September 26, 2023

John 4:46-54 (HCSB)
The Second Sign: Healing an Official’s Son
46 Then He went again to Cana of Galilee, where He had turned the water into wine. There was a certain royal official whose son was ill at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and pleaded with Him to come down and heal his son, for he was about to die. 48 Jesus told him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” 49 “Sir,” the official said to Him, “come down before my boy dies!” 50 “Go,” Jesus told him, “your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and departed. 51 While he was still going down, his slaves met him saying that his boy was alive. 52 He asked them at what time he got better. “Yesterday at seven in the morning the fever left him,” they answered. 53 The father realized this was the very hour at which Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” Then he himself believed, along with his whole household. 54 This, therefore, was the second sign Jesus performed after He came from Judea to Galilee.

Kim Ivey
From turning water into wine, to healing the sick. Jesus is now in official ministry mode and word is getting around about His “miraculous signs” (Jn 2:2, Lk 4:14). Maybe that is why Jesus said what He did in vs. 48, because many people are surely just wanting to see signs as if they are parlor tricks. Or maybe He’s addressing the fact that the official asks Jesus to walk 20 more miles to physically lay hands on his son in order to heal him. Either way, with His next statement Jesus demands obedience from the official and provides healing all at once. This is just one time that Jesus demonstrates that His work is not to be taken for granted. He required obedience and evidence of faith. The official proved his faith in Jesus by being persistent in his request, and then by turning right around and starting the 20 mile trek back home without Jesus at His side. He believed Jesus when He said “Your son will live!”  I’ve been praying for a specific person for years. My prayer hasn’t been answered yet, and like this government official, I’m refusing to take “no” for an answer until there is no other option. I’m being persistent. God also demands my obedience to reflect Him in this person’s life. I don’t always do a good job of that, because it can be really hard sometimes, but God doesn’t limit our obedience to only the easy things. He may tell us to spend time with that person we don’t like, or have that hard conversation with a loved one, to give money to missions, to help a hoarder clean their house, or walk 20 miles. Do you believe Jesus is who He says He is? Prove it.