As Jesus returns to Galilee, He encounters a royal official whose son is seriously ill and near death. The Galileans receive Jesus because of the signs they have seen, but Jesus exposes the difference between seeking Him for miracles and truly believing His word.

The royal official pleads with Jesus to come and heal his son. Instead, Jesus tells him, “Go, your son lives.” The man believes Jesus' word and leaves. On his journey home, he learns that his son was healed at the very hour Jesus spoke.

This second sign in Cana demonstrates that Jesus' word has the power to give and restore life. The official's faith is strengthened and confirmed as he sees that Jesus is the source of life and that His word can be trusted.

The passage also continues the larger theme of John 3–4: those who might seem least likely to receive Christ—the Sa ...