John 4:46-53
46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 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.
48 “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
49 The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 50 Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired 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 realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and all his household believed.
Observations for living today:
Jesus warns of looking to signs and wonders to prove what is true. Truth does not need signs and wonders to be proven, nor will they ever prove anything except the existence of doubt.
Unbelief takes two basic forms: ignorance and arrogance.
> Ignorance just does not know; could have known, may be; should have known, with any effort certainly; however it happened, whether directly due to one’s own efforts or resulting from a cascade of ignorance/arrogance of others, a lack of information occurs.
> Arrogance denies something known to be true. Some will excuse their denial due to stubborn mindset, having come to a superior conclusion; additional effort/information is an unnecessary waste of time. Others will allow skepticism and cynicism to interrupt their acceptance of the truth they want to believe, waiting for some scale to tip with overwhelming evidence eliminating all doubt from their mind.
Belief goes beyond acknowledging something is true; it compels a commitment to act in harmony with the truth presented.
God does not respond to our wants and needs to get us to believe Him; He acts because He cares for us. Jesus addressed the unbelief of the people through the example of a “royal official” who did believe.
The “royal official” heard Jesus could do wonders and may have even witnessed himself the power of Jesus to heal. Jesus did many things while in the vicinity of Capernaum, yet the people did not find much benefit from what they observed, for in time Jesus pronounced a scathing indictment against the people of Capernaum--“If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you.” (Mt 11:23-24) And yet, this “royal official” believed enough to journey 20-25 miles to find Jesus in Cana and beg him to come down to Capernaum to heal his son who was about to die.
This man stands apart from his contemporaries, providing a clear contrast between belief and unbelief. The man asked, Jesus chided and the man asked again, who then received instruction to go—his son would live. Belief takes Jesus at His word: he left without further discussion to begin his long walk home; no sign of confirmation, no additional encouragement from others; just, Jesus said it, then it must be true.
How challenging it is to believe something you want so much to be true is going to happen that you immediately begin to act/live as though it has already happened—there’s just no proof yet!
Reality in Christ:
It is no different for those who believe Jesus today; what He said, promised, foretold, and taught, is true even now, even if we have no evidence to prove it.
How often I have wished to go into the tent of meeting with Moses and talk with God, or sit in front of Jesus and ask questions to clear up some of the confusion I have with Christianity today, as if to say, that would be better than what exists today. But then I remember the conversation after the last supper, when Jesus lamented how much more He wanted to tell them, but did not because it was more than they could bear (Jn 16:12). He encouraged them, speaking about what was unfolding in front of them, even if it was impossible then to understand or remains a mystery to most Christians today.
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father (Jn 14:12).
You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I (Jn 14:28).
Jesus informed His disciples something better was coming because He was going to His Father. Something better than they could understand; something beyond their comprehension; something only the Father (being greater than the Son) could give.
Remember, the “royal official’s son” was healed at the exact moment Jesus said, “You may go, your son will live.” The reality is from the moment the Father speaks—it exists. Just as Jesus spoke to the man and it happened, He has spoken the words the Father gave Him and they are in fact reality.
> Jesus always does exactly what His Father commands Him to do (Jn 14:31).
> The words spoken by Jesus were given to Him by His Father (Jn 14:10, 24).
> The Father lives in Jesus to do His work (Jn 14:10).
> If you know/see Jesus, then you have known/seen God (Jn 14:9, 20).
> Jesus promises to speak of the Father plainly so we can understand (Jn 16:25).
> When we pray in Jesus’ name, our requests do not have to be presented to God by the Christ, because the one who believes is already heard and loved by the Heavenly Father (Jn 16:23-24, 26-27).
> Father will send the Spirit of truth (Jn 14:25-27; 16:7, 12-15).
> Father will give us everything we need to glorify the Son and be productive in His Kingdom (Jn 14:12-14; 15:2-10; 16:23-24)
For the one who “takes Him at His word” Jesus and the Father will:
> love you (Jn 14:21).
> show themselves to you (Jn 14:19, 21).
> be one with you (Jn 14:20).
> make their home with you (Jn 14:23).
> hear and answer every prayer (Jn 16:23-24, 26-27).
Jesus bracketed the discussion after the last supper with the following incredible words of encouragement:
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going (Jn 14:1-4).
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (Jn 16:33).
If you take Jesus at His word what kind of life will you live?
46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 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.
48 “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
49 The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies." 50 Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired 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 realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and all his household believed.
Observations for living today:
Jesus warns of looking to signs and wonders to prove what is true. Truth does not need signs and wonders to be proven, nor will they ever prove anything except the existence of doubt.
Unbelief takes two basic forms: ignorance and arrogance.
> Ignorance just does not know; could have known, may be; should have known, with any effort certainly; however it happened, whether directly due to one’s own efforts or resulting from a cascade of ignorance/arrogance of others, a lack of information occurs.
> Arrogance denies something known to be true. Some will excuse their denial due to stubborn mindset, having come to a superior conclusion; additional effort/information is an unnecessary waste of time. Others will allow skepticism and cynicism to interrupt their acceptance of the truth they want to believe, waiting for some scale to tip with overwhelming evidence eliminating all doubt from their mind.
Belief goes beyond acknowledging something is true; it compels a commitment to act in harmony with the truth presented.
God does not respond to our wants and needs to get us to believe Him; He acts because He cares for us. Jesus addressed the unbelief of the people through the example of a “royal official” who did believe.
The “royal official” heard Jesus could do wonders and may have even witnessed himself the power of Jesus to heal. Jesus did many things while in the vicinity of Capernaum, yet the people did not find much benefit from what they observed, for in time Jesus pronounced a scathing indictment against the people of Capernaum--“If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the Day of Judgment than for you.” (Mt 11:23-24) And yet, this “royal official” believed enough to journey 20-25 miles to find Jesus in Cana and beg him to come down to Capernaum to heal his son who was about to die.
This man stands apart from his contemporaries, providing a clear contrast between belief and unbelief. The man asked, Jesus chided and the man asked again, who then received instruction to go—his son would live. Belief takes Jesus at His word: he left without further discussion to begin his long walk home; no sign of confirmation, no additional encouragement from others; just, Jesus said it, then it must be true.
How challenging it is to believe something you want so much to be true is going to happen that you immediately begin to act/live as though it has already happened—there’s just no proof yet!
Reality in Christ:
It is no different for those who believe Jesus today; what He said, promised, foretold, and taught, is true even now, even if we have no evidence to prove it.
How often I have wished to go into the tent of meeting with Moses and talk with God, or sit in front of Jesus and ask questions to clear up some of the confusion I have with Christianity today, as if to say, that would be better than what exists today. But then I remember the conversation after the last supper, when Jesus lamented how much more He wanted to tell them, but did not because it was more than they could bear (Jn 16:12). He encouraged them, speaking about what was unfolding in front of them, even if it was impossible then to understand or remains a mystery to most Christians today.
I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father (Jn 14:12).
You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I (Jn 14:28).
Jesus informed His disciples something better was coming because He was going to His Father. Something better than they could understand; something beyond their comprehension; something only the Father (being greater than the Son) could give.
Remember, the “royal official’s son” was healed at the exact moment Jesus said, “You may go, your son will live.” The reality is from the moment the Father speaks—it exists. Just as Jesus spoke to the man and it happened, He has spoken the words the Father gave Him and they are in fact reality.
> Jesus always does exactly what His Father commands Him to do (Jn 14:31).
> The words spoken by Jesus were given to Him by His Father (Jn 14:10, 24).
> The Father lives in Jesus to do His work (Jn 14:10).
> If you know/see Jesus, then you have known/seen God (Jn 14:9, 20).
> Jesus promises to speak of the Father plainly so we can understand (Jn 16:25).
> When we pray in Jesus’ name, our requests do not have to be presented to God by the Christ, because the one who believes is already heard and loved by the Heavenly Father (Jn 16:23-24, 26-27).
> Father will send the Spirit of truth (Jn 14:25-27; 16:7, 12-15).
> Father will give us everything we need to glorify the Son and be productive in His Kingdom (Jn 14:12-14; 15:2-10; 16:23-24)
For the one who “takes Him at His word” Jesus and the Father will:
> love you (Jn 14:21).
> show themselves to you (Jn 14:19, 21).
> be one with you (Jn 14:20).
> make their home with you (Jn 14:23).
> hear and answer every prayer (Jn 16:23-24, 26-27).
Jesus bracketed the discussion after the last supper with the following incredible words of encouragement:
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going (Jn 14:1-4).
I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world (Jn 16:33).
If you take Jesus at His word what kind of life will you live?
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