Monthly Archives: March 2020

John 4:43-54

Jesus returns to Galilee and heals a court official’s son

vs 43-45 – Return to Galilee from Judea

After the two days he departed for Galilee. (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.

  • the two days (vs 43) – the extra two days that he had spent in Sychar at the request of the Samaritans.  See vs 40.
  • departed for Galilee (vs 43) – see vs 1-3.  The visit to the Samaritans happened while Jesus was on the way from Judea to Galilee.
  • a prophet has no honor in his own hometown (vs 44) – see Matthew 13:57, Mark 6:4, Luke 4.24
  • the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem (vs 45) – is it possible to “love” Jesus’ miracles and yet not love or honor Jesus himself?
vs 46-48 – a court official asks Jesus to heal his son

So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, “Unless you [people] see signs and wonders you will not believe.”

  • Cana … Capernaum (vs 46) – these two towns were about 25 km apart. Cana was about 100 meters above sea level, situated on a limestone outcropping. Capernaum was on the shores of Lake Gennesaret (Sea of Galilee), about 200 meters below sea level.
  • official (vs 46) – probably attached to the court of Herod Antipas.
  • this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee  (vs 47) – Evidently Jesus had become known as a healer and teacher.
  • he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son (vs 47) – they didn’t have cars. This was a journey of several hours. They were in hilly terrain, probably travelling on foot,
  • Unless you [people] see signs and wonders you will not believe (vs 48) – Galileans in general, not just this man. Still, Jesus seemed to be putting him off. Why did he do this?
  • signs and wonders – why does God grant them? Should we seek them? Is it better to believe without signs? What does the Word say about this?  In Matthew 8:13 Jesus praises the centurion who believed before receiving a miracle, then grants him a miracle. What does this tell us? In Matthew 9:35-38 it seems evident that healing miracles done by Jesus were a major part of his ministry, yet in Matthew 12:38-39 he rebukes the scribes and Pharisees for asking for yet another sign. In Acts 2:42-47 it seems evident that signs done by the apostles played a part in the great numbers of people who were being saved. Again, what does this tell us?

vs 49-51

The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.
As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.

  • Sir, come down before my child dies … Go; your son will live. (vs 49-50)  – the man pleads with Jesus and Jesus grants him a miracle. What other story does this remind you of? By telling him to go home, what is Jesus asking of this man?
  • The man believed … and went on his way …. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering (vs 50-51) What does this show us about God’s ways of dealing with us?

vs 52-54

So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”  The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

John 2-11 is sometimes referred to by scholars as the Book of Signs, whereas John 12-20 is called the Book of Glory. John lists only seven signs (miracles) of Jesus but each one has special significance.

  • he asked them the hour … The father knew that this was the hour (vs 52-53)  – Why is this significant? Why does John mention it?
  • he himself believed, and all his household (vs 53) – the goal of John’s gospel.  See John 20:30-31
  • the second sign (vs 54) – what was the first? what are signs to John and why are they important?
  • Note that Jesus’ prophetic word to the Samaritan woman, although clearly of heavenly origin (a work of the Spirit) and having great power to change her life, is not called a sign by John. He uses this term to refer to physical miracles, and selects seven (of a much larger number – see John 20:30) to highlight key aspects of Jesus’ identity and ministry.

Reflection

  • What is God saying to us through this miracle story?
  • Do you need signs to bolster your faith?
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John 4:31-42

A Samaritan Woman Meets Jesus – Part 3

Recap of Parts 1 & 2 – vs 1-30

Jesus had started to get attention from the Pharisees, so he withdrew to his home territory of Galilee by way of Samaria. While there he initiated an encounter with a woman who had come to draw water. Jesus engaged her in a dialogue about living water. She seemed to think he was talking about a better source of physical water – but she was clearly drawn to Jesus and wanted to know more. As they continued to dialogue, Jesus revealed the deepest secrets of her heart, invited her to become a true worshipper of the Father and told her that He was the long-awaited Messiah. She went off into the town and told everyone that she had met a man who told her everything she had ever done. The people of the town began coming to Jesus.

Vs 31-34 – Jesus’ secret food supply

Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.”

Part of the assignment of a rabbi’s disciples was to look after his needs.  When Jesus told them that he had an alternate food source, they were confused.

  • What was Jesus referring to when he said he had food that they didn’t know about? (vs 32)
  • What did he mean by the statement “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work” (vs 34)?
  • What challenge do these words pose to us?
Vs 35-38 – Reaping the harvest

Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”

  • four months (vs 35) – the interval between sowing and reaping.
  • white for harvest (vs 35) – ripe for harvest. Wheat turns a light golden colour when it is ripe. In the sunlight it can appear almost white.
  • Already the one who reaps is … gathering fruit for eternal life (vs 36) –  In this Samaritan village, there was no four month interval between sowing the seed and reaping the harvest. The harvest of souls was almost immediate.
  • I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor (vs 38) – Jesus had sowed the seed. He was the one who had initiated contact with this woman and shared the good news with her. Now he was inviting his disciples to help him reap the harvest.
Vs 39-42 – The Savior of the world

Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

  • the woman’s testimony  (vs 39) – the testimony of a woman was not given much weight in courts at this time. But the Samaritans found this woman’s testimony quite convincing. Probably her transparency had something to do with this. She had been humbled and yet also given a new dignity by her encounter with Jesus. A genuine testimony is powerful.
  • they asked him to stay with them (vs 40) – they wanted more of Jesus. Contrast John 1:11.
  • many more believed because of his word (vs 41) – Jesus was all about making disciples. He would leave behind him the beginnings of a church.
  • we have heard for ourselves ( vs 42 )  – new believers need to get to know Jesus for themselves, not just because of what someone else has told them.
  • the Savior of the world  ( vs 42 ) – they had become convinced of Jesus’ true identity.
Reflection and Prayer
  • We can ask Jesus to work into our hearts a desire to do the Father’s will. My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work ( vs 34 ).
  • Even if we aren’t gifted evangelists, we can ask Jesus for eyes of faith to see the harvest (vs 35) , and willingness to work with Him in reaping that harvest.
  • We can pray that many around us will come to see that He is the Savior of the world.
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