John 4:52 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."

NIV: When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him."

NASB: So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, 'Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.'

CSB: He asked them at what time he got better. "Yesterday at one in the afternoon the fever left him," they answered.

NLT: He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, 'Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!'

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”

Jesus was approached by this man, who wanted Jesus to return to Capernaum to heal his son (John 4:47). Jesus made a point about how often people refuse to exhibit faith; instead, they insist on spectacular and miraculous proof (John 4:48). The man had probably heard about Jesus' recent actions (John 2:23; 4:41–42) and thought it possible that Jesus could fix what no one else could. That demonstrates hope and knowledge. However, he also wanted Jesus to come back in person (John 4:49). Jesus' instructions to the man were meant to demonstrate his faith.

That involved trust, which is what Scripture means by "faith." The boy was very close to death, and Capernaum was around twenty-five miles, or forty kilometers away from Cana, where the man found Jesus. There would be no time for a second trip. If the man walked away from Jesus, he would do so without proof, and without hope of other options.

As it turns out, the man's response to Jesus was to act in faith. He not only believed, but he acted on that belief; he put trust in Jesus, which is what it means to put faith in Jesus. That didn't mean he got the answer he wanted right away. In fact, this verse refers to the moment of healing as "yesterday." This means the man had to wait an excruciatingly long time to find out that God had already granted his request.

This is applicable to believers today. We should realize that simply because we have not seen every detail, it does not mean God has done nothing. He can work to answer our prayers in ways we won't find out about until much later.

John 4:46–54 records the second of Jesus' seven miracles in the gospel of John. The primary lesson of this miracle is the importance of biblical ''faith,'' which is really ''trust.'' Some people won't believe—won't actually ''trust'' in Christ—without seeing a miraculous event. Jesus then asks the miracle-seeker to act in trusting faith: to leave without any hard proof that his request has been granted. As it turns out, the man has actual, trusting belief, and obeys. He finds his faith has already been rewarded on his way home. This also demonstrates the fact that God may sometimes answer our prayers long before we know He's done so.

Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman who is drawing water from a well. He confronts her about sin, yet He also comforts her with the truth of the gospel. Even though He knows her sins, He still seeks after her, and those like her. The woman returns to town, eventually bringing many people to meet Jesus. The disciples, meanwhile, are reminded of the purpose of their mission. Jesus also heals the son of a government official in a way that demonstrates the importance of trusting faith, rather than reliance on spectacle.

John chapter 4 continues the use of contrast. Jesus goes from conversing with an educated, powerful, prestigious man (John 3:1–2) to talking to an outcast, unlearned, self-conscious woman. The combination of this passage, along with Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, makes an important spiritual point: the gospel is for all people, in all places, and all times. Christ can reach each person exactly where he or she needs to be reached.

The disciple John wrote the gospel of John decades after the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls "signs"— to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.