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This sermon was preached on Sunday 28/01/2001 Am, by Kevin Matthews.
One of the things that Christians see on a fairly regular basis among unbeliever’s is that when difficulties, troubles, sicknesses, and so on come upon them, there is often a turning towards the God of Heaven. Sometimes you see a bitter, resentful, attitude toward God, but often times there does appear as though there is a genuine seeking after the Lord. It is as though the ‘Divine nudge’ has penetrated into their inner self, and now they will become a Christian.
Have you noticed this sort of thing? When everything seems to be going OK they don’t go near a Church, or the Bible, and really don’t want anything to do with God at all. But come trouble, and there they are coming along - but it often doesn’t last. As soon as the hardship is gone, so are they.
The only time such people seem to want Jesus is when they think He can help them out of a tight spot. Are there any here today that can be placed in this category? Perhaps you are ill, and you feel relief can be found for you at the present time by going to Church. Perhaps you are lonely, desperately so, and you believe relief can be found for you with friendly Christian folk.
Are these the only reasons why you come along, to escape some temporal ill? I want you to ask yourself that question this morning, what is my motivation in coming along to church? Maybe this morning’s message will be of help to you as you search your heart for the answer to that question.
Why did this nobleman come to Christ? Was it not to just have his son healed - but what a change occurred because of his going to Jesus, the temporal gave way to the eternal and spiritual.
#1. A Desperate Case
‘Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast (Jn 4:43-45).’
Here was a remarkable situation, the people whom you would have thought would have rejected Jesus, had in fact embraced Him in truth. The Samaritans of Sychar had come to Christ by faith in their droves - yet those of His own nation had largely rejected Him. ‘He came unto his own, and his own received him not (1:11).’
Yes the Galileans received Him here, but so they had earlier, remember ‘But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men, And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man (2:24,25).’
So don’t think that these Galileans were His latest disciples, for they were not. These people were those sort of people who were keen to be entertained; granted the entertainment they sought came from Christ, but this had nothing to do with being true disciples. They were just spectators, being wowed by the latest wonders that Jesus performed.
How do we know this? Well a little way on in John you have mass departures from this crowd of followers and hanger-oners. ‘From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him (6:66).’
Hear also John 5:40-44, ‘And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life. I receive not honour from men. But I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you. I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?’
Indeed might the Lord say ‘that a prophet hath no honour in his own country (4:44).’
And there are many gathered into churches like this today - people who go along because they like to go, perhaps because they like the singing. Perhaps it is the humorous stories of the preacher. Or perhaps they are amazed at some of the things that go on at a particular ‘church.’ But the bottom line is that their motivation in going is the seeking after some entertainment or temporal pleasure, and not to be true disciples of Christ.
So what did all these people want? As I have already hinted at, they were hoping that Jesus would perform more wonders as He had at the feast in Jerusalem. They were seeking some entertainment to answer their own dull lives.
‘So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death (4:46,47).’
News of the arrival of this wonder worker, of this entertainer spread quickly, and soon it reached the ears of this nobleman, or as a better translation would have it as ‘a royal person.’ He was possibly one of the courtiers of the Tetrarch Herod Antipas, who was regarded as a king by the Jews.
The situation for this man was desperate, for his son was at the point of death. He must have tried everything else first, for he had not sought the Lord Jesus Christ out in Judea, but now that He was near he was desperate enough to try Jesus. He wasn’t seeking entertainment, but he was seeking an answer to some temporal ill.
But at least there was a hint of faith here, even if it was a small thing - he was willing to try Jesus, he believed something about this Jesus - ‘this Man can heal his son, I’ll go and get Him.’
So he comes to Jesus and he pleads for Him to go to his son. The Greek has the idea of insistent pleadings or begging. He was at the end of his possibilities, ‘Jesus please come and do something.’ So quite clearly he was sure that Jesus could at least save his son’s life, if he could get there in time that is.
This was the pleading of a desperate man who had reached the end of his own resources, not those of a man who had any particular confidence in Jesus as the Son of God. Notice that he thought he was just some sort of a healer who needed to be near the child to heal him, ‘come down and heal his son (4:47).’
Notice also that this man did not believe that Jesus was able to bring him back to life after death, for the text says he ‘he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death (4:47).’ The man saw his son’s case as desperate, and it was - but he presumed that if Jesus was to be of any help to him, then He must arrive before the child died. He must get there soon, or it would be too late.
And isn’t it amazing that so often in prayer meetings the approach to Jesus is exactly of this sort, that Jesus is seen as some sort of temporal ills solver, but not a spiritual ill solver. Sure people are fairly certain that Jesus can do some of these more mundane things, but they don’t seem to have much confidence with the bigger spiritual issues. ‘Oh, that’s just the way I am, I can’t do anything about it.’ ‘I’ve tried to speak to so and so about the gospel, but he won’t listen - what can I do?’
Well have you tried taking everything to the Lord in prayer? What sort of confidence in Christ do you have?
#2. The Gracious Response of Jesus
The response of Jesus to this man at first appears to be rather indifferent at best, perhaps even lacking compassion, even sharp. But let me suggest that if this is what you think then it is probably because you don’t understand the purpose behind the miracles. These weren’t just to address temporal ills and situations; they had a greater purpose behind them.
‘Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe (4:48).’
Though Jesus’ reply was in response to the nobleman’s request, it was not just to him that the answer was directed, but also to the multitudes who perhaps thought that they would soon be able to witness another wonder, another wow!
These miracles had at their very foundation the purpose of directing the people’s attention away from the miracle itself, and to focus their attention upon the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, that they ‘might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name (20:31).’
What the Lord Jesus Christ was seeking to do was to bring about a genuine commitment to Him, not just some passing interest in Him as a wonder worker. And so Jesus says to this crowd gathered here, just sitting now on the edge of their seats waiting for a miracle, especially in response to this request - ‘Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.’
One gets the feeling as you read this passage that the people may have been thinking, ‘yeah that’s true, come on lets get on with the miracle. Whatever you say, let’s just see the miracle.’ Here was just a passing interest, as soon as the miracles finish, so will their interest in Jesus.
‘The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die (4:49)!’
The nobleman is not put off by the response of Jesus to his initial pleadings, but continues with them. He was sure that Jesus could do something, if only he would go with him. Things were in a desperate state with his son, he must get the wonder worker to go with him to him ASAP.
Is there a lack of compassion in Jesus? No. ‘Go thy way; thy son liveth (4:50).’
With these words an immediate healing has taken place, now the child is well again, and the nobleman is told to be on his way.
No lack of compassion here, but His purpose has been accomplished. The crowd of wonder seeking spectators has been rebuked, they have missed out on seeing their wonder for the day, and the man’s son has been healed. But not only that, for the man’s focus had been brought off the temporal situation to Jesus also. ‘ And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way (4:50).’
But is that all there is? Has not this nobleman's own lack of true faith been rebuked? He came seeking a solution to a temporal problem, thinking that Jesus must be present with his son in order to pull off this healing - but what do you see now? You see a growth in faith, a movement toward greater faith.
The Lord speaks and it is enough, it is now time to do what the Lord says, even if the reply was not what the nobleman had first expected to be the required response. He had now recognized that there was something more to this Man Jesus - ‘a word and my son is healed.’
And here is a lesson for us all. Firstly for the one struggling with unbelief. Do not wait until you get the sort of answer you are looking for from the Lord, but when He tells you to be on your way, be on your way. Don’t continue in your doubts - do you believe the gospel, then get on with living in the manner of those who believe the gospel.
‘For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved (Rom 10:11,13).’ Have you exercised faith? Then why do you linger, get on with living the Christian life and stop waiting for some sort of signs and wonders to confirm your faith. There will be no flashes of lightening, no Divine appearances, no audible voice to be heard - He says to you to continue believing, to abide in Him, and to bring forth fruits of repentance.
So its time to start living, trusting the lord, believing what He has said - and if you perish you perish, ‘For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day (2 Tim 1:12).’
And for you Christian who lingers, and who is happy to say you believe, do you see here the true response of faith? It says whatever the Lord says, that I will do. It is not the one who says I will do what He wants me to do, but the one who actually does the doing that pleases the Lord. You think you believe, ‘I will shew thee my faith by my works (James 2:18).’ True faith does not sit idly by, but it moves on - it pursues the Lord, it obeys the Lord, it grows, and it perseveres.
So you need also to be about the Lord’s business, being concerned to obey Him in every way. What He has told you to do in His Word, be sure you are off doing it.
So too the nobleman believes, and now does what the Lord says - he departs and is on his way back to Capernaum.
#3. The Nobleman’s Response
‘And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house (4:51-53).’
Now here is something remarkable, when the nobleman went to Jesus it was out of desperation, here is the last chance for my son. But now it is the day after - instead of travelling home immediately to see if in fact his Son had been healed, it appears as though the father was taking his time going home.
Here is a sign of confidence. From a last ditched fling of the dice, there is now a quiet confidence in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was sure of it, and so he went on his way in a manner that said so.
His servants meet him on the way, and there is a further confirmation of his faith, as well as advancement. His son is not getting better, but was made well at the exact time that Jesus healed him.
‘So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee (4:53,54).’
And here again you see the joy of the saved soul just having to tell others of his experience, and the fruits of the gospel in the salvation of his household.
To the nobleman and to his family and household all together, what had happened in the healing of this boy was evidence enough to point to the Lord Jesus Christ as the real thing, the real Messiah - and so they believed in Him.
This Jesus has demonstrated His true Messiahship, and so they moved from the position of spectators, to being disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
And what about you this morning, are you satisfied with the claims of the Lord Jesus Christ - if so, believe Him and trust Him. Does not the signs of His mighty works point to Him being God, and does that not confirm to you that He is able to save you from your sins.
‘When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk. But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,) I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house (Mk 2:5,9-11).’
There was much more about Jesus then just his healing ministry, it said something else - it said that what He had to say about Himself was all true. It was enough for the nobleman and his family, what about you? Will you believe in Jesus to the saving of your souls?
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