A "Come To Jesus" Moment Series

Now we’re not told much about what happened that day. So I put on my “Sanctified Imaginator” and tried to visualize what this father said to Jesus. All we’re told in the text is this: “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.” John 4:47

That’s all it says, but I suspect there was more involved than what that short sentence says. And so I let my imagination run a little bit and this is what I think happened:

This is a father and his son is dying. Now I don’t know about you, but if it were my child who was dying, I’d have done just about anything to get Jesus to heal him. I’d have offered Jesus money, maybe I’d have tried to impress Him with my political influence… I really don’t know! But if I’d have been that dad – and my son was dying – I’d have done whatever I had to to influence Him to come heal my boy.

And I imagine the crowd gathering closely around Jesus. They’re intrigued by what they’re seeing. This father is important. He’s an official. He has clout. Surely if Jesus is going to listen to anyone… it’s gonna be this guy.

But instead of honoring this man of importance, Jesus’s answer is curt and harsh. Not only does Jesus rebuke this man (and the rest of the crowd) by saying “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe” (John 4:48) but He refuses to go to the man’s house to heal his child.

He REFUSES!

That’s unheard of!

Just imagine this: This crowd sees Jesus as some kind of itinerant preacher. A nice guy to be sure, but little more than a humble rabbi. As far as they’re concerned, He’s a man of no lasting importance in this world.

BUT here He is addressing a leading official in Judea as if He is speaking to a subordinate. He speaks with authority!

He speaks … as if He were a King. And He says “Go; your son will live.” John 4:50

Now perhaps there’s something in tone of Jesus’ voice or maybe something in His facial expression - but this father was somehow comforted by this simple statement. And we’re told “The man BELIEVED the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” John 4:50

He didn’t argue with Jesus. He didn’t try bargain with Him. He simply believed - and started back home. Now, I don’t know why he believed, or why he went home as he did. But I do know this: this man NOW had faith that if this Jesus said this was going happen… it was going to happen.

So, was that father right? DID Jesus heal his son?

Oh yeah.

“As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 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.”

The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” John 4:51-53

Wow! That’s a powerful story. But if that was all you saw in the story… you missed something. In fact, I deliberately didn’t read the last sentence of verse 53 because I wanted to emphasize it. And I deliberately didn’t put that part of the verse on the screen because I want you to look at it in your own Bibles. Look at it. What does the last sentence of John 4:53 tell us?