John 4:43-48
 
John 4:43 (KJB)
Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee.
 
After spending two days with the Samaritans, Jesus and His entourage decided to go north back into Galilee where He had performed His first miracle at Cana.
 
John 4:44 (KJB)
For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.
 
Jesus had just spent a few days in Samaria where He was held to be the Messiah, the Savior of the world. He was well accepted by the Samaritans and without prejudice. Jesus now goes back into Israel and He knows that He has already been opposed by the Pharisees as they do not accept Him as being the Messiah. They refused to accept Him because He was from Nazareth and out of the tribe of Judah. (John 7:52 KJV) They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look: for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet. They searched their records and found that no prophet would come out of Galilee. This verse is also a caution for every true believer. When a person becomes saved, normally their family does not accept them as being different because they knew them “when.” When the Lord saved me, the friends I drank with stated I had gone off the deep end. Those who know you the best, will reject you the most. This happened to Jesus with His earthly family and it will happen to us. (John 7:5 KJV) For neither did his brethren believe in him. Give it time because the way you will show the truth of your transformation will be by living out your testimony and turning your back on the old ways. Not turning your back on the people because they are now a mission field.
 
John 4:45 (KJB)
Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.
 
Received - Accept or approve
 
Here is one of the wrong reasons to accept Jesus. The Galileans had accepted Jesus because there were many who were in Jerusalem at the time and saw the things He did at the feast, such as cleansing the temple. Instead of seeing Him in the same light which the Samaritans saw Him, they received Him just because He performed some acts at the feast. They were probably beginning to see Jesus as one who might be bold enough to lead a rebellion against Rome and throw off their yoke which was on Israel. This is the difference between seeing Jesus from a religious point of view versus a spiritual point of view. Those who are saved will see Jesus as the Savior and those who are unsaved will see Him as some type of revolutionary or one who endorses social justice, just as the Galilaeans saw Him. Instead of sitting down with Him and talking with Him, they instead, hailed Him as one of their own, as if He was a sports hero or a war hero. It was their day of visitation and they missed it.
 
John 4:46 (KJB)
So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
 
Nobleman - Court Official, royal, or belonging to a king
Sick - A condition of weakness or feebleness
 
Jesus now arrives in Cana of Galilee where He performed His first miracle. We are being shown that not only does the Gospel eliminate all of the racial barriers, it also eliminates the social barriers as now Jesus is confronted by a nobleman. This nobleman could have been associated with the court of Herod the Tetrarch of Galilee. A Tetrarch was someone who ruled one fourth of a province and probably held no more authority than a mayor under Roman rule. Capernaum was about 18 miles from Cana. This nobleman had a son who was sick and maybe he heard that Jesus was coming to Cana and had desired to meet Him and ask Him to heal His son.
 
John 4:47 (KJB)
When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.
 
This nobleman’s son was very sick and time was of the essence since he was close to death. He did hear that Jesus came into Galilee and had desired that Jesus would go to Capernaum and heal his son. He thought that it was necessary for Jesus to actually be on the spot where the healing or miracle would take place. This nobleman was not seeking Jesus as the Messiah but was seeking Him for what He could do for His son, for no doubt that the word of the miracle of water into wine had spread throughout the region. How many today seek God for what He can do for them but not for salvation? It is typical foxhole religion. Do we seek God for what He can do for us or do we seek Him for salvation? This is a question that determines the difference between eternal life and damnation.
 
John 4:48 (KJB)
Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.
 
Jesus was somewhat dissatisfied with the response of the nobleman because he came looking for what Jesus could do for him. Jesus wanted him to redirect his belief from the miracles to the One performing the miracle. This nobleman probably came with the right heart, in that he was seeking healing for his son but Jesus wanted him to realize that the miracles would not be a lasting source for belief. A miracle is performed and people will speak about it for a while but eventually the reality of living sets in again and the psychological effect of the miracle begins to wane. What Jesus wants to convey is that a person needs a living faith in the living God and that faith will sustain through every problem this life can throw at the Christian. It is a faith which never wanes.
 
This is why those in a signs and wonders gospel, otherwise known as the Charismatic Gospel, will attempt to live on signs and wonders. The problem is that the signs and the miraculous healings are always on this wise: A friend of mine’s friend whose third cousin told him that his friend’s brother in-law said he heard of a guy healed from cancer. It seems the miraculous events are always given by word and never witnessed. Jesus wants belief in Him and not in signs and wonders. The signs and wonders have ceased with the completion of the Bible. Now we believe what is written by faith and not create some scenario by sight. I remember many years ago when I was a young Christian, Pat Robertson on his 700 Club stated that he raised someone from the dead, but he couldn’t remember who it was. Absolute nonsense! He raises someone from the dead and then forgets his name? (Mat 24:11 KJV) And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. True belief is a gift from God through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which we receive upon the moment of salvation.
 
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