John - Chapter 4, Part 2

THE SECOND CANA SIGN

JOHN 4:43-54

In the opening chapters of this gospel, we have seen the strong decline in the spiritual faith (as opposed to the ceremonial faith) of the Jews. We also have seen the work of the Holy Spirit drawing our attention away from them toward Christ alone, and toward the Gentiles.

After Samaria, the Savior leaves the happy scene He experienced there and departs back into an area where He had received no honor among His own. There is an immediate lesson here for us as believers. No matter how successful we are in an area, we should heed the word of God when we are urged by His Spirit to move onward. While it is good to find a place of happiness, finding such a place is not the goal of the Christian walk. The fruit of the Spirit is to obey. Jesus moves onward. 

Prophecy surely makes known the will of God. Since we know that Christ came to do the will of God, He once again fulfills prophecy by this turning back to Galilee. Notice the words of the prophet Isaiah in 9:1-2:

“...in Galilee of the nations. The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined”. Jesus Christ IS that light.

For two days we know He had enjoyed the joys of harvest in Samaria. His spirit had been refreshed. He taught His disciples that His “meat” was to do the will of the Father. Those half-breed Gentiles honored Him, strengthened Him, and believed upon His word WITHOUT the signs and wonders demanded by the Jews. Verse 45 says that these in Galilee received Him because of those signs they had seen at Jerusalem at the feast.

Now we are told that Jesus came again into Cana (verse 46) and notice that the town is described not just by name but by the added phrase “...where he made the water wine...”. Why do we think this addition was necessary and why was it necessary in verse 54 (the last verse) to remind us it was the second miracle in Galilee?

Is it because the two are connected and related with common aspects for us to recall? 

Both were 3rd day scenes – After two days in Samaria He departed into Galilee. In 2:1 we were told the marriage was in the 3rd day.

When Mary approached Jesus He rebuked her. In 4:48 He rebukes the nobleman.

Both works were works of the WORD, a miracle only by speaking.

Both were confirmed by the servants.

Both brought belief, first by His disciples, and then by the man and his household.

There was a certain noblemen, whose son was sick at Capernaum.

The word “nobleman” points to the fact that he was a royal officer, likely in the service of Herod, and was a man of high station and means ( he has house servants). His son lay at the door of death. One who had his position had probably already tried every remedy money could buy. What is the lesson? It is that money is not almighty nor can it purchase the work of the Lord. Also, we know that affliction is a common application of the will of God. It is a good thing when trouble leads a man to God instead of away from God. God's healing (physically AND spiritually) is creation's finest medicine.

We see immediately that the faith or the understanding of the nobleman was small indeed at the start. He asks Jesus to “come down” with him to his home to heal his son, for if Jesus does not come then the boy will die. Jesus had rebuked him in the previous verse by telling him that his belief was already suspect and conditional upon his seeing signs and wonders. The man believed Jesus could heal close up but he seemed never to consider that Jesus could heal from afar. (Remember the Roman centurion who knew and said that Jesus could heal from afar with only a command and Jesus noted that man had shown the greatest faith in all Israel).

Jesus seemed to be saying (in paraphrase) that the man would not trust the healing to Jesus unless he saw Jesus touch and restore the child. Here is a lesson in unbelief that still resides in even the saints today. We seem to wish to tell the Lord how to do His work among us, and we seem at times to only want His help if it is given in the way we wish it. It seems so wondrous to us later that He seems to work best when we step out of His way and simply believe that He can do all!

Jesus now says to the man in verse 50, “... Go thy way, thy son liveth...”. The Lord never turns away a soul which sincerely seeks Him, even with small faith in the beginning. If the heart is truly set upon the Lord, He always responds. Our problem is at times that we do not wish to accept the answer He provides.

The nobleman was a Gentile and the Lord healed his son from a distance of about ten miles (the distance from Galilee to Capernaum). Do we have a scripture teaching that helps us to grasp why this healing was done in this manner? The Jews were in a “covenant” relationship with God and therefore “nigh” to Him but the Gentiles, being “...aliens from  the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of promise...” were “far off” and this fact was clearly reinforced by Jesus. (Read Eph 2:12-13).

Now in verse 50 we are taught that the man “believed the word that Jesus had spoken, and went on his way...”.  Jesus spoke the word of power and the healing was instantly done. His words were “...spirit and life...” which we will study in 6:63.

Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word. How true and serious do we see the result of this healing in John 4? 

In verses 51 & 52 we see first that the man met his servants the next day and they told him the son was healed and when he inquired as to the time of the healing, the answer confirmed that it had been done at the moment Jesus spoke the word. We see also the depth of the new found faith the nobleman now had within him. His inquiry of the servants was of the healing “yesterday”.  He was so sure of the word of Jesus that he did not even go home the day before. His assured faith was twice rewarded. First the boy was healed, and second now the nobleman AND his whole house believed on the Lord. 

What an example for us of the mysterious work of the Lord far and beyond our ability to understand.  A boy brought to the point of death that a man of high position AND the entire household might gain eternal life.