The Samaritan woman/housewife (cf. vv. 28–30) confessed the citizen of “Sychar” as His female “disciples”346 that Jesus is the “Christ” (vv. 25c, 29e – note also the titles347 in her mouth: the “Jew” [v. 9b], the “Lord” [vv. 11b, 15b, 19b], a “prophet” [v. 19c]) like Martha (cf. John 11:27) and Mary of Magdalene (cf. 20:18) – note the Galilean women in John 19:25; Mark 15:40–41; 16:1; Matthew 27:55–56, 61; Luke 8:2–3; 10:38–42; 23:49; 24:1, 10. At the end, the Samarian citizen of “Sychar” believed in Him (cf. vv. 39–42) as the “Saviour of the world” (v. 42d and Judges 3:9, 15; Esther 8:12; Wisdom of Solomon 16:7). This messianic title is like a “final chord”348 of Jesus’ meeting with the Samaritans – note “the contrast between the more open faith of the Samaritans and the less adequate belief of those at Jerusalem (cf. John 2:23–25) and Nicodemus”349 (cf. 3:1–21).
2.2.9 First Setting as a Journey Note350 (vv. 43–45351)
As in verses 1–6, we have a double setting (cf. vv. 43–45, 46a–c) here again.
v. 43: The Fourth Evangelist continues with a journey note of Jesus’ renewed coming to “Galilee” (cf. v. 3) with the same words “the two days” (in Greek “dúo heméras” in vv. 40c, 43) to bridge the scenic-dialogical scene in verses 4–42 with the story of His distant healing of the royal official’s son from Capernaum in Galilee in verses 46–53/54. The name of the northern district “Galilee” (vv. 43, 45a, 46a, 47b, 54b) is the keyword of the journey note in verses 43–45 and of His healing in verses 46–54.
v. 44: A parenthesis of the Evangelist emphasizes that “Jesus” “Himself” pointed “that /a/ prophet” (v. 19c) “{has no} [honour] in the own hometown/country [ ] { }” (cf. Mark 6:4; Matthew 13:57; Luke 4:24).
v. 45: The Evangelist relates that “the Galileans welcomed/received” Jesus, “(having seen) all ( ) that He had done in Jerusalem” during their visit of the Passover “feast(ival)” (vv. 45d, e – cf. John 2.13).
2.2.10 Jesus’ Distant Healing of the Royal Official’s Son from Capernaum in Cana (vv. 46–54352)
- The Setting (v. 46a–c)
Who: Jesus, the royal official (from Capernaum), his son (in Capernaum)
Where: “from Judea to Galilee” (vv. 43, 45, 47b, 54b), Cana (v. 46a) – Capernaum (v. 46d)
When: during Jesus’ public mission in Galilee – “yesterday at the 7th hour” (v. 52d)
A cross-reference with the first sign at “Cana” in John 2:1–11 and verse 54353 “where” Jesus “had made water wine” (in Greek “tò húdor oῖnon”in v. 46b and 2:9) introduces a new scenic-dialogical story of the “royal official354’s son” (v. 46c, d1) from “Capernaum”355 (v. 46d2 and 2:12; 6:17, 24, 59). Because of his Galilean settlement in Capernaum he was probably a royal official of the King Herod Antipas356 (4 B.C.–39 A.D.) (cf. Luke 8:3), the tetrarch of the district Galilee and Perea.
- The Diagnosis (vv. 46d, 47e)
The royal official came from “Capernaum” (v. 46d) to Jesus at “Cana” (v. 46a) because of his “( ) sick357 (son)” (v. 46d). The distance of both settlements is 26 kilometres358 – a one-day trip359 (cf. v. 52d).
- The Double Request by the Royal Official (vv. 47–49)
v. 47: The “father” (v. 53a) of the sick “boy/child” (vv. 49c, 51d) “heard” from hearsay that “Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee” (cf. vv. 3, 47b, 54b). Therefore he “came to Him” – note again the verbum compositum “ap-érchomaɩ” in verses 3b, 8a, 28b, 47c – and “requested/begged/asked” Him as an indirect questioning:
Please “come down”360 from “Cana” about 300 metres above sea-level to “Capernaum” near the northwest corner of the “Sea of Galilee/Tiberias” “and
heal”361 my “son” who is “close to die” (cf. v. 49b, c).
v. 48: “Jesus” said a critical word regarding of the faith in wonders362 (cf. John 2:18, 23–25 and Mark 8:11; Matthew 12:38; 16:1; Luke 11:16, 29; 23:8; 1 Corinthians 1:22) to the royal official: “Unless you (see) signs and wonders363 ( ),
you /do/ not believe.”
v. 49: As in verse 47, the “royal official” (intensively) begged Him again:
“Lord” (vv. 11b, 15b, 19b),
“come down” (vv. 47d, 51a)
“before (my) boy/child ( )” (v. 51d) “dies” (cf. v. 47e).
- Jesus’ Distant Healing with His Word (v. 50a–b)
After His request, “Jesus” gave him the order – note the imperative:
“Go, (your) son ( ) lives” or “/is/ alive” (cf. v. 51d and Mark 7:29) – note the opposite verb “die” in verses 47e, 49c.
- Declaration of the Healing (vv. 50c–53d)
v. 50c: Because of his “believing”/faith364 in Jesus’ “word” (cf. Romans 10:17) his son was cured. So the royal official is a “model of faith” according to the Fourth Gospel (cf. Matthew 8:10; 15:28; Luke 7:9).
v. 51: During his one-day way home from Cana to Capernaum (cf. v. 46a, d) the royal official’s “servants”365 went to “meet”366 him, saying with the same words of Jesus’ promise (cf. v. 50b) in the form of an indirect speech: Your “boy/child367 was living/alive”.
v. 52: The royal official questioned his servants the “hour when” his son’s “fever”368 (cf. Mark 1:31; Matthew 8:15; Luke 4:38–39) started to “get better”. Their answer was: “Yesterday369 at the seventh hour” (= 1 p.m.) –
v. 53: just at this moment “when (Jesus) said /to/ him ( ): “(Your) son ( ) lives”/“/is/ alive” (vv. 50b, 51d, 53d). The royal official “realized ( )” that. At home of the faithful royal official at Capernaum, “the father” (cf. Mark 7:25; Matthew 15:22) found his son well. According to the Hebrew Bible, “God was impressed by the faith of Abraham to save other people. So, in the New Testament, Jesus is impressed by the faith of one man to exercise his power in favour of someone else”370, because God, the Creator, and also His Son Jesus are there for everybody else. Jesus, the healer and the Savour, gave life to the royal official’s son (cf. vv. 50b, 51d, 53d).
- Reaction of the Royal Official (v. 53e)
Therefore the royal official as the “pater familias”371 and his “whole household” – that means his wife and his children as well as His (male and female) servants – let themselves be baptized and become a “familia dei”372 (cf., for example, Acts 10:2; 11:14; 16:15, 31–34; 18:8; 1 Corinthians 1:16) who follow/ed