“and the prophets” (cf. vv. 21f, 23d, 25d and Luke 24:27) – as the second part of the Hebrew Bible, the so-called “TaNaK”123 –
(wrote) [ ]” (cf. John 6:45; 8:17; 10:34; 15:25 – 20:30–31; 21:24–25) –
“Jesus of Nazareth” (in Greek “Nazaréth” in vv. 45d, 46b – cf. 18:5, 7; 19:19),
“the son of” (v. 42c) “Joseph”124 (cf. John 6:42 and Luke 3:23; 4:22 – “the son of Mary” in Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55) – so the earthly origin/identification of Jesus in contrast to verse 49.
v. 46: “Nathanael” ironically asked Philip with a negative prejudice: “From Nazareth?” (v. 45d) – “Can anything good come /there/?”
As in verse 39b, Philip said to him: “Come and see” – note the imperatives in present tense!
v. 47: In the same way as in verse 42, “Jesus” “saw” (in Greek “eῖden”/“eῖdon”, Aorist of “horáo” in vv. 47a, 48f, 50c) “Nathanael coming to Him” and He started a dialogue with him: “Behold” (cf. vv. 29b, 36b), here “truly /is an/ I s r a e lite125” without “guile/trick/deceit”126 (cf. Psalm 31:2 [LXX]; Zephaniah 3:13 versus Genesis 27:35).
v. 48: “Nathanael” was surprised, asking: “From where127/how do you know me?” – as in verse 42c, Jesus knew “Simon, the son of John”.
“( ) Jesus (answered) … him”: “Before ( ) Philip called128 (you),
when you were under the fig tree129” – note the parallel with verse 50c,
“I saw you” – note the parallel with verse 50c.
v. 49: “Nathanael” declared Him in the form of a creed: “Rabbi” (v. 38e),
“You are the ‘Son of God’” (v. 34b and John 3:18; 5:25; 10:36; 11:4, 27; 19:7; 20:31) –
“You ( ) are /the/ (King130) of I s r a e l” (cf. 12:13 and Mark 15:32; Matthew 27:42) – note the divine/transcendental/heavenly identification of Jesus as a qualitative climax to the earthly origin according to Nathanael in verse 46. Nathanael changed his mind in a positive way.
vv. 50–51: “( ) Jesus (answered) … him”: “Because I told you
I saw you” – note the parallel with verse 48f –
under the fig tree” – note the cross-reference with verse 48e –
do “you believe131”?
Jesus added His saying with a comparative:
“( ) You will see” – note the Future Singular of “horáo” – “(greater) /things than/ these.”
He substantiated His saying after an introductory statement “amen, amen, I say to you” (cf. John [3:3, 5, 11]; 5:24–25; 6:26; 32, 47, 53; 8:34, 51, 58; 10:1, 7; 12:24; 13:16, 20–21, 38; 14:12; 16:20, 23[; 21:18]) in the form of a prophecy as follows:
“You will see” – note the future plural of “horáo” – “Heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending132 on the ‘Son of Man’133” without the seven signs on earth in 2:1–11:44.
We can resume that John the Baptist, Simon Peter and Nathanael confessed with the help of the messianic titles that “Jesus of Nazareth” (v. 46), “the son of Joseph” (v. 46) and “Rabbi” (vv. 38e, 49b), is “the Lamb of God” (vv. 29b, 36b), the “Son of God” (vv. 34b, 49b), the “Messiah” (v. 41c), the “King of Israel” (v. 49c), the “Son of Man” (v. 51e). His first disciples sought (cf. v. 38c) Him and He saw (cf. vv. 42b, 47a) and found (cf. vv. 43c, 45d) them – Andrew, Simon Peter, Philip, Nathanael (and an unnamed person in verse 40a): “Come and (you will) see” (in Greek “horáo” in vv. 39b, 46d) is the invitation for them and also for us nowadays. After His Resurrection, the Crucified “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (19.19) and the Risen Jesus “Christ”, the “Son of God” (20:31), sent134 His disciples (cf. 20:19–23) on Easter Sunday in contrast to the Synoptic Gospels – note the sending of the disciples in Mark 6:7–13; Matthew 10:1, 5–14; Luke 9:1–6; 10:1–16 during Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee.
Chapter 2
The changing of water into wine during the wedding in Cana is structured as a dialogue between Jesus and His mother (cf. vv. 3–4), her and His order to the servants (cf. vv. 5, 7–8). After the description of the changing (cf. vv. 7–8), the Evangelist tells its consequences (cf. vv. 9–10) and concludes the narrative story about the wedding at Cana in Galilee with a general note (cf. v. 11). The Fourth Evangelist inserted the “transitional verse” 12 between the story of Jesus’ first “sign” in Cana (cf. vv. 1–11) and His cleaning of the Temple (cf. vv. 13–22). A note on place (v. 14a: the Temple in Jerusalem [v. 13b]) and time (v. 13: near the Jewish Passover) as an important “theological structure element”135 of the whole Gospel (cf. 11:55) emphasizes Jesus’ action in the Temple (cf. vv. 14–16). In contrast to the Synoptic Evangelists, in John, Jesus celebrated the feast of Passover twice in Jerusalem (cf. 2:13, 23; 11:55; 12:1; 18:39) so that Jesus’ ministry was the last two or three years of the time of His life. The last Passover will be His own Passover as the “Lamb of God” (cf. John 1:29, 36; 19:14 and Exodus 12:5; Isaiah 53:7; Jeremiah 11:19), passing from this world to the God who sent Him (cf. John 13:1). In contrast to the synoptic gospels, the Evangelist of the Fourth Gospel placed this episode at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry – from Jerusalem (cf. vv. 13–25) to Jerusalem (cf. 11:55; 12:1). However, the three Synoptic Evangelists describe Jesus’ (non-verbal) action in the Temple (cf. vv. 13/14–16) and His (verbal) legitimation (cf. vv. 18–20) toward the end of His life, in face of His Passion and Death (cf. Mark 11:15–17; Matthew 21:12–13; Luke 19:45–46). Three comments by the Fourth Evangelist in verses 17, 21–22 and 23–25 – here as “transitional verses” like in verse 12 – come before and after the discussion between Jesus and the Jewish Temple authorities in Jerusalem (cf. vv. 18–20136). The structure of John 2:13–22, 23–25 is as follows:
v. 13: Setting of Jesus’ “Temple protest action”
vv. 14–16: The Temple purification/cleansing by Jesus
v. 17: First comment of the Fourth Evangelist
vv. 18–20: Jesus’ hearing by the Jewish Temple “police” as a dialogue
vv. 21–22: Second comment of the Fourth Evangelist
vv. 23–25: Third comment of the Fourth Evangelist
2.2 From Cana to Cana (2:1–4:54)
Microstructure of John 2
2.2.1 The Marriage at Cana “on the Third Day” (vv. 1–12)
- The Setting (vv. 1–2)
Who: Jesus, His mother (vv. 1, 12), His disciples (vv. 2, 12), the servants/waiters (vv. 5, 9), the master of the banquet/head waiter (vv. 8–10), the bridegroom (v. 9), guests (v. 10 including His brothers in v. 12)
Where: “Cana in Galilee” (vv. 1a, 11)
When: during