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Jesus Heals


John 4 (8-9-17) Lecture Notes

St. Joseph Missionary Baptist Church

Wed Night Bible Study

JOHN 4:43-54

Dr. E.C. Gregory, PhD – Bible Facilitator                                8-9-17                                Dr. H.T. Rhim, Pastor

BEGINNING OF JESUS’ HEALING MINISTRY

John 4:43-54 (NLT) 
43  At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee.
44  He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown.
45  Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.
46  As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick.
47  When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.
48  Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”
49  The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”
50  Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.
51  While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well.
52  He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!”
53  Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus.
54  This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.

4:43-45. After His two-day ministry in Samaria, Jesus and His disciples continued north into Galilee. Now Jesus Himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country. Generally Galilee was more favorable to Him, but even there men tried to kill Him (Luke 4:18-30). They had been impressed by His clearing the temple at the Passover feast (2:13-22) and His miracles (2:23). But the people’s enthusiasm for the Healer (cf. Mark 5:2124b) did not always indicate they had faith in Him.

4:46-47. The certain royal official is not identified. He could have been a Gentile or a Jew, a centurion, or a minor official in Herod’s court. Possibly he was a Jew because Jesus included him among the people who desire signs and wonders (v. 48; cf. 1 Cor. 1:22). His son had been sick, and undoubtedly he had exhausted all the local means at his disposal.

4:48. Jesus’ address to him, though sharp, was necessary. A faith built only on miraculous signs is not a complete faith (cf. 2:23-25). Many (you people) hesitate to believe in Jesus apart from seeing miraculous signs and wonders. Faith in Jesus is absolutely necessary (cf. Matt. 16:1-4).

4:49. The official was in no position emotionally to argue his case theologically. All he could plead for was mercy, for his child was at the point of death.

4:50. Jesus’ calm reply to the official’s desperate request created a crisis. Jesus announced, you may go. Your son will live. If the official really believed that Jesus could make a difference in Capernaum, he must also believe Him now in Cana. So he took Jesus at His word and left.

4:51-53. On the way back the official must have pondered Jesus’ promise every step of his journey. His servants met him with good news. His boy was living. The official asked when his son recovered. The healing was no accident, for it occurred at the exact moment Jesus made His promise to him. It was at the seventh hour, which by Roman time was 7:00 in the evening. The man’s faith grew, and he brought all his household to faith. The lesson of this incident is that Jesus’ power is able to save from death even at a great distance. His Word has power to work; people are simply to believe His Word.

4:54. Both signs in Galilee (changing the water into wine [2:1-11] and healing the official’s son) demonstrate that Jesus is the Promised One. Yet both signs had a certain hidden aspect to them. Only the disciples and some servants saw His miracle at the wedding, and this healing was not in public view.

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