Your Son Lives, John 4:43-54

 

 Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee.  

He only spent two days with the woman at the well, and the Samaritans at Sychar; yet that’s all it took for them to say, “We know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.” John 4:43.

There’s no record of Jesus performing any healings, or miracles, like turning water to wine, multiplying fish and loaves. They simply heard His Word, and came to know that He is indeed, the Savior of the world.

Jesus must’ve smiled the whole forty mile walk from Sychar to Cana.

Wonder if He pondered the irony of it all.

Samaria, was sandwiched between His hometown stomping ground in Galilee to the north, and His kinfolk in Judea, to the south.

Samaria was full of strangers, yet they accepted Him more like family. They didn’t demand a sign, or command, He justify every action. They just heard, believed, accepted and received.

Perhaps that’s why in the next verse it’s written:

⁴⁴ For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.

Jesus had to pass right by His hometown of Nazareth, but, there’s no mention that He stopped until He reached Cana, (about 4 miles north of Nazareth).

However, the synoptic gospels (Matthew 13:53–58; Mark 6:1-6; Luke 4:16–30) tell of a time when Jesus did stop there and He’s rejected by His very own townsfolk.

The people say something like: Isn’t that the carpenter’s Son? We know Joseph and Mary and the kids—who does He think He is.

Jesus responds with that phrase, “A prophet has no honor in his own country.”

The sin of familiarity and the spirit of religion are next of kin, and quench the Spirit of God.

⁴⁵ So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast.

They welcomed Him, when they saw all the things He did in Jerusalem. They were looking for a performer, not a Savior. Unlike the Samaritans, who simply heard, believed, accepted and received.

⁴⁶ So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum.

An unnamed nobleman. Perhaps he worked for Herod, or Rome; but titles mean nothing at a time like this.

He’s a dad.

His boy’s sick.

Getting him better is all that matters.

⁴⁷ When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.  

He’s heard enough about Jesus, to make the full day’s journey from Capernaum (about sixteen miles).

Wouldn’t you?

There’s no journey too far, no price too high, for your child.

He’d go anywhere, see anyone. The Mayo Clinic, the Moffitt Center… the Miracle Man they call Messiah.

He left his title and pride somewhere along the road, and by the time he got to Jesus all the nobleman’s professional polite protocol was gone, he implored Him—that means, he begged and pleaded. Please, I’m begging You, come and heal my son, or he’ll die.

But make no mistake, he is there strictly for the sake of his son’s physical healing. I'm not here to hear from You, or learn from You, I just want to get from You, healing for my son. Grab your bag Doc, c’mon let’s go.

That’s how many come. Needy. Greedy. Desperate.

And that’s okay. Jesus understands. He meets us where we’re at, and works with us from there.

⁴⁸ Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”

Do not think His loving kindness and compassion, means He’s a pushover.

He sees  (the thoughts and intents of our heart, Hebrews 4:12) and tells the Truth even if it hurts. He’s more interested in healing our eternal heart, than our temporal body.

Now, I have a question. 

Does it sound to you like He’s irritated?

Sort of like when another dad brought his son who was tormented by an evil spirit.

The boy would be thrown to the ground, into fire, or water; he’d convulse, foam at the mouth and gnash his teeth.

The disciples tried, but failed, to drive out the demon.

Jesus said:

“O unbelieving, faithless, perverse, generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring the boy to Me.”

Jesus asked the dad. “How long has he been like this?”  

The dad said: “From infancy. If You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” Mark 9:21-22.

Jesus replied: “If I can? All things are possible to him who believes!” Mark 9:23.

The dad cried, “Lord I believe; help my unbelief.”

Jesus had mercy on the man and child and cast out the demon, forever.

(Matthew 17:14–18; Mark 9:14–29; Luke 9:37-42). 

 

God looks for, faith. 2 Chron. 16:9. Without which, it’s impossible to please Him. Hebrews 11:6. When the Son comes, will He find faith on the earth? Luke 18:8

Faith comes by hearing, the Rhema, (spoken) Word of Christ (The Anointed One, Messiah). Romans 10:17.

Do you need to see to believe, or do you walk by faith, not by sight? 2 Corinthians 5:7.

⁴⁹ The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!”

Dad’s not interested in a religious debate. Sir, we’re wasting time, come down before my child dies…

His desire is sincere. His love for his son is strong. His need is legit. Most importantly, he’s come to the right place, Jesus.

However, he, like we, thought he needed to tell Jesus how and when to do it.

We tell our doctor the symptom, and then we shut up and let him tell us what it is, and how to fix it.

But for some reason, when we pray to the Great Physician, we think we need to tell Him what to do, and when and how.

The nobleman said, Sir, You need to come down, now!

Jesus is ever teaching, and doesn’t miss a chance here.

First, He rebuked the idea that you must see to believe.

Next, He gives dad an opportunity to exercise his faith.  

⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.”

Now dad has a choice.

Go against everything he thought needed to happen; trust Jesus and do what He said.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6.

So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.

His belief came alive when he put feet to his faith and obeyed and went his way.  

Faith without works is dead. James 2:15-17.

⁵¹ And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!”

Jesus continues to show us throughout the book of John, that He is indeed, God Almighty, the Savior of the world. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  John 1:1, 14.

Here Jesus reveals that He is Omnipresent (everywhere present). He didn’t need to go with the dad to Capernaum.

He shows that He is Omnipotent (all powerful). He just spoke and the boy was healed.

We see that He is Omniscient (all knowing) when He says, “Your son lives.”

⁵² Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”

It could’ve been any hour. Yet it was the seventh; which is one o’clock.

In the Bible, seven represents perfection.

Remember the woman at the well? She’d had five husbands; was living with the sixth. Unsatisfied, athirst, ashamed… until she met perfect number seven. Jesus. A Man, she could trust in, and never thirst again.

⁵³ So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.

Dad knew, this was no coincidence, but Providence.

He believed, not just about, but with a deep seated, life changing, faith, that caused him and his whole household to know that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.

Later, another official from Capernaum, a centurion goes to Jesus with a similar request; but for his servant. (Matthew 8:5–13; Luke 7:1-10). 

This time Jesus agrees to go with him. But the centurion says, “No, I’m not worthy for You to come under my roof. But I know, if You just say the word, he will be healed.”

Did the nobleman tell the centurion? Is that how he knew that all Jesus had to do was, say the word. Say, “Your servant lives.”

And then, in Acts 10 there’s the Centurion from Caesarea, who the Lord filled with the Holy Spirit opening that door to all gentiles.

That day in Cana, with three little words, “Your servant lives” did Jesus plant a seed that still bears fruit today?

Let’s close by glancing back at those three powerful words repeated three times.

Your son lives.

Jesus said it first, in verse fifty. Then, the dad’s servants said those exact words in the next verse. Finally, the dad remembers those words of Jesus in verse fifty-three.

Your son lives.

Is He saying it now. Your son lives. That which you’ve given birth to, that which has gotten sick, is at the point of death, that dream seed, that hope, that calling, that appears to be almost gone…until now.

Until now, this perfect seventh hour.

There is an Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omniscient Savior whose Words live and abide forever, and never return void.

Your son lives.

Can you hear Him?

Your son lives.

Will you believe Him?

 

Let’s pray.

Heavenly Father, help us hold fast to Your Words. No matter how scary, how urgent, how hopeless the situation may be; help us believe and go our way, wholly trusting in You.

Thank You for bringing life, to that which we thought was lost.

Father, we believe, because we know, Your Son lives.

We love You, forever.

Amen.