John 4 · a question people ask

The nobleman begged Jesus to come down and heal his son, and Jesus answered, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe" (4:48). Was Jesus turning him away?

In the text

Here is what John tells, in order. The nobleman "went to him and begged him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death" (4:47). "Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.”" (4:48). The WEB has you people, and in Greek the verbs see and believe there are plural. John doesn't say whom Jesus meant by you people, or how the nobleman took the words. He tells what the nobleman said next, "Sir, come down before my child dies" (4:49), and what Jesus said, "Go your way. Your son lives" (4:50). Then "The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way" (4:50). These notes add nothing to his words.

The verses

“Jesus came therefore again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water into wine. There was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him and begged him that he would come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will in no way believe.” The nobleman said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go your way. Your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.”
John 4:46-50 · World English Bible

From Favor's study of John 4

John 4: Living water

At the well Jesus offers "living water" (4:10), and at the end of the chapter he tells the nobleman, "Your son lives" (4:50): in Greek it is the same verb. And the first time in John's Gospel that Jesus says "I am he", he says it to a woman of Samaria (4:26), whose word brought many of her city to believe (4:39).

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Last reviewed October 1, 2026. Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible, which is in the public domain. Every answer cites the verses it rests on. What we believe · All Bible questions