seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
John 4:39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, “We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world.”
43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.
46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.
48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”
53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.
54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
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Here's the link to the commentary I read.
He told me all that I ever did: The woman was amazed not only that Jesus knew the facts of her life, but that He loved her even knowing the facts of her life. We sometimes fear that if someone knew all that I ever did, they could not love us, but Jesus loved this woman.
He stayed there two days: This was remarkable in light of the opinions of most of the Jewish people of Jesus’ day regarding the Samaritans. They regarded Samaria and the Samaritans as a place and people to avoid if possible, and if it were necessary to go through Samaria it should be done as quickly as possible. Yet Jesus stayed there two days.
A prophet has no honor in his own country: Galilee was Jesus’ country — where He grew up. Because these people felt so familiar with Jesus, they did not honor Him the way they should have. In this we recognize that they really were not familiar with Jesus; if they were, they would have honored Him all the more.
Having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast: It was customary for the Jews in Galilee to go to Jerusalem for the feasts (fulfilling Exodus 23:14-17). This particular time they remembered all that Jesus had done in Jerusalem.
Implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death: This certain nobleman was one of many parents who came to Jesus on behalf of an afflicted child. He obviously came with passion and urgency of a father of a sick child — and at the point of death.
Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe: Jesus rebuked those who depended on signs and wonders before they would believe. It might seem that Jesus was harsh towards this man who wanted his son healed, but He encountered many in Galilee who were interested only in His miracles — He therefore questioned this man accordingly.
Sir, come down before my child dies! In His previous words, it seemed that Jesus discouraged the nobleman from asking for a miracle. Yet this request shows that the nobleman properly understood that Jesus did not intend to discourage asking Jesus for miraculous help, only to discourage a faith that seeks only the miraculous.
Your son lives! The nobleman believed it before the evidence, but the evidence was clearly welcome. One may only imagine how beautiful this news was to the nobleman and to know, it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.”
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I think John the Apostle was a very smart guy. First, he wrote about how the Samaritans believed solely because Jesus spoke to them. Then, back in Galilee, he wrote how a Nobleman believed what Jesus said and got proof that he was right to do so.
I don't think Jesus believed the people of Galilee would ever see Him as the Messiah. He was too common. He was the guy next door. He was the neighbor from down the street. He probably fell down and skinned His knee as a child. They knew that. Jesus was common to them.
I hear TV reports after a murder in a quiet little neighborhood. The neighbors all seem to say the same thing. "I would have never figured him for a murderer, he seemed so normal."
People had a hard time believing Jesus is the Messiah, because "he seemed so normal".
I really think people are looking for the Messiah to show up like some huge shiny human-like figure who will shoot fire from his fingertips and flick off bullets with his wrists. Does that sound like a Marvel Super Hero? That's where I was trying to go.
The people believed witches and wizards because they could use magic. Magic must have been easy back in the days of Jesus. If the witch, wizard, or magician figured out how to do the trick where the assistant disappears, the people of Jesus day would follow them as if they were a messiah. They didn't have books or television back then. They couldn't have figured out how the showman did that "magic". They couldn't do a Google search.
The people back in the days of Jesus must have been a very "superstitious" bunch.
Jesus doesn't go for hocus pocus. He just does what He says He will do and goes on about His day.
The Nobleman went back home... without Jesus.
Now look at verse 50 again. "He took Jesus at His word."
Before he even got home, he got word his son would be ok. Faith....
Why do we have to see Jesus come through the clouds before we will Believe He is the Messiah and He will Return as it says in the Bible?
We're no smarter than those people back in Galilee who didn't have books, television, or the internet. We only believe what we can see and explain.
The Nobleman took Jesus at His word.
"He took Jesus at His word"
