“This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.” (John 4:54)
John builds his gospel around 7 signs (miracles), then in 20:30-31, he explains his rationale for this approach: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31, emphasis added) There it is: That you, the reader, may believe and have life in his name!
This second sign (4:46-53) is the healing of a Galilean official’s son who was ill. The son was apparently very sick, and when his dad learned that Jesus was back in the Galilee, he met Jesus there. John described the request rather matter-of-factly: “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.” (John 4:47 ESV)
In fact, the whole story has a matter-of-fact feel: Jesus noted that the man wouldn’t believe without seeing a sign. The man responded, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” (John 4:49) Then, Jesus said, “Go; your son will live.” (4:50).
The punchline, according to John’s purpose statement, comes next: “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” (4:50). This seems to be John’s point in preserving this story. Well, that and the last line of the story: “And he himself believed, and all his household.” (4:53)
Jesus healed his son from a distance because the father had asked, resulting in the whole family believing. I often say that the recipient of the miracle always benefits from it, but he/she is often (always?) not the focus of the miracle. Jesus is revealing something about himself so that onlookers may believe, as happened here.
Father, help me to see Jesus more clearly as I read through John. Help me increase my belief daily. Amen.
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