John 4.43-54

43 After d the two days he departed for Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified e that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, f having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For g they too had gone to the feast. Jesus Heals an Official’s Son 46 So he came again to h Cana in Galilee, i where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus j had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, k “Unless you 1 see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down l before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants 1 met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour 1 the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, m and all his household. 54 n This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

John 4:43-54

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43 Μετὰ δὲ τὰς δύο ἡμέρας ἐξῆλθεν ἐκεῖθεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν• 44 αὐτὸς γὰρ Ἰησοῦς ἐμαρτύρησεν ὅτι προφήτης ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ πατρίδι τιμὴν οὐκ ἔχει. 45 ὅτε οὖν ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν, ἐδέξαντο αὐτὸν οἱ Γαλιλαῖοι πάντα ἑωρακότες ὅσα ἐποίησεν ἐν Ἱεροσολύμοις ἐν τῇ ἑορτῇ, καὶ αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἦλθον εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν. 46 ῏Ηλθεν οὖν πάλιν εἰς τὴν Κανὰ τῆς Γαλιλαίας, ὅπου ἐποίησεν τὸ ὕδωρ οἶνον. Καὶ ἦν τις βασιλικὸς οὗ ὁ υἱὸς ἠσθένει ἐν Καφαρναούμ. 47 οὗτος ἀκούσας ὅτι Ἰησοῦς ἥκει ἐκ τῆς Ἰουδαίας εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν ἀπῆλθεν πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ ἠρώτα ἵνα καταβῇ καὶ ἰάσηται αὐτοῦ τὸν υἱόν, ἤμελλεν γὰρ ἀποθνῄσκειν. 48 εἶπεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πρὸς αὐτόν• ἐὰν μὴ σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἴδητε, οὐ μὴ πιστεύσητε. 49 λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ βασιλικός• κύριε, κατάβηθι πρὶν ἀποθανεῖν τὸ παιδίον μου. 50 λέγει αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς• πορεύου, ὁ υἱός σου ζῇ. ἐπίστευσεν ὁ ἄνθρωπος τῷ λόγῳ ὃν εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἐπορεύετο. 51 ἤδη δὲ αὐτοῦ καταβαίνοντος οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ ὑπήντησαν αὐτῷ λέγοντες ὅτι ὁ παῖς αὐτοῦ ζῇ. 52 ἐπύθετο οὖν τὴν ὥραν παρʼ αὐτῶν ἐν ᾗ κομψότερον ἔσχεν• εἶπαν οὖν αὐτῷ ὅτι ἐχθὲς ὥραν ἑβδόμην ἀφῆκεν αὐτὸν ὁ πυρετός. 53 ἔγνω οὖν ὁ πατὴρ ὅτι [ἐν] ἐκείνῃ τῇ ὥρᾳ ἐν ᾗ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰησοῦς• ὁ υἱός σου ζῇ, καὶ ἐπίστευσεν αὐτὸς καὶ ἡ οἰκία αὐτοῦ ὅλη. 54 Τοῦτο [δὲ] πάλιν δεύτερον σημεῖον ἐποίησεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐλθὼν ἐκ τῆς Ἰουδαίας εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν.

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Notes

Jesus heals an official's son Intro : Deliberate placement next to the Samaritans. A contrast. Children's book - The One O'Clock Miracle. This is similar but different to other miracles recorded in Matthew/Mark/Luke. If you saw great works of God, would that help you or hinder you spiritually? cf Difficulties missionaries have had when they return from great success to hard and unremarkable places. Conflating/mixing the love of the wonders God works for the love of God himself. Do you love Jesus for his own loveliness, or the things which he can give you? Note again evidence - believe - life. 1. Unlike the Samaritans, Jesus' own people want signs and wonders before they believe him (v43-48) v43 Two days - in Samaria. v44 a controlling principle here. His patris . I.e., Jewish people and not Samaritans. v45 they 'welcomed him' (John's irony here), since they'd seen what he'd done at the feast. They don't love and trust him for his own sake - unlike the Samaritans. v46 Cana, and Capernaum - map. v46-47 a 'royal one'. Likely associated with Herod Antipas. Desperate since his son was at the point of death. v48 you plural; unless you people see signs and wonders (cf Moses) you will not believe. Significance of the 'therefore'. 2. Jesus heals the boy instantly with a word, and the whole household believe in him (v49-54) v49-50 literally 'your son lives'. With a word. v50 the man takes Jesus at his word. v51-53 again literally his son 'lives'. The very hour; instant healing. Jesus is the Word become flesh, all things created (and recreated) through him. v53 the whole household - including the servants - believe in Jesus. v54 the second sign, also in Cana This miracle is a foreshadowing of the Kingdom, and it shows something of who Jesus is. But why was this child healed, and not others? Miracles: gracious works of a creator God within his creation. To validate and underline his gospel. Helps draw some to faith, whilst others become distracted by the wonder. But miracles themselves cannot form faith - cf Pharoah or the resurrection. Glory of God . He does signs and wonders to authenticate his gospel. He is rich in mercy to heal. FCF . We want signs and wonders before we'll believe. We are 'blinded' by miracles. H1. Insisting on 'more evidence'; yet even Jesus' resurrection is not enough. H2. Needing a constant top up of apparently miraculous intervention. Drawing near to God for the sake of the signs and wonders, rather than his own sake. Some churches grow by the implicit offer that 'come and your life will be transformed'. Person of Jesus . He is the servant of the LORD who works wonders by the LORD's power (like Moses did, but greater). He is in control of all things; even at his word from afar the child is healed. He is the Word of God, the creator. Work of Jesus . He dies for people who claim they want a sign. People demand a miracle from him on the cross. But the greatest proof of who he is lies in his self-giving death; in his utter lack of signs and wonders. His heart in heaven is the same as it was on the cross. Come and believe and find life. Union with Jesus . Trust him and live. Invitation. Come and trust Jesus for who he is, not for his miracles. Confrontation. Stop being blinded by miracles. Consolation. This miracle a picture of our raising and healing, definitively, eternally. Of a comfort so spectacular we almost daren't believe it. Wrap up: Do you love Jesus for his own loveliness, or the things which he can give you?

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