Jesus' first miracle, turning water into wine at the Cana wedding feast, ushers in his active ministry with chords of celebration and faithfulness. Mary puts her trust in Jesus' abilities, and through her openness to faith, the miracle occurs. As a result, the wedding party becomes more joyful than ever expected. But immediately on the heels of this demonstration and the good feelings it evokes, John's gospel moves to one of the most dramatic, confrontational events in Jesus' ministry.

All four of the gospels tell the story of Jesus' "cleansing" the temple, but the synoptic writers place this combative encounter at the end of Jesus' ministry. Yet John introduces this story at the very beginning. Some scholars have suggested that the pericope originally appeared at the end of John's gospel …