Jesus Healed a Royal Official’s Son Bible Lesson for Children

This is a Bible lesson about the time a Gentile official came to Jesus and asked him to heal his son. The story is found in John 4:46-53. Jesus told the man to return home because his son was healed. The man showed great faith and left without Jesus, trusting what Jesus had said. It is one of several lessons highlighting the fact that Jesus is God’s Son. The others are listed on the “Jesus is God” lessons summary page. This lesson can help kids see Jesus’ power and his ability to bring healing without even being with someone.   

Lesson Title: Jesus Healed a Royal Official’s Son

Bible Text: John 4:46-53

Learning Objective: To help children understand that Jesus is God and has the power to do whatever He chooses to do.

The Lead

Choose a free, printable activity from the list of related Bible activities that will be good to open the lesson. As children complete the activity, explain that today’s lesson is about one of many things Jesus did or said that showed he is God. Use the chosen activity to introduce the story.

Read the story from the Bible or invite a child to read the story aloud. Depending on the age and maturity of your kids, you may want simply to tell the story in your own words.

The Lesson

Select an appropriate number of printable activities from the list of related Bible activities and use them to engage your kids in the story. As they work on the activities, emphasize the following truths:

• Many of the people following Jesus at this time were merely interested in his spectacular miracles. They wanted to see “signs and wonders.” Jesus was not interested in a doing a show. He wanted people to trust in him as the Son of God.  
• This official had not come for a show, but needed Jesus for the sake of his son, who was very sick. Rather than go with the man and perform a miracle everyone could see, Jesus simply said the boy would live and sent the man away. God often calls on us to trust Him without any visible evidence that He is working.
• The man “believed what Jesus said to him” and started home with only his faith. This would have been difficult, but it’s the very kind of faith Jesus wants us to have. Biblical faith is focused on Jesus, not the circumstances. The man had to wait an entire day to learn that his son was, in fact, healed at the very time Jesus said. 
• Because Jesus is God, he is not limited by distance or any other barrier. Jesus can do whatever he chooses to do, whenever and wherever he chooses to do it.

The Landing

In closing the lesson, emphasize for children that Jesus is God and has all the power that God has. He can, therefore, do whatever he wants to do however he wants to do it.