(a) Give an account of the healing of the nobleman's son and indicate the role of faith in the miracle.

Answer Details

(a) The healing of the nobleman's son and the role of faith (John 4:46-54)

Jesus returned to Cana of Galilee, where He had turned water into wine. A certain nobleman (a royal official) whose son lay sick at Capernaum heard that Jesus had come from Judea into Galilee. He travelled to Him and begged Him to come down and heal his son, who was at the point of death.

Jesus first tested and rebuked the tendency to depend on signs, saying, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." The nobleman, undeterred, pleaded again, "Sir, come down before my child dies." Jesus then said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke and departed, without any visible proof.

As he was going down, his servants met him with the news that his son was living. When he asked at what hour the boy had begun to recover, they said, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." The father realised it was the very hour when Jesus said, "Your son lives." As a result, he himself believed, together with his whole household. This was the second sign Jesus did after coming from Judea into Galilee.

The role of faith in the miracle:

• The nobleman came to Jesus in the first place out of faith that Jesus could heal his son.
• His faith was tested when Jesus did not go with him but only spoke a word of healing.
• He believed the mere word of Jesus and acted on it by going home, showing faith without physical evidence, the kind of faith Jesus commended.
• His faith grew and became complete when the miracle was confirmed, spreading to his entire household.

The account teaches that Jesus honours faith that trusts His word, and that genuine faith leads to further and deeper belief.