43 After the two days he departed for Galilee 44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.
46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
John 4:43-54
Following Jesus’ two-day ministry in Samaria, He went on to Galilee. He wasn’t honored in Nazareth, but the Galileans welcomed Him because they had seen everything He had done in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration.
As He traveled through Galilee, He came to Cana where He had turned water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. This implies that the official worked for Herod and was either in the bloodline or held an office in Herod’s government. Herod was not a Jew, so we believe the official was not either. When He heard 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.
Jesus asked the crowd around Him if they would believe only if they could see Him perform miracles. A faith built on signs and wonders is not a complete faith. Faith in Jesus alone is absolutely necessary.
The official pleaded with Jesus to heal his son, and Jesus told him it would be done. The man believed what Jesus said and started home. Did the father really believe? Notice in verse 52 he did not even go home until the following day. Now that is faith! If we compare this to the Centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5-13), it is interesting how Jesus answered these two Gentile officials’ requests from a distance. They apparently believed Jesus much easier than the Jews did because they had no preconceived notions of Jesus.
Twice in this chapter we read about the testimony of a believer – the Samaritan woman and the Gentile official – bringing others to Jesus. Both of these signs demonstrated that Jesus was the promised Messiah and Son of God.
*When you have testified of what Jesus has done for you, what happened?
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