Jesus Heals the Official’s Son

Opening Question: How would you describe the family you grew up in?

Let’s read John 4:43-54

46 So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” 49 The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!” 52 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.” 53 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. 54 This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

Word List:
Cana of Galilee – a small town in the northern part of the nation of Israel.
Nobleman – someone who is at the highest level of society.
Capernaum – another small town in Galilee.
Judea – the southern part of Israel.
signs and wonders – miracles.

Discussion questions:
1. Who can re-tell last week’s story about Jesus turning water into wine at a wedding in Cana?
1. How would you re-tell this story?
2. What can we say about the nobleman?
3. What was so miraculous about this story?
4. What do you think Jesus meant in verse 48?
5. Why is it so hard for some people to believe in miracles?
6. What exactly does it mean to “believe”?
7. What miracle to you wish Jesus would do for you, or for someone else you know?