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THE HEALING OF THE NOBLEMAN’S SON

John 4:46-53

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     Our study in this lesson, takes us to a place known as Cana of Galilee (John 4:46a).

 

So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine.

 

1.       Cana is a village that is located about 3 to 4 miles NE of Nazareth.

 

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2.       This is the site where Jesus performed His first miracle at a wedding feast.  It was there that He turned water into wine.

3.       It is there that he also performed His second miracle.  However, the miracle did not take place in Cana.

 

B.      This miracle involves what the text refers to as “a certain nobleman” (John 4:46).

1.       Definition:

a.       Strong (937):  regal (in relation), belonging to (or befitting) the sovereign

b.      Thayer:  of or belonging to a king, the officer or minister of a prince

c.       Vine:  royal, belonging to a king

2.       We are not told to which king this nobleman was in service, but his position was prestigious and important.

 

C.     Let’s take a closer look at this event in the life of our Lord.

 

I.                    THE REQUEST OF THE NOBLEMAN (John 4:46b-47)

 

A.     A Successful Man (John 4:46b)

 

And there was a certain nobleman…

 

1.       We have noted this man was a minister to a king.

2.       His position was not one occupied by very many people.

3.       His occupation involved a great deal of trust by the monarch he served.

4.       His position would bring him much wealth and many privileges.

5.       It would be a position that many of us would long to have, especially financially.

 

B.      A Sad Man (John 4:46c)

 

…whose son was sick at Capernaum.

 

1.       This man’s son was sick.

a.       Any sickness would have brought concern on the part of this father.

b.      Verse 47 tells us just how severe the sickness was.  “…for he was at the point of death.”

c.       Verse 52 tells us that part of the sickness involved a fever.

2.       LESSON:  Status, wealth, and power do not insulate individuals from the trials and struggles of life.  If the truth is known, sorrow eventually comes to every home in some manner.

3.       NOTE:  The son is not with this man.  He was in Capernaum.  Capernaum is about 16-1/2 miles from Cana.

 

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C.     A Seeking Man (John 4:47a)

 

When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him…

 

1.       This was still early in the ministry of Jesus.

2.       However, news of the miracle He had done in Cana must have circulated around the region.

3.       This nobleman made the 16.5-mile journey to go to Galilee to find Jesus.

a.       All other hope may have been gone.

b.      This man manifests faith in the ability of this man Jesus.

4.       LESSON:  When we are dealing problems in our lives, we, too, should be seeking assistance. 

a.       Sometimes people seek assistance from the wrong people, people who cannot help, or, people who do more harm than help.

b.      We should be like this man and seek assistance from Jesus the Son of God.

 

D.     A Sincere Man (John 4:47b)

 

…and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son:  for he was at the point of death.

 

1.       There is hardly a time in our lives that we are more sincere and more earnest than when we are fighting for the life of our child.

2.       The text says that he “besought” Jesus.  The word means “to beg, to plead with, and to implore.”

3.       NOTE:  He knows something of Jesus’s power to perform miracles.  However, he is not cognizant of the complete power of the Christ.  However, he will come to know it.

4.       LESSON:  Modern faith-healers will always demand faith on the part of the one they are healing.  Remember, on this occasion the son who is to be healed never manifests any faith at all in Jesus’ power to heal.  The faith is evidenced by the son’s father.

 

II.                 THE REPONSE OF JESUS (John 4:48-50)

 

A.     A Surprising Statement (John 4:48)

 

Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

 

1.       This is a difficult statement to interpret because of the lack of information given in the text.

a.       Jesus had just come from an area where individuals believed him based upon the testimony of a woman, not by the need to see signs and wonders.

b.      He now notes that signs and wonders are specifically needed in order to produce belief.

2.       There are two main explanations:

a.       Some believe that Jesus was speaking solely to the nobleman.

1)      Yes, he had come to Jesus, but it may have been because he was running out of options for his son.

2)      Perhaps he had doubts about Jesus’ abilities. 

3)      Thus, he wanted to see Jesus in action before he would truly believe.  This is why he invited him to his house.

b.      Others believe that this was true not just of the nobleman, but of all in this area of Galilee.  This is based on the fact that word “ye” in the text is not singular but plural. 

3.       This was not a refusal by Jesus.  It was a rebuke because of the type of evidence they needed to believe.  NOTE:  There are some who still need “miracles” in order to believe today.  Unfortunately, the truth of God’s Word is not enough for them (See Luke 16:27-31).

 

B.      A Sober Solicitation (John 4:49)

 

The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

 

1.       The nobleman was persistent.  He did not let Jesus’ rebuke keep him from making another request for Jesus to go to his house.

2.       LESSON:  Sometimes the Lord will not respond to our initial request.  We must learn to keep asking and asking and asking (See Luke 11:8-9).

 

C.     A Stirring Summons (John 4:50)

1.       The Command (John 4:50a)

 

Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth…

 

a.       This man, nor any in the immediate area, are going to see this miracle happen.

b.      Jesus was not going to go to the house with the man.

c.       He had to simply trust in the power of Jesus and the truthfulness of His words.

d.      What a test this would be to the nobleman.

2.       The Conviction (John 4:50b)

 

…And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

 

a.       The nobleman immediately believed the words of Jesus, “and he went his way.”

b.      This causes us to believe that Jesus may have been speaking to the crowds previously instead of directly to the nobleman.

c.       LESSON:  This is how true faith operates.  It does not argue with Jesus.  It does not get angry with Jesus.  It certainly does not fail to comply with Jesus’ words.  It trusts Jesus and does exactly what He says. 

d.      NOTE:  This man will never see Jesus after He departs from Him. 

 

III.              THE REPORT OF THE SERVANTS (John 4:51-53)

 

A.     The Soothing Words (John 4:51)

 

And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth.

 

1.       Somewhere on the road home, his servants met him.

2.       They earnestly longed to get the good news to their master that his son was alive.

3.       What a soothing report that must have been to the nobleman’s ears. 

 

B.      The Scrutinizing words (John 4:52-53).

1.       The Consultation (John 4:52a)

 

Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend.

 

a.       The father was aware of the time when he spoke to Jesus.

b.      He wanted to confirm that this was the same time his son improved.

2.       The Comment (John 4:52b)

 

…And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.

 

a.       Most commentators believe “the seventh hour” was 1:00 p.m. the previous afternoon.

b.      We do know that Capernaum was about a day’s journey from Cana.  After he spoke to Jesus, he may have stayed overnight in Cana.  He could have risen early the next morning to travel home.  If the servants left that morning as well, they may have met their Master between 10 a.m. and noon.

3.       The Confirmation (John 4:53).

a.       The Certainty (John 4:53a)

 

So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth…

 

b.      The Consequence (John 4:53b)

 

…and himself believed, and his whole house.

 

1)      The man already believed Jesus when he went his way.

2)      His faith was strengthened when the evidence proved that his son was healed at the same time Jesus spoke the words.

3)      This man must have told everything to his family.  When they heard, they also believed.

4)      NOTE:  Jesus was fulfilling His mission.  He was seeking to get as many as possible to believe in Him as the Messiah.

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     Jesus knew the son was healed.  The father and those in his house knew as well.  Those in Cana, including Jesus’ apostles did not know, unless they, too, believed the words of Jesus.

 

B.      This man manifested faith in Jesus in three ways:

1.       He had faith in the person of Jesus when he went to him (John 4:47).

2.       He faith in the words of Jesus when he left Jesus’ presence and returned home (John 4:50).

3.       He faith in the power of Jesus when his servants confirmed that his son was healed (John 4:53).

 

C.     The text concludes with these words:  “This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea into Galilee” (John 4:54). 

1.       In Jesus’ first miracle in Cana time and processes were superseded when Jesus turned the water into wine.

2.       In this second miracle, Jesus showed that distance made no difference in His ability to heal.

3.       LESSON:  So-called miracle workers cannot work these types of miracles today.  We challenge any of them to prove they can.