Jesus Restores A Gallilean Boy
Notes
Transcript
Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.
For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.
So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.
When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”
The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!”
Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.
And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!”
Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”
So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.
This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.
Intro:
Intro:
A girl prayed, “Lord, I am not going to pray for myself today; I’m going to pray for others.” But at the end of her prayer she added, “And give my mother a handsome son-in-law.”
Anonymous
TS: When you dig into this story, you see several contrasts. Like a minor chord or dissonance, there are two things going on.
On the surface: A father pleads for his sick child and Jesus heals the child
Undercurrent: Little snippets are included which seem to contradict the beautiful story
A prophet not honored in their own country
Y’all keep seeking a sign
This calls into question the motive and hearts of the Galileans and even the father.
This is the central point in John 4:43-54, where Jesus heals the son of a royal official who is near death. The lesson is:
The Lord wants you to move from the foxhole faith that solves your crisis to the mature, saving faith of eternal life.
1. The places (John 4:43–46):
1. The places (John 4:43–46):
A. In Galilee John 4:43-45
A. In Galilee John 4:43-45
Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.
For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.
So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.
They knew of Jesus!
They had seen and heard what He had done
They were ready to hear more
More than that, they wanted to SEE more signs
We know this from the narrative which unfolds.
He went to Galilee, finishing His journey from Judea.
Judea had rejected Him, and thus the proverb: “A prophet has no honor in His own country” is repeated here
People who knew Jesus as a boy and His family often rejected Him and His authority.
Galileans were no exception to this.
B. In Cana
B. In Cana
So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.
Jesus returns to Cana (v. 46) and the scene of the rest of the chapter unfolds
Cana is where Jesus performed His first recorded miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding.
A father meets with Jesus in Cana concerning his son who lies sick in Capernaum.
He was some “royal official” most likely attached to the service of King Herod Antipas, who was tetrarch of Galilee from 4 BC to AD 39
2. The plea (4:47-49):
2. The plea (4:47-49):
When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”
The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!”
Implored means, He begs Jesus to heal the boy.
This is a father’s cry of desperation
Yes, he is a nobleman
Authority and power were his usually feeling
Now it is desperation!
A sick child can bring that out of us.
He perceives the child is at the point of death!
From this point of desperation, the mighty one begs jesus to come to the child’s side and heal him
Reasoning: Jesus is a miracle worker, so I need a miracle!
he wasn’t looking for a Messiah.
He was seeking a sign which benefitted his family
Jesus laments the fact that people demand he perform miracles before believing in him.
V. 48
Unless YOU (plural, Y’all)
The Greek terms used in this verse are plural: Jesus is saying, "you people" want signs and miracles. His criticism is not of this man alone, but of the general attitude people have toward faith. This was a common problem in Jesus' day, and is common in ours as well
See a sign
Jesus used this opportunity to censure everyone for wanting signs and miracles before they would believe.
Here was a man crying out in desperate faith, and the crows was more interested in a wonder worker than a Lord. Jesus rebuked them for superficiality.
Although signs and wonders are good in themselves, it is not valid to view them from the standpoint of a curiosity seeker. Sensationalism is never Jesus’ method.
God doesn't NEED to do anything to prove Himself to us!
Jesus death and resurrection are more than enough
MacArthur Study Bible NASB Commentary
The response of the Galileans was fundamentally flawed because it disregarded the person of Christ and centered in the need for a constant display of miraculous signs. Such an attitude represents the deepest state of unbelief.
Seeking after the latest Sign and wonder
Some today are caught up in that same fallacy
Always looking for something “new”
Seeking the next flashy thing/ministry/program/etc.
V. 49
The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!”
The father continues to seek help from Jesus.
APP: Take your burdens to the Lord
Not to get Him to prove Himself to you, but because He cares
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
As his children, we are instructed to bring our requests before Him!
Pray in the darkness, if there be no light.
—Hartley Coleridge
In the darkest and deepest times of despair, Pray!
We approach Him in faith, not in a demand for Him to prove Himself.
3. The promise (4:50):
3. The promise (4:50):
Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.
Jesus granted His request without even stepping a single foot in the direction of the 16 miles to where the child was in Capernaum
Jesus says the boy will live.
Jesus says the boy will live.
The words the nobleman longed to hear were spoken by the Lord
Jesus declared the child was healed
Reveals His graciousness and sympathy
Regardless of motives and general state of the crowd, this man needed a touch from God, and Jesus gives it!
The nobleman believes
The nobleman believes
He took Jesus at His word
He starts home.
The physical restoration of the boy (4:51–53a)
The physical restoration of the boy (4:51–53a)
And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!”
Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”
So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.
The very time of day Jesus declared the boy lives is the hour of healing
The spiritual redemption of the household (4:53b–54)
The spiritual redemption of the household (4:53b–54)
So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.
This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.
The nobleman went to beg for one child’s life
He found eternal life for his household
Signs can do that! Jesus’ gracious provision of healing did reveal he was Messiah. The nobleman and his family believed.
This is called the 2nd sign Jesus did
This healing is significant because it shows that Jesus' power is not limited by space or time. He can heal anyone, anywhere, at any time.
A. W. Pink (Exposition of John, on monergism.com) says that John wants us to compare the two miracles. He draws seven comparisons, which I can’t mention for sake of time. But the most significant comparison is that the result of the first sign was that the disciples believed in Jesus (2:11); the result of this second sign was that the royal official and his household believed (4:53). That’s the response that John wants all of his readers to make: These signs are written so that you will believe in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, and thus have life in His name (20:31).
But as James Boice (The Gospel of John [Zondervan, 1-vol. ed.], p. 293) points out, there is also a great contrast between the two stories. The first is a scene of joy and happiness; but the second is a scene of sickness, desperation, anxiety, and the shadow of death. Boice says that by comparing the two stories, we are to see that life is filled with both kinds of situations and that Jesus is the One that we need to trust in all the joys and sorrows of life.
Application:
This passage has several applications for us today.
First, it reminds us that Jesus is the Great Healer.
He can heal us of any physical, emotional, or spiritual ailment. And we can have faith that he will heal us, even if we cannot see the results immediately.
Trust Him!
Go to Him with your burdens!
Trust Him to do what is best, not what we want
Second, this passage teaches us the importance of believing in Jesus' word.
Even when we do not understand what he is doing or saying, we can trust that He is good and that He is working for our good.
God is good
That is His nature
God is love
it defines Him
In love, He will do what is best for us
Sometimes that is a no
Sometimes it is a yes
Sometimes it is a not yet
Third, this passage shows us the power of faith.
When we truly believe in Jesus, we are saved from our sins and we receive eternal life. And our faith can also inspire others to believe in Jesus.
Conclusion:
I encourage you to let this passage speak to your heart today. If you are facing any challenges in your life, turn to Jesus and ask him for help. He is the Great Healer and he can deliver you from any situation.
And if you do not yet have faith in Jesus, I encourage you to open your heart to him and receive his gift of salvation. He loves you and he wants to have a relationship with you.