THE HEALING OF THE SON OF A NOBLEMAN OF CAMPERNAUM–JOHN 4:43 – 5:18–LESSON 10
Introduction:
Two incidents are seen in the portion of the book of John. The Lord Jesus does two more miracles. One is done in His home country and the other in Jerusalem. Both of these miracles brought controversy.
I. THE HEALING OF THE SON OF A NOBLEMAN OF CAMPERNAUM.
A. A Prophet has no honor in his own country, v. 44, “For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.”
1. “Prophets ought to have honour, because God has put honour upon them and we do or
2. “This due honour is more frequently denied them in their own country.” Luke 4:24, “And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.” Matt. 13:57, “And they were offended in him. But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, save in his own country, and in his own house.”
B. Jesus returned to Cana of Galilee, vs. 45-46.
1. Here he had performed His first miracle, the turning of water into wine, John 2:1-11.
2. However, He encounters a different situation.
C. Jesus heals the son of nobleman, His second miracle, vs. 46-54.
1. The nobleman sought Jesus to heal his dying son, vs. 46-47.
2. “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” v. 48.
3. The man pleads with Jesus, v. 49.
4. “Go thy way; thy son liveth.” vs. 50-53.
a. The man believed the word of Jesus.
b. News comes of his son’s recovery, v. 51.
c. The time is established, v. 52.
d. His whole house believed, v. 53.
II. THE HEALING OF A MAN BY THE POOL OF BETHESDA.
A. The custom explained, John 5:1-4.
1. It was during a feast of the Jews in Jerusalem, probably the Passover, that this custom was observed.
2. The Jews were ordered by the Lord to attend their religious feast. This probably prompted the Lord to have the Apostle Paul write Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
3. The scene “was a pool (a pond or bath), which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda—the house of mercy; for therein appeared much of the mercy of God to the sick and diseased.” Matthew Henry.
4. “Dr. Lightfoot’s conjecture is that this was the upper pool, Isa. 7:3, and the old pool, Isa. 22:11; that it had been used for washing from ceremonial pollutions, for convenience of which the porches were built to dress and undress in, but it was lately become medicinal.” Matthew Henry
5. It was frequented with sick and cripples (v. 3): “In these lay a great multitude of impotent folks.” Matthew Henry.
B. The man who had an infirmity 38 years.
1. A man that had suffer the loss of all things, even hope, by the time that Jesus had asked him, “Wilt thou be made whole?” v. 7,“ The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me.”
2. Sometimes Jesus let us come to the end of ourselves before He works a miracle in our lives.
3. Jesus doesn’t need props such as water, to heal a man, v. 8, “Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk. “And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath.”
C. The religious crowd were not interested in the fact that a lame man had been made whole, but rather that there seemed to be a violation of the Law – the man was carrying his bed contrary to law, vs. 10-13, 15-18.
1. Much religion is based on the trivial.
2. The WELL BEING of the individual is not considered, but rather their petty man-made doctrines.
3. Jesus had exercised the POWER OF GOD in healing the man, but the only thing the Jews (Pharisees) could see was that he was carrying his bed.
CONCLUSION:
Jesus finds the man in the Temple in v. 14, saying, “Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.” The Lord has healed us of our greatest problem, our sin. We need to consider how we live our lives lest “a worse thing come unto thee.”