The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-08-23
1HE SUNDAY SCHOOL.


First Miracle Of Jesus-John 2;1-1l.
Especially Arranged from Peloubets Notes.l
GOLDEN TExrThis beginning OF miracles
did Jesus, in Cana OF Galilee. and manifested
forth His glory.-John 2:f1.
HISTORICAL SErTING.--The first year Of Je-
sus' public ministry. The Year Of Beginnings
and the Second Event
TIME.-The latter part OF February tor early
in March), A. d. "a -Four days after the last
lesson.
PLAcE-Cana Of Galilee eight or nine miles
northeast of Nazareth. perhaps the modern
kanet-el-Jeil Dods). about sixty miles in an
cir line north of Bethabara. It was the home
of Nathaniel bartholomew.
JEsUs--At the very beginning of His active
ministry, with Eve or six followers.
CIRCUMsTANCEs-Ino our last lesson we left
Jesus on the way from Bethabara to Galilee,
having added Philip and Nathaniel to the
three or four disciples He had already made.
On arriving at Nazareth, two or three days
later, He seems to have found Els mother gone
to a wedding In Cana. a few miles further on,
and He with His disciples went on to Cana,
where they would naturally fnd entertainment
at the house Of Nathaniel. whose home was
there
LESSON NOTES.
Jesus Wedding Guest.-V. 2. And
both Jesus called Gnvited), and
His disciples, 70 the marriage" This
was natural, especially If his mother
was relative; Nathaniel also lived
there. 1t was according to custom
that strange Jewish rabbi visiting
there should be invited. The disciples,
'.were probably the Ave or six mem
toned in chapter /, viz, Andrew,
Simon, Peter Philip, Nathaniel, and
John himself, and probably James,
Schaff. ~
An Unexpected Need.--Vs. 8, 4.
when they wanted wine:" Better,
when the wine failed. Perhaps the arriv-
al of these six or seven guests caused the.
want; certainly it would make it more
pparent.-Cambridge Bible. Probably
the family of Cana was in. humble cir
cumstances, and hence their supply
was limited. None but those who
know how sacred in the east is the duty
of lavish hospitality, and how passion
ately the obligation to exercise it to
the utmost is felt, can realize the
thrown over the occasion, or the mis-
cry and modification which it would
have caused to the welded pair. r."-Dr.
+. w. Farrar. '"rhe mother of Jesus
saith unto Him, They have no wines"
This was probably said secretly, SO that
the guests would not know the want,
or the family feel disgraced. 1.-The
meaning simply Isl They have no
wine; what is to be !'"-Cam.
Bible.
Why Mary Applied to Jesus.--W The
family in which she was a guest was
in a serious difficulty. (2) Perhaps she
felt in measure responsible, since her
Son and His disciples may have been in
part the occasion of the failure. (3)
Mary had learned during the thirty
years Jesus was with her in Nazareth
to have perfect confidence in Him that
in some way He would be able to re-
lieve the difficulty. (4) She may have
believed even at this time that Jesus
was the Messiah, and could work
miracle If necessary.
4. "Jesus saith unto her: Woman,
what have to do with thee?" The
English words convey an impression of
disrespect and harshness which is alb
sent from the original. The use of the
Greek word for woman" is consistent
with the utmost respect. In Homer,
for example Qliad "a: 3OO), Priam thus
addresses Hecuba, his queen.-Schaff.
The Greek might more fairly be rem
dered lady Bible. Augustus
says to Cleopatra, queen of Egypt:
Take courage, o woman. ."-Lange.
"Mine hour is not yet comes" The
hour for me to begin my public minis
try, accompanied as it is to be with the
working of miracles, the hour for my
Observation-Disclosures. The express
sion implies that though He meant to
work miracle, He would not do so
until the proper time, of which, He was
the best Judge. Cowley- Brown. Not
till the wine is wholly exhausted will
His time arrive; as yet it was only fail
ing; then will be the time to act, when,
by its complete failure, manifest to all,
the miracle will be above suspicion.
Jesus Works Miracle of Helpfulness
VS.. $40. 8. Whatsoever He saith
unto you. do it," This implies that His
mother did not take Jesus answer as q
refusal, but as consent.
6. "And there were set there six
water-pots of stone, after the manner
of the purifying of the jews" The
water-pots were near at hand, in the
court, or at the entrance to the house,
not in the house itself: Containing
two or three firkins apiece:" 'Firkin"
is an almost exact equivalent of the
Greek metretes, which was about nine
gallons. The six pitchers Tor jars),
therefore, holding from eighteen to
twenty-seven gallons each, would to-
gether hold from one hundred and
eight to one hundred and sixty-two
gallons.-Cam. Bible.
z. "And they filed them up to the
brim:" This serves to bring out the
eagerness with which the work was
done. Why such an amount? ~ In
Palestine, wine-growing and wine-
consuming country, where it is not
merely beverage but the bev-
erage of the common people, four
or five barrels of wine would not
seem SO extraordinary a supply as
1t would to us, nor would it produce
any such effect in the consumption as