Bible Commentary

John 4:53 is a Bible verse in the New Testament where a nobleman received a healing miracle for his son that he had asked of Jesus Christ.

At this point in the gospel, Jesus had only performed one miracle, where he turned the water into wine at Cana in Galilee. But He had also shown great zeal for His Father’s house when He overturned the tables of the money changes in the Temple.

Word spreads fast, and this nobleman knew about Jesus. His son was very sick and he traveled to where Jesus was and asked Him to come and heal his son, for he was near death.

Surprisingly, Jesus did not respond favorably to the nobleman’s request. He said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” (John 4:48)

He rebuked the people for their lack of belief. Let’s take a look at a passage which gives some insight as to why Jesus said what He did.

Just a couple of chapters prior to this was when Jesus had made a huge scene and overturned the money changers’ tables in the temple out of great zeal for His Father’s house.

These three verses come immediately after that, and they give us more understanding about His knowledge about men.

John 2:23-25
Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. ²⁴ But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, ²⁵ and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

If you look up the Greek meaning of the word “commit,” you’ll see: have faith in, believe, trust.

He knew these men might believe in Him one minute and the next minute they would curse Him. Jesus knew the fickle mind and heart of man. He knew the only One He could put all His trust and faith in was God, His Father.

Unlocking the Truth - The Heart of Man

We should follow the same example. It is a difficult lesson to learn this truth personally. There is no person on earth who can live up to the faithfulness of Jesus Christ.

But no matter how unfaithful we are, praise God He is faithful towards us. When the nobleman further sought Jesus’ help to heal his son, Jesus relented and said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.”

As the nobleman approached his home, his servants met him and told him his son was alive. And then John 4:53 says, “So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, ‘Your son lives.’ And he himself believed, and his whole household.”

When we are desperate for a miracle, we are more likely to open the Bible and search the scriptures.

When we are desperate for a change, we are more likely to believe what Jesus says.

The nobleman was desperate. He sought Jesus, his only hope. Then he believed, and not only him but his entire household.

As the leader of his household, he was the catalyst for change in the heart of his family members. They followed his lead.

Just as God is a loving and wise Father of all His house, so we must also be loving and wise leaders in our homes.

1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”

Stand strong in who you are in Jesus Christ and what He has called you to do--to proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light.

He is the only One we can completely depend on—not a person, a group or even ourselves—but Jesus Christ alone. He is worthy.