⁴³ After the two days he left for Galilee. ⁴⁴ (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) ⁴⁵ When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.
⁴⁶ Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. ⁴⁷ When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.
⁴⁸ “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
⁴⁹ The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
⁵⁰ “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. ⁵¹ While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. ⁵² When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”
⁵³ Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.
⁵⁴ This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee
Seeing is not believing. Believing comes by hearing the word of Christ.
Context
While this story “rhymes” with the healing of the Roman centurion’s servant in Mat 8 and Luk 7, this is clearly a distinct event. The royal official (basilikos) is likely a Jewish aristocrat in the service of a “king”—Herod Antipas, who oversaw Galilee (on behalf of the Romans) from 4 BC to AD 39—the entirety of Jesus’ earthly life. Yet neither his rank nor riches exempt him from the common sorrows of humanity.
Thoughts
- A Prophet’s Welcome (43-45): Last week we saw the Samartians—ethnically and spiritually despised by the Jews—proclaim Jesus to be the Savior of the world and believe. Reception in Galilee seems to contradict v. 44. But they welcomed him because they’d seen—but not believed—what he’d done at Passover. They’re not after Jesus’ words of life, but rather the wonders that he works—like gawkers at a healing tent.
- A Desperate Dad (46-49): The royal official makes a 20 mile trek to beg Jesus to come and heal his son, who was close to death. Are we men—built by God to protect—ever more desperate than when we experience helplessness in the face of a seriously ill child? Powerful or weak, rich or poor, distinctions crumble, and we are made equal in the clutch moments of life. Jesus’ harsh words are directed at the onlookers, but may also be a challenge to the official simply to trust Him. John reminds us of Jesus’ first miracle at Cana—that wedding was a scene of joy; this is a scene of despair. Jesus is God-with-us (Immanuel) in both joy and grief. Isa 53:3,4 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain… Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering,
- A Household Touched by Grace (50-54): The man took Jesus at his word. This is faith: that the father acts on Jesus’ word, despite seeing no deed—just as the servants at the wedding had obeyed. In making wine from water, Jesus demonstrated his absolute power over the creation (omnipotence). In healing the man’s son, he demonstrates that distance poses no obstacle to his power and love (omnipresence). While he was still on the way… what a long, lonely walk that must have been. This is the pattern of scripture—Jesus works in our lives as we step out in faith: Ten Lepers (Luk 17:12–14); Centurion’s Servant (Mat 8:5-13); Peter Walks on Water (Mat 14:28–31) to name a few. In the father’s obedience to Jesus’ word, an entire household comes to faith. John 20:30,31 Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
Reflections
- Jesus’ words bring life from afar. In what crisis in your life do you need to believe without seeing?
