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Vol. 9, No. 2 Seven Signs in John: Healing the Official's Son |
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John 4:46-54 describes how a royal official "begged Jesus to come and heal his son, who was close to death." The boy lay sick in Capernaum, while Jesus was ten miles away in Cana. Nevertheless, the Lord spoke a word of command and healed the boy from a distance. John calls this miracle a "sign" (semeion, v. 54) because it points beyond itself to some deeper reality (see Bare Roots 9.1). But what truth does John see in this event? What does it signify? Notice that, when the official asked for help, Jesus first replied, "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe" (v. 48). However, the man demonstrated that he did not need to see the miracle. Instead, he believed Jesus on the basis of his word alone (v. 50). Another detail in this incident captures John's attention: The fever left the official's son "at the seventh hour" (v. 52). We saw last week that, in Jewish culture, the number "seven" carried connotations of "completeness." As John reflected on this "seventh hour" miracle, his thoughts may have turned to a later "hour of completion." Just before he died as our sacrificial Lamb, Jesus cried out from the cross, "It is finished," or "It has been completed" (tetelestai, John 19:30). At the "seventh hour" the one who believed in Jesus, without seeing his miracle, experienced the blessing of God's power bringing new life. But, for John, this miracle is more than an historical event. It is also a "sign" that points forward to a truth for our day. Miracles sometimes cause faith, but Jesus is not satisfied with a faith that requires miraculous signs. When the "seventh hour" comes -- when Jesus completes his redemptive work -- then those who believe in Jesus on the basis of his word alone, without necessarily seeing his miracles, will experience the blessings of God. Later in the Gospel, the story of "doubting Thomas" reinforces John's point (see John 20:24-29). Thomas declared, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands...I will not believe." Later, when Thomas did see the risen Christ, the Lord said, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed."
... for Today Miracles remain as attractive -- and distracting -- today as in the days of Jesus. They can dominate our prayer lives and remain the source of our doubts. Perhaps that's predictable in a world where sin seems to have the upper hand and hardship seems to be the norm. How often do our prayers revolve around requests for healings, for deliverance, for divine intervention in this or that? Similarly, when those prayers go unanswered -- when miracles are not forthcoming -- we find ourselves tempted to question the goodness, power, or love of God. When will the seventh hour arrive for us? When will we embrace the Father and follow Christ out of simple love and devotion, rather than a subtle form of divine bargaining? As long as faith in Christ -- commitment to Christ -- depends on our prosperity, it will not sustain us through grief or tragedy. Our faith is not a shortcut to health or wealth. Instead, it paves the way to intimacy with the Father. When we commit to another person in marriage, it's not because he or she promises to heal us or shower us with gifts. We enter marriage because of the richness of pure friendship and sharing our lives together. Miracles don't matter in that context. As Jesus healed the official's son, he downplayed the significance of the miracle and highlighted the faith of the official. Could we happily walk with Christ even to the Cross? Do we live in the sixth hour or the seventh? Discuss...
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Chris Davis, PhD & David Timms, PhD Bare Roots is a regular publication, free of charge, intended for
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