John 4:52, commentary and pictures

The father met his servants on his way home from Cana and asked when his son began to recover, and they told him the fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour, which he recognized as the very hour Jesus had told him his son lived. It was the second miracle Jesus did after coming out of Judea into Galilee, healing from more than twenty miles away by His spoken word alone, and the cure was sudden, immediate and complete. At that hour, in the very heat of the day, the dying boy was suddenly changed, with clear mind, soft and moist flesh, returning strength, and peaceful sleep before rising in radiant health. The exact correspondence of the hour turned the father's grief and trembling into peace, joy and gratitude, and led him and his whole household to believe in Jesus as the Redeemer. The case teaches implicit faith in Christ as ready and willing to save all who come to Him, laying aside selfishness, confessing helpless need, and trusting His promises.

The Setting and Healing

The inquiry about the hour belongs to the account of a royal officer, a nobleman and ruler, a Jew of honor also called centurion, whose son lay gravely ill and dying at Capernaum after the most learned physicians had pronounced the case incurable and said he must die. The father traveled from Capernaum to Cana to seek Jesus, fearing the child might die while he was away, yet daring not to trust the errand to a servant. Jesus already knew of the child's suffering before the officer left home.

The father believed Jesus could restore the child even from the brink of the grave because he had heard of His miracles, especially changing water into wine at Cana and driving the desecrators from the temple, and he was encouraged when news spread that Jesus had returned from Judea to Galilee. Yet his faith faltered when he saw the plainly dressed traveler. He hoped the prayers of a fond parent would move the great Physician to pity and induce Him to come to the bedside to heal him.

His faith was at first shallow and conditional, looking for a special temporal benefit and prepared to believe in Jesus as Messiah only if Jesus granted his request, and Jesus used the crisis to expose this doubt and teach him his need of divine grace. The healing was the second miracle Jesus did after coming out of Judea into Galilee at Cana where He had made the water wine, when the Galileans received Him because they had seen what He did at Jerusalem at the feast.

On meeting his servants while returning home, the father asked the hour when his son began to amend or recover, and they said the fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour, which he recognized as the same hour Jesus had told him his son lived, proving the timing of the healing. The sudden recovery confirmed that Jesus had healed the child by His word while far away and the father was returning home, and the father rejoiced to find him restored to health. The child's sudden recovery confirmed that Jesus' word had power to heal even at a distance.

Jesus did not go to Capernaum but sent healing to the bedside from a distance by His spoken word and divine power while more than twenty miles away, and the cure was sudden, immediate, complete and effective, astonishing the people of Capernaum. The cure was sudden and complete, brought about by Jesus' word while He was more than twenty miles away. The seventh hour was the very heat of the day, when watchers around the dying boy saw a sudden change with amazement.

The fever left him, intelligence beamed from his eyes, his mind became clear, and health and strength returned to his worn and emaciated body. The child, once strong and symmetrical in youthful grace, had become worn and emaciated with hollow cheeks burning with hectic fire, and his burning flesh became soft and moist with no signs of the malady lingering. He sank into the peaceful slumber of childhood before rising radiant in health and beauty to bound out and meet his father, while the attendants beheld the change with amazement and the family was summoned with great rejoicing.

Belief and Its Lessons

The servants' answer that the fever left at the seventh hour yesterday matched the very moment the father's faith had grasped the assurance that his son would live, and that exact correspondence gave him solemn assurance of unlimited power. His grief and trembling were turned into peace, joy, confidence and gratitude as he hurried home. He rejoiced to find the child restored to health, and clasped him as one restored from the dead.

The healing led the father and his whole house to believe and become disciples, proving the cure had been wrought at a distance by the spoken word. It confirmed the faith of the disciples and testified that Jesus was the world's Redeemer. The official and his household joyfully testified to their faith and published the miracle through all Capernaum. Their affliction was thus sanctified to the conversion of the entire family, and this opened the way for further labors there where many of His most wonderful works were done.

The case teaches implicit faith in Christ as a Redeemer ready and willing to save all who come to Him. He sometimes delays bestowing His precious gifts in order to impress hearts with deep need of the true piety that entitles asking of Him what they will. Those who seek Him must therefore lay aside the selfishness that is frequently the sole cause of seeking Him, and confessing helplessness and bitter need, trust in His promises. For He invites all who are weary and heavy-laden to come to Him and He will give them rest.

The child's beginning to recover at a definite hour after fervent appeal illustrates the answer to earnest prayer and faith in God's promises. That improvement from that time is presented as a gracious answer to prayer and as a sign that the child would recover. It is connected with Christ's power to heal physical illness and His tender care for those who bring suffering children to Him. He responds to their persistent faith, so that at His word disease gives way to life and strength.

The account of the Jewish nobleman's son shows Jesus reaching out to the rich as well as the poor, seeking access to their hearts and revealing imperishable riches. It shows one of the times when people of other nations came to be healed or to ask healing for a relative or friend. Those who came represented the great human family who did not know God or the truth yet felt a soul-longing for something they did not have. All who came listened to His instruction, and as they heard the word of truth they were deeply impressed. In speaking words of hope to those weary, unsatisfied souls and in healing their sicknesses, He was setting an example to be practiced from one end of the world to another in speaking and acting for humanity at large.