325 CHAP. II. 1 AND the third day there was a marriage at Cana in Galilee: and the mother of Jesus was 2 there. And both Jesus and his disciples were 3 invited to the marriage. And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto 4 him, They have no wine. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? 5 mine hour is not yet come.* His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith 6 unto you, do it. And there were set there six water-pots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three 7 firkins apiece. Jesus saith unto them, Fill the water-pots with water. And they filled them 8 up to the brim. And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the master of the 9 feast; and they bare it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water which was made wine, and knew not whence it was; (but the servants who drew the water knew,) he called the 10 bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man brings out the good wine at first; and when men have well drunken, then that which is inferior: but thou hast kept the good wine until 11 now. This beginning of miracles Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested his glory and his disciples believed on him. 12 After this, he went down to Capernaum, he and his mother, and his brethren, and his dis * The time to exert and display my miraculous power. 28 23 : ciples but they did not continue there many days. 13 Now the Jews' passover was near, and Jesus 14 went up to Jerusalem,* and found in the temple those that sold oxen, and sheep, and doves, 15 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 brokers' money, and overthrew the tables ; 16 and said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's And his 17 house an house of merchandise.† disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. Then the Jews said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest 19 these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I 20 will raise it up. Then the Jews said, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and 21 wilt thou rear it up in three days? But he 22 spake of the temple of his body. When there 18 fore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them: and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. Now, when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, on the feast-day, many believed in his * John relates many things omitted by the other evangelists. †This was assuming great authority for an obscure Nazarene ; and must have excited great surprise and in, terest among the Jews. 24 did. name, when they saw the miracles which he But Jesus did not commit himself unto 25 them, because he knew all men, and needed not that any should testify of man knew what was in man. for he CHAP. III. 1 THERE was a man of the Pharisees, named 2 Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: This man came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we are convinced that thou art a teacher come from God for no man can do the miracles which thou doest, except God be with him. 3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.** 4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be 5 born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily I say unto thee, except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom 6 of God. That which is born of the flesh, is Here is reference, probably, to the Jewish mode of proselyting. When a person professed Judaism, he was obliged to be washed with water, to have a new name, to renounce his former acquaintance and even his relations, and was called a new creature. This is alluded to in Luke xiv.26. + If by kingdom of God here and in the third verse, we understand the Christian church, as in most other places in the gospel, the meaning is, that those who would be the disciples of Jesus must be baptized and receive miraculous gifts. See Mat. xviii. 3. flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is 7 Spirit.* Be not surprised that I said unto you, 8 Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth *This conversation between Christ and Nicodemus is a very interesting one. Nicodemus was of the sect of the Pharisees, and a teacher among the Jews. He appears to have been in suspense whether Jesus were the Christ. Expecting a temporal prince in the Messiah, he was probably perplexed at the humble state of the prophet of Nazareth: and yet a conviction of Christ's miracles led him to conclude he was divinely assisted. He came to our Lord with a view 40 obtain satisfaction respecting this extraordinary person, whose miracles had become a subject of great notoriety and astonishment. But he came in a private manner, and by night; probably from a fear of exposing himself to the hatred of his sect. Our Savior informed him that no one could discern or perceive the kingdom of God (or of the Messiah) except he was enlightened by the Divine Spirit. And that a public acknowledgment of the gospel, and professing penitence, (a token of which was baptism with water,) were necessary for those who would become his disciples. The Jews, it is said, in making proselytes to their religion from the heathens, required them to be baptized, gave them a new name, and said they had become new men. To this practice, Christ may allude in his reply to Nicodemus. But it would appear that more than this is meant: Because the Jewish teacher did not understand the declaration of our Savior. And by saying, that a man must be born from above, and born of the Spirit, it is evident Christ had reference to the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit, which are requisite in forming a really good man; or to the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, which his first disciples would receive. The former, we apprehend, our Lord had particularly in view, in this conversation with the Jewish ruler. He would have Nicodemus understand, that he could not be considered a proper member of the Messiah's kingdom, without an open and decided declaration in favor of Jesus, and a change of views and affections; from a worldly temper, to a spirit of humility, self-denial, and hea venly mindedness. where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of 9 the Spirit. Then Nicodemus said unto him, 10 How can these things be? Jesus replied and said unto him, Art thou a teacher in Israel, 11 and knowest not these things? Verily, verily I say unto thee, we speak that we know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not 12 our witness. If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how will ye believe if I tell you 13 of heavenly things? And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he who came down from heaven, even the Son of man, who is in heaven.* 14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be 15 lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting 17 life. For God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him, is not condemned: 18 * Whose home, whose permanent abode is in heaven. What need of other instruction than reason gives? Because reason teaches nothing decisive respecting the divine forgiveness, or a future state of retribution. What is declared in this passage on the former subject, and in the fifth chap. 28, 29, of a future judgment, affords us information of the highest importance, as it respects both the morals and the hopes of mankind; and fully vindicates the divine character in sending an heavenly messenger, possessed of miraculous powers, to establish these interesting truths, |
