New Testament · Gospel

John 2:1

Water Into Wine

On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there, John 2:1 · Berean Standard Bible
What It Means

John 2:1, in plain English

Three days later, there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee, and Jesus' mother was there.

Why it's here

Jesus' first miracle didn't happen in a temple or on a mountaintop — it happened at a party. He shows up in the celebrations of everyday life.

Who's speaking

John sets the scene for Jesus' first miracle at an ordinary village wedding.

Where it sits in the story

A small-town wedding, a family celebration — and Jesus was right there in the middle of it. He doesn't just show up for the sacred moments; He shows up for the joyful ones too.

A Closer Look

The scholarly reading

On the third day (Greek: tē hēmera tē tritē), a wedding celebration takes place at Cana in Galilee, and Jesus' mother is present.

Language and setting

The 'third day' continues the temporal sequencing from chapter 1 and may carry symbolic weight — echoing the third-day resurrection motif. Cana was a village in lower Galilee, possibly modern Khirbet Qana.

Voice

The narrator introduces the wedding at Cana setting and notes Mary's presence.

Significance

John transitions from the calling of disciples to Jesus' first public sign. The wedding setting is theologically significant — the messianic age was often depicted as a wedding feast in Jewish tradition.

In context

John 2:1–3

1On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,

2and Jesus and His disciples had also been invited to the wedding.

3When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to Him, “They have no more wine.”

Read all of John 2 — At a wedding in Cana, Jesus performs his first sign — turning water into wine. It's a quiet miracle that reveals his glory to only a few.

Understand every verse, not just this one

This page covers one. BibleKey does all 31,102 — tap any verse for its meaning, any word for its Hebrew or Greek root, and keep reading without leaving the chapter.

Get BibleKey

Understand every verse.

Not just the famous ones. BibleKey is free on iPhone and iPad.

Download on the App Store

Free on iPhone & iPad