The Marriage at Cana (John 2:1-10)

We are all familiar with Jesus’ first miracle of turning water into wine at this wedding. For years, there has been speculation that this was actually when Jesus married Mary Magdalene. A straight reading from John’s Gospel doesn’t suggest it, but the hint seems to be buried there in the context.

6:1 ON THE THIRD DAY OF THE WEEK, THERE WAS THE MARRIAGE FEAST IN THE HOUSE OF SHIMON NEAR HYRCANA IN THE LAND OF YEHUDA.

6:2 AT THE FEAST WERE MIRYAM THE MOTHER OF YESHUA, AND HIS BROTHERS YA’AKOV AND YOSEF, AND HIS SISTER MIRYAM SALOME.

6:3 ALSO IN THAT PLACE WERE MARTHA OF BETHANY, THE SISTER OF MIRYAM CALLED THE BELOVED COMPANION, AND ELEAZAR HER BROTHER, WHOM YESHUA WOULD RESTORE TO LIFE. LEVI WHOM SOME HAVE CALLED MATTITHYAHU WAS ALSO THERE, ALONG WITH TOMA CALLED THE TWIN, WHO WAS A FRIEND TO THE COMPANION. ALL OF THE OTHER DISCIPLES HAD ALSO BEEN INVITED.

6:4 WHEN THE WINE WOULD SOON GIVE OUT, HIS MOTHER CAME TO HIM AND SAID, “SOON THERE WILL BE NO MORE WINE.” YESHUA SAID TO HER, “LADY, WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ME? MY HOUR HAS NOT YET COME.” HIS MOTHER SAID TO THE SERVANTS, “WHATEVER HE SAYS TO YOU, DO IT.”

6:5 NOW THERE WERE SIX WATER POTS OF STONE SET THERE FOR THE PURPOSE OF PURIFICATION. YESHUA SAID TO THEM, “FILL THE WATER POTS WITH WHAT LITTLE WINE YOU HAVE, TO EACH ONE A MEASURE.” SO THEY DID AS HE TOLD THEM, THEN YESHUA STOOD AND RAISED HIS RIGHT HAND AND BLESSED THE POTS.

6:6 AND THEREFORE HE SAID TO THEM, “NOW DRAW WHAT YOU NEED, THAT ALL THE GUESTS MAY DRINK THEIR FILL.” HE TOLD THEM ALSO TO TAKE SOME OF THE WINE THEY HAD DRAWN TO THE STEWARD OF THE FEAST.

6:7 SO THEY TOOK THE WINE AND GAVE IT TO THE GUESTS AND ALL THAT WERE THERE DRANK THEIR FILL AND WERE SATISFIED. WHEN THE STEWARD OF THE FEAST TASTED THE WINE, AND NOT KNOWING WHERE IT CAME FROM, HE CAME TO THE BRIDE AND BRIDEGROOM AND SAID TO YESHUA, “EVERYONE SERVES THE GOOD WINE FIRST, AND WHEN THE GUESTS HAVE DRUNK FREELY, THEN THAT WHICH IS WORSE. YOU HAVE KEPT THE GOOD WINE UNTIL NOW!”

6:8 THE DISCIPLES WONDERED AT WHAT HE HAD DONE, BUT HE SAID TO THEM, “WHY DO YOU MARVEL THUS? HAVE I NOT TOLD YOU THAT I AM IN THE SPIRIT AS THE SPIRIT IS IN ME? IT IS MAN WHO SEES ONLY POVERTY, FOR HE SEES WITH THE EYES OF THE MASTER OF THE WORLD. BUT WHERE MAN SEES POVERTY, THE SPIRIT SEES ONLY ABUNDANCE. WHAT THE SPIRIT SEES I SEE, AND WHAT I SEE THE SPIRIT SEES. AND WHAT THE SPIRIT SEES IS.”

6:9 THIS BEGINNING OF HIS SIGNS YESHUA DID AT HIS WEDDING FEAST AT A PLACE NEAR HYRCANA IN THE LAND OF YEHUDA, AND REVEALED HIS GLORY; AND HIS DISCIPLES BELIEVED IN HIM.

Quillan, Jehanne de. The Gospel of the Beloved Companion: The Complete Gospel of Mary Magdalene (pp. 17-19). Éditions Athara. Kindle Edition.

Did you see that word “HIS” in the final verse of this passage? Hmm.

My sister, Anne, quoted from 6:7 that Jesus was spoken to when the Steward of the feast came to the bride and bridegroom. That’s confirmation of it being Jesus’ wedding.