TRUST GOD - John 4:43-54

 TRUST GOD

John 4:43-54

Introduction: Most of us have probably prayed for a miracle at some time. Some of you, perhaps, and can relate immediately to this nobleman, this servant of a king who came to Jesus looking for help for his deathly ill son. It may be that you have seen a child desperately sick.  Perhaps an injury, perhaps a sickness, maybe even the doctors offering little hope, and you yourself helpless to take the pain away, to help the one you love. You would switch places in a heartbeat if you could, you would give anything. 

     I’ve witnessed such grief in my family. We were there through the weeks my nephew, 5 going on 6, my sister’s son, was treated for leukemia, diagnosed at the end of October, chemotherapy, a series of crises, pancreatitis, an emergency surgery, and death all within about seven weeks. Devastating. I saw the pain my parents experienced when my brother lay dying in a coma, hooked up to a respirator, after crashing his motorcycle, and when my sister was dying from cancer… We walked through this with a couple in the first church I pastored in NJ when a few days after giving birth to twins one of the babies was diagnosed with a heart defect that offered no hope of survival more than a few weeks… As a young pastor, that was one of the first funerals I did.

       You’ve seen or experienced the bond between parent and child… consider what the father in this story was facing: It’s a parent’s worst nightmare to be sure. This man in John 4 had probably exhausted his options, the physicians could do nothing, they could offer no hope, but then he heard Jesus was back in Galilee, and either in desperation or in hope, he went to him.

In our study in Mark, we allowed three questions to guide us through that Gospel. We’ll benefit from doing that in John as well, with an adjustment to the third question. Here in the Fourth Gospel we will ask: 1) Who is Jesus? 2) Why did He come? And, 3) What does it mean to believe in Him? We’ll focus today on the last question…

The Big Idea: Your life will change forever when you recognize who Jesus is and trust Him as your only hope for life and blessing.

I. Seeing miraculous signs is not necessarily believing (4:43-46a). 

“After the two days He departed for Galilee. (For Jesus Himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown). So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him, having seen all the things that He had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast. So He came again to Cana in Galilee where He had made the water wine.” (4:43–46a).  

These verses are a transition as Jesus left the Samaritans and resumed his journey to Galilee. He was the Savior of the world, yes, but he came first to present himself to the Jews (43,44). It was the Father’s plan. Remaining in Judea wasn’t an option—too much conflict with the religious leaders there. The time would come for a final confrontation, and the cross, but that time has not yet come. So, the trip north, back to his adopted homeland, where he was raised as the carpenter’s son. But a “prophet has no honor in his own country.” Why would Galileans have difficulty honoring Jesus and believing in Him? He grew up there, and apparently did no miracles, didn’t stand out in any way. Yes, he was the carpenter’s son.  But he would not prematurely attract too much attention from the religious leaders, as he would  in Jerusalem.

       Another thought- Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost. The Samaritans believed his word, but the Jews sought after signs. He left Samaria and returned to his homeland because they needed to hear him and re-consider his claims- the reason he returned to Jewish territory was to give them that opportunity. The synoptic Gospels tell us more about his early rejection in Galilee, particularly in his hometown of Nazereth. Recall from our earlier study in Mark 6:2-5…

2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands?  3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.  4 And Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household."  5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 

Now, He was back home and was welcomed, as many had seen the signs he did at the Passover Feast in Jerusalem. But did they believe (2:23-25;  3:2)? We are told in 2:24 that Jesus did not entrust Himself to them because “He knew all people.” Nicodemus likewise, affirmed the signs, but could not understand the need for a new birth. Could it be here in John 4 that “They were not welcoming him as the Messiah who could save them but only as a miracle worker who could amaze them”? (See also v.48).

We see a contrast in this section of John: In contrast to Nicodemus who just couldn’t understand the Words of Christ (John 3), the Samaritans didn’t see any miracles, but they believed the word of the woman at the well about Jesus (Jn 4). Then when they heard Jesus themselves, they believed, and others with them, taking Jesus at his word (again, without seeing any miracles!). As John is telling the story of Jesus he is showing us that we shouldn’t need “signs” in order to believe, in fact many who saw the signs still didn’t come to a right understanding of who Jesus is and what He came to do. Toward the end of the Gospel Jesus confronts doubting Thomas for his slowness to believe,  "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed" (John 20:29).

Here in John 4:45, “…they welcomed Him…” This appears to be some kind of superficial popularity, a “receiving” of Jesus on their own terms, not for who he really is. We are told that they saw all the things He had done at the feast. They, like Nicodemus, were amazed by the signs He did. But though they were enamored by the signs, they didn’t see what the signs revealed: the Glory of God Incarnate. It is not so uncommon today for people to say some positive things about Jesus: “Of course I believe in Jesus,” people will say, “He was a great teacher,” or, “He really showed compassion on the sick and needy.”  Even the Muslims will say Jesus was a great prophet. John is writing so that we might come to a correct, full, understanding of who Jesus is. He is the Son of God, God the Son, the Great “I AM,” now incarnate.  As C.S. Lewis asked, “Is he the Lord that he claimed to be?” If not then he was a liar, or worse, a lunatic. Liar, Lunatic, or LORD? *Your life will change forever when you recognize who Jesus really is, and trust Him as your only hope for life and blessing.

II. “Believing” means trusting Him to do what’s best (4:46-49).  

46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe." 49 The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

John ties this scene together with the miracle at the wedding in Cana in John 2, mentioning the town, and also the first “sign.” As we look at this scene, I don’t think John would have us take a negative view of praying for a miracle in impossible situations. We are right to pray for healing. Sickness, suffering, and death are part of our life in this world because of the Fall, it was not the paradise that God created in the beginning, nor is it life as it will one day be in the New Heaven and the New Earth. I’ve heard people testify to examples of answered prayer, healing, deliverance, and say “God is good!” But what if he had not answered the way we had hoped, would he be less good? Praying for help and miraculous intervention isn’t wrong. I think what John is showing us is that we need to seek the Giver more so than the gift. We need to trust, understanding that there is a bigger picture and that even when we don’t understand God is working everything together for our good and for His glory.

        4:46 begins, “So…” or “Therefore…” It is possible John mentions Cana, where Jesus did His first “sign” (Jn 2), to remind us that the One who transformed water into wine, eclipsing the old rites of purification and announcing the coming joy of the messianic banquet continues to reveal his glory, rightly trusted or not, by bringing healing and snatching a life back from the brink of death. The miracles of Christ were signs for those who had eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand. They revealed the power of God in Christ, “these were written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God…” But they were also acts of power that gave a little glimpse of the future messianic kingdom, when the curse finally and forever will be undone. The first sign he did after returning from Judea to Galilee, now, after that same trip, he acts again, revealing His glory. Let’s look at the details…

       “When he heard Jesus had arrived in Galilee… he went to him.”  This man was probably an official of Herod Antipas. We are not certain if he was Jewish, but it seems to me likely. In his role he would have had servants of his own that he could have sent to Jesus. But the matter was too urgent to be entrusted to another. He went personally, seeking the help of the miracle worker, Jesus of Nazareth. We see no pride, no arrogance, just the love of a father wanting to help his son.

       The ESV says simply that the man “asked Him to come down” to heal his son. Most of the translations based on the context and grammar say, “He begged Him to come…” or “He kept imploring him… come down before my child dies…” The language here reveals a repeated on going asking, hence the idea of pleading with Jesus, begging for help. It is the language used to describe the Syro-phonecian woman who begged Jesus to come and cast out a demon from her daughter (Mark 7:26). In that case too Jesus answered from a distance, there was no need to go, with a word the demon was gone. Here, the man is pleading with Jesus, his son was 20 miles away in Capernaum. They need to get moving before it was too late! We don’t see much indication that this “royal official” had any insight yet into who Jesus is. Perhaps he had heard that he did miracles in Judea, and held out hope that he could help his son. 

       Jesus’ initial response seems a little rough, doesn’t it? “Unless you see signs and wonders your will not believe!” Jesus is speaking to the man, but there is a detail here we might miss in our English Bible. Jesus said, “Unless you see signs and wonders…” The word “you” in English could be singular or plural. Since he is speaking to the man, we might assume it to be singular. But, in fact it is plural, “you all” or “you people,” (or if you are from New Jersey, “Yous guys…”). I think he is addressing his countrymen, the Jewish nation. In contrast to the Samaritans who heard the word of Christ and believed, without signs, His countrymen sought miracles, signs, and wonders. The Samaritans recognized Him as the Savior of the world. His own nation was mostly focused on seeking his help with things that seemed beyond their control. They sought the gifts, rather than rejoicing in the Giver. For the most part, they didn’t yet seen His glory. The Big  idea is that *Your life will change forever when you recognize who Jesus is, and trust Him as your only hope for life and blessing.

III. Believing means understanding who Jesus is and trusting Him as our only hope (4:50-54). 

50 Jesus said to him, "Go; your son will live." The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.  51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.  52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him."  53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." And he himself believed, and all his household.  54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.  

  Confidence (v.50). The official asks , “Come down before my child dies!” Jesus says, “Go; your son will live!”  He assumed that if this healer could help, he’d have to be there with his son. He was wrong. To his credit, the man “the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to Him and went on His way.” He took Jesus at his word, and departed. The man had traveled 20 miles to find Jesus and bring Him to his sick son. But Jesus doesn’t say, “Ok, let’s go.” He says, “You go, your son will live.” This is faith, this desperate father believed Jesus and left. He took Him at His word. This is an essential element of faith: trusting what God says, and acting in obedience to Him. Trust, and obey (John 3:35,36). Somehow the man went beyond the “you people” who would not believe without seeing signs and wonders (4:48). His obedience revealed his faith.

  Confirmation (51,52). As he is returning home, the man’s servants meet him… The boy was healed “yesterday at the seventh hour,”  just when Jesus sent the father on his way! The timing left no doubt, there was no question, Jesus had done it. Remember John’s purpose in writing his Gospel: “Many other signs did Jesus in the presence of his disciple which are not written in this book.  These have been written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God…”  John said in chapter 1, “We beheld his glory…” How does this miracle function as a “sign”?  What does it reveal to us about Jesus?  Not only does he heal the boy, but he has never even met him, he doesn’t need to be near him.

   Commitment (53,54). The text says “…he himself believed and his whole household…” When this word is used by John without an object, he normally is saying “he became a believer,” i.e., he trusted Jesus as his Savior and Lord. At the very time Jesus said “go, your son lives,” he was healed.  Who had such authority, such power? The timing was too much to be anything else, this servant of the king believed in the King of Kings, he and his household. Like Cornelius and his household in Acts 10, and the Philippian jailer and His household in Acts 16, this nobleman, and all his household believed! 

What is God saying to me in this passage? Many other signs did Jesus in the presence of His disciples which are not written in this book. These have been written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing, you might have life in His name.  Your life will change forever when you recognize who Jesus is, and trust Him as your only hope for life and blessing.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?  

1) Are you in a time of crisis? Does it seem that the Lord is so far away? It has been over 2000 years since he walked the streets of Jerusalem, and the byways of Galilee, Judea, and Samaria. This story should encourage us that Jesus isn’t limited by time and space. He is Lord of history, Listen to the words of the psalmist in Psalm 139:5-10,  

5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.  6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.  7 Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence?  8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!  9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,  10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me. 

Your life will change forever when you recognize who Jesus is, and trust Him as your only hope for life and blessing.

2) Have you believed in Jesus, trusting Him as your personal Lord and Savior? Even before the Cross and resurrection the Samaritans recognized the Savior of the world. Remember, “He came unto His own, and His own people did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, He gave the right to become children of God…” Trust Him now!

3. Let worship him together, with grateful hearts, as we celebrate communion together. AMEN.