THE HEALING OF THE NOBLEMAN’S SON IN GALILEE
John 4:43-54
Morning Meditation 9/30/16
Verses 43-54 say, “Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast. So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.”
Galilee received Jesus the way Nazareth should have. Jesus had traveled as far south as Jerusalem since the wedding at Cana. He had attended the Passover in Jerusalem (John 2:13-25). Now He was returning into Galilee. He went through Samaria on His way back into Galilee and this is recorded in John 4:1-45.
Jesus comes to Cana of Galilee where He had turned the water into wine. Our guide told us that the present Cana is not the Cana of Jesus day. This makes it a little difficult if you are traveling in the Holy Land and trying to piece the story of our Lord’s ministry together. Much is authentic and much is traditional. One of Israel’s major sources of income comes from people around the world who come there to walk where Jesus walked. You have to be careful about the sights and scenes. But it is a joy just to be in the land and be able to relive these events like the one we are presently examining.
Our text says, “So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.” The words “Jesus came again” is drawing attention to His return to the place where He was known as one who turned water into wine. His reputation was growing. John also identifies this as the “second miracle that Jesus did.” The nobleman “heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee.” It is amazing how news travels. Cana was about 20 miles from Capernaum. We think in terms of how news travels in our day. Channel three news reports that Jesus has returned from Jerusalem to Cana the scene of a miracle that He had preformed in turning the water into wine. Well, they didn’t have channel three news. Someone runs to the telephone and calls from Cana to Capernaum and says, “Mom, Jesus is back in our city.” Momma hangs up the phone and spreads the news. The nobleman hears it and says, “I’m going to Cana. If this Jesus can turn water into wine, He can turn sickness into health.” This was not short distance. If you think it is, I challenge you to stop reading this and go walk 20 miles and come back and finish the meditation. I’ll tell you what I would do after 20 miles, I would go to bed and save the meditation for some other time!
How all this came about we do not know. But the nobleman had traveled 20 miles in desperation to save his son from death. When he asked Jesus for help our text says that he besought Jesus that He would come down and heal his son for he was at the point of death. The situation is desperate. Jesus said, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” This statement puts a finger on a major problem with men in that day and this. Man by nature wants a god who will entertain them with the miraculous. Jesus worked miracles for the purpose of confirming His spoken word and authenticating His claim to be the Messiah. But one of His main goals was to get people to believe His word on face value. The nobleman’s response to what Jesus said was, “Sir, come down ere my child die.” Now I feel for this man. He loves his son. He believes if Jesus will come down and stand by the bedside and put His hands on his son, he will be healed. But Jesus solicits faith without some outward sign or demonstration. So Jesus says, “Go thy way; thy son liveth.” The “Go” is in the imperative mood. Jesus gives an order. Faith is a response to God’s Word. What did the nobleman do? Our text says, “And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.”
The nobleman gave up on getting Jesus to go with him to the child’s side. We will have to give up many of our ideas if we are going to walk by faith. He got Jesus point. I think some people live a lifetime and never get the point. They are constantly wanting God to do something miraculous so that they might have assurance that what He says is true. Look at the ministries on T..V. that are popular. It is those ministries that emphasize some kind of outward demonstration. You hear words like, “God was really in the service. People were healed, etc,.” Others say, “That was a dead service. I did not feel God in that place today.” Since when do you have to feel God for Him to be present? Was the Word preached? If it was, the problem is not with the service it is with you. Jesus was making a point. He wants us to believe His Word at face value. When we hear God’s Word or read it, God is there and He is speaking. Faith makes His unseen presence real to our experience. Our text says that the man “believed” the Word that Jesus had spoken unto him. The word “believed” is an aorist active indicative verb. The aorist tense refers to the point of time when he believed. We do not come here believing. We believe as a result of God’s Word taking us away from human rationalism to faith in what He says. The man had to get past his reason. His reason said Jesus needed to be in Capernaum by the bedside of his son. Jesus said it was not necessary. The man came to accept it. Every Christian is constantly having to deal with the temptation to trust human rationalism rather then taking God at His Word.
Then there is the problem of trying to think through how God is going to do a thing. The nobleman started home. We are told that his servants met him and said to him, “Thy son liveth.” Then our text says, “Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend.” This enquiry reveals that he expected a gradual cure. In other words, he probably understood Jesus to say, “Go. Your son will not die.” But the servants said, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The word “hour” means a “certain definite time.” The word “left” is aorist tense and refers to the point of time. It happened suddenly. Verse 53 says, “So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.” Do you get the idea that this man did not have a lot of faith? And do you get the idea that Jesus is willing to work with people who have a very little faith but who are willing to exercise the little that they have? I don’t know about you, but, this is a tremendous encouragement to me.
This whole thing took place in Galilee where my wife and I recently visited. It is hard to imagine what it was like in that day. It is different today. But it is still the same land and identified by the same name.
Faith in Christ and His Word has not changed. It is identical. Jesus does not have to be standing in a body next to your sick loved ones to heal. To believe His Word is enough. To require more is unbelief. He can do it from where He is. I need to ask myself, “Am I willing to believe without a miracle?” Is He really trustworthy? Can His Word be counted on? It is not a GREAT FAITH I need. It is faith period. John said, “For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith” (1 John 5:4). Faith does not GET the victory. It IS the victory according to this verse.
May God bless these words to our hearts.
In Christ
Bro. White
