John 4:53

So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. SO THE FATHER KNEW THAT IT WAS AT THE SAME HOUR IN THE WHICH JESUS SAID UNTO HIM, THY SON LIVETH; AND HIMSELF BELIEVED, AND HIS WHOLE HOUSE. He had believed before this-first very imperfectly, then with assured confidence in Christ's word; but now with a faith crowned by "sight." And the wave rolled from the head to the members of his household. "Today is salvation come to this house" (); and no mean house this....

53._And he believed, and his whole house. _It may appear absurd that the Evangelist should mention this as the commencement of faith in that man, whose faith he has already commended. Nor can it be supposed that the word_believe _— at least in this passage — relates to the progress of faith. But it must be understood that this man, being a Jew and educated in the doctrine of the Law, had already obtained some taste of faith when he came to Christ; and that he afterwards _believed in the saying of Christ _was a particular faith, which extended no farther than to expect the life of his son. But now he began to _believe _in a different manner; that is, because, embracing the doctrine of Christ, he openly professed to be one of his disciples. Thus not only does he now _believe _that his son will be cured through the kindness of Christ, but he acknowledges Christ to be the Son of God, and mak...

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 4:53. _SO THE FATHER KNEW_] He had the fullest proof that his son's cure was supernatural, and that it was wrought by the Lord Jesus. _HIMSELF BELIEVED, AND HIS WHOLE HOUSE._] He and his whole family became true converts to the doctrine of the manifested Messiah. The whole family, impressed with the great kindness of God in sending health to the child, were the more easily led to believe in the Lord Jesus. The sickness of the child became the mean of salvation to all the household. They, no doubt, thought at first that God was dealing hardly with them, when threatening to remove the child; but now they see that in very faithfulness God had afflicted them. Let us learn never to murmur against God, or think that he does not act kindly towards us. His wisdom cannot permit him to err; his goodness will not suffer him to do any thing to his creatures but wha

HIMSELF BELIEVED - This miracle removed all his doubts, and he became a real disciple and friend of Jesus. HIS WHOLE HOUSE - His whole family. We may learn from this, 1. That sickness or any deep affliction is often the means of great good. Here the sickness of the son resulted in the faith of all the family. God often takes away earthly blessings that he may impart rich spiritual mercies. 2. The father of a family may be the means of the salvation of his children. Here the effort of a parent resulted in their conversion to Christ. 3. There is great beauty and propriety when sickness thus results in piety. For that it is sent. God does not willingly grieve or afflict the children of men; and when afflictions thus terminate, it will be cause of eternal joy, of ceaseless praise....

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

SO THE FATHER KNEW THAT IT WAS AT THE SAME HOUR,.... Precisely; IN THAT WHICH JESUS SAID TO HIM, THY SON LIVETH: he had observed what time of day it was, in which he conversed with Jesus; and particularly, when he told him his son was alive and well, and when he took his leave of him; and by comparing the account of his servants, with that, found that things entirely agreed, and that the cure was wrought exactly at the time, that Jesus spoke the words: AND HIMSELF BELIEVED, AND HIS WHOLE HOUSE; when he came home, he related the whole affair to his family, and he and they all believed, that Jesus was the Messiah, and became his disciples and followers: if this nobleman was Chuza, Herod's steward, we have an account of his wife, whose name was Joanna, that she followed Christ, and ministered to him of her substance, with other women, Luke 8:3. There is a story, to

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-

HIMSELF BELIEVED, AND HIS WHOLE HOUSE. Henceforth this household was among the believers. It is. natural and pardonable curiosity that leads us to seek their further history. He was an officer of Herod, and the fact that "Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward," was one who ministered to him in his Galilean ministry, has suggested that he may have been the nobleman. Acts 13:1, names Manaen, "who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch," as. prominent Christian of Antioch. He may have been the man whose son was healed....