Lesson 1 Student Choice - John 2 - Water to Wine and Cleansing the Temple

This weeks readings covered Christ's baptism and the beginning of His ministry. For my selection, I have chosen to write about Christ's first miracle of turning water into wine and the cleansing of the temple at Passover.

In our assignments, we are given supplemental material to help expound on the scriptures. The institute manual we are using is "The Life and Teachings of Jesus and His Apostles."



With the help of the commentaries in this book, we can better understand the culture and meaning of certain things to better apply what we read. In John 2:4, Christ refers to His mother as "woman." In the commentary, it helps us understand this was not disrespectful but "a title of honor, tenderness and love." So many women can bear the title of mother but by calling His mother by "Woman" showed how much he loved and cared for her.

In the Water to Wine miracle, Christ is asked by His mother to help in the matter of there being no more wine. We are told in the scriptures she tells the servants to do whatever Christ asks of them. He then proceeds to ask for six water pots to be filled with water and brought to him.

What is amazing to me is that amount of wine produced in this miracle. Our institute student study manual tells us that each pot held 2-3 "firkins." It goes on to say that a measurement of a firkin is about 9 gallons. Doing the math (quickly, thanks to the manual) that's about 100 to 150 gallons of water turned to wine. 

As the servants serve the wine, the governor commented about how good the wine was and impressed that the good wine was saved for the end when so many others bring the good wine out first and save the bad for last. Christ's power is good and His miracles are meant to glorify Heavenly Father. If He had made bad one, would it have made any difference? I don't know.

In thinking of Christ cleansing the temple of all the things of "merchandise," in what ways are Christ's action symbolic of what He desires of each of us?

For me, it's cleaning out all those things that would distract me from connecting with my Heavenly Father. As I "clean house," I am able to focus more on the Spirit and hear the whisperings I need to uplift and guide me through the day. None of us are perfect and sometimes "cleaning" becomes a little lax but having the Sacrament every week allows me to recommit to the covenants I make to become more like the Savior.

I hope that you find something in my writing that have touched your heart. Though has started out as an assignment, my goal is to use this forum to share the gospel and the joy it brings to me and my family.