John 4 54

John 4:54 kjv

This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.

John 4:54 nkjv

This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

John 4:54 niv

This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

John 4:54 esv

This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

John 4:54 nlt

This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.

John 4 verses

John 4 54 Meaning

John 4:54 states that the healing of the royal official's son was the second miraculous sign Jesus performed in Galilee upon His return from Judea. This verse serves as the Gospel author's editorial commentary, explicitly numbering this significant event and confirming its place within the structured unfolding of Jesus' divine power and identity, aimed at eliciting belief.

John 4 54 Context

John Chapter 4 narrates Jesus' journey from Judea to Galilee, which involved passing through Samaria and His groundbreaking encounter with the Samaritan woman at Jacob's well. Following His two-day ministry in Samaria, where many Samaritans believed in Him as the Savior of the world, Jesus returned to Cana in Galilee, the place of His first sign. It was there that a royal official from Capernaum sought Him, desperately pleading for Jesus to heal his dying son. Despite Jesus' initial comment about people seeking signs, the official's persistence, borne of genuine concern for his son's life, led Jesus to heal the boy from a distance with a mere word. The boy's immediate recovery, confirmed by the father upon his return, resulted in the official and his entire household believing in Jesus. Verse 54 then acts as the concluding remark to this episode, explicitly identifying it as the "second sign" performed by Jesus in the Galilean region. This places the miracle within a divine itinerary and a specific theological structure that John's Gospel uses to reveal Jesus' identity and evoke faith.

John 4 54 Word analysis

• This (οὗτος - houtos): This pronoun points directly back to the immediately preceding narrative of the healing of the royal official's son, confirming that this specific miracle is the subject being classified.
• again (πάλιν - palin): Signifies repetition or recurrence. It connects the current sign to a previous one, implying that this is not a solitary event but part of an ongoing series of similar acts. This subtly directs the reader to recall John's account of Jesus' first sign.
• the second (δευτέρα - deutera): This specific ordinal number is crucial. It underscores John's intentional theological and narrative structure, highlighting a deliberate sequence and progression in Jesus' public revelation through miracles. It clearly numbers this miracle in relation to the wedding at Cana.
• sign (σημεῖον - sēmeion): In John's Gospel, a sēmeion is more than just a miracle or wonder. It is a divine action intended to point beyond itself, revealing Jesus' glory, His identity as the Christ and Son of God, and compelling those who witness it towards belief. It serves a specific evangelistic purpose (Jn 20:30-31).
• Jesus (Ἰησοῦς - Iēsous): The subject of the action. It affirms His personal agency and divine authority as the one who actively performed this miracle.
• did (ἐποίησεν - epoiesen): A verb of action in the simple past tense, emphasizing that Jesus actually performed the sign, solidifying the reality of the event.
• when He had come out (ἐλθὼν - elthon): A participial phrase indicating the journey that preceded the sign. It highlights Jesus' itinerating ministry and links the miracle to His geographical movement.
• of Judea (ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας - apo tēs Ioudaias): Specifies Jesus' point of departure, marking a transition in His geographical focus. This movement also has theological implications, as Galilee was often seen as distinct from the religious heartland of Judea.
• into Galilee (εἰς τὴν Γαλιλαίαν - eis tēn Galilaian): Denotes Jesus' destination and the region where both His first and second signs, as recorded by John, were performed. This establishes Galilee as a key early locus for Jesus' public miraculous ministry.

Word-group analysis:

• "This again the second sign Jesus did...": This phrase collectively functions as an interpretive key from the author. It indicates that John is carefully curating and categorizing Jesus' miraculous works. The emphasis on "second sign" explicitly builds upon the "beginning of signs" (Jn 2:11), forming a narrative progression where each sign builds on the revelation of the previous one. This systematic presentation guides the reader in understanding the unfolding manifestation of Jesus' glory and identity.
• "...when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.": This phrase situates the sign within Jesus' broader itinerancy, demonstrating His ministry transcending regional boundaries and moving purposefully between the spiritual-political center of Judea and the more provincial, diverse Galilee. It implies a continuation of Jesus' mission despite changing geographical locations, establishing Galilee as a central stage for His early signs.

John 4 54 Bonus section

The consistent numbering of key miracles as "signs" is a distinct feature of John's Gospel, providing a framework for understanding Jesus' ministry not as an accumulation of random good deeds but as a strategic revelation. While other Gospels also describe these events, John alone applies this specific designation. The arrangement of these initial signs (Cana, then the official's son) in the same geographical location (Cana of Galilee) might underscore Galilee's role as the starting point for Jesus' public manifestation of His glory. It contrasts with the often-skeptical reception Jesus received in Judea and Jerusalem. The progression from the "first" to the "second" sign indicates an authorial intent to create a cumulative effect, where each sign contributes to a growing understanding of Jesus' person, ultimately serving the purpose stated in John 20:30-31: that readers might believe and have life in His name.

John 4 54 Commentary

John 4:54 is more than a simple chronological note; it's a foundational statement in John's carefully constructed theological argument. By labeling the healing of the official's son as the "second sign," John systematically reinforces Jesus' identity and authority. Following the first sign at the Cana wedding (Jn 2:1-11), which transformed water, a symbol of purification and celebration, into wine, this second sign addresses a direct threat to life. It demonstrates Jesus' power over sickness and distance, showing that His word alone possesses efficacy. Both signs, set in Cana of Galilee, initiate a series of escalating revelations that testify to Jesus' glory (Jn 2:11) and His divine origin, prompting observers to move beyond mere wonder to genuine belief. John's emphasis on "signs" (sēmeion) highlights their purposeful nature—they are not random acts of power but divine pointers to Jesus' Messianic claims and His ultimate purpose: to offer eternal life through faith. This verse thus concludes a significant narrative arc that moves from Cana, where initial belief was established, to the further expansion of faith through powerful, life-affirming acts.