Albert Barnes

His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.”

“His mother saith ... - It is evident from this verse that his mother did not understand what he had said as a harsh reproof and repulse, but as an indication of his willingness at the proper time to furnish wine.”

Jesus told the servants, “Fill the jars with water.” So they filled them to the brim.

“With water - This was done by the servants employed at the feast. It was done by “them,” so that there might be no opportunity of saying that the disciples of Jesus had filled them with wine to produce the “appearance” of a miracle.”

and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.

“And knew not whence it was - This is said, probably, to indicate that his judgment was not biased by any favor, or any lack of favor, toward Jesus. Had he known what was done, he would have been less likely to have judged impartially.”

and said, “Everyone serves the fine wine first, and then the cheap wine after the guests are drunk. But you have saved the fine wine until now!”

“Every man - It is customary, or it is generally done. When men have well drunk - This word does not of necessity mean that they were intoxicated, though it is usually employed in that sense.”

Jesus performed this, the first of His signs, at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

“This beginning of miracles - This his first public miracle. This is declared by the sacred writer to be a “miracle” - that is, an exertion of divine power, producing a change of the substance of water into wine, which no human power could do.”

After this, He went down to Capernaum with His mother and brothers and His disciples, and they stayed there a few days.

“To Capernaum - See the notes at Mat 4:13. Not many days - The reason why he remained there no longer was that the Passover was near, and they went up to Jerusalem to attend it.”

When the Jewish Passover was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.

“The Jews’ passover - The feast among the Jews called the Passover. See the notes at Mat. 26:2-17. And Jesus went up to Jerusalem - Every male among the Jews was required to appear at this feast.”

So He made a whip out of cords and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle.

“A scourge - A whip. Of small cords - This whip was made as an emblem of authority, and also for the purpose of driving from the temple the cattle which had been brought there for sale.”

His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for Your house will consume Me.”

“It was written ... - This is recorded in Psa 69:9. Its meaning is, that he was affected with great zeal or concern for the pure worship of God. The zeal of thine house - “Zeal” is intense ardor in reference to any object.”

Jesus answered, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again.”

“Destroy this temple - The evangelist informs us Joh 2:21 that by “temple,” here, he meant his body. It is not improbable that he pointed with his finger to his body as he spoke.”

While He was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the signs He was doing and believed in His name.

“Feast-day - Feast. During the celebration of the Passover, which continued eight days. Miracles which he did - These miracles are not particularly recorded.”

He did not need any testimony about man, for He knew what was in a man.

“Should testify of man - Should give him the character of any man. He knew what was in man - This he did because he had made all Joh 1:3, and because he was God, Joh 1:1.”

Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a leader of the Jews.

“A man of the Pharisees - A Pharisee. See the notes at Mat 3:7. Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews - One of the “Sanhedrin,” or great council of the nation.”

Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

“Verily, verily - An expression of strong affirmation, denoting the certainty and the importance of what he was about to say. Jesus proceeds to state one of the fundamental and indispensable doctrines of his religion.”

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit.

“Be born of water - By “water,” here, is evidently signified “baptism.” Thus the word is used in Eph 5:26; Tit 3:5. Baptism was practiced by the Jews in receiving a Gentile as a proselyte.”

“How can this be?” Nicodemus asked.

“How can these things be? - Nicodemus was still unwilling to admit the doctrine unless he understood it; and we have here an instance of a man of rank stumbling at one of the plainest doctrines of religion, and unwilling to admit a truth because…”

Truly, truly, I tell you, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, and yet you people do not accept our testimony.

“We speak - Jesus here speaks in the plural number, including himself and those engaged with him in preaching the gospel. Nicodemus had said Joh 3:2, “we know that thou art,” etc., including himself and those with whom he acted.”

No one has ascended into heaven except the One who descended from heaven—the Son of Man.

“And no man hath ascended into heavens - No man, therefore, is qualified to speak of heavenly things, Joh 3:12.”

that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life.

“That whosoever - This shows the fulness and freeness of the gospel. All may come and be saved. Believeth in him - Whosoever puts confidence in him as able and willing to save.”

For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him.

“To condemn the world - Not to judge, or pronounce sentence on mankind. God might justly have sent him for this.”

And this is the verdict: The Light has come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light because their deeds were evil.

“This is the condemnation - This is the cause of condemnation; or this is the reason why men are punished. That light is come - Light often denotes instruction, teaching, doctrine, as that by which we see clearly the path of duty.”

But whoever practices the truth comes into the Light, so that it may be seen clearly that what he has done has been accomplished in God.”

“Are that doeth truth - He who does right, or he that obeys the truth. Truth here is opposed to error and to evil. The sinner acts from falsehood and error. The good man acts according to truth.”

Now John was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because the water was plentiful there, and people kept coming to be baptized.

“In Enon - The word “Enon,” or “Aenon,” means “a fountain,” and was doubtless given to this place because of the fountains there. On the situation of the place nothing certain has been determined.”

(For John had not yet been thrown into prison.)

“For John was not yet cast into prison - See Luk 3:20. The mention of this shows that John was not imprisoned until some time after our Lord entered on his ministry.”

Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the issue of ceremonial washing.

“A question - Rather a controversy a dispute. John’s disciples - Those who had been baptized by him, and who attached great efficacy and importance to the teaching of their master. Compare the notes at Act 19:1-5.”