John 4:46, commentary and pictures

Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine, and there a Jewish nobleman and royal officer from Capernaum, more than twenty miles away, sought Him because his son lay gravely ill with a disease physicians called incurable and near death. Though fearing the child would die in his absence and faltering at seeing only a plain, travel-worn man, the father hastened to Cana believing the One who had worked the earlier miracle could raise his son even from the brink of the grave and begged Jesus to come to the bedside. Jesus did not go down to Capernaum but healed the child at a distance by His spoken word that the boy lives, and at that same hour the fever suddenly left him with full health and strength, clear mind and peaceful sleep, so that servants met the father on the way home and the child greeted him radiant as one restored from the dead. The father believed the word with perfect faith and turned homeward in peace and solemn assurance, trusting with confidence before he knew the outcome. At first his faith had been shallow and conditional, wanting to believe only if Jesus granted the temporal favor and performed a sign, blind to his own spiritual need, like many Jews who sought personal benefits and demanded miracles in contrast to the Samaritans who accepted Jesus without requiring a sign. The affliction led to the conversion of the whole household who became disciples and testified joyfully, opening the way for further work in Capernaum, showing Christ is willing and able to save all who come to Him, reaching even the wealthy and influential in their familiar concerns, and that His care for bodily suffering points to His power to bring pardon and peace to the soul to be trusted even before help is seen.

Place, People, and Need

Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He had made the water wine, after returning from Judea into Galilee. The news of His return spread through Galilee to Capernaum, and He went to Cana without visiting Nazareth. Cana was the place of His first miracle of turning water into wine, and the nobleman's sick son lay at Capernaum.

He did not go to Nazareth because its people disbelieved in Him, judging Him by His humble birth, clothing, and daily work and failing to recognize His sinless character. The Galileans received Him because His earlier miracle at Cana had become known, confirming the faith of the disciples and preparing people to recognize Him as the promised Deliverer and the world's Redeemer. Reports of His works, together with the opposition of the leaders at Jerusalem, stirred hope that He was the promised Deliverer. The healing of the nobleman's son was His next miracle in Galilee, further demonstrating His power and the continuing influence of His first miracle.

The petitioner was a Jewish nobleman, a royal officer and man of honor, living in Capernaum, quite a distance from Cana and more than twenty miles away. His son lay sick at Capernaum, gravely ill and very low with disease. The most learned physicians had pronounced the disease incurable and expected him soon to die.

Hearing that Jesus had returned to Galilee encouraged the father, for he believed the One who had miraculously changed water into wine and driven the desecrators from the temple could raise his son to health even from the brink of the grave. He feared the child might die in his absence if he left home, yet he was unwilling to trust the errand to a servant, hoping that a fond parent's plea and prayers would touch the great Physician with pity and move Him to come to the dying bedside. He therefore hastened himself to Cana for fear of being too late, forced a passage through the crowd to stand before Jesus, secured a hearing, told his errand, and besought Jesus to accompany him home to heal his son. Though his faith faltered at seeing only a plainly dressed man, dusty and worn with travel, so that he doubted this person could do what he had asked, he determined to make trial. Jesus already knew his sorrow, having read the father's grief before he left home and having gone out in sympathy for the suffering child.

Healing, Faith, and Witness

Jesus stayed in Cana and did not go down to Capernaum, but healed the son across miles of distance by His spoken word that the boy lives. At that same hour, in the heat of the day, the fever suddenly left the dying child and health and strength fully returned, with clear mind, soft moist flesh, no lingering sign of disease, followed by peaceful sleep. While the father was still traveling home servants met him with tidings of recovery, and at the house the child met him radiant in health and beauty as one restored from the dead. The cure shows His power is unlimited and does not depend on His physical presence. Its sudden effectiveness astonished the people of Capernaum, who were glad that one of such power was in their city.

The father believed the word with perfect faith and turned homeward with peace and joy and solemn assurance of unlimited power, with no doubt that his son was healed. He trusted without first seeing proof and was confident before he knew the outcome. At first, however, his faith had been shallow and conditional, expecting to believe in Jesus as Messiah only if Jesus granted the temporal favor and performed a sign. His need blinded him to his spiritual sickness and need of divine grace, and his faith faltered when Jesus appeared as an ordinary travel-worn man, plainly dressed and dusty and worn with travel. His case represented many Jews who sought Jesus for personal benefits and demanded miracles, in contrast to the Samaritans who accepted Him as God's teacher and the promised Messiah without requiring a sign.

The affliction led to the conversion of the whole family, who became disciples and testified joyfully to their faith. Their report of the miracle opened the way for Jesus' further work in Capernaum, where He did many remarkable works and stirred the city to seek Him. The account teaches that Christ is willing and able to save those who come to Him and that faith trusts His power even before the promised help is seen. His gifts may be delayed to awaken a sense of need and dependence on true piety, so people should lay aside selfish motives, confess helplessness and need, and trust His promises.

The verse shows Jesus seeking to reach not only the poor but also the wealthy and influential of every social rank, cultivating their acquaintance and meeting them within their familiar concerns to gain access to their hearts and reveal imperishable riches. Christ's power and compassion in healing the sick child by His word and touch shows His care for bodily suffering and points to His power to bring pardon and peace to the soul. Those who came for healing or for relatives represent the great human family who did not know God yet felt soul-longing for something they did not have. In speaking words of hope to these weary, unsatisfied souls and healing infirmities Jesus was speaking and acting for humanity at large and setting an example to be practiced from one end of the world to another.