John 2 – Bible Study & Exploration (Chapter 2 Introduction)
The Wine, the Wedding, and the Rapture
(Introduction) When we look at this beautiful passage, we can extract more meaning from it by putting it into proper context. Understanding the cultural significance of the Galileans will help to draw more meaning out of the message.
The village in Cana was located in Galilee. The Galileans were very religious people. They were deeply familiar with the Old Testament (Tanakh) and steeped in the traditions of Judaism. They had close knit communities and shared life events together.
Keep in mind, throughout the Bible, God often uses events to foreshadow future events that are much greater in significance. The wedding in Cana is one of those events.
Let’s take a look at a Galilean wedding.
During the courtship phase of a relationship, the families of both the future bride and groom would come together in agreement of this soon to be marriage. Once both families accepted the arrangement of this engagement, they would plan to meet in public.
This public betrothal would bring them into the next phase of their relationship. Both the future bride and groom would come together with their families by their side in the public square. Many from the community would gather around to watch the engagement process take place.
The Galileans took the marriage of a man and woman very seriously. This was a blessing created by God that the two would live as one in communion with God. Therefore, they shared this important event with the community they lived in.
The two families would gather publicly and the townspeople would surround them to get a glimpse of this Galilean tradition. Something very important is about to take place. A covenant will be offered that will decide the course of this public betrothal.
The Wine
At this point, the future groom would pour a cup of wine. This wine would symbolize the covenant between the two of them. It’s a covenant of their commitment to be married together forever. He would raise the cup to his future bride. If she chose to accept his covenant commitment, she would take the cup and take a drink from it. This would indicate her acceptance.
Does this sound familiar?
“Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” (Matthew 26:27-28)
Then everyone would celebrate. There would be an exchange of gifts between the betrothed. At the conclusion of this event, each would depart to their homes. The future bride would begin the work of preparing for the wedding along with her bridesmaids.
The future groom would return to his father’s house to prepare a place for them. So that when he returns to gather is bride they will have a place to live in his father’s house. So wherever he is, she will also be.
Does this sound familiar?
“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)
The Wedding and the Rapture
The preparation for the wedding ceremony could take as long as a year. The bride didn’t know when the groom would come for her. In essence, she didn’t know on what day or hour the wedding feast would be. Her task was to prepare, then to be patient and endure until he arrived. It could take place at any time of the day or night.
The father of the groom would be the one to decide when he felt all the necessary work had been accomplished. This was the work of preparing a place for both of them to live in the father’s house after they were married.
Once the father felt that his son was finished with the preparations, he would tell him that now it was time to go and gather his bride. The son didn’t know the day nor the hour when his father would say to go and get his bride.
Does this sound familiar?
“But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36)
When the son was told by the father that it was time, he would gather his groomsman. The groomsman would begin the procession down the street to the home of the bride’s parents. He would sound the trumpet, alerting the bride and her bridesmaids as well as the townspeople. Letting them all know that the wedding feast was about to take place. The groom would gather his bride and off to the wedding feast they would go.
Does this sound familiar?
“For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever.”
(1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)
“Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.
Fine linen, bright and clean,
was given her to wear.”
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” (Revelation 19:6-9)
We can now see that much of what Jesus revealed about the kingdom of heaven was modeled after Galilean culture and tradition. It was done so the people of that day would understand what Jesus was talking about. He knew that many people in the future would go here and there to increase knowledge of these things. Just as God spoke through Daniel. So that all generations would come to know what Jesus was revealing to the people of His day.
“But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.” (Daniel 12:4)
Now that we’ve built some cultural perspective around the Galilean wedding traditions, let’s take a look at the opening passage of chapter 2.