John-Joy in Glory
Orient Today’s passage falls into a larger section of John that we will be in for many months as it encompasses nearly half the book. In it, John outlines the seven major signs used by John to show that Jesus is the Messiah beginning with the first sign shared in today’s reading. His purpose in highlighting these miraculous works to prove the deity of Christ [1] . This passage also contains some text complexity in the form of symbolism: wine for joy, ceremonial jars to represent purity, and a wedding motif reminding us He is the bridegroom as we are His bride. Another difficulty is the dialog between Jesus and His mother Mary. Further study will show based on cultural and translation challenges that the dialog is respectful and defines their new relationship, yet this is not obvious based on surface-level reading. Introduction The first of something is always special. ...