Reading: John chapter 4 verses 43-54.
ILL:
• In the for sale section of a local newspaper, was an advert saying;.
• ‘Dog for sale, it eats anything and is fond of children’.
• Now think about that for a moment;
• And realize all that this sign is potentially saying.
• Is it saying that the dog eats anything and is especially fond of eating children?
• Or is it saying that the dogs are good with children?
• The sign has two meanings;
• The real meaning and a hidden meaning.
In a similar (but less humorous) way,
• John in his gospel;
• Wants us to examine this miracle of Jesus and see what it is really saying.
• There is a deeper meaning;
• Than the obvious fact Jesus healed a boy in need.
Note:
• The first sign that we looked thought about at our last Word & Worship service;
• ‘The changing of water into wine’ showed us the power of Jesus over things.
• In this chapter we will see the power of Jesus over distance.
• Jesus is not limited geographically to where he is – He is able to heal at a distance!
Ill:
• Olympic gold medallist Darrel Pace;
• Gave an archery exhibition in New York City's Central Park,
• And the event received coverage by all the news stations.
• Shooting steel- tipped hunting arrows, Darrel Pace punctured bull's-eyes without a miss.
• Then he called for a volunteer. "All you have to do," said Pace,
• "Is to hold an apple in your hand waist high."
• ABC news correspondent Josh Howell took a bold step forward.
• He stood there, and was given a small apple in his hand, and a larger one in his throat.
• Darrel Pace then stood 30 yards away and took aim , the crowd held their breath.
• Then THWACK-a clean hit that exploded the apple before striking the target behind.
• Everybody applauded Howell, who was all smiles;
• Until, his cameraman approached with a depressing look.
• "I'm sorry, Josh," he said. "I didn't get it. I had a problem with my viewfinder.
• Could you do it again?"
Our story today illustrates those two points:
• It was a great demonstration of faith.
• But only the immediate family saw the visible results of the nobleman’s faith.
• The crowd following Jesus would have missed it;
• So in many ways this was another private miracle.
(1). The beginnings of faith (verse 46).
46”While Jesus was in Galilee, he returned to the village of Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was an official in Capernaum whose son was sick”.
At our last Word & Worship service:
• We looked at the first miracle (Water into wine);
• That Jesus performed on his last visit to Cana in Galilee;
• What prompted the miracle was the request of His mother (chapter 2 verses 1-5),
• In this second miracle at Cana in Galilee; It is the request comes from a father (vs 47).
We are not told too much about him:
• We do not know if this man was a Jew or a Gentile?
• We do not know his exact position in the government.
• He would appear to have been a member of Herod's court;
• And this would have given the man great influence and power.
• It would also mean that he would have been a man of great wealth.
• Many people would have envied him as he probably had everything he needed in life.
And yet he had a need that his position and wealth could not meet:
• As a man of means;
• He has no doubt tried every solution money could buy.
• But we all know there are many needs and problems that money just can’t solve.
• Money can buy medicine. Money can hire doctors.
• Money can buy the very best health care.
• But money cannot buy life and health.
Like many of us who have stood next to a loved one dying:
• He was willing to try anything that might restore his son to health;
• But his situation seemed hopeless!
Ill:
• Years ago an S-4 submarine was rammed by a ship off the coast of Massachusetts;
• It sank immediately.
• The entire crew was trapped in a prison house of death.
• Every effort was made to rescue the crew;
• But ultimately failed.
• Near the end of the ordeal, a deep sea diver,
• Who was doing everything in his power to find a way for the crew’s release,
• Thought he heard tapping on the steel wall of the sunken sub.
• He placed his helmet up against the side of the vessel;
• And he realised it was the Morse Code.
• He attached himself to the side;
• And spelled out in his mind the message being tapped from within.
• It was repeating the same question.
• The question was, from within: “Is ..there…any…hope?”
• For this nobleman the same question was going around and around in his head:
• And when he discovered that Jesus was in his locality, he had found some hope at last!
(2). The approach of faith (verse 47).
“When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.”
When we watch someone we really care for go through a difficult time,
• The pain is excruciating.
• Whether it be for a parent, spouse or child, it is a time of great anxiety.
• We even wish that we could take the pain for them, especially for a son or daughter.
• We have such a passion for them that we are willing to take their pain.
• This father was no different;
• Video: he would have gone 200 miles never mind 20 if he could find a cure for his son.
Notice the man went himself:
• Maybe he thought his status would have some influence on Jesus.
• If he did, then he was in for a shock.
• Social position or wealth never impressed Jesus;
• Like so often it impresses us.
• The characteristic that Jesus looked for in people was always faith!
• He commended or rebuked people again and again on the basis of their faith.
Quote Martin Luther:
“God our Father has made all things depend on faith so that whoever has faith will have everything, and whoever does not have faith will have nothing”
If the man was as many scholars believe:
• Was a Roman official who was working for king Herod;
• And overseeing that area of Galilee in some capacity.
• Then according to Roman law,
• He would have had authority over Jesus (who was merely a peasant living in his jurisdiction)
• But he did not come giving orders,
• He came to Jesus in humility.
• He was a nobleman, a somebody;
• But he humbled himself and came to Jesus
Ill:
On a visit to the Beethoven museum in Bonn,
• A young American student became fascinated by the piano;
• On which Beethoven had composed some of his greatest works.
• She asked the museum guard if she could play a few bars on it;
• She accompanied the request with a lavish tip, and the guard agreed.
• The girl went to the piano and tinkled out the opening of the Moonlight Sonata.
• As she was leaving she said to the guard,
• “I suppose all the great pianist who come here want to play on that piano.”
• The guard shook his head (no).
• “Padarewski [the famed Polish pianist] was here a few years ago;
• And he said he wasn’t worthy to touch it.”
When we get a right appreciation of Jesus:
• We will in return get a proper appreciation of ourselves.
• And like the nobleman we will come humbly before him!
There are many people who do not come to Jesus because they have to humble themselves to come.
• They have a problem admitting that they cannot do it by themselves.
• They have a problem admitting that they have a need and that is hard for some people.
• If they could come to Jesus while standing tall and proud they would come,
• But when they have to come with head bowed they will not do it.
Ill:
• Visited Bethlehem and you go to the Church of Nativity.
• The Church was built on a cave.
• Which was identified by 2nd century apologist St. Justin Martyr;
• As the site of the manger, where Jesus was laid after his birth.
• To enter the cave you have to go through a small door;
• Point is that everyone coming to Jesus has to bow down, and be humble in his presence.
(3). The rebuke of faith (verse 48).
“Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, Jesus told him, you will never believe”.
Jesus’ response to this man seems rather harsh.
• But a closer look at the narrative;
• Reveals that the response is really addressed to a wider audience (“You people”).
• There were people following Jesus around for the wrong reasons;
• For them Jesus was nothing more than a showman, a religious entertainer.
• They were only interested in him to see the miraculous.
• And not to discover the truth.
• And so Jesus places the challenge before them.
• Let the miracle lead you onto belief, don’t just stop at the miracle.
• The miracles are simply signposts pointing out the way to the Messiah.
• The miracle is not in itself the end, but a means.
Ill:
• Going on a journey, no one stops at a sign saying;
• “Your destination is 10 miles away, or welcome to your destination”.
• The purpose of the sign is to remind you that you are on the right way;
• And soon you will be at your destination.
We live in a world that says; "Seeing is believing"
• But faith operates on different rules;
• It is always ‘believing then seeing’
Ill:
• The story is told of a good woman:
• Who was known for her great calmness in the midst of many trials & for her simple faith.
• Another woman heard of her and said,
• "I must go and see that woman, and learn the secret of her strong and happy life."
• She went, and speaking to her asked: "Are you the woman with the great faith?"
• "No," she replied,
"I am not the woman with the great faith;
but I am the woman with the little faith in the great God."
Faith operates on different rules to; Seeing is believing":
• But faith is not blind, just believing anything;
• It is sourced in a person Jesus Christ who has proved himself to be trustworthy.
Ill:
• Two brothers were sitting in the kitchen talking;
• “I’ll give you a pound if you let me break three of these eggs on your head,” said the older one.
• “Promise?” asked the younger.
• “I Promise!” replied the older brother.
• Gleefully, the older boy broke two eggs over his brother’s head.
• Standing stiff for fear the gooey mess would get all over him, the little boy asked,
• “When is the third egg coming?”
• “It’s not,” replied the brother. “That would cost me a pound!”
Unlike that older brother:
• Jesus always keeps his word, he is 100% trustworthy.
• Faith is not blind because it is sourced in him.
(4). The rewards of faith (verse 50).
“Jesus replied, You may go. Your son will live. The man took Jesus at his word and departed.”
The nobleman was not put off by the rebuke of Jesus;
• He repeated his request for Jesus to come.
• In fact his request was becoming more urgent.
• In the narrative, he uses a different word for his son;
• He refers to him as; “My little boy.”
• So anxious is he;
• That he has only one thing in mind, he must get Jesus to Capernaum.
The nobleman believed that Jesus could heal his son, but he made two mistakes in his thinking:
• First mistake:
• That Jesus had to go to Capernaum to save the lad,
• Second mistake:
• That if the boy died before he arrived, it would be too late.
• He had faith but it was very small;
• Yet a little faith in the right source can produce incredible results.
To the request made to Jesus to “Come”:
• The nobleman receives a positive but totally unexpected suggestion;
• “Go home for the healing has taken place”.
• Jesus is offering help, but in helping he refuses to go with him.
• Jesus is determined to do a miracle that does not draw attention to Himself.
• For the crowds, it’s a disappointment.
• There is going to be no show.
• For the man his faith is about to be fully stretched;
• Jesus gives the man no sign - just His word!
• But the man offers no arguing or pleading.
• There is no insistence for a sign Jesus’ word is enough.
• He believes what Jesus says and goes his way.
• And he proves that faith is not what you feel, it is what you do.
Ill:
• A man was lost in the desert and was near death for lack of water.
• Soon he came across a pump with a canteen hung on the handle and a note.
• The note read as follows:
"Below you is all the fresh water you could ever need, and the canteen contains exactly enough water to prime the pump."
• Now it takes GREAT FAITH to pour out the whole contents of the canteen;
• For a promise of unlimited water.
• Question: What would you do?
• Drink the limited supply in the canteen, or trust the instructions for unlimited water?
When Jesus told this man to go home and that his son would live, the Bible says,
• “The man took Jesus at his word and departed” (John chapter 4 verse 50).
• What a great response. The man took Jesus at his word.
Quote:
How many times have I failed to do that?
I know what Jesus has said, but I fail to take him at his word.
I believe my word over his word. I take the word of others over his word.
I ignore his word. I pretend I don’t hear his word, or that it does not apply to my situation.
I forget his word. I’m too busy to listen to his word — too distracted.
• Without any visible sign;
• This man takes Jesus at his word and the reward of trusting would be the healing of his son.
(5). The confirmation of faith (verses 51-53)
51 “While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living.
52 When he enquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.
53 Then the father realised that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, Your son will live.”
Quote Augustine:
“Faith is to believe what we do not see; and the reward of this faith is to see what we believe”.
• The boy was healed the instant Jesus spoke those words;
• The servants of the nobleman;
• Not knowing what had happened only that the boy was better.
• The servants start out to find the nobleman, so they could share this good news.
• The boy had been healed at the seventh hour,
• Which, in Roman time, would be 7 o'clock in the evening.
• The journey home would require a night stop for the father.
• Ill: 10 miles a day on foot.
• No-one travelled at night,
• Not even the servants, it just was too dangerous.
• The father would have to wait in his accommodation without a visible answer;
• I wonder how he slept that night?
• Was he tossing and turning as the thoughts of a sick child race through his mind.
• Or did he sleep soundly, knowing that Jesus had promised to heal his son?
Verse 51:
• Tells us that the next day as he was heading home;
• He was met by his servants, and their report confirmed his faith.
Notice that the father thought the healing would be something gradual:
• “Began to improve".
• But the servants reported a complete, instant recovery.
• At this point the nobleman’s confident faith became a confirmed faith.
• To his amazement, the boy had been completely healed!
Ill:
• The renowned artist Paul Gustave Dore (1821-1883);
• Once lost his passport while travelling in Europe.
• When he came to a border crossing, he explained his predicament to one of the guards.
• Giving his name to the official, Dore hoped he would be recognized and allowed to pass.
• The guard, however, said;
• That many people attempted to cross the border by claiming to be persons they were not.
• Dore insisted that he was the man he claimed to be.
• “All right,” said the official, “we’ll give you a test, & if you pass it we’ll allow you to go through.”
• Handing him a pencil and a sheet of paper,
• He told the artist to sketch several peasants standing nearby.
• Dore did it so quickly and skilfully;
• That the guard was convinced he was indeed who he claimed to be.
• His work confirmed his word!
• For the nobleman the works of Jesus confirmed his word!
(6). The spread of faith (verse 53b)
“So he and all his household believed.”
• And the healing took place at the very time when Jesus spoke the Word.
• It was this fact that made a believer out of the nobleman and his household.
• He believed that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God;
• And he shared this faith with his family.
Quote:
"The object of faith is not the teaching but the Teacher."
• Faith is infectious;
• It’s a bit like when someone has the measles – be careful or you might catch it!
• When this man shared the story of what Jesus had done;
• Those in his house also believed.
Ill:
One Mercedes Benz TV commercial;
• Shows their car colliding with a cement wall during a safety test.
• Someone then asks the company spokesman;
• Why they do not enforce their patent on the Mercedes Benz's energy-absorbing car body,
• A design evidently copied by other companies because of its success.
• He replies matter-of-factly,
• "Because some things in life are too important not to share."
How true that statement is:
• Some things in life are too important not to share
• This is good news that the church may not and cannot keep to herself.
