Exegesis on John 2:1-11: The Wedding at Cana: Interpreting the Miracles in Our Life

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63931/zmfvem97

Keywords:

Exegesis, Gospel of John, Miracle, Wedding at Cana

Abstract

The passage of the wedding at Cana is a unique Gospel passage, which can only be seen in the Gospel of St. John. In reading such a passage, we can see how Jesus did his first miracle – turning water into wine. Such a scene in the Gospel shows the drama of a mother and a son, showing the parental authority of Mary to Jesus. In the same manner, this passage is full of emotions since there is a wedding feast, Mary is there assisting the servants, and Jesus replied to Mary, which seems to be a kind of hostility. Though Jesus is already with some disciples, we can see how he performed a miracle, showing his divinity, and at the same time, following her mother’s request, which shows his humanity. At first glance, we can say that there is a hesitation in Jesus’ side when it comes to the request of Mary, but there is also an internal force, which made Jesus follow his mother’s request.  Jesus’ disciples saw the miracle. Jesus obeyed his mother, and the servants saw what happened. The host was grateful for having the best wine. These emotions manifest multiple events that happened in a single event in the Gospel. Thus, St. John’s Gospel can be said to be full of signs and unique events on the portrayal of the life of Jesus.

Author Biography

  • Renniel Jayson Jacinto Rosales, De La Salle University - Department of Innovation and Sustainability

    Renniel Jayson Jacinto Rosales is a faculty member at De La Salle University’s School of Innovation and Sustainability. His research interests encompass a broad range of fields, including theology, spirituality, religious education, public health, culture, disaster management, and governance. He serves as the managing editor for several local and international academic journals and has published numerous articles spanning these diverse areas of study.

    Currently, he is working on his dissertation, which focuses on the development of Alay Kapwa Theology and Spirituality—a project that explores the intersection of faith, community service, and social responsibility. In addition to his academic work, he is actively involved in pastoral ministry within the Archdiocese of Lipa, particularly in the Ministry of Social Services and the Commission on Catechesis.

    Through his teaching, research, and pastoral work, Renniel is committed to integrating faith and social action to address the pressing needs of society.

References

[1] Alinsangan, Gil. PESAH. Makati City: St Pauls, 2019.

[2] Barclay, William. The Daily Study Bible The Gospel of John. Vol. 1. Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press, 1975.

[3] Barrett, Charles Kingsley. The Gospel according to St. John. Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1978.

[4] Borchard, Therese. Our Blessed Mother. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1999.

[5] Brodie, Thomas. The Gospel According to John. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993.

[6] Brown, Raymond E. The Gospel and Epistles of John: a concise commentary. Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1988.

[7] Brown, Raymond, Joseph Fitzmyer, and Roland Murphy, . The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Michigan: Prentice-Hall, 1990.

[8] Byrne, Brendan. Life Abounding A Reading of John's Gospel. Makati City: St. Pauls, 2015.

[9] Catholic Biblical Association of the Philippines. The Books of the Bible: A Catholic Primer (New testament). Makati City: St Pauls, 2019.

[10] Clark, George. Clark's Peoples Commentary. Vol. 4. Philadelphia: American Baptist Publication Society, 1895.

[11] Farkasfalvy, Denis. The Marian Mystery. Makati City: St Pauls, 2014.

[12] Freed, Edwin. The New Testament: a critical introduction. Belmont: Wadsworth, 2001.

[13] Kieffer, Rene. "John." Chap. 6 in Oxford Bible Commentary, edited by John Muddiman, & John Barton. New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2001.

[14] Kizhakkeyil, Sebastian, and Kurian Ammanathukunnel. A Guide to Biblical Studies. Makati City: St Pauls, 2018.

[15] Latourelle, Rene. The Miracles of Jesus and the Theology of Miracles. Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1988.

[16] Lightfoot, John. A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica (Mathew - 1 Corinthians). Vol. 3. Oxford: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1997.

[17] McPolin, James. John. Wilmington: Michael Glazier, Inc., 1979.

[18] Perkins, Pheme. Reading the New Testament. Makati City: St Pauls, 1994.

[19] Ratzinger, Joseph. Jesus of Nazareth Part Two. Vatican City: Libreria Editrici Vaticana, 2011.

[20] Vawter, Bruce. A Popular Explanation of the Four Gospels. Vol. 1. Huntington: Our Sunday Visitor Press, 1955

Downloads

Published

2025-12-30

Issue

Vol. 5 No. 2 (2025): The PASR Journal

Section

Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Renniel Jayson Jacinto Rosales (Author)

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Rosales, R. J. (2025). Exegesis on John 2:1-11: The Wedding at Cana: Interpreting the Miracles in Our Life. Philippine Association for the Sociology of Religion Journal, 5(2), 59-71. https://doi.org/10.63931/zmfvem97