Jesus Heals The Official’S Son
JESUS HEALS THE OFFICIAL’S SON
JOHN 4:46-54
This second miraculous sign shows that people are a priority for Jesus.
Jesus returned not only to Galilee but more especially to Cana, the scene of his first sign. The general pattern of his movement is repeated: departure to Galilee (John 1:43; 4:43), arrival at Cana (John 2:1; 4:46), going up to Jerusalem for a festival (John 2:13; 5:1). Here at Cana he performs another sign. This shows his power, even at a distance, to heal and rescue from the gates of death.
The official was probably an officer at the court of Herod Antipas. It is not clear whether he was a Jew or a Gentile. He must have known of Jesus’ reputation as a miracle-worker, so he left his sick son at Capernaum and came to ask for Jesus’ help in his desperate plight. Jesus’ reply seemed off-putting (cf. 2:4). He addresses not only the official but others like him (“you” in 4:48 is plural), deploring their dependence upon spectacular miracles before they believe. But the man’s urgent need shows that there is faith of a kind in the power of Christ to help. It is an appeal from the heart which does not go unheeded. Jesus confidently assures him that his son will live.
The man took the first step to faith by believing Jesus’ word and acting on it. Confirmation of his faith was provided by his servants with their news of the boy’s recovery. Natural curiosity compelled him to seek the extent of the connection with the word of Jesus. The discovery that the healing was instantaneous and simultaneous with it brought him and his household to a committed faith in Jesus. For it is his word which brings life from the gates of death (5:24). So, in the second sign (4:54) as in the first (2:11), individual faith and obedience were matched by Christ’s response, and led to belief in a limited sphere. Is there a principle of abiding relevance here?
Notes Many commentators have suggested that this is a different version of the story of the healing of the centurion’s servant found in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10). There seem, however, to be sufficient differences in detail between the two to make it more likely that this was another, though similar, event. The vivid phrase “Your son lives” comes three times (4:50-51,53; cf. 1 Kings 17:23). It is better taken as present (with KJV and Phillips) than as future. Some have seen the descriptions of “an official” (4:46), “the man” (4:50) and “the father” (4:53) as indicating a progressive revelation of his real self and situation as he drew nearer to Christ. In our spiritual dealings with people we should likewise find them becoming increasingly real to us.