What does John 4:46 mean?
Jesus left Jerusalem to avoid a conflict with the Pharisees. The time was not yet right for a confrontation, so He planned to return to Galilee. Instead of avoiding Samaria, as most Jews would, Jesus followed the will of God and passed through the town on Sychar (John 4:1–4). As a result, He was able to preach the gospel to a Samaritan woman (John 4:7–26), who brought many others to meet Christ (John 4:39). The disciples were given a living lesson in evangelism, and Jesus wound up staying there for a few days (John 4:35–38, 40).Jesus' first miracle, and the first of seven recorded in the gospel of John, was turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana (John 2:11). Capernaum is a town on the edge of the Sea of Galilee, about twenty-five miles east of Cana. For news to get to Capernaum, and someone to travel back, Jesus had to have been in Cana for the better part of a day, if not longer.
The Bible does not explain exactly who this man is. The Greek refers to him using only the word basilikos, which implies the idea of a nobleman, court officer, or other politically connected person. He might have been Jewish, or a Gentile, but the text does not specify. All we know is that his son is sick; coming to Jesus is more than likely not the first thing he's tried to do for his child.