Introduction
As Jesus and His followers leave Samaria and head back into Galilee, the news about Him has already reached the people and the talk in all Israel is about the new prophet on the scene — Jesus of Nazareth. As His hometown tries to sort through their emotions about who Jesus really is and how they could have missed it, Jesus makes His way a little north, to the town of Cana. Remember Cana? Jesus had been there several months ago and had revealed His glory to His family and first followers at the wedding. Why was He going back to this town? What would He do this time? Take a look.
Reading [You can read as much as you can, depending on your availability]
John 4:43-54
(and)
Luke 4:14-15
Meditating [Use these questions to start your thinking]
- What do we know about this royal official?
- How many different people did Jesus impact through this miracle?
- What do you see as the primary lesson of this passage?
- What other questions do you still have?
Sharing: Text ONE of your answers to the questions above to your team. Each team should post a sharing from a team member in the comments below.
As Jesus returns to the district of Galilee, word of His outburst at the temple during the Passover has already sparked the interest of the people. They are waiting with great expectancy for what He will do as He returns home. News must have reached the large city of Capernaum, where it encountered a family suffering deeply as they watched their son slowly dying.
I can only imagine the pain that this royal official’s family experienced as doctor after doctor told them that all their money could not bring their son back to health. There was nothing more they, as doctors, could do; the rest was in the hands of the gods.
They had all but lost hope when news about a prophet of the Jews reached their ears. We believe this royal official’s family was Roman; living in the large city of Capernaum working for the government of Rome. We do not know for sure, but we do know they are hurting and at the end of their own ability to help their son. They will try anything. Could this new prophet help their dying child? Put yourself in this family’s shoes.
Jesus makes His way back to the city of Cana, possibly to check on the newlyweds. Remember last time He was in Cana, He was attending a wedding. Whose wedding? Some believe it may have been the wedding of one of His family since His mother, brothers, and sisters had been invited to the wedding. Remember also that Mary, His mother, had the inside scoop about the details of the wedding. For whatever reason, we can be sure that Jesus returned to Cana because it was God’s will. Jesus is very clear about this. Throughout His life, Jesus says time and again that He speaks and moves about, not of His own initiative, but as the Father directs (John 8:28-29). He is living by faith and working off the Father’s master plan.
Meanwhile, this royal official makes his way from Capernaum in hopes that Jesus will come with him and heal his son. How does this man know Jesus can heal people? How many people has Jesus healed at this point in His ministry? That’s right — none. Yet, this man is desperate. Parents who have an ill child will do anything to help the child. What I don’t want you to miss here is the incredible faith of this man. He did not know if Jesus would come back with him to heal his son or even if Jesus was able to heal at all. Yet when Jesus says, “‘You may go. Your son will live’” (John 4:50), the man believed Jesus and obeyed. What is that? That, my friend, is faith. Faith is taking Jesus at His word, believing Him and then acting in obedience upon what He has said. You see it here in a real-life example, the faith that Jesus so wanted us, His followers, to grasp. This man displayed a faith that pleased God. The result of his faith was not only that his son was physically healed, but also that he and his whole family believed and were saved (John 4:53).
Are you willing to take Jesus at His word, obey what He has said and live it out (2 Cor. 5:7)?
Jesus moved through life in humble submission to the will of the Father, always in obedience to His Dad in heaven. Jesus lived by faith. We know this because without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb. 11:6) and Jesus always pleased the Father (John 8:29). How about you? Are you living by faith or by sight? Find a friend today to discuss what it means to live by faith. Share what you have been learning.
What do you see as the primary lesson of this passage?
The primary lesson of the passage for me is the importance and impact of taking Jesus at His word, as the royal eventually did in John 4:50. The royal had been begging Jesus to *come* and heal his son *before* he dies, showing that the royal believed Jesus needed to physically be there to display his power and that it was a time sensitive situation. I’m reminded that God has His own timing and reason for the way He works, and that it’s not cause He isn’t listening or distant in His care. Through this event, He shows that He has power over time and space, as we all know that He could’ve healed the royal’s son even *after* he died. If I were to go and act on His word, trusting in the power that sends me, I’d be more blessed in faith seeing His power in action rather than relying on my own understanding and expectations
What do you see as the primary lesson of this passage?
– The lesson I took from this passage was that we must take Jesus at his word, and truly act before seeing the result. So even if we don’t see immediate results we must trust in the lord from the get go! The fact that also the royal officials people were more interested in just seeing miracles and wonders, yet he simply took the word of Jesus was a good lesson as to how one should carry themselves.
I thought today was a nice reminder of how powerful putting all faith into God would look like. Of course it does not come easy because there will be a lot of tribulation that will challenge it but in this passage, more specifically, we see a man who put all his faith in Jesus. No questions or explanation were asked or needed. It makes me ponder on if I was placed in a dire situation will I go to Jesus? The answer is of course. Ultimately, we know without even realizing that Jesus is the only one who can perform these miracles. I remember a story my uncle told me. When he was coming back from a business trip, there was an airplane malfunction. This was a near death experience mind you. So as he was praying to God, he noticed the guy next to him who claimed to be an atheist also prayed. I was honestly amazed by the story and saw the parallels in both today’s passage and the situation that my uncle experienced years ago.
Not only does Jesus impact the official and his son, everyone who witnessed the scene gets a glimpse of just how powerful Jesus is. His healing isn’t limited by proximity, and with only a word he was able to heal. It’s a good lesson on faith. The official expected Jesus to heal, but in a different way. It took more faith than he expected to trust Jesus to heal the way He did. This just goes to show many times we expect the wrong things out of God and His work, when he clearly knows better and in the end His way was definitely the better one.