John 4:52

Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. THEN INQUIRED HE OF THEM THE HOUR WHEN HE BEGAN TO AMEND. AND THEY SAID UNTO HIM, YESTERDAY AT THE SEVENTH HOUR THE FEVER LEFT HIM....

52._Therefore he inquired at them. _That this courtier asked his servants at what time his son began to recover, was done by a secret impulse from God, that the truth of the miracle might be rendered more conspicuous. For by nature we have an exceedingly wicked disposition to extinguish the light of the power of God, and Satan labors, by various means, to hide the works of God from our view; and, therefore, in order that they may obtain from us that praise which is due to them, they must be made so manifest that no room is left for doubt. Whatever then may be the ingratitude of men, still this circumstance does not permit so illustrious a work of Christ to be ascribed to chance....

43-54 The father was a nobleman, yet the son was sick. Honours and titles are no security from sickness and death. The greatest men must go themselves to God, must become beggars. The nobleman did not stop from his request till he prevailed. But at first he discovered the weakness of his faith in the power of Christ. It is hard to persuade ourselves that distance of time and place, are no hinderance to the knowledge, mercy, and power of our Lord Jesus. Christ gave an answer of peace. Christ's saying that the soul lives, makes it alive. The father went his way, which showed the sincerity of his faith. Being satisfied, he did not hurry home that night, but returned as one easy in his own mind. His servants met him with the news of the child's recovery. Good news will meet those that hope in God's word. Diligent comparing the works of Jesus with his word, will confirm our faith. And the br...

Verse John 4:52. _THEN INQUIRED HE OF THEM THE HOUR_] The servants, overjoyed to find their master's son so suddenly restored, set off to meet him, that they might impart to him tidings which they knew would be so very agreeable; and he, intent on having his faith settled, began immediately to inquire what time it was when the fever left him, to see whether his cure was the effect of some natural cause, or whether it was done by the power of Christ. _YESTERDAY AT THE SEVENTH HOUR_] At the time we would call _one_ _o'clock_. Dr. Macknight thinks the Roman hour is intended; i.e. seven o'clock in the evening; and this he thinks is the reason why our Lord did not accompany the nobleman: for, as Cana was a day's journey from Capernaum, had our Lord gone at that hour he must have travelled in the _night_, from which it might have been inferred that he cou

THE SEVENTH HOUR - About one o’clock in the afternoon. THE SAME HOUR - The very time when Jesus spoke. THE FEVER LEFT HIM - It seems that it left him suddenly and entirely; so much so that his friends went to inform the father, and to comfort him, and also, doubtless, to apprise him that it was not necessary to ask aid from Jesus. From this miracle we may learn, 1. That Jesus has an intimate knowledge of all things. He knew the case of this son - the extent of his disease where he was and thus had power to heal him. 2. That Jesus has almighty power. Nothing else could have healed this child. Nor could it be pretended that he did it by any natural means. He was far away from him, and the child knew not the source of the power that healed him. It could not be pretended that there was any c

EXPOSITION JOHN 4:1 7. _The ministry and revelation of the Lord to those beyond the strict compass of the theocracy. _This passage describes an incident of consummate interest, and records a specimen of our Lord's intercourse with individuals, and the reaction of that instruction upon the disciples. The event is a solitary chink through which the light of historical fact falls upon an otherwise darkened and unknown period of the Saviour's life. When we skirt a forest we see at intervals, where by some accident of growth the light falls upon a narrow space, a miniature world of life and loveliness of every kind, suggesting what might happen if every square yard of the forest could receive a similar illumination. Every day of that wondrous life of Christ may have been equally full of meaning to some souls. "These things are written, that

THEN INQUIRED HE OF THEM THE HOUR,.... He did not at all hesitate about the truth of it, or was in any surprise upon it; but that he might compare things together, he asked the exact time, WHEN HE BEGAN TO AMEND; or grow better; for he seemed to think, that his recovery might be gradual, and not all at once, as it was: AND THEY SAID UNTO HIM, YESTERDAY AT THE SEVENTH HOUR; which was one o'clock in the afternoon: THE FEVER LEFT HIM; entirely at once, so that he was perfectly well immediately....

CHAPTER 4 _ 1. He Must Needs Pass Through Samaria. (John 4:1 .)_ 2. At Sychar's Well; Jesus and the Samaritan Woman. (John 4:6 .) 3. The Woman's Witness and the Believing Samaritans. (John 4:27 .) 4. His Return to Galilee. (John 4:43 .) 5. The Second Miracle, the Healing of the Nobleman's Son. (John 4:46 .) In the Gospel of Matthew the Lord told His disciples not to go into the way of the Gentiles and not to enter into any city of the Samaritans. (Matthew 10:5

THE HEALING OF THE SON OF THE KING'S OFFICER. The narrative is plain and needs little comment. The similarity of the story to Matthew 8:5 ff. (Luke 7:2 ff.) has often been noticed since the time of Irenæ us. The main points, healing at a distance, the father's faith, the healing at that hour (_cf._ Matthew 8:13) are the same. And many of the peculiarities may be designed to bring out the lesson it is meant to teach, the superiority of faith which believes because of the word to that which rests on miracle. The mention of Cana, not necessary from this point of view, suggests real knowledge. The seventh hour is not incompatible with yesterday. Jews reckoned the evening after sunset as belonging to the next day. We should say at one o-

YESTERDAY, AT THE SEVENTH HOUR, THE FEVER LEFT HIM. At the exact hour that Jesus had spoken the fever disappeared. The seventh hour is one o'clock....