The Hour of Jesus and the Wedding Feast at Cana (John 2:1-11)

Abstract

The leading theme of this article is the enigmatic “hour” as revealed in the account at Cana (John 2:1-11). Jesus’ words to his mother, οὔπω ἥκει ἡ ὥρα μου (2:4), are considered obscure and difficult to interpret, causing an intriguing and unresolved controversy within Johannine scholarship. Most exegetes agree that this phrase is to be taken as a denial. According to them, Jesus announces that his hour has not yet come, because this “hour” is bound to the hour when “the Son of Man is glorified,” alluding to his being lifted up on the Cross and raised up “on the third day.” However, there is another solution suggested by a significant number of scholars. They propose reading Jesus’ words οὔπω ἥκει ἡ ὥρα μου as a question, which better guarantees the overall coherence of the story in light of the wider OT context. This interpretation focuses specifically on the temporal indication of “the third day,” the biblical image of the wedding, and the abundance and high quality of the wine, a beginning of signs and of the revelation of Jesus’ glory which serve to stimulate the faith of his disciples. In this view, this multiplicity of themes indicates that the meaning of the “hour” lies in the motif of fulfillment. Jesus is the Messiah who brings to perfection all that has been foretold in Scripture. His “hour” begins “now” and continues throughout his public life until it reaches its ultimate fulfillment in the glory of his Cross and Resurrection. The present article is focused, therefore, on investigating the interrelations among the main biblical themes brought to the fore in the Cana narrative, and their meanings in relation to the “hour” of Jesus.