John Calvin Commentary John 4:47

"When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought [him] that he would come down, and heal his son; for he was at the point of death." — John 4:47 (ASV)

When he had heard that Jesus had come. When he appeals to Christ for aid, this is some evidence of his faith; but when he limits Christ’s manner of granting assistance, that shows how ignorant he was. For he views Christ’s power as inseparably connected with His bodily presence. From this, it is evident that he had formed no other view of Christ than this: that He was a Prophet sent by God with such authority and power as to prove, by performing miracles, that He was a minister of God. This fault, though deserving censure, Christ overlooks, but He severely rebukes him, and indeed all the Jews in general, on another ground: that they were too eager to see miracles.

But how is it that Christ is now so harsh, who is accustomed to receiving others kindly who desire miracles? There must have been some particular reason at that time, though unknown to us, why He treated this man with a degree of severity unusual for Him; and perhaps He was not looking so much at the person as at the whole nation. He saw that His doctrine had little authority and was not only neglected but completely despised. On the other hand, everyone had their eyes fixed on miracles, and their whole senses were seized with stupidity rather than with admiration. Thus, the wicked contempt for the word of God, which prevailed at that time, compelled Him to make this complaint.

True, indeed, some even of the saints sometimes wished to be confirmed by miracles, so that they might not entertain any doubt about the truth of the promises; and we see how God, by kindly granting their requests, showed that He was not offended by them. But Christ describes far greater wickedness here, for the Jews depended so much on miracles that they left no room for the word.

1. It was exceedingly wicked that they were so stupid and carnal as to have no reverence for doctrine, unless they were aroused by miracles; for they must have been well acquainted with the word of God, in which they had been educated from infancy.
2. When miracles were performed, they were so far from profiting properly that they remained in a state of stupidity and amazement.

Thus they had no religion, no knowledge of God, no practice of godliness, except what consisted in miracles.

Paul's reproach against them is to the same effect: the Jews demand signs (1 Corinthians 1:22). For he means that they were unreasonably and excessively attached to signs. They cared little about the grace of Christ, the promises of eternal life, or the secret power of the Spirit. On the contrary, they rejected the Gospel with haughty disdain because they had no taste for anything but miracles. I wish that not many people today were affected by the same disease. But nothing is more common than this saying: “Let them first perform miracles, and then we will listen to their doctrine.” This is as if we ought to despise and disdain the truth of Christ unless it derives support from some other source. But even if God were to overwhelm them with a huge mass of miracles, they still speak falsely when they say they would believe. Some outward astonishment would be produced, but they would not be even slightly more attentive to doctrine.