John 4:48 (ESV) So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
Just after the story of the woman at the well, Jesus came to Galilee. There, many greeted Him because of the miracles they had seen Him do at the Passover feast in Jerusalem a few weeks earlier. They were looking to see another miracle.
While Jesus was in Cana in Galilee, an official came to ask Him to come down to Capernaum and heal his son who was at death’s door. Jesus seems in the text to be angry about this and speaks the words in the passage above. If you or I were the official, the boy’s father, we would likely be discouraged at first, but there’s an important nuance in the Greek. The “you” said twice by Jesus here is the plural. He is speaking not just to the father seeking healing for his son but to the crowd around him looking for a miracle. The crowd didn’t get to see their miracle.
The father, though probably discouraged by Jesus’ words “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe,” tried again. His deep concern for his son was compassionately responded to by Jesus’ words, “Your son will live.” The father, believing Jesus’ words, went on his way, and we see that at the moment Jesus spoke, his son was healed.
Why is this important?
Jesus had just come from Sychar, a town in Samaria (John 4:5). We’ve looked at why the Jews didn’t like Samaritans, but it’s important to see what Jesus is saying here. He’s comparing what has been called The Sychar Revival of people who only heard the message of Jesus and His own people in Galilee who have heard but are still looking for signs and wonders. While the Samaritans took Jesus’ words seriously (as did the official, by the way) the Jews of the crowd wanted a show.
Another important point of the event is it was the first time Jesus did a miracle without being physically present. Those who saw Jesus in Jerusalem at Passover and saw His miracles (John 2:23) no doubt saw Jesus touching the sick and lame as He healed them. Here in Galilee it’s a different story. Jesus spoke, and the boy miles away was healed.
The faith of the official is also important. Capernaum, where the official’s son lay, is fifteen or twenty miles from, Cana where Jesus was. A friend of mine has been to the area and tells me it gets hot there. It turns out the elevation of Capernaum is 400 below that of Death Valley, California. For the official to walk to Cana was a major effort to save his son. Passover was in March or April. This was a little later. The average temperature for Capernaum in May is 95 degrees. Our official walked uphill in this heat to see Jesus in Cana. This was a loving dedicated father
The official asked Jesus to come down (vs 47) to heal his son. Jesus had more to do in Cana, so He just spoke to heal the boy. We aren’t told what prior experience this father had with Jesus, if any, though we are told he believed the word Jesus said. Like all of us when we seek Jesus, the father came with nothing to offer Jesus but returned with a promise. A promise from God (in flesh) is a promise you can bank on as the man discovered.
On his trip home the next day, he was met by some of his servants who told him his son was healed at the same time Jesus promised the boy would live. The sickness of the boy gave an opportunity to show the power of God. The text says the entire household was saved as a result.
Sometimes trials come our way and we resist them. We do everything to prevent them. Peter has a different view of trials:
1 Peter 1:6-7 (ESV) In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
This official saw first a miracle worker in Cana. When he arrived home, he saw the work of the real Jesus, God in flesh, Who could simply speak a word and twenty miles away the boy was healed.
Believers Armed and Dangerous 