#1473 John 4 Part 3 Done Without Honor

 

43 And after the two days He went from there into Galilee. 44 For Jesus Himself bore witness that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45 So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.

Jesus Heals a Royal Official’s Son

46 Then He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was asking Him to come down and heal his son; for he was about to die. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” 49 The royal official *said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus *said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started on his way. 51 And while he was still going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was alive. 52 So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed and his whole household. 54 This is again a second sign that Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. John 4: 43-54 LSB

John 4: 43-54

…19Those I love, I rebuke and discipline. Therefore be earnest and repent. 20Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and dine with him, and he with Me. 21To the one who overcomes, I will grant the right to sit with Me on My throne, just as I overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.… Revelation 3: 19-21

And after the two days - The two days were in Sychar at the invitation of the Samaritans. The verses above, from Revelation 3, were sadly written to the Church of Laodicea. Much like the aberrant religion of the Samaritans, looking for a Messiah from a God they no longer knew, so many churches believe in another gospel and preach a Christ contrary to the whole counsel of God in Holy Scriptures. I will be the first to admit that my opinions don't matter, so don't be too offended when I say yours don't either, what matters is what God meant, so we need to search for the Author's intent in His word, not our feelings, not what we would like, not what we manipulate to justify with our minds. That Jesus is standing there knocking at the door of those who have collectively met in His name, asking to come into what should be His church, that is a sad thought, and it is much like many churches today, you no longer put God's word above your own thoughts, moral preferences, traditions and feelings. He is knocking but you have locked the doors and turned off the lights in hopes that He goes away. It's time to repent and come back to the God of Scripture, preach the Christ of Scripture, tell people the truth rather than mislead them so they like you. 

…22Judas (not Iscariot) asked Him, “Lord, why are You going to reveal Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23Jesus replied, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24Whoever does not love Me does not keep My words. The word that you hear is not My own, but it is from the Father who sent Me.… John 14: 22-24

V. 44 For Jesus Himself bore witness that a prophet has no honor in his own country - This has been the way for Elijah, for Isaiah, for Jeremiah. The honor that comes from performing miracles or saying only the things that people want to hear, that is no honor at all, it is far too fickle to be called that.

MacArthur - The proverbial statement a prophet has no honor in his own country (cf. Luke 4:24) contrasts Jesus’ acceptance by the Samaritans with His general rejection by the Jewish people (1:11). It also explains His motive for returning to His home region of Galilee (as the conjunction gar [for] indicates). At first glance it seems somewhat perplexing that Jesus went to Galilee because, as He Himself testified, He would receive no honor there. The point, however, is that Jesus was not taken by surprise when many in His home region rejected Him. He went there knowing that He would be given a cold reception, especially at Nazareth, where He had been raised (Luke 4:16ff.). But some in Galilee would believe and, therefore, honor Him.

Blum - Generally Galilee was more favorable to Him, but even there men tried to kill Him (Luke 4:18–30). (BKC)

Wiersbe - Jesus knew that the public response to His ministry in Jerusalem had been insincere and shallow (John 2:23–25), and that it was not honoring to Him at all. (BEC)

Swindoll - John inserted his editorial aside to highlight the irony of the Jews’ rejection so soon after Jesus had enjoyed great success among the Samaritans. - Precept Austin

16So Obadiah went to inform Ahab, who went to meet Elijah. 17 When Ahab saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, O troubler of Israel?” 18“I have not troubled Israel,” Elijah replied, “but you and your father’s house have, for you have forsaken the commandments of the LORD and have followed the Baals.… 1 Kings 18: 16-18

…36Still others endured mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37They were stoned, they were sawed in two, they were put to death by the sword. They went around in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, oppressed, and mistreated. 38The world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and hid in caves and holes in the ground.… Hebrews 11: 36-38

V. 45 The Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He had done in Jerusalem at the feast - 
That is the caveat, they receive Him because of the miracles they had witnessed. There is a false gospel that is very rampant today, and it targets some of the poorest, most miserable off us on the planet. It is called the prosperity gospel, and billions follow it in one way or another. It is more like eastern religion, they sew good to the universe and karma blesses them in return. Prosperity teachers add in familiar names like, Jesus, the apostles and so forth. They promise health, wealth and prosperity in general. "If you want a good husband or wife, then put a little extra in the plate tonight. Donate this much for a hundred fold blessing and this much for a thousand." These creepy men and women have no use for the real Jesus, they leave Him knocking at the door because they want men to look to them, to fill their pockets and bank accounts. 

Having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast - John explains why they welcomed Him. It was because they were looking for a miracle worker, not a Savior from their sins. John had recorded "when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man." (Jn 2:23-25+)

MacArthur - They were curiosity seekers, eagerly hoping to see Jesus perform some more sensational feats. Thus the apostle John writes with a sense of irony; the Galileans’ reception of Jesus was not genuine, but superficial and shallow....As this incident demonstrates, the reception of the Galileans, like that of most Judeans (Jn 2:23–25), was superficial, curious, thrill-seeking, non-saving, sign-based interest.

Blum adds that "the people’s enthusiasm for the Healer (cf. Mark 5:21, 24b) did not always indicate they had faith in Him (Mark 6:1–6)." (BKC) - Precept Austin

25When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?” 26 Jesus replied, “Truly, truly, I tell you, it is not because you saw these signs that you are looking for Me, but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that perishes, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on Him God the Father has placed His seal of approval.”… John 6: 25-27

…18For as I have often told you before, and now say again even with tears: Many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. 19Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are set on earthly things. 20But our citizenship is in heaven, and we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,… Philippians 3: 18-20

More on False Teachers

Still Some

V. 46 Where He had made the water wine - Another example John gives as evidence to Jesus deity, that He has control over the things that God spoke into being.

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.… John 1: 1-3

V. 47 He went to Him and was asking Him to come down and heal his son - John continues to build Jesus' resume of things that set Him apart, things that point to Who He is. It is interesting who comes to Jesus, this here is a man tied to the royals, a man of means, of authority and wealth, but here he becomes a beggar on behalf of his son. Money isn't the answer here, and he doesn't have the kind of authority to speak in the way that the Son of God is about to. 

NET Note on royal official - Although βασιλικός (basilikos) has often been translated “nobleman” it is almost certainly refers here to a servant of Herod, tetrarch of Galilee (who in the NT is called a king, Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14–29). Capernaum was a border town, so doubtless there were many administrative officials in residence there. - Precept Austin

MacArthur - Swallowing his pride, this respected member of Herod’s court begged for help from a carpenter’s son (cf. Matt. 13:55; Mark 6:3). At this point, the official’s faith was little more than a desperate hope that led him to ask for Jesus’ intervention....his belief in Jesus was not yet driven by a desire for salvation for his own soul, but by desperation for his son. The feebleness of his faith in Jesus’ ability to heal is underscored by two erroneous assumptions that he made about Him. First, unlike the centurion (Luke 7:6–7) and the Syrophoenician woman (Mark 7:24–30), he assumed Jesus had to be physically present to heal his son. Second, he hoped Jesus had the power to heal his son’s illness, but had no hope that He could raise him from the dead. Those two assumptions were behind his insistence that Jesus come at once before it was too late. Unlike the rich young ruler (Mark 10:17–22), he was not seeking spiritual truth, but was instead driven by an overwhelming physical and emotional need. His goal in coming to Jesus was not to obtain eternal salvation for himself, but physical healing for his dying child. (MNTC-Jn) - Precept Austin

V. 48 Unless you people see signs and wonders you will never believe - I know people today who refuse all the evidences of Scripture, though faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God, and they tell me, "I would need to see God do this thing or that in order to believe, and if He is the God of the Bible then He has some explaining to do because I don't agree with that." Well my friend, you will not sit in the Judges chair, but you will meet God, and if He approached you now you will melt as if you stood only feet before the sun. He doesn't answer to us, the wages of sin is death and we are sinners so He only owes us that, death, our wages. 

So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders - In His address of the nobleman as you people Jesus clearly is making reference to the Galilean population of which the royal official was representative. He addressed their "Seeing is Believing" mentality of this world. We saw the fruit of this type of inadequate faith in John 2:23+ where their belief was only profession, not true possession (Jn 2:24-25+)! Note that the royal official was not deterred by Jesus' somewhat harsh remark.

Tenney - They were disappointed to discover that Jesus had no intention of exhibiting his powers to satisfy their curiosity. In Nazareth he performed few miracles, and it was probably the attitude of these people that caused him to rebuff the nobleman (v. 48)

Robertson - Jesus is not discounting his “signs and wonders” (sēmeia kai terata], both words together here only in John, though common in N. T. as in Matt. 24:24; Mark 13:22; Acts 2:19, 22, 43; 2 Thess. 2:9; Heb. 2:4), though he does seem disappointed that he is in Galilee regarded as a mere miracle worker. - Precept Austin

V. 49 Sir, come down before my child dies - God bless him, Jesus has a harsh response to Galilee, but this father loves his son so he presses forward with his limited knowledge. 

V. 50 Go, your son lives - Jesus doesn't even go to the man's house, now that is some incredible authority. Imagine, I am a supervisor, what if I never had to go to work, but just told someone, yea, it's all good, it's done. I tell people what to do all the time and get a mixed bag of results. This is yet another sign that should support Who Jesus says He is and what He comes here to do. If He is God, has the authority to tell the elements what to do, and they do it, how much more so should we, who are made in His image, obey? Being fallen in our natures, starting with our earthly father, Adam, we have free will only to the extent, like MacArthur points out, to choose which sin we want. According to the Bible we are spiritual still borns, "dead in our trespasses and sins, slaves to sin and unrighteousness." We no longer hear or recognize the Creator as such, we are alienated and at enmity with Him. There is a distinct change that takes place in one who is born again, the deaf hear, the lame walk and the blind see. We now recognize the voice of God, love it, and obey it, and this along with our hatred of sin grows over time as we are sanctified in Christ, being more and more conformed to His image daily. 

…26But because you are not My sheep, you refuse to believe. 27 My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of My hand.… John 10: 26-28

50b The man believed the word Jesus spoke to him and started on his way - There is one type of belief as we will see. A desperate father, humbles himself before a carpenter's Son because he has heard about the miracles. People show up to "healing services" all the time for this, and they have hope, born from great grief and desire, but someone is saying they have or have seen this power, and so the people come and hope. Fortunately for this man he came to someone who actually can heal his son. Nature has to obey the Creator. A lot of people will call this faith and it is the type that many have. The internet is full of them, "pray to this saint, put this statue under your house so it will sell at the price you want, dream big, envision what you want, speak it into existence." That is not saving faith. Real faith is a gift from God. True faith believes even when we don't receive what we want or think we need. It does what's right even when things are so bad that everyone believes this to be the time of exception. The man says Jesus has to come quickly because his son is dying, but Jesus doesn't go, yet the man takes Christ at His word. This isn't a pseudo faith based upon the man's positive thinking in something that he wants, not something of his own mind and invention, no, it is in what Christ has said.

…7in order that in the coming ages He might display the surpassing riches of His grace, demonstrated by His kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9not by works, so that no one can boast.… Ephesians 2: 7-9

MacArthur - The Lord’s words to him had moved him from the third level of unbelief (which needs miracles) to the second (which believes Christ’s word). Without any tangible proof that his son was healed, he took Jesus at His word and started off for home.

Osborne - The man’s focus finally shifted to Jesus, and “the man believed what Jesus said.” His faith became properly centered on the power of Jesus’ words, and he started home. This is the key to a burgeoning faith, one that combines belief with response. The royal official proved the reality of his belief by beginning the journey back to Capernaum. (CBC-Jn)

V. 52 Yesterday at the seventh hour - No chance thing here. 

V. 53 He himself believed and his whole household - The man's faith grew to encompass not only the belief in Jesus' ability to perform miracles but in Who He must be. This is a great indicator that everything else He says about Himself is true. The man is now sharing with the servants and then with his family, as he knows what happened some 20 miles away. Ah, and this is the work of the Holy Spirit here as well. His whole family believes, though they had not even met Jesus.

Robertson on believed - Not just the word of Jesus (Jn 4:50), but complete faith in Jesus himself as the Messiah, absolute use of pisteuo as in Jn 1:7+ All his family, the first example of a whole family believing in Jesus like the later case of Crispus (Acts 18:8+, cf Acts 11:14+, Acts 16:31+, 1 Cor 1:16, 16:15).

Tenney - When the father considered the details of his meeting with Jesus and the good news concerning his son’s recovery, he was convinced that it was more than coincidence at work. The timing was miraculous, and the boy’s recovery was more than even circumstances could have brought about. “So he and his household believed.”