The Joys of John

[Jaebius]

John 4:46-54

Bible Gateway passage: John 4:46-54 - New English Translation

Healing the Royal Official’s Son - Now he came again to Cana in Galilee where he had made the water wine. In Capernaum there was a certain royal official whose son was sick. When he heard that Jesus had come back from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and begged him to come down and heal his son...

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Now we come to the second miraculous sign performed by Jesus.

A certain royal official whose son is sick approaches Jesus for healing. Jesus replies that his son will live.

The official is met by his slaves on his way home. He learns that his son's fever broke at the exact moment Jesus spoke.

The father believed along with his entire household.

This is just like Jesus. He meets us in our desperation, where our hearts are stretched thin with worry, and speaks life into the darkest places. I imagine the royal official asking Jesus for what he couldn't do on his own.

And then, Jesus doesn't need fanfare. There's no spectacle. Just a word: "Your son will live." How great! The beautiful thing's this official believed enough to turn back home, walking away from Jesus with faith. The faith-kind that anchors you, even when the outcome isn't clear.

And oh, the joy of realizing his son's healing happened at the exact moment Jesus spoke! That's a reminder that God's timing's always perfect. And how that faith didn't just touch him. Rescue works like that. It draws in.

Jesus is asking us to trust Him somewhere in our lives at his word. We must let go of doubt and walk forward in faith. We must let this be a moment where belief's a journey that touches everyone around us. What a miraculous sign of who Jesus is

 

[paradox3]

@Jaebius
It's interesting that the passage mentions the official's faith twice.

As you said, the first time he believes Jesus enough to head home to his son. But when he learns his son has been healed, he "believes" along with his whole household.

Has the official's faith changed or deepened, do you think?

 

[unsafe]

So in these verses -----there is some things here interesting to note -----

So the Samaritans who came to Jesus yesterday ----believed not by seeing any miracles preformed in front of them but by Jesus' words -------and in today's Text we see the same thing here ---no miracle was preformed in from of the man to make him believe that his son was healed ---Jesus Spoke words to the man that his son was healed ------

This is believing without seeing -----this is the Right Faith needed to obtain Salvation -----this is what is called Saving Faith -----



So Jesus went to His homeland Galilee where He is less honored by His own people ----verse 44 from yesterday tells us that -----and verse 45 says He was received in Galilee not because of who is was but because of the signs and wonders He preformed

44 Although He Himself declared that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

45 However, when He came into Galilee, the Galileans also welcomed Him and took Him to their hearts eagerly, for they had seen everything that He did in Jerusalem during the Feast; for they too had attended the Feast.
Their Faith was Human Faith rules by their 5 senses --seeing is believing

So now He plans on showing these Galileans that the Right Faith is believing without seeing ----as this King's Officer approaches Him to Heal his sick child -----

Are we Humans Sign and Wonder seekers Or are we Seekers of a Saviour who is full of Grace and truth ?-----

Testing this Officer now is Jesus' plan -----Believing by my Words or Believing by Seeing ----

48 Then Jesus said to him, Unless you see signs and miracles happen, you [people] never will believe (trust, have faith) at all.

The Officer pleads with Jesus to come and heal his child -----

Jesus said -----your son is healed --go in peace ------no big performance seen --just spoken words ----and what happened----

verse 50----- And the man put his trust in what Jesus said and started home.
Then he gets confirmation about his son

51 But even as he was on the road going down, his servants met him and reported, saying, Your son lives!

and the whole family -----Believed --trusted in and adhered to and relied on Jesus ------

this is the second miracle -----

this is very important to get for Believers as there is only One Faith and it is Christ's Faith ---it is not our faith that we need to conjure up ------When you become Born Again Christ's Faith is imparted to the Believer --

Ephesians 4:5-6​

5 There is one Lord, one faith, and one baptism. 6 There is one God and Father of everything

AI
In essence: Christ imparts his faith to us through the imputation of his righteousness, making us righteous in God's eyes, and then, through the power of the Holy Spirit, He works within us to impart a life of holiness and righteousness.

 

[unsafe]

Has the official's faith changed or deepened, do you think?

It is not the official's Faith that he believes with -----It is Christ imparting His Faith to him that by speaking his son would be healed ------it says the official trusted that his son was already healed before he started home ----

verse 50----- And the man put his trust in what Jesus said and started home.

 

[paradox3]

It is not the official's Faith that he believes with -----It is Christ imparting His Faith to him that by speaking his son would be healed ------it says the official trusted that his son was already healed before he started home ----

verse 50----- And the man put his trust in what Jesus said and started home.

Okay. Christ imparted this faith and the man trusted Him.

What would you say happened by v.53? When "he himself believed along with his entire household"?

I think John is too clever a writer to simply be saying the same thing twice.

 

[Jaebius]

@Jaebius
It's interesting that the passage mentions the official's faith twice.

As you said, the first time he believes Jesus enough to head home to his son. But when he learns his son has been healed, he "believes" along with his whole household.

Has the official's faith changed or deepened, do you think?

Really love how the passage shows faith in a clear way. You nailed it, p3, by pointing out the two times the official’s faith is mentioned.

When he finds out his son is healed and it matches perfectly with what Jesus said, his faith really takes off. It’s all about understanding who Jesus is. What’s amazing is how this stronger faith spreads to his whole family. It really shows how faith can change a community.

This passage reflects how faith has different layers. It starts off small and grows as we see God’s faithfulness in our lives. It's easy to relate to. Our faith gets deeper as we feel God’s presence in real and meaningful ways

 

[unsafe]

What would you say happened by v.53? When "he himself believed along with his entire household"?

The household saw the boy get well right in from of them --without Jesus there -and Believed--and trusted that Jesus healed him ---the household would have known the Father was going to Jesus to ask for the healing -----so when they saw the boy Healed they Believed that Christ's Faith healed their son ---it wasn't because of their own faith ----it was Jesus' faith that Healed the boy ----and His Faith was imparted to the Family to believe through seeing the results ----

It is the same today for people being healed by believers praying for them ------it is the faith of Christ that heals -----

When Peter walked on the Water ----it wasn't Peter's Faith that was put forth to walk on the water ====it was Jesus's Faith being imparted to peter to walk on the water -----and when Peter took His focus off Jesus and ---focused on the wind he sank -----

Jesus is the Author and Perfecter of faith ------He imparts His Faith to us and the more your in the Word ----who is Jesus --His imparted Faith deepens in our walk with Him ----so we trust and rely on Him more ------The Right faith comes from the Word who is Jesus -----

Hope this makes sense to you ----so many True Christians feel that don't have enough faith and they are working their buts off trying to conjure up their own Faith -----when it isn't about our Faith at all -----to get this is so freeing ----

 

[paradox3]

John 5:1-15

Bible Gateway passage: John 5:1-15 - New English Translation

Healing a Paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda - After this there was a Jewish feast, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool called Bethzatha in Aramaic, which has five covered walkways. A great number of sick, blind, lame, and paralyzed people were lying...

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Jesus is back in Jerusalem for an unnamed feast.

There he encounters a man who has been disabled for 38 years. So He asks, "Do you want to become well?"

The man complains that he is on his own with no one to help. Others keep getting ahead of him. Says Jesus, "Stand up! Pick up your mat and walk."

Immediately the man is healed and starts walking. The Jewish leaders are critical because it is the Sabbath.

Jesus slips out through the crowd. But the man who was healed identifies Jesus as the one who made him well

 

[paradox3]

Why the contrast between Jesus acting boldly (breaking Sabbath laws) and then slipping away?

Did Jesus really heal the man or did the guy already have the power within himself?

 

[Jaebius]

Why the contrast between Jesus acting boldly (breaking Sabbath laws) and then slipping away?

Did Jesus really heal the man or did the guy already have the power within himself?

Jesus pushes past the strict Sabbath rules to show what God is really about: mercy and healing. The Sabbath is meant for people, not the other way around. Jesus isn’t just following the law; he brings grace to life.

When he slipped away sometimes, it was wise. Jesus understood the people around him and stepped back to avoid trouble or to keep the spotlight on the miracle itself. It shows how boldness and being careful work together.

Now, did Jesus heal the man, or did the man have the strength in himself all along? That's a deeper question. The man had been hoping for healing for 38 years. Think about all that waiting. When Jesus asked him, "Do you want to be healed?" it wasn't just about fixing his body; it was about inviting him to have faith and believe in change. The healing was a pure gift from Jesus.

This story asks us to think about our own lives. It pushes us to embrace faith and trust, both boldly and humbly

 

[unsafe]

John 5:1-15

These verses tell of a Miracle Jesus performs and from this miracle being performed on the Sabbath His persecutions starts -----

Who are the people going to this Pool and what god do they worship that is the question ?

I personally don't think they were worshipers of the God of Abraham --Isaac and Jacob ---

AI
Some individuals at the Pool of Bethesda might have had pagan influences or superstitious beliefs
The site was a point of confluence for different religious and cultural practices ,Roman pagan temples, and the cult of Asclepius, the Greek god of healing.

• Roman Paganism:
  The Roman occupiers built pagan temples at the site centuries after Jesus' miracle, demonstrating the presence of pagan worship in the area.
• The Pool's History:
  The Pool of Bethesda was initially a natural pool, and later developed into a bath with religious and medical functions, possibly influenced by Roman and Hellenistic practices.

I say
Were there actual healings taking place there ----who knows --the scripture doesn't say but if there was ---in my opinion it wouldn"t be God's angels stirring the water -----Satan can parade as an angel of light ----my view on that ----

The real focus of these verses is on the the Miracle of Healing Jesus performed on the man who had been not able to walk for 38 years -----Notice -----Jesus asks if he Wants to be Well -----this Question was good to ask as there are some sick people who very well might refuse the offer to get well ----

There are people who like to play the symphony card ----and they like the attention sickness brings

The Man then goes off on this ----OH Poor Me syndrome ---

Verse 7-----AMP ---- The invalid answered, “Sir, I have no one to put me in the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am coming [to get into it myself], someone else steps down ahead of me.”

Jesus is having none of it and says directly -----verse -8 Jesus said to him, “Get up; pick up your pallet and walk.” --

Here Jesus imparts His Faith to him which gives him the confidence and strength to do what Jesus is telling him to do ---Get Up ---and walk -----he gets up straight a away --no hesitation -----

It doesn't appear that any of all the sick people that were there even took notice of Jesus -----I think they were to involved waiting for the water to swirl so they could jump in to see if they could get well ---crazy people ----in my view ---they missed out on real healing -----

The man got healed without getting into the pool of Water --

Now the Jewish Leaders are coming to the man --as this healing took place on the Sabbath ----and they tell the man that picking up his pallet on the Sabbath is unlawful ----

Here the Jewish Leaders ---only have their Human understanding of interpreting God Spiritual laws ----they cannot access the Spiritual understanding ---

Jesus came to heal on the Sabbath to challenge the Jewish authorities on their Human understanding of the laws ---

The man doesn't know that it was Jesus who healed him -----and Jesus is no longer in sight ---

Maybe Jesus slipped away because He didn't want any praise or a mob following Him after others knew of the healing ----or it could be that He knew the Jewish Leaders would be looking for Him to chastise Him for the words He did on the Sabbath -----The scripture doesn't tells us why He left -----we can only surmise ----

Later Jesus finds the man and the man finds out who healed him tells him to stop sinning or something worse may happen to him ====

Of course we know that Sin brings the 2nd death ---so spiritually it was worse than being crippled for 38 years

And physically sinning on the Sabbath brought stoning -----

The Man betrays Jesus as as soon as he knows who He is he tells the Jewish Leaders ----

No gratitude here for what was done for him -----EVIL PREVAILS

Very Sad

 

[paradox3]

When we read this story, we often want to pass judgement on the man, don't we?

Did he even want to be healed? Why was he complaining so much about the others at the Pool?

Why didn't he show more gratitude to Jesus?

 

[unsafe]

Did he even want to be healed?

Just my view on this

Now that is a very good question paradox3 -----and we can only surmise but it seems to me that he really didn't want to be healed as his excuses were lame in my opinion ---

Jesus would have known that ---Jesus would have known also the mans thoughts and his deceiving Heart----so out of all of the people there Jesus picks this man who He knows will betray him as soon as he finds out that it was Jesus who healed him ----

Also Jesus would have known how the Jewish Leaders interpreted wrongly the law pertaining to the Sabbath ===so Jesus telling the man to pick up his mat and walk knew that the Jewish Leaders would be confronting the man about breaking the Sabbath law -----and Jesus also knew that this man would save himself from the stoning by giving up Jesus as the one who Healed him ----

So Jesus was doing this to convey that he was greater than any man made rules --superstitions or beliefs that the Jewish Leaders had conjured up -and He was the ultimate Healer not the pool of water ----

Jesus picking this man to me was no just random picking -----He had right motive in place for this miracle ---in my view

 

[paradox3]

John 5:16-30

Bible Gateway passage: John 5:16-30 - New English Translation

Responding to Jewish Leaders - Now because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jewish leaders began persecuting him. So he told them, “My Father is working until now, and I too am working.” For this reason the Jewish leaders were trying even harder to kill him, because not only was...

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Jesus responds to the Jewish leaders who are persecuting him.

Jesus explains that he does nothing on his own initiative but seeks to do the will of the Father.

The time is coming (and is now here) that the dead will hear the voice of the Son. Those who hear will live.

Do not be amazed, says Jesus. The dead will come out of their tombs.

 

[paradox3]

The Jewish leaders are upset because Jesus claims to be on par with the Father.

We see here that Jesus believed in the resurrection of the dead. Interesting to consider that the Pharisees had the same belief.

 

[Jaebius]

The Jewish leaders are upset because Jesus claims to be on par with the Father.

We see here that Jesus believed in the resurrection of the dead. Interesting to consider that the Pharisees had the same belief.

I'm really interested in the relationships going on here. You can feel the tension in that conversation. Jesus' words were something special, showing his purpose clearly.

It's interesting that both Jesus and the Pharisees believed in the resurrection. It shows that sometimes people can find common ground. Jesus takes their beliefs and goes further by saying he's the one who gives life. He completely changes how they see things.

For us today, this passage makes us think about who Jesus truly is and the life he brings. It's reassuring. We need to respond to that truth and be bold in our faith while also connecting with people who think differently

 

[paradox3]

I'm really interested in the relationships going on here. You can feel the tension in that conversation. Jesus' words were something special, showing his purpose clearly.

The words in this passage show us clearly how John perceived Jesus's purpose, IMO. We have no way of knowing if Jesus ever uttered these exact words.

We can take those words on faith, of course, if we want to.

It's interesting that both Jesus and the Pharisees believed in the resurrection. It shows that sometimes people can find common ground. Jesus takes their beliefs and goes further by saying he's the one who gives life. He completely changes how they see things.

Agree that we can find common ground among people who believe vastly different things. We see that here all the time.

Where is the evidence the Jewish leaders started to see things differently?

For us today, this passage makes us think about who Jesus truly is and the life he brings. It's reassuring. We need to respond to that truth and be bold in our faith while also connecting with people who think differently

Boldness is a good idea, I agree. Ditto for connecting with others.

 

[unsafe]

We see in these verses that the Jewish leaders are now after Jesus to Kill him

It must be so awful to live a life of hating a person so much that you want to see them dead --and you live and breath ways to trap the person --

-This fear that the Pharisees had of Jesus turned to vicious anger and hate -----their emotions ruled them to the point of wanting to murder ---- they are yoked with evil thoughts put there by Satan ---who doesn't want Jesus to succeed in His mission -----

The Pharisees took God's Law about resting on the Sabbath and put their own man made rule to it ---creating a False Doctrine ----and this is done so often today -----Man taking God's Doctrine and twisting it to suit Man's own agenda ---False Prophets creating False Doctrine =showing big time here -----

Jesus telling them that he was equal with God really tipped the scales here for the Jewish leaders ---

Again we see Jesus telling them straight up --about who He is ---no sugarcoating ---no wavering ---pain Bold speaking----

We see Jesus saying He does nothing on His Own --He does His Father's Will ---and by saying that the Jewish leaders think that Jesus is implementing God in the breaking of the law ----cause it was Jesus who told the man to pick up his Mat and Walk ---so to them this is Blasphemy ---

Jesus tells the Jewish leaders that He has God's authority --and the Father will show the Son greater things to do ---that will make them marvel ----

Jesus here is giving them examples of the father and Son work together

AMP B
21 Just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life [and allows them to live on], even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes.

22 For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment [that is, the prerogative of judging] to the Son [placing it entirely into His hands],

23 ;so that all will give honor (reverence, homage) to the Son just as they give honor to the Father. [In fact] the one who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who has sent Him.

Then we see Jesus telling the Jewish leaders that if they hear His word and heed it and believes it by trusting in Him who sent me is the path to eternal life ---

I wonder what these Jewish leaders ---were thinking when jesus was saying this --?

The last verses here speak about the end times when Jesus comes to call the dead out of their graves--- those who did good in this life will rise and have eternal life and those who did evil will be judged guilty ----

Again Jesus says He does nothing on His own ---He does what His Father wills for Him to do --so His Judgment is right because He does not act on His own will ----His only desire is to do the will of His Father

We true Christians are to do the same ---we are to do and follow the Will of God Not our own Will ---

-Life can be so freeing when we surrender all our baggage to God and lean on and Trust in Him to guide our every step daily in this life we live -----

God wants His Children free from the burdens of this wicked world and we can have that if we surrender our burdens to Him ------

Can you imagine living like the Pharisees did full of hate and malice and in constant evil pursuit of someone most of your days -----WOW ! How hard that must be on your Body --Soul and Mind ----

It would make me -----

 

[paradox3]

Interesting angle on the story @unsafe

I have never given much thought to the experiences of the Jewish leaders. They must have felt angry and resentful. And it's not hard to imagine them feeling threatened and usurped.

Not easy feelings to carry around!

 

[unsafe]

They must have felt angry and resentful.

They surely felt that toward Jesus -----

And it must have been hard for Jesus to ---as He had to duck and weave His life at times to avoid them -----

Do you believe the Pharisees were being influenced by Satanic forces to want to kill Jesus ?---