It was a short trip from Jericho to Cana, but it wasn’t as short as some try to make it. Some have looked for John’s baptismal site in the north, because John the Apostle tells us the wedding was on “the third day.” Assuming that this is the same day as the discussion with Nathaniel, they believe Jesus’ baptism must have occurred in the headwaters of the Jordan River, near the Sea of Galilee.

The answer is that this was the “third day” from when Jesus and the other six men left the Judean wilderness, not the third day from the questioning of John the Baptist. That trip was about a two-to-three-day walk, therefore, understanding this as the third day from when they left fits. It would have been at the end of August or the first few days of September, 29 A.D.

When asked by his mother to help in what was an awkward and embarrassing social failure, Jesus seems to be rude to her. In the English, it almost seems like he is saying, “Why are you bothering me? This isn’t my problem.” But if our dating is correct, there is a deeper meaning to his response.

Jesus would have been just days short of his thirtieth birthday when this occurred. Consequently, he was saying, “My validity as a prophet isn’t effective yet.” At thirty, a scribe could legally teach. It was also the age when Levites could begin their ministry. Age thirty was considered the date of entry into maturity. This comment that it is "not yet my time," may refer to the fact that he was some days short of that acceptable age of maturity. He did what she asked, just the same.

John comments that the disciples believed on him. At this stage, James and John, Andrew and Peter, Philip and Nathaniel, constituted his followers. These six would have been awakened to Jesus’ uniqueness, but not yet fully committed as they later became.