John 4:48

48 Jesus then said unto him, `If signs and wonders ye may not see, ye will not believe.'

John 4:48 Meaning and Commentary

John 4:48

Then said Jesus unto him
With some degree of roughness in his speech, and severity in his countenance, in a way of reproof for his unbelief, as if he could not heal his son without going down to Capernaum along with him:

except ye see signs and wonders ye will not believe.
This was the cast of the Jews every where, both in Judea and Galilee; they required signs and miracles to be wrought, in confirmation of Christ's being the Messiah, and which indeed was but right; and Christ did perform them for that purpose: but their sin of unbelief lay in this, that they wanted still more and more signs; they could not be contented with what they had seen, but required more, being sluggish and backward to believe. Our Lord seems to say this chiefly for the sake of the Galilaeans, that were about him; who, though they might be acquainted with his former miracles, when among them, of turning water into wine, and had seen his wondrous works at the feast at Jerusalem, yet were very desirous of seeing more, and perhaps very pressing for this cure.

John 4:48 In-Context

46 Jesus came, therefore, again to Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine, and there was a certain courtier, whose son was ailing in Capernaum,

47 he, having heard that Jesus is come out of Judea to Galilee, went away unto him, and was asking him that he may come down and may heal his son, for he was about to die.

48 Jesus then said unto him, `If signs and wonders ye may not see, ye will not believe.'

49 The courtier saith unto him, `Sir, come down before my child die;'

50 Jesus saith to him, `Be going on; thy son doth live.' And the man believed the word that Jesus said to him, and was going on,