John 2:10 - Printer Friendly

ESV: and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now."

NIV: and said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now."

NASB: and *said to him, 'Every man serves the good wine first, and when the guests are drunk, then he serves the poorer wine; but you have kept the good wine until now.'

CSB: and told him, "Everyone sets out the fine wine first, then, after people are drunk, the inferior. But you have kept the fine wine until now."

NLT: A host always serves the best wine first,' he said. 'Then, when everyone has had a lot to drink, he brings out the less expensive wine. But you have kept the best until now!'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”

The master of the banquet, or chief servant, is impressed and surprised by the quality of the wine. However, he has no idea that Jesus had created it out of water (John 2:6–9) . Instead, he gives credit to the groom for saving the best for last. He assumes this was a deliberate, extravagant choice by the married couple.

Questions about whether this was alcoholic wine are answered clearly and simply by a look at the Greek words being used. The reference to "poorer wine" uses the word elassō, which means "lesser, inferior, or younger." The reference to the "good wine" uses the word kalon, meaning "superior" in this case.

Greek includes words which imply consumption, or the drinking-and-swallowing of liquids, such as phago, pinō. Yet the chief servant refers to the time when "poorer" wine was usually brought out by using the Greek word methysthōsin. This is from the same root word Paul uses to warn against drunkenness (1 Corinthians 11:21; Ephesians 5:18). The servant's comment could be translated to say that "once the people are drunk," the poorer wine comes out.

According to the chief servant, and John's recorded words, what Jesus produced was the kind of high-quality wine which would usually be served first. After that wine—the same substance as which Jesus had just created—had made people "a little drunk," lower-quality wines would be served. The Greek terms for grape juice and "new wine" are not used here. While the Bible clearly warns against drunkenness, there is no doubt that what Jesus produced was actual "wine," a fermented beverage, as the word is commonly understood.

John 2:1–12 describes Jesus' first miracle, which is turning water into wine at a wedding. This miracle was discreet and known only to a few people. Changing water meant for purification into wine, symbolic of blood, is a reference to Jesus' role as Messiah. Instead of rituals, we are purified by the miraculous blood of Christ. John specifically uses the Greek word sēmeion, or "sign," for these miracles, since they are meant to prove that Jesus is God. This is the first of seven such signs in the gospel of John.

Jesus attends a wedding where He performs His first miracle: turning water into wine. This symbolizes a transformation of human rituals into divine sacrifice. Few people are even aware that a miracle has occurred. Jesus then drives crooked businessmen out of the temple, scolding them for turning a sacred area into a crass marketplace.

Chapter 2 begins to show Jesus' "signs," or miracles, which will prove that He is the Savior. The miracles will become more spectacular over time, but they start quietly. Contrast is an important part of the gospel of John. The quiet, joyful miracle at the wedding is starkly different from the loud public spectacle of clearing the temple. Jesus' first miracle symbolizes His mission. During the temple clearing, He also predicts His death and resurrection. This sets the stage for Jesus' private discussion with Nicodemus, a respected and influential man.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.