Jesus Heals

John 4:43-54

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. 

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. 

"Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe. The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."  Jesus replied, "You may go.  Your son will live."  

The man took Jesus at his word and departed.  While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 

When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "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.  This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.  

Galilee of the Gentiles is also called Syria.  Matthew 4:24  says “News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed, and he healed them.”

Jesus had spent some time in His hometown—Nazareth—during which He taught in the synagogue concerning Himself. 

It’s found in Luke 4: He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read. 

The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.  

He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."  

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him and He began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."

It’s worth mentioning that Jesus stopped there in the middle of v. 2 of Isaiah 61.  The rest of the verse says “the day of vengeance of our God.”  Jesus didn’t say that particular scripture was fulfilled, because He had not fulfilled it yet—but He will!

All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his lips. "Isn't this Joseph's son?" they asked. Jesus said to them, "Surely you will quote this proverb to me: 'Physician, heal yourself!  Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.'"

  

"I tell you the truth," he continued, "No prophet is accepted in his hometown.  I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years, and there was a severe famine throughout the land.  Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zerepath in the region of Sidon.  

And there were many in Israel with leprosy  in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed-only Naaman the Syrian."  All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. 

Many widows, but only to one (in Zerephath, in Sidon)…was Elijah sent.  Although many had need during that time of famine, Elijah only went to one of them.  Naaman (a Syrian) was the only leper healed during the time of Elisha.  They react to these little history lessons by becoming angry (28). 

Why?  Because the miracles were both done on behalf of Gentiles!  God chooses whom He will to heal, to save.  He chose to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles.  Paul said it was to make them jealous, and it worked!

Matthew 4 also tells this story.  Tells when Jesus went to Galilee.  “That it might be fulfilled what it says in the scriptures.”  What was said in the scriptures?  The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.

Now Jesus will heal the nobleman’s son.  The Jews don’t have nobles.  This man was a Gentile.  Two miracles were done in Cana, in chapters 2 and 4, and the Spirit wants them side by side: first water was turned into wine, and then the nobleman’s son was healed.  Similarities: the servants were the first to know, each of these incidents mentioned rebukes, each were done in an increment of 3 days, and the witnesses of each believed.

We sometimes think we know better than God when it comes to His work.  This nobleman brings his problem and asked the Lord to heal his child, saying “come down before my son dies!”  He didn’t realize that Jesus could do it from a distance.  But Jesus did take care of it, and the Lord said it was already done when He sent the man on his way.  Another Gentile, a centurion, also asked Jesus for healing for his servant, but he just said it’s not necessary for You to go—and Jesus commended his faith.

It’s pointed out that the next day he found out his son was healed that hour.  Here’s another of those occasions in which the time is in question.  By Roman time standards it would have been about 1 in the afternoon, but by Jewish it would be 7 p.m.  I think it was probably about one in the afternoon. 

I think this man went on his way believing that God had healed his child.  The fact that he didn’t return home until the next day might be a testimony of his faith—he may not have gone home that night when he could have.  It was only about twenty miles, and it would have been maybe 4 hours to get there at a jog.

Notice that he asks “at what hour did the healing begin?”  But the servants tell him it was instantaneous! 

This is one of three miracles Jesus performs “at a distance.”  The centurion’s servant (Matt. 8:5-13); The Canaanite woman’s daughter (Matt. 15:21-28); and this.   

It’s worth noting that Jesus’ first miracle showed that He has power over time: God can make wine out of grapes over time, but Jesus did so immediately.  Wine is made over time.  He did what the Father is always doing—the body can heal on its own over time.  Now Jesus shows His lordship over space, healing from a distance. 

Do you believe that Jesus is able to touch you, able to do in your life what He has promised?  Do you think there needs to be a special prayer, a certain formula that must be followed?  No—Jesus didn’t follow some particular formula then and He still doesn’t do that. 

Do you think you have to jump through some hoops before you are able to hear from God?  Someone once told me, “God helps those who help themselves!”  I told him, “That’s not in the Bible!”

God loves us and will provide for us (Matthew 6) especially as we seek His kingdom first.  Where are you in this?  Do you believe that God is good?  He is.  May you have faith to believe Him more and more—and may you abound in hope as you do.