There is not a person here this morning that has not, at some point, faced some kind of difficulty, challenge or adversity where the choices were few and the solutions were difficult. Sometimes those adversities can be handled with hard work, sometimes it takes creativity. Then sometimes neither hard work nor creativity will get us through – it takes an act of God.
Booker T. Washington was a man who believed in hard work. Born a plantation slave, as a child he carried the books of his master’s children to school. But Washington loved to learn. He wasn’t allowed to own books or to attend places of higher learning, so he became a self-educated man.
Ultimately, through hard work, he became a wealthy landowner, the founder of an institution, an advisor to two United States Presidents (Theodore Roosevelt and William Howard Taft) and a man who influenced many others.
Without a doubt, he is one of the most significant African Americans in the history of the United States. He was a hardworking man who found that, to get through life’s adversities, it sometimes takes hard work.
Then there are other times where it takes more than just hard work – it takes creativity. I like the story Dale Galloway told in his book, “Dream a New Dream.” It involved a man who owned a little store back East. In his store, he sold some groceries, pharmaceuticals and notion needs. He had a good business until Urban Renewal moved in and threatened his business.
As bulldozers came in and took out the old buildings, on his right in their place was a beautiful grocery store, and on the left the bulldozers knocked down homes and a discount store was built where people could buy more for less. The man went home discouraged knowing that there was no way his business would be seen in the shadow of those two buildings.
Then he got an idea…he would spend his savings on a sign. It was to be as big as his store. He would have the finest company in town make it. The sign had only three words on it, but those three words revolutionized his business! The bright bold sign read: MAIN ENTRANCE HERE!!!
Sometimes it takes hard work, sometimes it takes creativity. And then sometimes it takes an act of God. That’s where the man in John 4:43-54 is: no amount of money would solve his problem, no amount of hard work or creativity would heal his dying son – he needed an act of God. As we look at him this morning, we learn some lessons on faith.
John 4:43-54, 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 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. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 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. So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 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.” And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
1st Go to God with your problems, but go to God for MORE than your problems
So many people only want God as problem solver: “God if You just will get me out of this problem.” “God if You just will heal this person.” “God if You will get me that job or that relationship.” And here is the good news – God answers prayer! But if who God is means less to you than what He can do for you, then you have missed the message entirely.
John 4:43-44, After the two days he departed for Galilee. (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.)
He had been in Samaria and they received Him. They not only received Him, they believed He was Savior. But in Galilee, the people were more interested in His miracles than His mission.
Luke 4:23-24, And he said to them, “Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, ‘Physician, heal yourself.’ What we have heard you did at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.” And he said, “Truly, I say to you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.”
In other words, “Jesus, stop the preaching and get to the healing. We aren’t interested in who you are, we just want to be entertained with the things you can do!”
And that’s what we see in John 4:45.
John 4:45, So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.
Notice we are back at Cana where the wedding took place, so we’ve come full circle. The purpose of the first miracle at Cana was so the disciples might believe. He went to Jerusalem, cleansed the temple, did miracles there and people believed, but it wasn’t a saving faith. The people in Jerusalem were curious about the miracles, but they were fickle in their faith, which shows us miracles don’t necessarily lead to saving faith. The Samaritans believed without seeing miracles.
John 4:46, 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.
The word for official is basilikos, from the root for “king.” So this is an “official of the king” or a “royal official,” probably an official of Herod Agrippa who ruled Galilee. This official was a man of wealth, power, of influence. (Chuza Luke 8:3) But this royal official’s son was sick, very sick.
John 4:47, …for he was at the point of death.
John 4:49, The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Scholars estimate that at that time in history, only 50% of children lived to age 5 so this was a desperate situation. Jesus was at Cana so this royal official came from Capernaum, which was about 16 miles away.
John 4:47, 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.
If you’re a parent who has been through the trauma of having one of your children sick to the point of death, you know the feeling of this man. All the money in the world is of little value – the 401k, the business, the house – you’d trade it all for your child’s health.
The power, the prestige, the influence, they all dwindle in significance when compared to the life of your child. When it says in verse, “…he went to him and asked him…,” he didn’t just ask once. He repeatedly asked. This man was desperate!
John 4:48, So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
If Jesus’ answer seems harsh, let me point out a few things.
1st His response is very similar to what he said to his mother Mary the last time He was in Cana.
John 2:3-4, When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does this have to do with me?”
And how did she respond?
John 2:5, His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
She wasn’t offended. She saw a yes in His no! If you’re waiting on God for an answer to your situation, can you see a yes in His no? Can you trust Him?
2nd Jesus is not only talking to the man…there is a crowd.
John 4:48, So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
The “you” is plural. It isn’t just directed at the man, it’s directed to the crowd of thrill seekers.
3rd Jesus wants to do more in your life than just answer your current request.
Meeting your need is important, but if God heals you and you go to hell because you never understood He is the Savior, then what good was the miracle? If God meets our needs but we never really come to know Him as Lord, as Savior, as Friend, then we have missed it! Go to God with your problems, but go to God for MORE than your problems.
2nd Believe God’s Word not your worries
John 4:49, The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Now catch this…he was expecting Jesus to come and lay hands on his son. He had a preconceived idea of how Jesus should do it! Ever been there? “Jesus, this is what I need and this is HOW I need You to do it!” I need you to stop this, start that, go here, have them go there. And we have a wonderful plan all mapped out in our mind as to how God should work! That’s this man, “Jesus if You are there with my son, my son will be healed.”
John 4:50a, Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.”
Jesus isn’t going to walk the 16 miles to Capernaum right now. Jesus isn’t going to work in this man’s situation the way this man has visualized it.
John 4:50a, Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.”
At that point, this man was faced with a HUGE decision. Jesus had given the man His word so now the question for this man is: Will you believe Jesus or not? Jesus says, “I’ll meet your need?” But Lord, I need a sign; but Lord, I need you to do it this way; but Lord, I have to see You working…then I will believe! The biggest issue we face is not whether or not God is able or if He is willing! The biggest issue we face is whether or not we will believe! A lot of folks miss out on God’s miracles because they won’t believe. They won’t take God at His Word. They have more faith in their worries than they do in God’s Word! But if we are going to receive from God, we have to believe God’s Word and not our worries! You have to Doubt your Doubts!
John 4:50, Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.
He took Jesus at His word and went on his way. You read that and you would think that he immediately headed back to Capernaum. That would be the normal response, wouldn’t it? If you had a child near death in Springfield, and you heard Jesus was in Kansas City and he told you that your child would live, you would jump in the car and head back to Springfield right? But that’s not what this man did.
John 4:50b-53a, The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 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 him, “Your son will live.”
He went on his way; he didn’t go home until the next day. It was one o’clock in the afternoon when he spoke with Jesus. He could have gotten on his donkey and gone home. But he didn’t because he believed God’s Word not his worries. He was trusting in the promises of God, that God would keep His Word.
3rd Make your faith a family priority
John 4:53, 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.
This man was walking by faith and it affected everyone else in his home. Moms and Dads, is that how it works in your home? Do your kids see your faith in action? Do they see God as the number one priority in your life, not just on Sundays, but on Tuesday evening when you lose your cool? Do you apologize? Do they see you loving your spouse? Do they hear you talk about God, about His Word, about how He has been working in your life and what He has been speaking to your heart and showing you? Do they see you read your Bible, do they hear you pray? Can they bring you their spiritual questions? Do you help them process their life through the lens of faith?
This dad didn’t let his kids figure spiritual things out for themselves – he had a living faith and it spread to the rest of his household.
He believed and everything changed. I pray you will:
Go to God with your problems but go to God for MORE than your problems.
Believe God’s Word and not your worries.
Make your faith a family priority by the way you live.
