Did Jesus work miracles before Cana?

Question

We read in Jn 3:11 that the miracle Jesus worked at Cana was first of the signs that revealed his glory. That would imply that the first miracle done by Jesus in public , was at Cana. But is it not possible that prior to Cana incident, he worked miracles in front of a limited audience, say, his parents or close relatives ? The Gospels do not mention any. My question therefore is : Are there any apocryphal writings to suggest that Jesus worked miracles before Cana ? Inputs from scholars of any denomination are welcome.

Answer 1

Did Jesus work miracles before Cana?

The miracle at Cana is Jesus’ first public miracle.

Did Jesus operate miracles before this? Officially we can never know. I am personally inclined to believe that Christ did so, but the annals of history are silent on this subject matter because it does not add anything new to the Divine Revelations contained in the Gospels or other books of the New Testament.

There do exist some Apocryphal Works that relate some miraculous events in the childhood of Christ. But again, we do not know how true these may be.

The Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ has stories of Jesus doing miracle, but in such a way that others may not conclude it was Jesus. Such things as Jesus speaking while still in the cradle.

Chapter 9 has the following story:

When they came afterwards into the city Bethlehem, they found there several very desperate distempers, which became so troublesome to children by seeing them, that most of them died.

2 There was there a woman who had a sick son, whom she brought, when he was at the point of death, to the Lady St. Mary, who saw her when she was washing Jesus Christ.

3 Then said the woman, O my... Lady Mary, look down upon this my son, who is afflicted with most dreadful pains.

4. St. Mary hearing her, said, Take a little of that water with which I have washed my son, and sprinkle it upon him.

5 Then she took a little of that water, as St. Mary had commanded, and sprinkled it upon her son, who being wearied with his violent pains, had fallen asleep; and after he had slept a little, awaked perfectly well and recovered.

6 The mother being abundantly glad of this success, went again to St. Mary, and St. Mary said to her, Give praise to God, who hath cured this thy son.

7 There was in the same place another woman, a neighbour of her, whose son was now cured.

8 This woman's son was afflicted with the same disease, and his eyes were now almost quite shut, and she was lamenting for him day and night.

9 The mother of the child which was cured, said to her, Why do you not bring your son to St. Mary, as I brought my son to her, when he was in the agonies of death; and he was cured by that water, with which the body of her son Jesus was washed?

10 When the woman heard her say this, she also went, and having procured the same water, washed her son with it, whereupon his body and his eyes were instantly restored to their former state.

11 And when she brought her son to St. Mary, and opened his case to her, she commanded her to give thanks to God for the recovery of her son's health, and tell no one what had happened.

The seems to be countless similar stories concerning Jesus, but how to now which ones may be true and which ones are simply pious legends no one can say. That is why they are Apocrypha. There may be a glimmer of true in them, but not enough evidence to support them.

In the end, all I can say is that Christ probably did work miracles before Cana miracle, but we may never know for sure....

Answer 2

Jesus could not perform miracles until he was baptized with the Holy Spirit. That was symbolized by a dove’s form at his baptism. If Jesus then performed a miracle before Cana but after his baptism-it is not told in the Bible. He told his mother in Cana that it was not yet his time. Therefore I believe no miracles yet. (Jesus no doubt already had a reputation as a problem solver. )Then he decided it was his time and performed his “first miracle” and the demonic world went crazy!!!