John 4:43-54: The second sign: Jesus has power over disease

Analysis

Jesus has arrived in Galilee after traveling from the Passover through Samaria and arrived back in Cana where he did his first miracle. The synoptic gospels record that Jesus (Luke 4:29-30; Matt 13:53-58) was driven out of his home town of Nazareth in Galilee shortly after returning from the wilderness when he was starting his ministry.

In the testimony given by John the Apostle, the tables have turned and the people of Galilee welcome him with open arms now that he returns to the town. It is obvious that his fame and word of his teachings and miracles spread throughout the land after the Passover. It is akin to a trouble maker who leaves his hometown and becomes famous somewhere else. Upon his return to the hometown, he is of celebrity status in the eyes of the townsfolk and they welcome him home.

This was good news to an official (officer of the court or the like) living in Capernaum because he had a son that was on the point of dying. From the narration, he believed three things after his encounter with Jesus:

• Jesus can do miracles and might heal his son;
• He believed Jesus did indeed heal his son when Jesus said so; and
• Him and his household believed Jesus to be who he says he is.

The progression from “somebody told him that Jesus can heal” to complete belief in Jesus (v53 “And he himself believed”) is apparent here. Jesus rebukes the man (and the people of the town) first concerning his (their) unbelief (or partial faith) before making that faith whole through the miracle.

It is also interesting that John uses the phrase in v54 “…the second sign Jesus did…” when describing the miracle even though Jesus has, according the synoptic gospels, done many miracles before this. John is making a case for the deity of Jesus. The first sign Jesus did (according to John) was to show how he had power over nature. Here, Jesus shows that he has power over disease.

My Response

Jesus came to save the lost from their sin and not to provide in earthly goods (e.g. health and wealth) and it is through our faith in Jesus that we are saved. During Jesus’ ministry he was given the power to back up his claim that he was God and the healed people of their diseases and demons.

In today’s day and age we have the proof through the bible that Jesus was who he says he is and we are saved through our belief in him.

Jesus has the power over all creation (as there is not one thing he did not create) and we are seeing this power through the eyes of John.