John 4:46-54 (WEL) Then Jesus again went back to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. A certain nobleman was there whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and was imploring him so that he would come and heal his son because he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see miracles and wonders, you absolutely will not believe.” 49 The nobleman says to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus says to him, “Go, your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives.” 52 He then asked them the hour in which he had gotten well. They said to him, “Yesterday the fever left him at the seventh hour [1 p.m.].” 53 Then the father knew that it was at that very hour when Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” So, he believed, along with his whole family. 54 Furthermore, this second sign Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.
V46 Then Jesus again went back to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. A certain nobleman was there whose son was sick at Capernaum.
(Ryrie Study Bible Notes) “Cana was about 20 mi. (32 km) from Capernaum. nobleman. Lit., king’s officer, probably a centurion.”
Now John relates another miracle and Jesus’s dealing with the spiritual condition of this nobleman.
The nobleman is a royal official, but it is not known who he is, his nationality, or position. Many believe he is a Jew because of Jesus’s comment to him about seeking signs and miracles (John 6:26 and 1 Corinthians 1:22).
Principle: Pray to know the spiritual need of a person and the best way to approach that issue, i.e., revealing their lost condition. Even if we make a mistake, God is the one who brings results, not us.
V47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and was imploring him so that he would come and heal his son because he was at the point of death.
He had enough faith to seek Jesus. He had enough love for his child that he sought for Jesus, even though Jesus was not an approved prophet, etc., according to the Jewish leadership.
Imploring Jesus implies a prayer to him. Prayer is talking with God. The nobleman did not believe that Jesus is the Messiah or God, but he did know that Jesus can heal.
V48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see miracles and wonders, you absolutely will not believe.”
This sharp rebuke is just telling the truth, not to shame or bully the nobleman. Sometimes truths must be blunt.
People have a tendency to trust their senses to know truth. This is only partly true, for there are optical illusions, delusions, hallucinations, etc.
If we judge truth based on reality, especially the reality of God and His revelation, faith is easier.
Bridge commentary: “Jesus was in the town of Cana when a government official arrived from Capernaum with an urgent request for Jesus to heal his son. Again, Jesus was careful not to perform miracles to satisfy those who thought of him as merely a wonder-worker. But when he saw the man’s distress, he accepted what little faith the man had and announced that the son would live (John 4:46-50). The man accepted Jesus’ word and set out for home. When he learnt of the time and circumstances of his son’s healing, he came to complete faith, along with his household (John 4:51-54).”
Dr. Henry M. Morris notes: “Obviously, the Lord would not encourage the modern emphasis on signs and wonders as incentives to faith.”
J. C. Ryle notes: “Glassius thinks that our Lord, in these words, intends to contrast the faith of the Samaritans with the unbelief of the Galileans. The Samaritans believed without having seen any signs or wonders at all.”
V49 The nobleman says to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
His request. It is plain and simple. This is a good example of a request. He knew Jesus could heal.
V50 Jesus says to him, “Go, your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and left.
Jesus is going to test his faith. Will this man believe what Jesus says or demand that Jesus come to his son?
Principle: It is better to believe God than to wait for a miracle or sign.
V51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives.”
The man believed, proven by the fact that he went home believing his son would be healed. This faith was encouraged by the man’s message to the nobleman that the son is healed, well, and lives.
Principle: Nothing God says is impossible (Luke 1:37, Matthew 19:26, and Zechariah 8:6 CSB – “The LORD of Armies says this: “Though it may seem impossible to the remnant of this people in those days, should it also seem impossible to me? “—this is the declaration of the LORD of Armies.”)
V52 He then asked them the hour in which he had gotten well. They said to him, “Yesterday the fever left him at the seventh hour [1 p.m].”
Out of curiosity, he asks when. Obviously, it must have been some distance for the nobleman to travel to find Jesus.
V53 Then the father knew that it was at that very hour when Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” So, he believed, along with his whole family.
It was not the miracle that brought the family to faith. The miracle only confirmed his faith. I know of many whose lives were instantly changed when they believed. They were from addictions to bitterness and hate to freedom from those things.
Not only did the nobleman believe, but all the individuals of age.
V54 Furthermore, this second sign Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.
The first miracle was the water into wine. Jesus did do other miracles, but most were not recorded.
Adam Clarke: “John does not mention here the miracles which our Lord did at Capernaum on his first journey, John 2:11, nor those which he did at Jerusalem on the feast of the Passover. See John 2:12; Luke 4:23.”
JFB: “that is, not His second miracle after coming out of Judea into Galilee; but ’His second Galilean miracle, and it was performed after his return from Judea’-as the former was before He went to it.”
J. C. Ryle: “The plain meaning of these words is, that our Lord had worked no other miracle in Galilee before this one, excepting that of turning the water into wine at Cana. It appears likely that many of our Lord’s earliest miracles were wrought in Judæa and Jerusalem; although we have no record of them, except in the second chapter of John’s Gospel. (John 2:23.) This fact is noteworthy, because it throws light on the wickedness of the Jews at Jerusalem, where at last Christ was condemned and crucified.”
We learn:
• Jesus wants faith to save, deliver, and answer prayer.
• Jesus has compassion to heal.
• Faith, regardless of its size, is great or small, is honored by God.
Questions:
• Do you believe God’s words in the Bible?
• Do you demand signs and wonders before you believe God?