Seven Signs: The Son Lives

(Reflections on the sign of Jesus healing the official’s son found in John 4:46-54. This is part of the Seven Signs series, click here to catch up on other parts in the series.)

There is Jesus. There is a father. There is a son. There are witnesses. The son is sick and close to death. The father hears the news that Jesus is near and is aware of His reputation for healing. Of the many signs and wonders accomplished by Jesus, why does John refer to this one? Is it the occupation of the father? Is it the location in which it takes place?

What happens? The man appeals to Jesus to come to heal his son. The father is frantic, the father even begs despite the response that Jesus gives. Yet the response that Jesus offers is important.

So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”

John 4:48 (ESV)

Jesus was performing signs and wonders. Jesus was doing things that drew a crowd to see what He would do next. People, like this frantic father, came expectant to see Jesus go to perform. If he could see the performance, it would be a reason to believe. If we can see the performance, perhaps we can believe. When the Messiah comes, will He do much more than this, if we can see Him?

There’s a problem and a challenge. The problem is that the people follow in a line of God’s people who witnessed a lot of God’s amazing signs. Their forefathers witnessed God deliver them from slavery in Egypt with ten acts that brought the most powerful nation to its knees. They observed and experienced His amazing provision in the wilderness. They even benefited from His rescuing them from armies who sought their destruction. They saw these things and yet a generation of them refused to believe. They enjoyed the benefits for the celebration moment and then went into unbelief time and again. God was not doing these things just for the benefit of His people. He was doing it so that His people could see a reason to believe and keep on putting their trust in Him. The challenge was now to hear Jesus and to take Him at His Word. Would faith go beyond the demand to perform to see? This leads to the remarkable instruction Jesus gives to this desperate father.

Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.

John 4:50 (ESV)

Jesus would not do something for the man to see. Jesus gave the man His word. Will we take Jesus at His word? Will we agree with whatever Jesus says on the issue and go from there? Will we demand something to happen in the here and now? Do we only operate if He will do it for us in the here and now for us to observe? That this frantic father would take Him at His word says a lot about the man’s faith … for the desired outcome.

When considering the role of the father at this stage, I’m taken by how keen he is to do what it takes for his son. Standing in the gap for his son. Looking out for his son. Begging for his son. Interceding for his son. His desperation could have seen him disheartened at Jesus not agreeing to come. His frantic situation could have got him to plead further for this man who had performed so many signs to come and perform another one for his son. Yet, he heard the word and believed the word in the hope of receiving the desired outcome.

Meanwhile, it’s fascinating seeing John’s portrayal of Jesus in this sign as well as the previous one. Jesus is not there to claim the credit for the works that He does. People know that He was responsible for the miracle, but He is not recorded as being keen on getting the credit. In this episode, He’s not in a rush to go to perform and be the recipient of praise and adulation. He’s content to speak to the situation and leave it at that. His words on the situation also say much about what His mission is all about – time after time John presents Jesus as one who is there to bring life and His quality of life at that to the situation.

As far as this sign is concerned, His part is done at the speaking of the word. We then consider, this fascinating encounter between the father and the servants of his household. Here are the servants there to give the father the good news. They have little to no idea if their master has come across the one he was searching for. What they did know is that he was going in the hope that he could bring some help to the situation. Now that help was seemingly not required because the boy was alive and well. I love reading that part – alive and well. Not just barely recovering – but fit as a fiddle, raring to go, back up to speed. Love reading that about the way Jesus brings life to the situation. In any case, here they are giving their master the good news. Sure he’s happy and could just leave it that, but the father is interested to find out the timeline for this turnaround.

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.

John 4:53 (ESV)

The response is worth exploring. The man already believed the word that Jesus gave – so what’s this about him believing and all his household? This indicates that the sign did wonders at pointing this official and his household to acknowledge Jesus and put their trust in Jesus. The entire household put their faith in Jesus Himself. They did not need to see Him perform, they saw the power of His word in action and that was worth putting their trust in Jesus.

Allow me a brief diversion to ask a question: How did John know? How did John know that this official and his household didn’t just look to Jesus now for healing, but put ongoing belief in Jesus for who He is? This is not giving a categorical word that it had to happen this way, but I’m content to speculate that this could have been discovered because this official and his household did not keep their faith a secret. That John would come across news of what happened to them either firsthand or through secondhand sources. The impact of the sign was clearly something that was remarkable for the family. Remarkable enough for it to be recorded as a vital part of an account John strategically put together to lift the faith of readers in Jesus the Messiah. Why does that matter, you may wonder? I think it matters because it is good to know that faith in Jesus is not just taking Him at His word. It’s taking Him. It’s not taking Him alone, it’s to invite and encourage others to take Him as well. Take Him by putting that ongoing faith in Him. That does not have to be a subtle kind of thing when this Jesus has done so much for us. It’s not something that we have to keep hushed up so as not to upset polite society.

Thanks for the diversion, though it brings us back to the wonderful scene that John leaves with. An entire household who are aware of how close to death this son was. They knew how frantic this father was to get help on the matter. They saw the restoration of life to the boy. They also knew that this did not come about by chance, by luck or any of those fickle and flawed factors. They knew by the testimony of the father that this was the work of Jesus. The work to order life and the word to have remote power to bring about what He spoke. He was a man and He was more. He was worth following. He was worth trusting. He was worth believing as the One He said He was – the Son of God, the Messiah.

A theme in John’s writing is about the faith that engages in the trust without seeing. We can take Jesus at His word and we can take Jesus for who He reveals Himself to be.

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Questions based on Jesus healing the official’s son

• What does this episode tell you about Jesus?
• What do you learn from the way the official engages in the whole situation?
• Why does Jesus make the statement about people wanting signs and wonders?
• What does faith/believing mean as shown in this episode?
• How would you encourage someone who is struggling with their faith nased on this episode?
• What are your reflections of the response to the healing?
• How is Jesus revealed as the Son of God worth believing in?

For His Name’s Sake

Shalom

C. L. J. Dryden