John 2:1-2

‘And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there, and Jesus also was bidden, and his disciples, to the marriage.'

Note once again the time element, ‘on the third day' (v. 1), presumably the third day after leaving the place where Nathaniel received his call. Or it may be the third day after arriving in Galilee. This series of events from John 1:19 onwards was imbedded in the writer's mind as a vivid memory of a few, glorious, never to be forgotten days. ‘On the third day' does not necessarily indicate that three days have passed. It may simply refer to a day and a half (completing one day, then a second, and the commencement of a third), or perhaps a little longer than three days. It indicated ‘a short period'. Had the writer intended to point to the seventh day he would surely have mentioned it.

‘There was a marriage at Cana in Galilee.' A marriage was a time when the whole town would join together. After the ceremony there would be feasting lasting seven days, and anyone known to the couple would feel free to come (and even some who weren't). Jesus and His mother were clearly known to the organisers, as were possibly the accompanying disciples, for they too were locals. Thus they were all invited. (Although it may be that as Nathaniel actually came from Cana, the combined invitation to the disciples was due to his influence - John 21:20). However, such wedding were often very much open affairs. There is no need to think that all the twelve were there. They had not yet been appointed. They would be appointed later. ‘His disciples' simply refers to those who were following Him at the time, and may have been only two or three. Apart from Philip and Nathaniel we know neither their number or their names. The site of Cana is not yet certain, although it was presumably not far from Nazareth. If Peter and Matthew were not present at the wedding, as seems quite likely, it explains why they knew little or nothing about it.

Such weddings would be occasions of celebration and feasting which helped to make what was seen as the daily grind tolerable during the rest of the time. It was therefore a matter of honour to ensure that they went well. The marriage feast itself would usually take place in the evening, and after the marriage covenant had been signed the couple would be escorted to a specially prepared room, the ‘chuppa'. The feasting would then continue for a number of days, with much music and hilarity. It would be a welcome break from toil and labour. It was a point of honour to ensure that the guests were provided for. To fail to do so adequately would be a matter of great shame.

‘His disciples.' This phrase suggests an early date for the narrative before ‘His disciples' (as in Mark) crystallised into ‘the disciples' (Matthew and Luke). It indicates that the writer still recognised the need to distinguish His disciples from the disciples of the Rabbis and the disciples of John.