CONVERSATIONS ABOUT JESUS: MIRACLES
SECOND MIRACLE – OFFICIAL’S SON HEALED (JOHN 4:46-54)
Location of Miracle: Jesus was in Cana; the healing was in Capernaum.
Set the Scene:
o Jesus had just revealed himself as the Son of God to the woman at the well in Sychar, in Samaria.
o Jesus was traveling to Galilee, as this was His new home, since He was not honored in Nazareth.
o Jesus stopped off in Cana, site of His FIRST miracle. He had been in Cana for several days -- long enough for word to reach Capernaum that Jesus was back in Galilee. Immediately upon hearing that Jesus is in Cana, an important man with a dying son rushes up the road from Capernaum to Cana, a distance of about 20 miles, and a rise from the Sea of Galilee of about 1,250 feet, a good two days' journey on foot -- probably less on horseback, since this man was a wealthy official.
READ John 4:46-54.
Big Take-Aways:
o When the man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he made the journey of more than 20 miles. When he reached Jesus, the official addressed him as “Sir,” and begged for Jesus to come back with him to heal his son who was close to death. Even though the man had legal authority, he was submitting to Jesus.
o The royal official had probably heard Jesus when he had come to Capernaum previously (2:12). He has seen him do miracles of healing there (Luke 4:23; Matthew 11:23). He is desperate! He knows Jesus can heal his son, but he must find the Master. His faith is based on the miracles he has seen, but it is strong enough to sustain him on a two-day mountainous journey.
o The father was desperate, and BELIEVED in the power of Jesus. The verb is in the imperfect tense, which means that he asked and kept on asking. He didn't stop or take "No" for an answer. Jesus' first response is a rebuke not just of the official's faith, but of all the Galileans, who were more interested in signs and wonders rather than in who Jesus actually was.
o Time and distance are not obstacles for God’s miraculous powers. Just like the man in this story, we must ask and move forward believing that our prayers will be answered. When we do this, our faith is exercised, and it will grow and be strengthened. We should demonstrate to others how God’s blessings come through our faith in Him.
Call to Action:
John chose to record this particular miracle because it demonstrated that Jesus had the power to heal a dying child 20 miles away. This is the faith that all believers should practice—although we may not see it visibly, we must trust in our faith in God.
No comments:
Post a Comment