I feel like we have been in John chapter 4 forever, but finally we come to Galilee. Galilee means circuit. When I was in sunday school I always thought of Galilee as a small town, but really it is the name of an area made of of twenty towns that sort of form a loop or circuit which is where it got it’s name.

John 4:45: Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast.

Note that they receive him because of what they have SEEN not like the Samaritans who believed him because of his word.

John 4:46: So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47: When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. 48: Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.

Note how this guy doesn’t have faith. Sure he asked, but Jesus is very clear that the guy needs to see in order to believe.

John 4:49: The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 50: Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

Now this part I wonder about because it says he believed and it is the same word in the Greek, but when you get to verse 53 it says he believed and his whole house. I tend to think that this belief is more like he was consoled. Like when you talk to a loved one and they say everything will be alright and you believe they are right and feel better. It’s the kind of belief that isn’t very deep and will fade quickly.

John 4:51: And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. 52: Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 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.

Again here we see how once he saw he truly believed.

John 4:54: This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

Remember the field that was ready four months early? Well that didn’t count as a miracle. We are told of a lot of people Jesus healed so why are we given this one? And why is this given specifically as his second? Remember Christ teaches on many levels so let’s look at what he did and see what he was trying to teach us.

Remember Christ came for the lost sheep of the tribe of Israel. What was the state of Israel at this time? They were on the point of death. Ten tribes were gone and had forgotten who they were. The ones that remained bearly had a country. In a few years the temple would be mowed down. The priests were a bunch of crooks that were more interested in profits than teaching and their faith was a joke. Much like the life of this son.

Christ healed this son at the seventh hour. Seven in biblical numberics mean spiritual completeness. What does that tell us here? First, I want to tell you that if this goes over your head don’t worry and if you ever want a question answered just ask or ask for a study to be done on a topic. The Lord’s day is the seventh day. Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:8 that a day with the Lord is like a thousand years with man. This is what many call the Millennium. It is the time when we are not in the flesh. Christ is in the temple and only the those that overcame in the flesh can come to him. Satan is locked up for all to see and the word is taught without his junk getting in the way. At the end of that time Satan is released again only this time he doesn’t get to do his fancy magic tricks and whoever wants to follow him into the lake of fire is welcome to go and unfortunately many do. That marks the end of the Lord’s day and the beginning of eternity. That is when Israel is complete and that is what this seventh hour is referring to.