Healing at a Distance

JOHN 4:43-54

NASB

43 After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee. 44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.

46 Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see [a]signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” 49 The royal official said to Him, “[a]Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. 51 As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his [a]son was living. 52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the [a]seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed and his whole household. 54 This is again a second [a]sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

4:48 [a]Or attesting miracles  4:49 [a]Or Lord  4:51 [a]Or boy  4:52 [a]Perhaps 7 p.m. Roman time or 1 p.m. Jewish time  4:54 [a]Or attesting miracle  

NLT

43 At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. 44 He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. 45 Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.

46 As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.

48 Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”

49 The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”

50 Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

51 While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. 52 He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” 53 Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. 54 This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.

I am not a “faith healer.” I don’t hold services in which sick people stand in line, waiting for a touch on the forehead and a shout. I can’t heal anyone, nor am I a “conduit” of God’s healing power. Frankly, the supposed healings performed by certain notable figures bear little resemblance to the “signs” offered by Jesus and His apostles. However, this is not to say I don’t believe in supernatural healing. I do. In fact, I can recall many examples in which the healing power of God left doctors speechless.

On one occasion, a close friend developed a malignancy on the side of his tongue. By the time it was diagnosed, it had spread to the lymph nodes and through a part of his upper torso. As a father of four with a full life and a promising career ahead, he found it necessary to prepare a will, get his house in order, and begin the process of turning his business over to associates.

Several of his friends, including me, were not able to go be with him right away, so we agreed to pray for him. Though we were all separated by many miles, we faithfully prayed and began asking God for a miracle, if that would be His will. We asked that the Lord be glorified in the healing and continued life of this friend. To be perfectly honest, none of us knew the Father’s will for our friend—but we all agreed that our God was able. Furthermore, we loved the man, and we desperately wanted God to snatch him from the jaws of death.

A palpable sense of assurance enveloped us like a warm blanket. Though we hadn’t even met to pray together, we were confident that God would intervene in some unusual way. And did He ever!

Within a matter of days, our friend stepped off a plane in Rochester, Minnesota, for more scans, further examination, refined diagnoses, and if needed, a more aggressive treatment. If anyone could help him, it would be those experts at the Mayo Clinic. And to the stunned amazement of the four-physician team, as further X-rays and scans were taken, no trace of the disease could be found. The obvious explanation was that the original diagnosis was incorrect, but the records were double-checked and the same conclusion reached. His widespread malignancy was unmistakable . . . but all the tumors were now gone. Furthermore, annual re-checks confirmed that they were gone for good.

What happened? Clearly and miraculously, God healed the man.

I have other examples that are no less dramatic. Admittedly, I know of only a handful of cases in nearly fifty years of ministry. Far less than I would have hoped for . . . but, as a fellow minister friend of mine is fond of saying, “If they happened every day, we’d call ’em ‘regulars,’ not ‘miracles.’” Make no mistake: God can and does heal today. And there is no need to find someone with a supposed “gift” to make it happen. He has given us unrestricted access to the throne room of heaven. We are invited to come directly to the Almighty with our most pressing problems and distressing afflictions, and He has promised to hear all of our concerns and to receive our requests with compassion. However, we must keep in mind that the Lord will do what He determines to be right, which may not be what we want or request. At that point, our trust in Him faces its greatest challenge.

— 4:44-46 —

After two days of ministry, Jesus continued on to Galilee, where He had spent His childhood.

Jesus had warned His disciples with the statement, “A prophet has no honor in his own country” (see Matt. 13:57; Mark 6:4; Luke 4:24), especially when ministering in the region near his boyhood home. In this case, John is reflecting on the success among the “foreign” Samaritans and granting us access to Jesus’ inner life. While the present visit was a congenial time among the Galileans, who were perhaps proud of their hometown hero, the Lord kept their goodwill in perspective. When people get what they want, belief comes easily. How will they respond when confronted with the truth? When the true Messiah confronts the “messiah” of their expectations, which will they choose? The days ahead will become a clash of wills—human expectations versus God’s sovereignty. Jesus’ encounter with the royal official illustrates the faith response He desires.

— 4:46-47 —

John sets the location as Cana, the location of Jesus’ first “sign.” A royal official appears to have been conducting business in Cana when he heard that Jesus had returned from Judea. John tells us that the man’s home was in Capernaum, an important town on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, roughly eighteen miles away (about six hours on foot, two hours by chariot).

The term translated “royal official” is basilikos [937] in Greek, which generally refers to something or someone associated with royalty—royal clothing (Acts 12:21), royal territory (Acts 12:20), royal law (Jas. 2:8). The man may have been a member of Herod Antipas’ extended family; however, it’s more probable that he was serving as an official in the royal court. Regardless, he was a man of influence, wealth, and privilege, who wielded significant authority.

We can be certain that his coming to see Jesus did not go unnoticed. And his demeanor did not fit his station. His son lay dying in Capernaum and he “was imploring” Jesus to make the journey. This is a good rendering of the Greek imperfect verb tense, which describes action that is either ongoing or repetitive. In the urgency of his son’s illness, the official cast off any dignity and “kept on begging” the Lord to come.

— 4:48 —

Jesus responded with a rebuke, which appears harsh. “You people” is just the plural “you” in the Greek, identifying the man with a group. Who, specifically, is unclear. Galileans in general? People associated with the royal family? Because the man was an aristocratic Jew, it’s very likely he was one of the Sadducees, who didn’t believe that God intervened in human affairs. They believed each person creates his own fate and therefore deserves whatever fate he receives, including illness, poverty, and death. To have a Sadducee begging Jesus for a miracle was a notable irony.

Because the man was a Galilean standing among Galileans, it’s also likely that Jesus was noting a subtle pattern in their thinking that would become unmistakable later on (6:26-27). The man desperately wanted Jesus to “come down and heal his son” (emphasis mine). This suggests that he saw a limitation in Jesus’ power, one that prevented His healing over a great distance. Furthermore, he presumed to tell Jesus how to conduct the healing rather than simply entrusting the care of his son to the Lord. And, most significantly, he sought Jesus as a means to get what he wanted, not as the Messiah who is worthy of worship.

The royal official located Jesus in Cana, but his son lay dying in Capernaum, roughly eighteen miles away. Jesus healed the man’s son with a mere word, proving that distance cannot diminish His power.

— 4:49-50 —

The royal official would not relent. Facing this kind of desperate situation, he was not an aristocrat, or an official, or a Sadducee, or even a Galilean. He was first and foremost a father, sick with worry over his dying son. Jesus used the man’s vulnerable state of mind to teach him genuine belief. He said, in effect, “Go about your business; your son is fine.”

John says the man “believed the word that Jesus spoke.” How significant! “Belief” is a key feature in John’s narrative; however, “belief” is not necessarily trust in Jesus as Messiah and Savior. When John uses the verb “believe” without an object—as in, “Many people believed” (1:7, 50; 3:12, 15; 4:41)—he describes saving faith, trust in Jesus as Savior. The same is true of the phrase, “believe in Him” (3:16-17, emphasis mine). The man believed what Jesus said to be true, which is an important first step, but not the same belief that saved the Samaritans (4:41).

Clearly, the Lord’s word was enough for this father. John says he “started off,” or “carried on.” It’s the very same verb for “go” the Lord used earlier.

— 4:51-52 —

Someone reading this too quickly might think the phrase “started off” in 4:50 means the man started off for home. A natural response would be to rush home to verify that the boy was indeed better. But a close examination of the details tells a different story. The man didn’t race off to Capernaum. He went about his business in Cana. How do we know? By putting several clues together.

As mentioned earlier, Capernaum was no more than six hours away on foot, two hours by chariot. (Rich people didn’t walk when they had the means to ride!) As the man journeyed home, his servants met him with the news that his son had recovered. Note the time of the healing: the seventh hour (1 p.m.) . . . yesterday. The father didn’t start out for home until the day after his encounter with Jesus.

Jesus said, “Go about your business,” and the man did just that!

— 4:53-54 —

When the man realized that his son’s fever broke at the very hour Jesus declared the boy healed, the man “believed.” Note the absence of any direct object. Whereas before he “believed the word that Jesus spoke,” now he simply “believed.” This is the kind of faith that brings a person into a right relationship with God though His Son, Jesus. It moves beyond mere acceptance of His message to trust in Jesus Himself as Savior, Messiah, Son of God.

The man believed in the Savior, along with his whole household.

We know from the other Gospel accounts that Jesus performed many more signs in Galilee and Judea, and that His growing fame brought multitudes seeking physical and spiritual healing. Before long, a movement began to form as followers fell in behind the rabbi from Nazareth, who also happened to be a descendant of David. They believed His words, and they appeared to believe in Him. They were also looking for a king to lead them. But would they accept the kingdom He promised, or did they want a king of their own making?

As Jesus turned toward Jerusalem, His followers faced a difficult choice.

APPLICATION: JOHN 4:43-54

Easy Believing versus Saving Faith

When D. James Kennedy wrote the text for Evangelism Explosion, a wonderful evangelism training program, he was careful to clarify what we mean by the invitation, “Believe in Jesus.” He first describes what saving faith is not.

The first thing people mistake for saving faith is this: an intellectual assent to certain historical facts. Some people believe in Jesus Christ the same way they believe in Napoleon or George Washington. They believe He actually lived. He was a real person in history, but they are not trusting Him to do anything for them now.[28]

Kennedy calls this kind of belief “mere intellectual assent.” He then describes another kind of belief that falls short of saving faith. “Temporal faith” is a step in the right direction, yet it still falls short.

We might say that when you trusted in the Lord for your finances you had a financial-faith. You trusted in the Lord to take care of your family—you could call that family-faith. You trusted in the Lord to help you with your decisions—you might call that deciding-faith. On trips you had traveling-faith.

There is one element all these things have in common. They are temporal. . . . But saving faith is trusting in Christ to save you—to save you eternally.[29]

John’s story of a father desperate to see his deathly ill son restored to health illustrates the difference between authentic saving faith and other kinds of belief. When Jesus assured the man that his son would live, he “believed the word that Jesus spoke” (4:50). He believed that Jesus would grant his request. Temporal faith. Later, when he realized that his son’s miraculous recovery coincided with Jesus’ word, “he himself believed” (4:53). He then believed in Jesus as Messiah, accepting as true all the Lord’s claims and trusting the Savior for salvation.

What is the nature of your belief? Do you call upon the Lord to save your finances, or restore the health of someone you love, or to keep your family from harm? If so, don’t stop! He wants us to come to Him with all our sorrows and cares. The Lord desires to become an integral part of our everyday experiences. But don’t stop there. Don’t let the extent of your trust end with temporal matters.

Jesus told Nicodemus, “This is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16, NLT). Each one of us is sick with the terminal disease of sin. And justice demands punishment for sin, which is eternal separation from God. Because Jesus, the Savior, paid the penalty for our sin, we may have eternal life . . . by trusting in Jesus to save us.

That’s the kind of belief Jesus calls us to exercise. That’s saving faith.