Capernaum

Capernaum and Cana

JOHN 4 BIBLE STUDY ◄
John 4:43-45 A Prophet Has No Honor

John 4:46-54 Capernaum

JOHN 4:46 46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain official of the king whose son was sick at Capernaum.

Where are Capernaum and Cana?
Capernaum is a fishing town located on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee, and Cana is a town located inland, about 20 miles southwest of Capernaum.

Then why is Jesus asked to "come down" (John 4:47 below) from Cana to Capernaum, which is south of it?
Cana, where Jesus had turned water into wine (see master of the feast), is located at a higher elevation than Capernaum (photo).

Whose son was sick at Capernaum?
An unnamed official in the court of Herod Antipas (see Archelaus).

JOHN 4:47-49 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and begged Him to come down and heal his son, for he was about to die. 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” 49 The official of the king said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!”

What is the priority of the official of the king?
Saving the life of his son, who was "about to die" (John 4:47).

What is Jesus' priority?
That people "believe" (John 4:48) in Him.

Which is the higher priority?
Everyone dies. Infinitely more important than the timing of our death is whether we will spend the rest of eternity in heaven or hell.

Do doctors save lives?
At best, they delay death by a few decades.

What saves lives?
What Jesus prioritized (see John 18).

JOHN 4:50-54 50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus said to him, and he went his way. 51 And while he was on his way down, his servants met him and announced to him, saying, “Your son lives!” 52 So he asked them the hour when he got better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his entire household. 54 This again is the second sign Jesus did after coming from Judea to Galilee.

When did the fever leave the official's son?
“Yesterday at the seventh hour” (John 4:52), meaning 1 PM on the day before his servants confirmed the healing to the official.

What did the official do until he could confirm what Jesus had said?
He “believed the word that Jesus said to him” (John 4:50) and kept going as Jesus had instructed him.

What should we do with Jesus' instructions to us in the Bible?