The Princes Son

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;