He Is The Word Who Heals
My knee was swollen to about twice its normal size. It was difficult and painful to walk. After a week of little improvement in my condition, I decided to go to see a doctor. After describing my symptoms and discussing what factors may have precipitated my condition, the doctor began speculating on what was causing the swelling in my knee. Each potential cause that she mentioned sounded more devastating than the one before it. I finally asked the doctor to stop speculating out loud until we could take some images to see what was really going on inside my knee. When a royal official came to ask Jesus to heal his son (John 4:46-54), Jesus didn’t have to ask him any questions about the boy’s condition. He already knew the diagnosis and He already had the prescription…not only for the boy but for the father too! May God bless you this week to believe more deeply in Him and in His word.
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. (John 4:46-47). Cana is the place where Jesus performed His first miracle (turning water into wine). In this scripture, John presents Jesus' second miracle/sign that He is the Messiah. Cana, like Capernaum, was in the region of Galilee, which was more accepting of Jesus than was Judea. The son of an official of the king’s court was very sick in Capernaum. When the official heard that Jesus was near, in Cana, this man of authority and power went to Jesus and begged Him to come to Capernaum to heal his son. We often come to Jesus when we realize that there is no other power that can do what we need done in our lives.
“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
“Go,” Jesus replied, “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, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.” (John 4:48 -52). Jesus’ response to the royal official’s plea seems harsh at first blush ("unless you people see signs and miracles you will never believe…). This was an indictment of the Jewish people and their lack of belief that Jesus was the Messiah. But in the context of Jesus’ purpose and mission (see John 3:16) for coming, Jesus' statement points out that there is a difference between trusting Him enough to heal your dying son, and really believing in Jesus as the Son of God who offers us the healing of salvation and everlasting life. Earlier in John chapter 4, he recounts Jesus' encounter with a Samaritan woman at a well. These chapter 4 encounters (Samaritan woman, Jewish Royal Official) show a distinct contrast between the Jews who demonstrated a lack of faith in Jesus vs the deep faith shown by the Samaritan woman who met Jesus at the well and then evangelized the whole town (John 4:4-30, 39 “come see a man…”). Jesus tested the faith of the official, that his son could be healed with just a word from Him. To his credit, the man didn’t argue with Jesus to come back to Capernaum with him and be physically present to heal his son. He simply believed that his son was healed and the text inferred that he leisurely returned home. Do you believe God only if He does what you prayed for? Or do you believe and trust in His word?
Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed. This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee. (John 4:53-54). The official’s servants met him on his journey back home from meeting with Jesus. They gave him news that his son was healed. He confirmed that the time of his son’s healing was the exact time that Jesus had spoken healing about his son ("your son will live"). Then the official and his whole household believed. As Jesus had asserted, it took the demonstration of a miracle for the man to fully believe. It’s clear from this and other texts that Jesus desires us to have strong faith in Him based on His word, not based on Him performing miracles (John 20:29 blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”). Jesus is Lord and Savior…regardless of whether He performs the miracle that you prayed for!
This royal official was, at his core, just a father who wanted to keep his son from dying. As a royal official he possessed authority and power, but all of his stature and status couldn’t keep his son from losing his life. So he came to Jesus to save his son. In the process, he and his entire household believed and were saved. He came looking for a “doctor” who could heal his son physically. And what he found was the great physician, Jesus, who wants to heal all of us of our greatest affliction. For we are all afflicted, and only He who can provide the spiritual healing that we need. The official’s son was blessed to receive restored health from Jesus, but most importantly, the official and his whole household were blessed to believe in Jesus to receive everlasting life. The word of God tells us that through faith in Jesus we are saved from the affliction of sin…He is the Word who heals!
Blessings,
Rev. Glenn
