John Chapter 2
Showing all 25 verses for John Chapter 2.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there: "
"Two days after that, there was a wedding in the village of Cana in Galilee, and Jesus' mother was there."
I show up for ordinary life and its celebrations, not only for solemn religious moments - real change in a life doesn't need a special stage, it can start in the middle of an everyday party.
"And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage. "
"Jesus and his disciples were invited to the wedding as well."
I bring the people who follow me into real, shared life with me rather than keeping them apart in private devotion - genuine growth happens best out in the open, among others, not in isolation.
"And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine. "
"When the wine ran out, Jesus' mother said to him, 'They have no more wine.'"
I care about the ordinary, unglamorous problems people carry - embarrassment, running short, not having enough - these things matter to me even when they seem too small to be 'spiritual'.
"Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come. "
"Jesus replied, 'Why bring that to me? My time hasn't come yet.'"
I don't let other people's urgency dictate my timing - I act when the moment is right, with my own sense of purpose, even while still caring deeply about the need in front of me.
"His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it. "
"His mother told the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.'"
I don't always explain myself in advance - sometimes trust means simply being willing to do what I ask, and seeing the good that follows, rather than needing every detail first.
"And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece. "
"Standing nearby were six stone water jars, used for the Jewish ritual of washing, each holding around twenty to thirty gallons."
I don't dismiss the old structures people rely on - I work with what's already there and transform it into something more generous and alive.
"Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim. "
"Jesus told the servants, 'Fill the jars with water,' and they filled them right to the top."
I ask for full, honest effort, not half-hearted gestures - when you commit completely to what's in front of you, that's exactly where I can do something remarkable.
"And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it. "
"Then he told them, 'Now draw some out and take it to the master of ceremonies.' So they did."
I invite people to take the next step in faith before they have all the answers - the results often become clear only once you've followed through, not before.
"When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom, "
"The master of ceremonies tasted the water that had become wine, not knowing where it had come from (though the servants who had drawn it knew). He called the bridegroom over,"
I don't need public recognition to do something real - what matters most is often understood first by the ordinary people closest to the work, not by those with the grandest titles.
"And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now. "
"and said to him, 'Everyone serves the good wine first, and the cheaper wine once people have had plenty to drink - but you've kept the good wine until now.'"
I don't give in careful, diminishing measures - what I offer tends to get better, richer, and more generous the further you go with me, not the other way round.
"This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him. "
"This, in Cana of Galilee, was the first of the miraculous signs Jesus performed. He revealed his true glory through it, and his disciples put their faith in him."
I do what I do to reveal who I really am and to build genuine trust, not to perform for a crowd - the people who matter most are those close enough to actually see it and respond.
"After this he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, and his brethren, and his disciples: and they continued there not many days. "
"After this, Jesus went down to Capernaum together with his mother, his brothers, and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days."
I don't rush from one dramatic moment to the next - ordinary days spent together with family and friends matter too, and they're part of a life well lived.
"And the Jews’ passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, "
"It was nearly time for the Jewish Passover festival, so Jesus travelled up to Jerusalem."
I go straight to where the pressure and the crowds are, not away from them - real change often means walking into the middle of things rather than staying safely on the edge.
"And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money siting: "
"In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and money changers sitting at their tables."
I notice when something meant to help people connect with what matters most has been twisted into a system that exploits them instead - and I'm not afraid to name that clearly.
"And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers’ money, and overthrew the tables; "
"So he made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple, both the sheep and the cattle, scattered the money changers' coins, and turned over their tables."
I won't stand quietly by while people are being taken advantage of in the name of something sacred - real care sometimes means direct, decisive action against injustice.
"And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise. "
"To those selling doves he said, 'Take these out of here. Stop turning my Father's house into a marketplace.'"
I protect the purpose of what matters most from being quietly reduced to a transaction - real relationship, real connection, shouldn't be for sale or turned into a business.
"And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up. "
"His disciples remembered that it is written, 'Passion for your house burns in me like a fire.'"
I act out of deep, burning conviction for what's right, even when it costs me something - that kind of passion isn't new, it's part of a much older story of standing up for what matters.
"Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things? "
"Then the Jewish leaders responded, 'What sign can you show us to justify doing this?'"
I expect to be challenged when I confront wrongdoing, especially by those with a stake in how things currently work - but that resistance doesn't make the confrontation wrong.
"Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. "
"Jesus answered, 'Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up again in three days.'"
I sometimes speak about things that won't make complete sense until later - real understanding often comes with time and reflection, not always in the moment something is said.
"Then said the Jews, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt thou rear it up in three days? "
"The Jewish leaders replied, 'This temple took forty-six years to build, and you're going to raise it up in three days?'"
I'm often misunderstood when people take my words only at face value - real listening means being willing to look for the deeper meaning behind what someone says, not just the literal claim.
"But he spake of the temple of his body. "
"But Jesus was speaking about the temple of his own body."
I am the place where you meet what's real and sacred, more than any building or ritual could ever be - genuine connection is found in relationship with me, not confined to a location.
"When therefore he was risen from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this unto them; and they believed the scripture, and the word which Jesus had said. "
"So after he had been raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they believed the scripture and the words Jesus had spoken."
I don't expect instant understanding - sometimes it's only with time, and looking back, that the meaning of what I've said and done becomes clear, and that's alright.
"Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. "
"While he was in Jerusalem at the Passover festival, many people believed in him when they saw the miraculous signs he was doing."
I welcome people responding to what they see me do, but I also know that being impressed isn't the same as truly trusting or following - real commitment tends to run deeper than a first reaction.
"But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, "
"But Jesus did not trust himself to them, because he knew everyone's true character."
I stay clear-eyed about people's real motives, even while loving them fully - genuine care doesn't require naive trust in every enthusiastic response.
"And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. "
"He didn't need anyone to tell him about people, because he already understood what was truly in their hearts."
I see beneath the surface of what people show me, to what's really going on inside - and that deep understanding is what allows me to speak directly to what someone actually needs, not just what they say.