JESUS HEALS AN OFFICIAL'S SON

John 4:43-54

Key Verse: 50

“Jesus replied, ‘You may go. Your son will live.’ The man took Jesus at his word and departed.”

Today we are going to learn of Jesus’ second miraculous sing. Jesus healed a royal official’s son through his miraculous healing power. But people who gathered around Jesus didn’t see Jesus’ miracle because the official’s son lay sick in a far distance. But the official experienced the power of Jesus’ words through his son’s healing. Today’s passage tells powerfully about the power of Jesus’ words and the importance of having faith in his words. May God help us learn what Jesus really wants us to have. May we hold to Jesus’ words of promise.

Look at verse 43. “After the two days he left for Galilee.” In the previous passage, Jesus stayed two days in Samaria. During his stay in Samaria, Jesus had a marathon Bible study with them. His Bible study was so powerful and heart-moving. Most probably, he taught that God is the Creator of the heavens and the earth and he made man in his own image as the ruler of the world. Jesus taught that through one man Adam’s disobedience sin entered the world and enslaved all men and took them to eternal condemnation. Jesus taught the promise of God to send a Savior and the world salvation plan of God. Jesus taught that God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Hearing Jesus’ teaching, the Samaritan people were filled with joy and thanks to God who sent his Son Jesus to the world. They experienced that the burdens of their sins were taken away and their souls were free. They had such a great joy that they didn’t know that already two days passed by. Through the marathon Bible study, they believed and confessed that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus must have been so much encouraged and strengthened by the powerful work of God in Samaria. After two days, Jesus left for Galilee.

Look at verse 44. “(Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.)” This verse is in parenthesis. Obviously, this verse was the author’s comment to compare the spiritual atmosphere in Galilee, his home country to that in Samaria. Unlike the Samaritans, the Galileans didn’t really honor Jesus as the Christ. They were not interested in hearing Jesus’ teaching and in living by God’s words. Perhaps, Jesus had mentioned it to prepare his disciples for the change of the atmosphere. Why then did Jesus go to the place where he would have no honor? Did he go there because it was his home country, where he could live a comfortable life? Not at all! The answer is that a prophet is not to determine the place of his ministry on the basis of difficulty. It is God who calls a person and sends him to his specific mission field. Although Jesus had no honor in Galilee, he served his messianic work in Galilee and raised his disciples as powerful Bible teachers and missionaries who turned the course of human history. God has put us here to serve Canadian campus mission. Whether it is difficult or not, people need Jesus Christ and we are to give our lives for it until many students commit their lives to Christ and serve him. 

Look at verse 45. “When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there.” As soon as Jesus arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Jesus. Yet they didn’t welcome Jesus as the Messiah, the Savior of the world, but as an amazing miracle worker. These people had visited Jerusalem during the Passover Feast and had seen Jesus perform miracles in Jerusalem. No doubt, these Galileans had been amazed by Jesus’ miracles and felt very proud of Jesus, a Hero from Galilee. Then they waited for Jesus and welcomed him with great expectation to see Jesus’ miracles. This did not please Jesus. Jesus wanted his people to listen to his words and obey the words that would lead them to eternal life. Jesus wanted them to live according to his teachings and have a beautiful love relationship with God.

The Bible records many miracles from cover to cover. These miracles reveal God’s power and glory and we are humbled before God Almighty. However, it is interesting to observe that many people became so ungodly and wicked even after they had seen God’s amazing miracles. For example, Pharaoh saw God’s miracles 10 times, but his heart grew harder. The people of Israel had experienced God’s wondrous miracles in Egypt, in the Red Sea and in the desert, but many of them were godless and malicious, while eating manna that was God’s miraculous sign. The Pharisees saw Jesus perform many miracles, but hardened their hearts and murdered Jesus. Somehow, miracles didn’t help them grow spiritually. Miracle seeking faith does not please Jesus. What Jesus wants from us is that we accept his words and live according to his words. Jesus’ word is the word of life and truth through which we can establish a right relationship with God and have eternal life. In view of the Bible, it is the real miracle that we repent of our sins and accept Jesus’ words of promise and live our lives in accordance with his words.

Look at verse 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.” Cana is a small village where Jesus performed the first miraculous sign that he turned water into wine in a wedding feast. When Jesus was in Cana, a royal official whose son lay sick came to Jesus from Capernaum. Who is the man? First of all, he was a royal official from Herod’s court. No doubt, he was a man of power who had connections. He influenced hiring and firing, and how tax dollars were used. Secondly, he lived in the city of Capernaum, located on the northern end of the Sea of Galilee approximately 20 miles from Cana. In Capernaum, he was a wealthy man who had many servants ready to do whatever he commanded. He was accustomed to being treated with respect. Thirdly, he had a son who lay sick. Like any normal father, he loved his son. But his son got sick. Needless to say, he took his son to many different physicians, but his son grew sicker and sicker, and was now at the point of death. What did the official do in this desperate situation?

Look at verse 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.” The official was desperate because his son was close to death. At this desperate moment, he heard that Jesus had returned to Galilee. Out of deep darkness, he could see the bright beam of light. At once, he laced up his sandals and left Capernaum to meet Jesus. He didn’t send his servants, but made the 20 mile trip himself to Cana. When he came to Jesus, he begged him with all his heart to come and heal his son. He must have gotten down on his knees, folded his hands together, and pleaded with many tears for Jesus’ mercy to heal his dying son.

This official reminds us of the movie, “John Q.” John Q was a poor father whose son collapsed as a result of heart failure. In a hospital, John was informed that his son needed a heart transplant. But his insurance would not cover his son’s transplant. Moreover, his applications for public funding were turned down. He sold his truck, furniture and wedding rings, and the church members raised the fund, but he was still far short in raising money. Out of desperation to save his son’s life, John took the emergency room staff and patients hostage until hospital doctors agree to perform the transplant operation for his son. He was willing to die for his son and give his own heart to his son. Later, the doctors found the heart from the other dead donor that matched the boy’s and saved the son’s life. This movie expresses a father’s love for his sick son. Although the royal official was a wealthy and powerful man unlike John Q, he was completely helpless. The only thing left for him to do was to go beg Jesus. Imagine a royal official begging a poor village carpenter. The man had to swallow his pride first. Surprisingly, he did. He was willing to pay any price to save his dying son.

What was Jesus’ response? Look at verse 48. “‘Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,’ Jesus told him, ‘you will never believe.’” Jesus’ response is surprising. It appears as if Jesus was very rude. It seems that Jesus cared for neither the man who begged him with an aching heart, nor his dying son. In fact, Jesus did not address the father’s urgent and earnest request. Rather, he was pointing out the problem of miracle seeking people and the official was the representative of them. To Jesus, the man was also sick spiritually. Jesus saw the miracle seeking mentality in the man just like other Galileans. To Jesus, it was a more urgently problem. The man didn’t believe in Jesus. He came to Jesus out of desperation and just wanted Jesus’ healing miracle. Certainly, Jesus’ response was surprising. But we learn clearly here that Jesus’ priority is to heal our inner person to have faith in Jesus, prior to solving our problems. The last phrase in verse 48, “you will never believe” was Jesus’ cry for those who come to him with a wrong motive. Jesus earnestly wants us to believe first that Jesus’ word is the truth that leads us to his kingdom. Jesus wants us to believe in him and commit our lives to him first. We have many personal and ministry wide problems that need to be solved. We have many prayer topics to pray. But to Jesus, the problem of our practical unbelief and superficial relationship with Jesus is more serious and should be healed first. We must hear Jesus’ rebuke, and his earnest cry, “You will never believe.” Let us repent of our unbelief and restore our relationship with Jesus. Let us love him and commit our lives to him.

Hearing Jesus’ rebuke, the man must have repented of his miracle seeking faith and accepted Jesus as the Lord. Look at verse 49. “The royal official said, ‘Sir, come down before my child dies.’” Here, the word “Sir” in Greek was the same as Lord, or Master. The man accepted Jesus as his Lord and Master. And he urged the Lord Jesus more earnestly to come down to the child quickly.

How did Jesus answer? Look at verse 50a. “Jesus replied, ‘You may go. Your son will live.’” Jesus’ answer was again shocking. The man saw his child dying. He came to Jesus all the way from Capernaum. But Jesus did not show him anything visible. Rather, he simply said, “You may go. Your son will live.” Why did Jesus help the man in this way? In other parts of the gospel story, Jesus went with people who begged Jesus to come with them and heal the sick people. But this time, he didn’t not. Jesus could have gone with the official to the boy and healed him from his sick bed. Instead, he helped him by just giving his word to him, “You may go. Your son will live.” Jesus spoke the words while the dying boy was 20 miles away so that the father could simply believe in his word and experience the power of Jesus’ word and then have faith in him. Jesus wanted him to know that the power of Jesus’ word surpasses the distance, not like the power of a walkie talkie that has to stay within a certain distance. Jesus’ word has the same power that created the heavens and the earth. When God created the heavens and the earth, he did not send his construction team to make the world. He spoke his word and the universe came into being. Jesus spoke his word to raise a dead man Lazarus, “Lazarus, come out!” The power of Jesus’ word can give life to the dead. When Jesus spoke to the royal official, at that moment, the boy was healed. Jesus’ word has power to give life.

What was the man’s response? Look at verse 50b. “The man took Jesus at his word and departed.” The official’s response was also amazing. He accepted Jesus’ word in his heart. He simply took Jesus at his word and departed. His son’s life was at stake. Yet this man responded to Jesus’ word with faith and obedience. He believed that going with Jesus’ words was as same as going with Jesus. He believed that Jesus’ power comes from his words. Yes, the official was right. When we have Jesus’ words in us, we have Jesus in us. Then we will experience Jesus’ power in us.

But it was almost certain that Satan whispered to the man as he was on his way back to Capernaum by himself: “You are a fool. Do you believe just his words? Your son will die.” However, he overcame doubt and held firmly on to Jesus’ words, “Your son will live.” Most probably, he recited Jesus’ words again and again, until his words filled his heart. He struggled like this through one afternoon and evening, and then throughout the night and into the following day. What happened?

Look at verse 51. “While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living.” He was returning to Capernaum with Jesus’ words. The next day he saw his servants on the road. The servants gave him the good news that his boy was living. Perhaps the man felt like jumping for joy. Immediately though, he inquired as to the time when his son got better. He asked this to verify that Jesus’ word had healed his son. A woman wrote down her prayer topics on her prayer book and prayed earnestly. A year later, she flipped through her prayer book and was amazed that God answered her prayers. Experiencing the power of Jesus’ words, the official was now thinking more about Jesus’ word than about his son’s healing. Definitely, this was the sign of his spiritual learning and growth, not a miracle seeking faith. He was learning how to live according to Jesus’ word as his lifestyle. When we have this kind of attitude toward Jesus’ word, we can grow in faith.

The servants answered, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.” “Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he and all his household believed” (53). The father understood that Jesus’ word had healed his son. He learned that Jesus is the Son of God who has the power to give life. Then he led all of his household to Christ. Like this official, those who hold onto Jesus’ words will surely experience the power of Jesus’ word. They will also know that Jesus is the truth and grow mature spiritually.

Through this passage we learned the power of Jesus’ word. Jesus’ word has God’s power. Jesus says in John 6:63, “…The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.” Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the word of God is living and active…” And Isaiah 55:10-11 says, “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” God’s word will not return to him empty. God’s word will accomplish his desire and purposes. Therefore, when we hold to Jesus’ words, we will surely experience the power of Jesus’ words. The problem is that it is not easy to hold on to God’s words. Abraham held on to God’s words to the end and experienced the power of God’s word as well as God’s great blessings. The official in today’s passage experienced the power of God’s words after holding to them to the end. May we be the tight holder of God’s word, particularly our annual key verse and experience God’s power and blessing in 2010.