The Harmony Chronicle and Order of the New Testament, Part 1 · Section 13
SECTION XIII. JOHN Chap. II. All the Chapter. Water turned into wine. CHRISTS first Passeover after his Baptisme.
THe words, The third day in ver. 1. mean they, either the third day from Christs coming into Galilee, Joh. 1.43. or the third day from his conference with Nathanael, or the third day from the Disciples first following him, they give demonstration enough of the series, and connexion of this Chapter to the former.
It was about the middle of our November when Christ came out of the wildernesse to Iohn at Bethabara, and then there were about four moneths to the Passeover, which time he spent in going up and down Galilee, and at last comes to his own home at Capernaum. Those two passages being laid together, The day following Iesus would go forth into Galilee, Joh. 1.43. And After this he went down to Capernaum, and continued there not many dayes, and the Iews Passeover was at hand, Joh. 2.12. do make it evident that Iesus had now a perambulation of Galilee, which took up a good space of time. So that this first miracle of turning water into wine, was about the middle of our November, or little further.
The Jews marriages were fixed to certain dayes of the week: For a virgin was to be married on the fourth day of the week, and a widow on the fifth, Talm. in chetub. cap. 1. [The reason why, is not pertinent to produce here.] Now if this marriage at Cana, were of a virgin, and on the fourth day of the week, or our wednesday, then Christs first shewing himself to Iohn and his Disciples at Iordan, was on the first day of the week, afterward the Christian Sabbath.
These marriage feasts they held to be commanded, and thereupon they have this maxime, It is not fit for the Schollers of the wise to eat at feasts, but only at the feasts commanded, as those of espousals and of marriages, Maym. in Deah. cap. 5.
At the Passeover, it is half a year since Christ was baptized: and thenceforward he hath three years to live, which Iohn reckoneth by three Passeovers more, viz. Ioh. 5.1. & 6.4. & 18.28. In this first half year he had gone through his forty dayes temptation, had gathered some Disciples, and had perambulated Galilee.
At Ierusalem at the Passeover, in the face of all the people, he acted in the evidence of the great Prophet, and purgeth his own Temple, as Mal. 3.1, 3. doth many miracles, knoweth the false hearts of many, and trusteth not himself with them.
He found in the Temple, those that sold Oxen and Sheep, ver. 14. For some illustration to this passage, take a story in Tal. Ierus. in Iom. tobh. fol. 61. col. 3. One day Baba ben Bota came into the Temple Court and found it solitary or destitute [that is, not having any beasts there for sacrifice.] He saith, Desolate be their houses who have desolated the house of our God. What did he? He sent and fetched in three thousand sheep of the sheep of Kedar, and searched them whether they were without blemish, and brought them into the mountain of the house [or the utmost court, the place where Christ found sheep and Oxen at this time] and saith, My brethren, the house of Israel, whosoever will bring a burnt-offering let him bring it, whosoever will bring a peace-offering let him bring it.
Among other things that Iesus did for the purging of his Temple, it is said, He powred out the changers money and overthrew the Tables. foreign, and so again, Matth. 21.12. Maym. in Shekalim. cap. 1. It is an affirmative precept of the Law, that every Israelite pay yearly half a shekel: yea even the poor, that lives on almes, is bound to this, either begging so much money that he may give it, or selling his coat to get so much.
Talm. in Shekalim. cap. 1, &c. On the first day of the monethmonth Adar, proclamation was made about this half shekel, that they should get it ready. On the fifteenth day of that monethmonth, the Collectors sate in every City for the receiving of it; and as yet they forced none to pay. But on the five and twentieth day they began to sit in the Temple [this was some eighteen or nineteen dayes before the Passeover] and then they forced men to pay, and if any refused they distrained. They sate with two Chests before them, into the one of which they put the money of the present year, and into the other the money that should have been paid the year before. Every one must have half a shekel to pay for himself. Therefore when he brought a shekel to change for two half shekels, he was to pay foreign, some profit to the changer. And when a shekel was brought for two, there was a double profit to be paid for the change.