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John 4v43-54
21 August 2016 am Hill and Arcadia
Do you love God or use God?
This passage is best understood by first identifying the strange sequence of
events recorded in this passage. John reports on the movement of Jesus from
Samaria to Galilee in a way that seems illogical.
Jesus had stayed on in Samaria for 2 days at the request of the people there (v40);
which resulted in many Samaritans coming to know the Saviour.
John 4:42 They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we
believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Saviour
of the world."
It had been a wonderful God honouring, Jesus accepting and fruitful time of ministry
in Samaria. It was so unlike what Jesus had previously generally experienced
amongst his own people who did not receive Him.
But now after spending 2 wonderful days in Samaria Jesus leaves and travels to
Galilee (v43). John states the reason for Jesus departure in John 4:44 For Jesus
himself had testified that a prophet has no honour in his own hometown.
Jesus intentionally goes to where he is not honoured. He knows that in his home
stomping ground of Galilee his own people will not receive him; they won’t
understand him and they won’t honour him for who He is.
But he goes anyway!
And then what is surprisingly odd is that having said that a prophet has no honour
in his own home town; John reports that they enthusiastically welcomed him.
John 4:45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him….
This is not what we expect. I expected to read that they shunned him or ignored
him or mocked him… but instead I read ‘they welcomed him’.
There are no mistakes in the Bible. This strange reporting is not that John has lost
the plot.
It is instead a flag to see that there is a message here that is more than just a
miraculous healing of a noble man’s son.
Jesus is being ‘welcomed’, or so it appears, but the general principle of a prophet not
being welcome in his hometown applies; and so he knows that He is not really going to
be welcome.
1 Why all this apparent inconsistency in the flow of the passage?
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The first clue to solving this strangeness is found in v45. The reason for the hearty
welcome is given …welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the
feast. For they had gone to the feast.
They had their reason for giving him a warm reception. In their minds the miracle
“wonder worker” was back in town. What amazing things would he do to further
dazzle their insatiable desire for some more sensational action?
The reception is not what it looks like on the outside. It exposes that there is a kind
of welcoming and receiving of Jesus that has no true honour for His person. It is just
an interest in the sensation of signs and wonders.
The second clue to solving the strangeness is found in v 48. Jesus response to the
desperate father whose son is at the point of death exposes the already revealed
mind-set of the community at large…
John 4:48 So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not
believe."
Don’t forget that John’s gospel is about people believing John 20:31 but these are
written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing
you may have life in his name.
But it is not any kind of believing. It is a certain kind of believing. It is people
believing Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God…
On the surface it looks the Galileans welcome Jesus because He is the Saviour of
the world. But that is not the case at all.
Their welcome of Jesus is not because of who He is but what they saw him do and
what they hope he can and will still do for them. This is nothing new in John’s
gospel. Remember…
John 2:23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in
his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not
entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear
witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.
They ‘believed’ but not with the kind of faith that Jesus accepted. They were
unconverted believers. Their ‘belief’ was simply an excitement with his miracles.
It was not about what the miracles pointed to; for them it was not about His beauty
and glory as the Son of God, Saviour, and the Lamb of God who takes away the sin
of the world.
Not all believing is genuine. Not all professions of faith lead to salvation. Why all the
inconsistent flow in the passage? It is because…
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False believing is a subtle common problem
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We will see false believing again in John 7:3 So his brothers said to him, "Leave here
and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one
works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the
world." 5 For not even his brothers believed in him.
They believed Jesus could do miracles. And they were eager for him to show
these miracles to the world. But that was where it ended. They did not believe what
he said and did give him the honour that he was worthy of.
It is in this very deceptive context that an ‘official’ asks Jesus to do a miracle for his
son. John 4:49 The official said to him, "Sir, come down before my child dies."
The question we need to consider is; was this official like the rest of the Galileans
asking for a miracle for his dying son in a context where people see miracles as an
end in itself?
Would he be like so many of the unconverted believers who see Jesus as the
miracle wonder worker who can serve his personal agenda; I have a son with a
health need, fix it…
Is the official with a sick son like so many Galileans who do not really love God but
use God?
Or is he more like the Samaritans: I have sin and I am in trouble with God; please
forgive my sin and give me the power to live for you.
2 Do you use God or love God?
Jesus bluntly says to the man that he and the other Galileans are sensation
chasers John 4:48 So Jesus said to him, "Unless you see signs and wonders you will not
believe."
Is the official in the category of the unconverted believers; who don’t love God but
use God? Or is he in the category of authentic believers who see beyond the miracle
and believe what Jesus says?
The official does not comment about the signs and wonders challenge Jesus put to
him. Instead he repeats what he has already said. John 4:49 The official said to him,
"Sir, come down before my child dies."
At this point Jesus gives the official a gift. John 4:50 Jesus said to him, "Go; your son
will live."
The official’s response is significant. Having asked Jesus to come with him; he goes
home alone. The reason he goes home without Jesus is that the “The man believed
the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way”.
The official saw in Jesus something more than a miracle worker. He has seen where
the signs and wonders are pointing. The official is not just out to use God. He sees
beyond the sign and takes Jesus at his word.
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The next day it is confirmed that the healing took place at the very moment when
Jesus spoke the day before. And the confirmation of this news re-establishes the
man’s faith in the Saviour of the world; along with his entire household.
John 4:51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was
recovering. 52 So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said
to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." 53 The father knew that was
the hour when Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." And he himself believed,
and all his household.
3 Application
John tells us that this is the second sign that Jesus did. That means that we need
to look and see where and what the sign is pointing to. What does this sign tell you
and me about Jesus?
3.1
Jesus sees through all pretence
Jesus sees through the superficial veneer of religious pretence and falsehood. He
is able to see when people welcome him for their own selfish purposes rather than
receiving Him in dependence and love and devotion and honour.
Jesus is unlike anyone else all knowing. Nothing is hidden from his sight.
This must challenge you and me to consider the reasons and motives we
‘welcome’ Jesus into our lives.
Is He there simply to be used; to be a convenience in time of trouble; to be
insurance in the event of death and eternity; to be a celebrity figure that gathers
crowds to keep them entertained; to be a figure to provide a sense of respectability
in community…
Jesus knows the calibre of your believing. He knows if is believing and accepting
Jesus for who you want him to be or believing and accepting Jesus for who He is?
3.2
Jesus acts with undeserving kindness
Jesus does not by pass a community that he knows in advance will want to use Him
rather than honour him.
In spite of being aware of their desire to take what they can get from Jesus; in spite
of him knowing that they are self-seeking exploiters who are blind to who he is and
deaf to what he has to say; he goes ahead and gives them a sign.
He gives the physical gift of life to a boy where it was not unusual for children to be
dying. Jesus unlike anyone else is amazingly gracious.
He gives the spiritual gift of life to the official and his family where apart from his
grace they like so many hard hearted Galileans would have remained in their sin.
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In your and my dealings with God there is no place for attitudes of entitlement.
God does not owe anyone anything other than condemnation and eternal separation.
But wonderfully as John has already established in John 1:17 For the law was given
through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
The challenge must be to search for and repent from any attitudes of entitlement.
At a funeral recently I heard the widower share a comment from his cancer ridden
late wife in response to his question; Marion why you? Why do you have to suffer
like this? Her response: “why not me?”
There was no trace of entitlement from this humble woman of God who understood
the real meaning of Jesus being gracious. Jesus giving to sinners what they do not
deserve.
3.3
Jesus words are as good as his presence
Jesus did not go with the official to Capernaum to heal the sick young man, but
only spoke the word: “Go your son will live.”
The official realized that the words of Jesus are as good as His presence. Jesus
unlike any one else is powerful. We are seeing God in action as He was in creating
the world. God said let there be… and there was…
JC Ryle: Almighty power went with that little sentence. At the moment Jesus spoke the
boy was healed.
This is a fact that should bring you great comfort. It gives enormous value to every
promise of mercy, grace and peace which has come from the mouth of Jesus.
JC Ryle: He that by faith has laid hold on some word of Christ has got his feet upon a rock.
What Christ has said, He is able to do; and what he has undertaken, He will never fail to
make good.
The sinner who has really reposed (rested) his soul on the word of the Lord Jesus, is safe to
all eternity …if Christ has said John 6:37 All that the Father gives me will come to me, and
whoever comes to me I will never cast out; and your hearts can testify; I have come to Jesus,
need not doubt that we are saved.
John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I
have spoken to you are spirit and life.