Lesson #11

JOHN 4:27-54
Lesson #11
THE SECOND SIGN: HEALING THE NOBLEMAN’S SON

• Memory verse: John 4:34

• In our last lesson, we saw how the Lord ministered to the woman at the well. The encounter was interrupted by the disciples who suddenly arrived at the well with food they had purchased in Sychar. We begin this lesson with the results of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman.

• Read Joh 4:27-42
• The Samaritan woman returns to her people.
• Notice that she left her water jar at the well. This action tells us two things:
• She intended to return quickly.
• Her thirst for eternal life was greater than her thirst for actual water.
• Notice that she speaks to the men of the city and not to the women. Obviously she did not have a cordial relationship with the women, but only with the men.
• She gives witness of her new faith to the men of the city.
• Meanwhile, the disciples offer Jesus the food they have just purchased.
• The disciples interrupt Jesus’ conversation with the woman. However, they do not question Jesus’ actions in breaking the Jewish social code. Jews did not speak to Samaritans and men did not speak publicly to women they did not know.
• When they offer Jesus food, He makes a strange statement:

• “I have meat to eat that ye know not of…. My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work.”

(32, 34)

• To what work does Jesus refer?
• We have seen in the gospel of John that Jesus knew His purpose for his 3 ½ years on earth. It was to fulfill God’s eternal plan of redemption. There is personal satisfaction in doing God’s will.
• Jesus is teaching his disciples that through the every day events of living, He is always conscious of His eternal purpose of redemption. It is the reason they were in Samaria at that point in time ministering to that particular woman.
• Jesus makes the same distinction as the woman’s forgotten water jar:
• Spiritual things are more important than actual food and water.
• The plentiful harvest that will come: (35-38)
• Jesus speaks about an actual agricultural harvest in four months time.
• The month is December and the harvest would come in April.
• However, spiritually speaking, Jesus is speaking about the harvest of souls for the kingdom of God. It is the ministry for which he trains the disciples.

• “…Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.”

(35)

• Jesus may have been calling the disciples’ attention to the approaching Samaritans for they usually dressed in white.
• Some plant and some reap.
• Many times the salvation of one soul comes in stages just as the maturing of crops comes in stages, until finally the person makes a decision for Christ.
• Jesus planted the word of God in the heart of the woman at the well. She planted the seed in the hearts of the men of her city. Then Jesus reaped the harvest when those men came to see Jesus at the well.
• Jesus stayed and ministered to them for 2 days.
• Those that did not believe the woman’s testimony, believed Jesus’ words. “…this is indeed the Christ, the Saviour of the world. “ (42)
• What does this passage tell you about:
• Christian service?
• God has entrusted man with the spread of the gospel. We all have a part in the agriculture of the planted gospel seed. We must all look for opportunities to plant the seed of the gospel, to water the seed that someone else has planted, to reap the harvest when a person is ready to make a decision for Christ.
• The word?
• The word is like seed. It needs the proper conditions and nourishment to grow to the point in time when it is ready for harvest.
• Faith?
• Faith without accompanying miracles is the greater faith.
• Faith kindled in the human heart motivates the new believer to give testimony of that faith.
• Read Rom 10:8-11

• Read Joh 4:43-54
• Read the corresponding scriptures: Mat 4:12-17 Mar 1:14-15 Luk 4:43-44
• Jesus travels to Galilee to minister there:
• Jesus went to Galilee
• However, he did not minister in Nazareth, for they had no faith.
• Read Mat 13:53-58
• This tells us that in order to receive anything from the Lord, faith is required.
• Read Heb 11:6
• Jesus is in Cana when a nobleman finds Him there.
• This is the same place where Jesus turned water to wine at the wedding celebration.
• The nobleman was probably some high official in King Herod’s court.
• The healing of the nobleman’s son: (46-54)
• Who requested healing?
• The nobleman specifically asked Jesus to come and heal his son.
• He requests Jesus’ presence in Capernaum..
• Jesus responds with a very interesting statement:

• “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.”

(48)

• There is no explanation of why Jesus said this to the nobleman. Therefore, Jesus must see something in this man’s heart that indicates his unbelief.
• As soon as Jesus said that, something happened in the heart of that man. He became aware that Jesus knew his heart.
• The distinction between faith in signs and wonders (miracles) and faith in Jesus and His words. What is the difference?
• The difference is one of focus. If the focus is placed upon the miracle, the Lord will never get the glory. If the focus is placed upon the Lord, He will always get the glory when man gives testimony of what just occurred. The difference is in belief in Jesus as simply a worker of miracles, and belief in Jesus as the Son of God.
• The nobleman repeats his request for Jesus’ presence to heal his son.
• Jesus responds, “…Go thy way; thy son liveth”. (50)
• Who had faith for healing?
• The nobleman had faith for his son’s healing at the moment Jesus spoke the words.
• Read Heb 11:1
• The Nobleman had no physical evidence that anything had happened to his son in Capernaum.
• How did Jesus minister to the patient spiritually?
• The patient never saw Jesus heal him. However, he knew something was suddenly different for the fever broke at that moment.
• Because the Nobleman told his son about the encounter with Jesus, the son could give credit to the Lord for the healing. The healing was a miraculous sign, but it was not meant for the father. It was meant for the son. The father believed without seeing. The son saw the healing and then believed.
• What noteworthy characteristics do you see that helped the son receive healing?
• The aspect of faith without seeing the result is the prime example of the definition of faith.
• The spoken testimony of the father to his family once the noblemen arrived home, extended the miracle to more than just a physical healing. The greater spiritual healing was that his entire household believed in Jesus. (53)
• Is there a command given? Is obedience involved?
• The command was given to the nobleman, “…Go thy way.” (50)
• The nobleman was obedient to that command.
• Therefore, we can determine that there is a relationship between faith and obedience.
• Read Jam 2:17-18
• Obedience is the outward evidence of an inward faith.
• What are the elements of time and distance involved?
• Jesus demonstrates that He and his power are not limited by time or space.
• The spoken Word of God accomplished its purpose, and demonstrates to us that there is power in the spoken Word.
• Application:
• From these two events at the end of this chapter, we see that the important lesson to learn concerns one’s spoken testimony:
• People in Sychar believed because the woman at the well spoke to them about Jesus. She did not have theological training. She did not know all the right words. She only spoke about what she experienced of Jesus.
• All those in the nobleman’s household believed because the nobleman spoke to them about his experience with Jesus. He gave them his personal testimony, and the miraculous healing of his son was a confirmation that what he spoke was truth.

HOMEWORK
John 5:1-16
This is a self-study. Please do not send homework answers to the teacher forcorrection.

• Application of Joh 4:27-54
• Examine your status concerning the following aspects of the Christian life and write a few lines about where you are spiritually:
• Faith:
• Is your faith based on seeking miracles or on seeking more of God?
• Is your faith followed by obedience?
• Witness:
• How faithful are you in telling people about what God has done for you?

• Preparation for Joh 5:1-16
• Read Joh 5:1-16
• What was the man’s attitude that needed correction?
• What was the implied cause of the man’s illness? How do you know?
• Who had faith for the healing?
• Is there a command given?
• Is obedience involved? How?
• What was the patient’s response to being healed?

• Memory verse: John 5:14