John 4:46-54 (ESV)

⁴⁶ 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. ⁴⁷ 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. ⁴⁸ So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” ⁴⁹ The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” ⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. ⁵¹ As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. ⁵² 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.” ⁵³ 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. ⁵⁴ This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

Jesus went to Cana of Galilee, where he had made the water into wine. The people of Galilee wanted to see the signs Jesus performed, but they didn’t receive him as the Messiah like the Samaritans did. Jesus went to a town called Capernaum, where an official sought Jesus because he had heard about his supernatural activity. The official’s son was dying, and he was absolutely desperate. He was a wealthy man and had access to many resources, but nothing helped his son to get better. When the official heard that Jesus was in town, he requested that Jesus come and heal his son. Jesus responded, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe” (v. 48). He was speaking indirectly to all the Galileans. The official pleaded, “Sir, please. Let’s not waste time. Just come and help my son.” But Jesus refused his request. Yet he told the official to go home because his son would not die. Clearly, the official believed Jesus, because he did exactly as Jesus said. The official trusted in what Jesus declared. And his trust did not fail him. The official’s servants met him as he traveled home and told him his son was recovering. He asked them when his son began to feel better. When they told him the exact time, the official realized it was the very same hour when Jesus told him his son would not die. His son was saved physically and spiritually.

How often do people “come to Jesus” for the wrong reasons? Like the residents of Galilee, many today seek Jesus because they believe he will fix something that’s wrong with their lives. They hope Jesus will heal them, improve their relationships, give them money, or just make them happier. But they aren’t really interested in obeying the teachings of Jesus or coming under his authority as their Lord. The official at Capernaum did end up believing when he discovered that Jesus had healed his son. In fact, his whole household believed. Jesus broke natural law so that people would repent. If God has done anything for you, healing you or helping you or gracing you with happiness, make sure you respond rightly to those blessings by obeying Jesus. If you are a follower of Jesus today, then celebrate all he has done for your soul.