Q: Can you explain the wedding story in John 2? It sounds to me like Jesus was being disrespectful to His mother.  —Sylvia

A: Jesus’ response as translated in some English versions can be puzzling. For instance:

 “Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come” (John 2:4 AV).

“Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come” (John 2:4 NKJV).

Jesus meant no disrespect to Mary. The word “woman” (gunai) sounds more impersonal and harsh in English than it would have sounded to Greek speakers. This is the same word He used when he spoke from the cross, placing his mother in the care of His beloved disciple: “Dear woman, here is your son” (John 19:26).

His intent in John 2 wasn’t to rebuke Mary, but to reminder her that He couldn’t decide on His own when to reveal His calling as the promised Messiah. He must act in submission to the Holy Spirit.

The New International Version seems to best capture the meaning of the verse well:

“Dear woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied, “My time has not yet come.”

William Hendriksen offers a clear explanation of John 2:4:

“When the Lord said, ‘Woman,’ he did not indulge in rudeness. On the contrary, it was very kind of him to emphasize, by the use of this word, that Mary must no longer think of him as being merely her son; for, the more she conceives of him as her son, the more also will she suffer when he suffers. Mary must begin to look upon Jesus as her Lord. The words, ‘My hour has not yet come,’ clearly indicate Christ’s consciousness of the fact that he was accomplishing a task entrusted to him by the Father, every detail of which had been definitely marked off in the eternal decree, so that for each act there was a stipulated moment. (See also John 7:6-8, 7:30, 8:20, 12:23, 13:1, 17:1). When Jesus knew that this moment had arrived, he would act, not before.”

—Dan Vander Lugt

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