1The third day, there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there. 2Jesus also was invited, with his disciples, to the wedding. 3When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to him, “They have no wine.”
4Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My hour has not yet come.”
5His mother said to the servants, “Whatever he says to you, do it.”
6Now there were six water pots of stone set there after the Jews’ way of purifying, containing two or three metretes apiece. 7Jesus said to them, “Fill the water pots with water.” So they filled them up to the brim. 8He said to them, “Now draw some out, and take it to the ruler of the feast.” So they took it. 9When the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and didn’t know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast called the bridegroom 10and said to him, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the guests have drunk freely, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now!” 11This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they stayed there a few days.
13The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting. 15He made a whip of cords and drove all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers’ money and overthrew their tables. 16To those who sold the doves, he said, “Take these things out of here! Don’t make my Father’s house a marketplace!” 17His disciples remembered that it was written, “Zeal for your house will eat me up.”
18The Jews therefore answered him, “What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?”
19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
20The Jews therefore said, “It took forty-six years to build this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?” 21But he spoke of the temple of his body. 22When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture and the word which Jesus had said.
23Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name, observing his signs which he did. 24But Jesus didn’t entrust himself to them, because he knew everyone, 25and because he didn’t need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.
Some have mistakenly thought that Jesus' reference to His mother as "woman" was a terse, or even disrespectful, statement. This is likely true in today's culture, but apparently not so in the first century A.D. Several instances exist in the New Testament in which Jesus speaks to women in a respectful way, but uses the word "woman" in addressing them. The one usually mentioned is in John 2:4, when He says "Woman what does that have to do with you and me?" On the surface, this seems terse, but her response would not indicate this to be so. Mary told the servants to follow her son's instructions.
In John 4:21 Jesus encountered a woman at the well in Samaria, with whom He carries on a respectful theological dialogue. When the woman said that He must be a prophet because of His insight, He responds with the statement, "Woman, believe me that the hour is coming when people will not worship on Mt. Gerizim or in Jerusalem but in spirit and truth."
When Jesus addressed the Syro-Phoenician woman in Matthew 15:28, whose daughter was sick, He said to her, "Woman, great is your faith" and then He healed her daughter.
Luke 13:12 mentions a woman who was sick, bent over for eighteen years. Jesus observed this, before she even spoke, and said "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."
There is another instance in John 8:10, found only in later manuscripts, but could be an authentic story, in which He addresses a woman allegedly caught in adultery. Jesus is said to have said about her accusers who departed at His challenge, "Woman, where are they?" and so not a negative address due to His use of "woman."
When Jesus was on the cross, near His death (John 19:26), and desiring His mother to be cared for by the young man, John, He said to her "Woman, behold, your son! Then He said to the disciple, Behold your mother!"
Last of all, when Mary Magdalene approaches Jesus early in the morning at the tomb where He had been buried, and thinking He was a gardener, He says to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" (John 20:15)
All of these examples indicate that Jesus' use of the word "woman" was an acceptable noun of address, and in no way demeaning, representing a positive relationship.