Our text for today, as we continue our study of John's gospel, is John chapter 4, verses 43 through 54, there to the end of the chapter.
In today's text, we will observe the second sign or miracle performed by Jesus in Cana and recorded by John.
This is the second of eight major miracles that John records for us.
Certainly not the only miracles. There's mention of others, and we'll reference that later in chapter 2, but the second of the eight major ones that he puts down.
This passage bookends the chiastic literary structure of chapters 2 through 4.
If you have no idea what I'm talking about when I say chiastic literary structure, I'm not going to explain it today, but I would love for you to come ask me about it.
I will nerd with you if you'd like to know what I mean by this.
An incredible thing happening here and in many other texts.
These two miracles, though, right, were always meant.
The intention of them is to point people to the miracle worker.
Jesus is going about and doing signs. He is teaching.
And all of this is meant to draw people to him.
They were meant to lead people to the one who works in the greatest of all miracles in the hearts of men.
The birth of belief.
The bringing of spiritually dead people to spiritual life.
We live in an age where people are constantly looking for miracles.
And I'm not one that would suggest to you that they have entirely ceased.
But the biggest miracle, the most important thing that we ought to be setting our sights on is people placing believing faith in Christ.
John's gospel deals with this very thought thematically all throughout.
You'll see rejection and accepting of Jesus.
In John chapter 20, verse 30 and following, he says,
Now Jesus did many other signs, or think miracles, in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book.
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.
We hold to a doctrine called justification by faith alone.
And for most of you, this is probably a fairly obvious thing.
And perhaps maybe even in some measure assumed.
But you need to know that we are unique in the world.
To believe that we, to be restored to God, to be justified, declared righteous.
Having the penalty of our sin put away, and the perfect keeping of the law given to us.
This is what it means to be righteous.
That this is achieved by faith alone.
The object of that faith is the person and work of Jesus Christ.
To believe that he is who he said that he is.
And to recognize that it's his perfect keeping of the law, and his sacrificial death on our behalf.
His third day raising.
His now seating at the right hand of the Father of God.
All of this grants to us restored relationship with God.
We ought not to believe.
We ought not to grow tired of thinking about this doctrine.
Justification by faith alone.
And we should think about what does it mean to believe so that we can have life in Jesus' name.
This text deals with that very issue.
Before I read it for us, let me lead us in a prayer.
Father, we would ask that you would help us as we take up your word together this morning.
Put our noses in this text for these few moments that we have.
That we would be transformed by it.
From one degree of glory to another.
We want to rightly understand your word this morning.
We want it carefully applied to our hearts.
We humbly recognize that every one of us needs to hear what it has to say today.
We know that it was written for your glory.
Firstly, for your glory that you would be known.
And as it follows, our good.
So help us, I pray, that we would believe its promises and obey its commands.
And that we would have affection for you, its author.
And we pray this in Christ's name.
Amen.
John chapter 4, beginning in verse 43 and to the end of the chapter.
After the two days, he departed from Galilee.
For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.
So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast.
For they too had gone to the feast.
So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine.
And at Capernaum, there was an official whose son was ill.
When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.
So Jesus said to him,
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.
The father knew that this was the hour when Jesus had said to him, your son will live.
And he himself believed and all his household.
This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.
I have a very simple outline for this morning.
And I think, although I'm often wrong when I think this, but I think brief comments.
So the outline will be as following.
Number one, unbelief observed.
Number two, unbelief confronted.
And number three, unbelief overcome.
First, unbelief observed.
Notice in verse 43, John says,
After the two days he departed for Galilee.
He had been in Samaria previously to this and had an encounter with a Samaritan woman at the well.
If you're unfamiliar with the story, it's such a picture of Christ's mercy for great sinners.
All of us need to be reminded of his surpassing great mercy over our great sin.
And this woman goes and shares the Christ.
I think I found him.
He's at the well.
And many Samaritans profess faith in Jesus.
And they ask him to stay with them.
And he remains there for two days.
So it's after those two days that he departs for Galilee.
This is the region that we're going to see him doing most of his ministry in, in John's gospel.
And then John adds,
Now there's a lot of debate I've discovered over the Greek word hometown and exactly what they meant by this.
It's most likely referring to just generically the place that he's from.
And so I think that John's referring to Galilee itself.
Right?
So he's going back to a place where we're going to see again and again and again rejection of Jesus.
Now to show you an example of this, I'd like for you to join me in Luke chapter 4.
Don't lose your spot here, but go with me to Luke chapter 4.
Another time Jesus uses this same phrase.
A prophet having no honor in his hometown.
Here we see him actually go to Nazareth in the way that we would think of hometown.
Luke chapter 4 beginning in verse 14.
Here Luke records,
And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee.
And a report about him went out through all the surrounding country.
And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up.
And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day.
And he stood up to read.
And the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him.
And he unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written.
And this is Isaiah chapter 61, which was read earlier this morning.
Jesus reads, verse 18,
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor.
And he rolled up a scroll and gave it back to the attendant,
and sat down.
And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
And he began to say to them,
Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.
It's an astounding thing.
He's the fulfillment of Isaiah 61.
The Spirit of the Lord on him,
coming to breed the good news of the kingdom.
Verse 22 says,
And all spoke well of him,
and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth.
And they said,
Is not this Joseph's son?
And he said to them,
Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb,
Position, heal yourself,
what we have heard you did at Capernaum,
do here in your hometown as well.
So they ask of him to do signs.
They're looking for miracles.
It seems to make a bit of sense that they would,
because if you go back up to that,
Isaiah 61, verse 18,
He's been anointed to proclaim good news to the poor,
to set at liberty captives,
to give sight to the blind,
to set free those who are oppressed.
They're looking for some visible sign that this is actually true.
It seems to be what they're asking for,
but Jesus knows their heart.
As he says in verse 24,
Truly I say to you,
no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.
That should sound familiar.
He goes on.
Remember, they're finding great favor with him.
They're speaking well of him.
They know it's Joseph's son.
They speak well of him.
Surely you'll say to me,
show us signs,
is what they're asking for.
And Jesus says this,
verse 25,
But in truth I tell you,
there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah,
when the heavens were shut up three years and six months,
and a great famine came over all the land.
And Elijah was sent to none of them,
but only to Zarephath in the land of Sidon,
to a woman who was a widow.
So who Elijah was sent to,
to help,
is significant here.
He goes on.
And there were many lepers in Israel
in the time of the prophet Elisha.
And none of them was cleansed,
but only Naaman the Syrian.
That's significant.
Who is it?
The leper that was cleansed
was Naaman the Syrian,
and the widow that Elijah was sent to
was Zarephath the Sidon,
both of whom were not Jewish.
That's the significant thing that's happening here.
Both of them are not Jewish.
And watch the response of those in Nazareth.
When they heard these things,
all in the synagogue were filled with wrath.
And they rose up and drove him out of the town
and brought him to the brow of the hill
on which their town was built
so that they could throw him down the cliff.
But passing through their midst,
he went away.
They turn on a dime on Jesus.
They're marveling at him.
They want something from him.
They want Jesus.
But they don't want Jesus on his terms.
He was a prophet from God.
He spoke from God.
And he uses the example of two prophets
sent by God to a people
who were not the Jews.
And it made them furious.
I didn't want Jesus on his terms.
And beloved, we must have Jesus on his terms.
Not merely for what we can get from him,
but for who he is.
All over this nation this morning,
there's a gospel being peddled
that I call the soft prosperity gospel.
You want your life to look a little better.
You want things to be sorted out.
Relationships and jobs.
Children.
If you want those things,
you've got this guy named Jesus
and you can sprinkle a little of him
on anything going on in your life
and it's going to sort out.
Has God given us wisdom?
We can take up and read and understand.
If we follow that wisdom,
do things tend to go well?
They do.
They can.
But this is not the gospel of Jesus Christ.
He's going to say astounding things
about taking up your cross and following him.
Dying.
Giving of yourself every ounce of who you are.
Eating of his flesh
and drinking of his blood.
In a few chapters,
he's going to be abandoned
by people who are professing disciples
because they don't understand what he's saying
and the things he's saying
are way too hard for them.
They want what they think he can offer,
but they don't want him.
And that's what we see going on here.
Right?
So verse 44,
back in our text,
John chapter 4,
Jesus himself had testified
that a prophet has no honor
in his hometown,
the place that he's from.
And then verse 45 says,
So.
So ties the following information
to the previous information.
If you don't read this rightly,
you'll be very confused.
It says,
So when he came to Galilee,
the Galileans welcomed him,
having seen all that he had done
in Jerusalem at the feast,
for they too had gone to the feast.
You could read that and go,
well, wait a minute.
He's being welcomed.
It seems that he's not being rejected
in his hometown,
but rather being welcomed.
He was welcomed, to be sure,
but why?
They did not welcome the whole Christ.
They didn't want all of him
and everything that he was going to say,
but they rather welcomed him
for what he could accomplish for them.
So I mentioned that we would reference
this other miracles we've seen.
John chapter 2, verse 23,
when Jesus was in Jerusalem
at the Passover feast,
many believed in his name
when they saw the signs
that he was doing.
So here we have another group.
They've seen all that he had done
in Jerusalem at the feast
because they had also gone to the feast.
That's referencing what's happening here
in John chapter 2.
Many believed in his name
when they saw the signs
that he was doing.
It seems to be an expression,
some measure of faith.
But Jesus, on his part,
verse 24 says,
did not entrust himself to them
because he knew all people
and needed no one to bear witness about man,
for he himself knew
what was in man.
The Greek word for believed
in verse 23 of John 2
and the Greek word for entrust
in verse 24 of John 2
is the exact same word.
Jesus didn't have faith in their faith.
He didn't believe in their believing.
Not, John tells us,
because he just doubted it,
but because he knew
what was in man.
They were amazed
by the miracles
and they wanted more of that,
but they didn't want Jesus himself.
So, in this text,
which, just as a side note,
is also itself chiastic
within chapters 2 and 4,
verse 46 says,
So he came again to Cana in Galilee,
a city in Galilee,
where he had made the water wine,
where a miracle had been performed,
a sign.
And that's setting the stage
for this next scene that happens.
So there's unbelief that's observed.
Then we see unbelief confronted.
So, at Capernaum,
there was an official
whose son is ill.
When this man heard
that Jesus had come
from Judea to Galilee,
he went to him,
so he's in Cana,
about 16 miles.
This was a journey
that was southward,
but uphill.
So you're going to see him
go back down to Capernaum.
But he went up to
where Jesus was in Cana,
and asked him
to come down
and heal his son,
for he was at the point
of death.
His official
is coming to Jesus.
He's perhaps witnessed
the miracle at Cana
some maybe months,
weeks earlier.
Or he's heard about it.
This man seems to have
the ability
to heal my son.
But we can note
from this text
that this official
asks,
and he asks it
with a weak faith,
for two reasons.
First,
he believed that Jesus
had to be present
to perform this miracle.
You see that in verses 47
and verse 49.
He asked him to
come down.
And then he says
in verse 49,
Sir,
come down.
His power had to be
present with his son
in order to heal him.
He hasn't fully
comprehended the power
of Jesus to heal.
Second reason
his faith is weak
is that he didn't believe
that Jesus could
raise him from the dead.
Verse 49 again,
Sir,
come down
before my child
dies.
So it's a weak faith
that he asks with,
but it is
a sufficient faith.
If your faith,
your belief
ever falters,
I know that mine
does.
And I'm so thankful
for these stories
that show us
sufficient faith.
A little clue
to that end
also found
in verse 47.
The phrase
asked him,
some translations
say
implored him,
which I think
is a better
word there,
because it's in
the imperfect tense,
which suggests
that he asked
him over
and over
and over again.
It's probable
that he didn't
just come this
one time
and asked him,
but that he had
asked him
and asked him
and asked him.
And then what
we're observing
is Jesus'
response
to him.
So he's got
a weak faith.
It's a sufficient
faith,
because Jesus
says to him,
go,
your son
will
live.
But between
him asking
and Jesus
offering to him
the healing
of his son,
he says in
verse 48,
unless you
see signs
and wonders,
you will
not
believe.
You're looking
for the wrong
thing.
It's not a bad
thing to request
the healing
of your son.
It's good
that we would
advocate
for our
children.
Jesus is
saying to him,
you're missing
the point.
Unless you
see signs
and wonders,
you will
not
believe.
So,
we see
this official
as an example.
He's coming
and looking
for signs
and wonders,
but then he
also gets
juxtaposed
against all
of these
others,
all of the
others that
were trying
to accept
Jesus on
the wrong
terms because
we see
his unbelief
overcome.
This is the
third point.
So,
he leaves.
It says,
as he was
going down,
again,
he's descending
from the
hill town
of Cana,
his servants
met him.
They came
to where he
was to report
news to him
and they
encountered
each other
on the road
and they
told him
that his
son was
recovering.
And he
wonders,
why?
Why is my
son recovering?
That's why
he asked
this question.
What was
the hour
when he
began to
get better?
And they
said to him,
yesterday,
at the
seventh hour,
the fever
left him.
This would
have been
about one
o'clock
in the
afternoon.
And so,
this man,
this is about
a 16-mile
journey,
seems to have
left the
following
days.
They very
rarely traveled
on the roads
at night.
It was
dangerous
to do
so.
Perhaps,
this man,
we can
observe,
maybe,
some measure
of faith.
He's believing
when Jesus
says,
go,
your son
will live.
Maybe he
tarries for
a little
while and
he learns
some more
from Jesus.
We don't
know to
be sure.
But it's
the following
day that
he meets
with his
servants on
the road
and finds
out this,
verse 53
says,
he knew
that was
the hour
when Jesus
had said
to him,
your son
will live.
And he
himself
believed.
I don't
think we
should read
this any
other way
than to
know that
he placed
his faith
in Christ.
The way
this story
is being
told,
this is
the clear,
obvious
assumption
to be
made.
He
himself
believed
and
all
his
household.
A faith
that is
weak,
that is
overcome
as he
recognizes
who
Jesus
is.
Then we
have a
footnote
in verse
54.
This was
now the
second sign
that Jesus
did when
he had
come from
Judea
to Galilee.
back to
the same
spot.
It's a
clue to
archaism
there in
that last
verse.
Now,
let's think
a bit
about the
application
of this
short
story.
Number
one,
belief
must
move
from
signs
to the
Savior.
It must
move
from signs
to the
Savior.
We must
place our
faith in
Christ
himself
person
and work
on our
behalf.
It's
opportunity
here to
examine our
own hearts.
Whether you've
ever believed
in Christ
or you
have
to think
do we
follow
Jesus
for what
he gives
or for
who
he is?
He's
going to
tell us
later in
John.
He's
going to
define
eternal
life for
us.
John has
said the
purpose of
this book
is that
we believe
so that
we can
have
eternal
life.
And Jesus
defines
eternal
life for
us and
it is
knowing
God.
Do we
place our
faith in
Jesus because
we want
him or
just what he
can really
offer to
us?
Saving
faith
rests in
God's
word,
not in
our
sight.
faith in
what he
has said
is true.
Belief
must move
from signs
to the
Savior.
Secondly,
trials are
God's means
of maturing
our belief.
This runs a
little bit
adjacent to
the text,
but I
think it's
worth noting.
worth mentioning.
We should,
beloved,
see our
trials as
opportunities
to lean on
Christ's
sufficiency.
Again and
again and
again,
God allows,
our sovereign
God,
our providential
God,
allows things in
our life that
press at us
because he loves
us enough
to say to
us,
I am
enough.
Opportunities,
take them
up.
I don't want
to suffer.
I don't want
to go through
difficult things
on at least
five different
issues.
This past
week has
been a
difficult
week.
It has
been harder
than I
feel like I
deserve.
It's been
hard.
I should
take them
up as
opportunities.
God,
what are
you,
working
into me
through
difficult
circumstances?
Christ's
efficiency.
Jesus is
enough,
more than
enough,
abundantly
enough,
and God
cares about
us enough
to teach
us this
good truth.
Trials are
not signs
of God's
absence,
but they're
an invitation
from him
to trust
him
deeper.
Thirdly,
belief
rests on
the word
of Christ
alone.
I said a
little bit
to that
a moment
ago.
Jesus
said simply,
go,
your son
will live.
And the
man believed
the word
that Jesus
spoke to
him.
He's at a
distance from
him.
This is
something to
marvel at,
even though
it's
imperfect
faith.
This
official
believed
when Jesus
said,
go,
your son
will live.
The essence
of following
Jesus,
to just
take him
at his
word,
be true,
to take
it up
and to
read it
and say,
it must
be true,
it's God's
word.
I should
merely
obey and
trust that
it's going
to work
the way
God has
said it
would
work.
Fourth,
belief
grows
and
multiplies.
The man
believed
and then
all of
his
household
believed.
A
seed of
trust
became a
tree of
salvation
for his
family.
This man
must have
said,
listen to
this man
that I
met.
look at
what he's
accomplished.
Let me
tell you
more.
This is
why I
hope my
sanctified
imagination
thinks that
he lingered
on and
learned a
bit more
from Jesus
or from
his
disciples
to see
his family
also place
their faith
in Christ.
Husbands,
fathers,
mothers,
we ought
to let
our belief
be visible
and contagious.
in our
homes.
We ought
to talk
often
and we
ought to
talk with
great
affection
for our
Savior.
It's
lunacy
to believe
that we
were utterly
cut off
from God,
separated
forever,
that our
final place
would be a
place of
torment,
and that
we've been
saved by
Christ.
It's
crazy for
us not to
want to
talk about
that.
to share
it regularly
and with
great zeal.
Church
members,
let your
trust in
Christ
encourage the
body of
Christ.
We all
need our
belief
bolstered.
I need it
every time I'm
with you and
all the times
in between.
Let your
trust in
Christ press
one another
on.
Real belief
is fruitful.
people.
Fifth and
lastly,
Christ's
word
transcends
space,
time,
and
circumstance.
The healing
happened at
the very
hour that
Jesus spoke,
though he
was miles
away.
His
authority
is sovereign
and it
is
unlimited.
committed.
Therefore,
we can
trust that
Christ's
promises hold
true across
centuries,
across cultures,
across any
and every
circumstance.
His word
will not
fail.
a single
example of
this.
This has
been in my
mind much
this week.
Jesus says,
I will
never leave
you nor
forsake
you.
Hebrews
13,
5.
I will
never leave
you nor
forsake
you.
That is
true
regardless
of when
he said
it to
today
or whether
or not
we're
Jewish
or
otherwise
or what
circumstance
we find
ourselves
in the
middle of.
If we
belong to
him,
that is
a sure
promise
for us.
We need
things by
the word
of his
power.
And so
we have
opportunity
as we
look at
a short
little story
like this
to see
the rejection
of some
welcoming
Jesus
only for
what he
offers.
The
alternative,
the belief,
placing belief
in Christ
himself.
Let's pray
to the end
that would
be true
of all
of us
this
morning.