The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1899-02-02
NoBLEMAN's SON HEALED.



IS0oJoAn lsA3-SA
Especially Arranged from Peloubet's Notes.]
GOLDEN TEXT.-Jesus said unto him.
thy son liveth: and himself believed. and
his whole house.-John l:6S.
THE SECTION includes only the lesson.
with q glance over Christ's ministry
through miracles Of mercy.
TIME.-A. ID. Is. early In January. OF
late in the previous December. Soon after
the last lesson.
PLACE.-Cana, q village among the hills
Of Galilee; and Capernaum. city 20 to q
miles to the northeast. on the shore OF the
Sea of Galilee.
EXPLANATORY.
l. A Good Foundation for Faith
VS.. 43-45. 43. "Now after two days."
The two days mentioned in V. 40.
which Jesus spent at Sychar preaching
cthe Samaritans. went into Galilee:' :''
Continuing His journey with His dis
ciples, which had been interrupted by
theincident at Sy char. Jesus left Judea
forGalilee because deepening opposi.
tion was developing in Judea, where He
was born, of whose lineage He was. and
where He would naturally be at home
as the Messiah. But "Jesus Himself
testified" from his own experience.
that a prophet hath no honor in his
own country" And therefore He went
TO Galilee, till by His teachings and His
works there He could prove TO Judca
that He was indeed the prophet.
IS. 1.-THE Galileeans Received Him."
The reason is Immediately given. "Hav-
ing seen all the things that He did at
Jerusalem at the feast" which the Gal
ileans were accustomed to attend. The
feast must be that referred to in 2:13-
25 and Chap. 3:1-22. And many things.
doubtless. were done at that time which
are not recorded (2:23).
II. The Need of Faith.-v. 46. $50
Jesus came again into Cana =
where He made the water wine" (Chap
2:1-lD: Because. having once been
welcomed there as friend or rela tive.
and having shown forth His glory, His
true character, by miracle, He would
now be likely to receive a favorable
hearing and make more disciples. We
may remember that here was the home
Of one of His disciples, Nathaniel (Bar-
tholomew) John 21:2). "A certain no.
bleman:" He was some high officer,
civil or military, Of Herod's court.
"Whose son was sick" and very low,
at the point of death with a fever (V.
52).
III. Faith Using Means. v. ~.
"W hen be beard that Jesus was comet
He had just one hope left, and knowing
that Jesus had wrought cures for 9th
ers, he hoped that He might be both
able and willing to help him in his
trouble. "Besought Him that He would
come down" Thinking that Jesus
must 90 and see the boy in order 10
cure him.
w. Little Faith Stepping Stone to
Larger Faith.-V. 4s. Except ye see
signs and wonders:" These two words
mark the two chief aspects Of mir
acles; signs, the spiritual spect,where-
by they suggest some deeper truth than
meets the eye. of which they are in
some sense symbols and pledges; and
wonders, the external aspect, whereby
their strangeness arrests attention.
'"Ye:" A general statement, suggest
ed by the circumstances. "Will not be-
lieve:" Jesus saw that His miracles
had impressed the people more deeply
than the teachings they were intended
to convey.
V. The Earnestness of Faith.-V. 40.
"Sir, come down ere my child dies" He
had no strength to reply or explain;
he would be hindered by no seeming re-
buke. He showed that he was not wait
ing to see wonders, but could trust
Jesus to heal his son.
vi. Faith Rewarded.-Vs. 5O-54. so.
go thy way; thy son liveth:" Here is
the reward of his faith, and the means
TO larger faith, as we soon see. "And
tie man believed the word that Jesus
had spoken:" Here was a step higher
in his faith. He not only believed in
general in the power of Jesus to heal,
but he believed for himself and acted
upon his belief. And he went his
way:" He left Jesus, and either started
for home, or went some
where for the night. and left for home
the next morning, which is the more
probable.
SO. AT the seventh hour" Either
one o'clock, according to the Jewish
reckoning, or seven o'clock, according
TO one Roman reckoning. "The fever
left him." showing sudden and de-
cisive change.
So. Himself believed and his whole
house," Household, family. He be-
lieved what? Believed on Jesus as his
Saviour. Before he had believed about
Him, now he believed on Him. They all
became disciples. This new increase
of his faith was the result OF this mir
acle. 1t confirmed and enlarged his
faith. SO that he received the teaching
and love of Christ deep in his heart.
81. Second miracle:" Not the Sec