Read the Passage: John 4:46–5:16

Listen to the Redeemed Mind Podcast: John 4:46-5:16

The Nobleman’s Son (4:46–54)

Prior to the start of this chapter, Jesus had attended the Passover in Jerusalem, in Judea, which is where He engaged in the well-known dialog with Nicodemus that is recorded in John 3. Then, at John 4:3, “Jesus left Judea and departed . . . to Galilee.” On the way to Galilee, Christ encountered a woman at a well in Samaria. That narrative takes up most of John 4, but John 4:43 records that “after two days, Jesus departed from there and went to Galilee.” In Samaria Christ’s ministry was widely accepted, mostly without opposition. Yet in Galilee, Jesus met a fair amount of resistance, with the crowds focusing largely on His miracles (cf. John 4:44–45). Next, in John 4:46 we read, “Jesus came again to Cana in Galilee.” Cana was where Christ had been before departing for Jerusalem, and it was where he’d turned water into wine. Note that Nathaniel was from Cana (cf. John 21:2).

Perhaps because he had heard of Jesus’ earlier miracle of turning water into wine, a royal official, or nobleman, pleaded with Christ to heal his son. In response to the nobleman’s pleading, Jesus’ surprising reply was, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe” (John 4:48). This response was a critique of the Galileans’ cool reception of Christ, in contrast to that of the Samarians. Nevertheless, out of His mercy and grace, Jesus healed the royal official’s ailing son, as He told the man, “Go your way, your son lives” (John 4:50). Observe that whereas the nobleman had asked Christ two times to “come down” (cf. John 4:47, 49) and see his son, Jesus chose to heal the child with a spoken word. To his credit, “the man believed the word that Jesus spoke” (John 4:50). However, the man would not learn of his son’s healing until the following day.

The Paralyzed Man (5:1–8)

At John 5:1 Jesus again “went up to Jerusalem.” The occasion for this trip, writes John, was “a feast of the Jews.” Since John did not identify this as one of the three major Jewish feasts (i.e., Pentecost, Tabernacles, Passover), as he usually did (cf. John 2:13; 6:4; 7:2; 11:55), it is possible this was a minor feast such as Purim. In any case, while in Jerusalem, Jesus visited the pool of Bethesda, where there “lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, [or] paralyzed” (John 5:3). The text does not say whether it was a legend or a fact, but the reason why the infirm gathered at this pool is that they believed an angel would periodically stir the water, with the result being that the first person who entered the pool would be physically healed. Upon seeing this crowd, Jesus began to talk with a man who had been sick for thirty-eight years, asking about his desire to be healed.

It is interesting that while there were a multitude of infirm people at the pool of Bethesda, Jesus only healed one man. This reflects the idea that God has a definite plan, and that following Christ does not guarantee physical healing in this present life. Jesus’ question to the paralyzed man must have seemed odd as He asked, “Do you want to be made well” (John 5:6)? Yet, with this inquiry Christ was not being callous or insensitive; rather, Jesus was positioning the man such that he could explain his situation. While God knows all of our needs before we pray, He likes to be asked. Although the text does not identify the man’s exact infirmity, given the details of his situation, we assume he was paralyzed. The man, however, never specifically asked for healing. Yet, because of Jesus’ great love, mercy, and compassion, He healed the man and commanded the man to rise and walk.

The Sabbath Day (5:9–16)

The healing of this man is one of seven healing miracles recorded in the Gospels that Jesus performed on a Sabbath (cf. Mark 1:21–28, 29–31; 3:1–6; Luke 13:10–17; 14:1–6; John 5:1–18; 9:1–12). The callousness of the religious leaders is evident, for rather than glorifying God, they rebuked the man for carrying his bed on the Sabbath. While the man did not know who healed him, Christ found him and instructed him, “Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you” (John 5:14). With this command, Jesus was not teaching that all infirmity is caused by sin (cf. Luke 13:1–5; John 9:1–12). Yet, at times, sickness can be the result of poor choices, moral failure, or personal sin (cf. 1 Cor. 11:29–30; Gal. 6:7–8; Jas. 5:15). The fact the healed man reported that it was Jesus who had healed him invites the question as to whether he understood the problems this report would bring.

Application Questions:

1. In what ways does Jesus’ healing of the sick, the infirm, and those with other health problems reflect the hope of the gospel?
2. What did Jesus mean in teaching at John 4:44 that a prophet has no honor in his own country?
3. What is a more effective means of communicating the gospel: the spoken Word or the performance of a miracle?
4. Given that there were a multitude of sick people at the pool, how can we explain Jesus only singling out one man to heal?
5. Why did Jesus’ healings on the Sabbath enrage the religious leaders to the point that they wanted to kill Him?