John 4 (4)
A growing faith
- John 4:46-54
I will never forget one of the worst phone calls I have ever gotten. I was a pastor in Mississippi. Gladys and I had just taken a group of our youth to youth camp in east Tennessee, where her brother was serving as the camp missionary that week.
The second day of the camp I got a call from some friends and former church members in Arkansas telling me a youth from my former church, from where i had served as a youth pastor, had just fallen from a cliff and died.
Please come do Eugene’s funeral.
Oh, can anything break the heart of a parent like the loss of a child? Can anything grieve a parent like fear of losing a child?
This is the account of a man whose son was dying. We do not know the precise nature of the son’s illness except that he had a high fever and was near the point of death. We do not know the son’s name or his age but there is a hint in the text that he is not yet an adult. The mother is not mentioned in this story but we can assume that she shared her husband’s profound concern.
I think this is every parent’s deepest fear—that somehow, someday, in an accident or by illness or through some other means our children will be taken from us. Nothing seems more unnatural than the death of a child. It is a prospect so terrible that we can hardly think of it, much less speak of it in public. Having to bury one of our own children is a tragedy we silently pray we will never have to endure. But it does happen. J. C. Ryle points out that the first recorded death in the Bible was not of a father but of a son—when Cain killed Abel. And when the Apostle Paul points out that death has come to “all men” (Romans 5:12), he doesn’t mean just grown-up men, he means the entire human race—young and old alike, rich and poor, male and female. Death has come and will come to all of us sooner or later. But when death draws near to the young, it brings the parents to a moment of personal crisis. This is how C. S. Lewis put it in A Grief Observed (p. 25):
You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you. It is easy to say you believe a rope to be strong and sound as long as you are merely using it to cord a box. But suppose you had to hang by that rope over a precipice. Wouldn’t you then first discover how much you really trusted it? … Only a real risk tests the reality of belief.
When your child is sick, you don’t care about test results, x-rays, percentages, new medicines, research protocols, or anything like that. When someone’s child is sick, people just want to know one thing: ‘Is my child going to be all right?’” Nothing else matters. Everything else is just details.
In this passage, an important man comes to Jesus, at a time of crisis; and through this account we see an example of a growing faith.
I. A BEGINNING FAITH - 46-47
1. The man had a desperate need. His son was sick.
Hard times come in everyone’s life. No one is exempt from difficulties, pain, or suffering in this life, in this world. It’s been said that God and 1 Son without sin, but no children without suffering and pain.
2. This man had heard about Jesus. We don’t know what he had heard exactly. We don’t know if he had heard that Jesus was a miracle worker. We don’t know if he had heard that Jesus was a great teacher or what. All we know for certain is that he had a need and when the need came to his life, he went to one he thought might be able to help.
And this was no simple or easy thing. The place he was from was about 18 miles away - 6 hours of walking or 2 hours by chariot.
He was a government official. He was a person of importance and prominence. He wasn’t used to asking anyone for anything. He gave orders and things happened.
He was part of Herod’s government. He was part of a corrupt and self-promoting government. He was part of a wicked government. It would not look good if word got back to those he worked for and worked with is they heard that he had gone down to see this itenerent preacher. But he went.
He had a need. He didn’t know or care what other people might say or think, he went where he thought he could find some help.
It is so important that when difficult and trying times come that we take our concerns to the right place, to the right person.
> Psalm 121:1-2 I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
The man took his concern to the only place where he could possibly find help. To his only hope, Jesus Christ.
I was working on a roof with a lady, her young son and her son-in-law, yesterday. A lady from Ecuador. She calls me pastor. She wanted to know how long I had been a believer and if my family were all Christians? We talked for a while as we worked. She is unemployed, divorced, has 2 children living at home, and recently had surgery. In spite of that she said, “The Lord had called me many times, but I would not listen. In 2005 I became a follower of Jesus, and you know, He has provided for me every step of the way. I don’t know how. I don’t know why, but Jesus takes care of me.
This man had heard of Jesus, and what he had heard was enough to cause him to seek out Jesus in his time of need. He had a beginning faith.
II. HE HAD A PERSISTENT FAITH - 48-49
At first glance, what Jesus says seems pretty harsh. It seems pretty rude. “Unless you people see signs and wonders you will not believe.”
In the passage before, a crowd greeted Jesus when He returned.
Have you ever watched, “America’s got talent?” Performing star returning home and the whole school, or whole town turns out to welcome him.
Now you know not everyone in that town likes that person. Her circle of friends at school was no greater than your’s or mine, and yet the whole school turns out? Really? Why? Because they’re excited for the person . . . ?
No. There’s something exciting happening and they want to get in on it.
That’s what’s happening here. . . .
Jesus is not rebuking the concerned Dad. Jesus loves children and welcomed them when the disciples tried to turn them away. No, Jesus is rebuking the hangers on, while testing the dad.
The dad answers, “come down before my son dies!”
Like when many of the disciples turned away from Jesus when they found out what He was requiring, and that His expectations were high.
> John 6:68 Simon Peter answered, “Lord, who will we go to? You have the words of eternal life.
It was persistent, but it was still a surface faith. Was still only interested in what he could get from Jesus.
Sadly, there many today who have just that kind of faith.
If I follow Jesus he will make me healthy, or wealthy, or whatever . . .
1) Signs and wonders (the boy’s healing) were not as important as believing Jesus. A man’s eternal salvation was at stake, and the man had to believe to be saved.
2) The man was helped because he persisted. Persistence was absolutely necessary in securing the Lord’s help. Persistence shows that one really recognizes and acknowledges his need and really believes God can and will help.
Note: if a man ceases to ask, he shows that he does not believe God will answer. He gives up on God, disbelieving Him. This man did not allow the Lord’s hesitation to stop him.
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. (Matthew 7:7-8 NKJV)
But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6 NKJV)
III. IT WAS A TRUSTING, OBEDIENT FAITH - 50
Jesus almost seems to be still testing the man. He agreed to heal his son, but He refused to go down with him.
If you trust me, if you believe Me, if you have faith in Me and My ability, go down. Your son is healed.
He went His way - the man believed Jesus and obeyed Him.
A trusting faith is an obedient faith.
Why do you call Me Lord, Lord, and don’t do the things I say?
If you really trust, you will obey.
Trusting and obeying are the same thing . . .
IV. IT WAS A CONFIRMED FAITH - 51-53
While he was going down.
Seeing is believing. No, in Christianity it is first believing then seeing. We are called to act and then look for the Lord to work.
V. IT WAS A WITNESSING FAITH - 53-54
Along with his whole household.
1. This man had a need.
2. He had heard about Jesus.
Can people see something different in you that would cause them to seek Jesus in their times of need?
