Week Five: Day Two - Calling Them by Name
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Week Five: Day Three - Abandon Doubt, All Ye Who Enter Here
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Week Five: Day Four - The Owner Versus the Hired Hand
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Week Five: Day Five - Other Sheep Not of This Fold
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Week Five: Gathering
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Week Six - Lazarus Raised from the DeadWeek Six: Introduction
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Week Six: Day One - A Dire Situation
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Week Six: Day Two - Martha Confronts Jesus
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Week Six: Day Three - Mary, Did You Know?
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Week Six: Day Four - An Heir-Raising Incident
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Week Six: Day Five - The Plot Thickens and Sickens
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Week Six: Gathering
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Week Seven - Jesus' Triumphal Entry into JerusalemWeek Seven: Introduction
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Week Seven: Day One - A Prophetic Anointing
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Week Seven: Day Two - When Love Comes to Town
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Week Seven: Day Three - The Greeks Come Calling
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Week Seven: Day Four - A Voice from on High
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Week Seven: Day Five - Crowd Control
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Week Seven: Gathering
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Week Eight - The Last SupperWeek Eight: Introduction
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Week Eight: Day One - Prime Time
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Week Eight: Day Two - Peter Puts His Foot in His Mouth
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Week Eight: Day Three - The Imitation of Christ
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Week Eight: Day Four - "Lord, Is It I?"
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Week Eight: Day Five - Simon Says
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Week Eight: Gathering
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Week Nine - Farewell DiscourseWeek Nine: Introduction
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Week Nine: Day One - The Genuine Divine Vine
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Week Nine: Day Two - The Love Command
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Week Nine: Day Three - Hate Crimes
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Week Nine: Day Four - The Advocate
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Week Nine: Day Five - Unbearable Truths
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Week Nine: Gathering
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Week Ten - The Death of JesusWeek Ten: Introduction
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Week Ten: Day One - The King and the Governor
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Week Ten: Day Two - The Son of Abba and the Son of God
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Week Ten : Day Three - No King but Caesar
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Week Ten: Day Four - The Title and the Robe
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Week Ten: Day Five - The Last Will and Testament of the King
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Week Ten: Gathering
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Week Eleven - Jesus' Resurrection and AppearancesWeek Eleven: Introduction
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Week Eleven: Day One - Tomb Raiders
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Week Eleven: Day Two - Mary, Mary Extraordinary
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Week Eleven: Day Three - The First Sunday Night Appearance
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Week Eleven: Day Four - Just Another Sunday Night, Until...
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Week Eleven: Day Five - The Purpose of This Good News
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Week Eleven: Gathering
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Week Twelve - Jesus' Appearance by the Sea of GalileeWeek Twelve: Introduction
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Week Twelve: Day One - Let's Go Fishing
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Week Twelve: Day Two - The Light Dawns
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Week Twelve: Day Three - Breakfast by the Sea
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Week Twelve: Day Four - Do You Really Love Me?
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Week Twelve: Day Five - Don't Look Back
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Week Twelve: Gathering
Week One: Day Two – Saving The Best for Last
John 2:6–10 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”
Understanding the Word. Recent archaeological work in and around Cana has unearthed numerous mikvaoth—ritual purification pools where Jews would go to remove ceremonial uncleanness. The six stone water jars in our story were for holding just such purification water for ceremonial cleansing. The picture of Jews in this region is that they were often devout, and particular about keeping the laws regarding clean and unclean. This family for whom the wedding is held was certainly a Torah-observant family. We are told that each stone jar (stone because according to Jewish thinking it could not become unclean or polluted) could hold twenty to thirty gallons! And Jesus was about to turn it all to wine! It may well be this story that got Jesus the reputation that he was “a drunkard” as well as a “friend of tax collectors and sinners” (Matt. 11:19). Whatever else you say about Jesus, he seems to have spent more time during the ministry feasting than fasting, and in this regard he stood apart from the praxis of his cousin John the Baptizer. The image of Jesus here is not of a killjoy, more nearly the life of the party, or at least the one who gives life to the party.
Notice that the only ones in the story who know a miracle has happened are Jesus, his mother, the disciples, and the servants involved in filling the jars with water and then dipping the new wine out to take to the toast- master. Despite the fact that the miracles in this gospel are stupendous, the Evangelist does not suggest that Jesus used miracles to wow people into the kingdom of God. He does reveal some of his glory to a select few in this story, but he does not make a big deal of the miracle or even make a pronouncement explaining it and taking credit. The impression all four Gospels give is that Jesus’ main ministry was preaching and teaching, and he set out to various places for that purpose. But where a need arose, as was at this wedding, he was prepared to stay to heal or help. This is presumably because Jesus knew that miracles were, at best, temporary solutions or cures, whereas the acceptance of the gospel message was the key to having everlasting life.
Nothing happens in these Johannine stories by accident, and the climax where we hear “but you have saved the best till now” is a double entendre—it refers not only to the best wine served last at this wedding party, but it likely also reminds that God, after a long line of prophets, priests, and kings, has finally sent his Son to rescue the world. What he brings is the new wine of the gospel, the new wine of salvation, which is truly the best wine of all. And note that there is more than enough of it for all as well. More to the point, Jesus replaces the old, lifeless ceremonial water, which could do no more than cleanse the outside of a person, with the new wine of the gospel, which can make the heart glad.
Questions
- Why doesn’t Jesus make more of a public display and explanation of this miracle?
- What does Jesus’ turning of water into actual wine tell you about him? Was he an ascetic like his cousin John?
- Why is the toastmaster so surprised at the outcome of Jesus’ action?