If you find yourself in the middle of the ocean,
treading water to stay alive,
and you are offered A, B, or C,
at the same time, which one would you choose?
I don't think there will be any hesitation for anyone in choosing C.
The answer is so evident that it makes this question sound ridiculous.
But who would reject an all-inclusive, safe and secure cruise liner
to choose instead to rely on themselves,
to brace their elements without any provision,
and keep treading water and working hard to save themselves?
However, if you disagree that C is the most logical and reasonable choice,
I would love to hear your reasoning behind your decision during a morning tea.
Turning this question around,
if you are a believer,
if you are a person of religion,
is your faith and belief in a God you are following and devoted to
more like A, B, or C?
Which is a more accurate account of your relationship with God
and your life right now?
Are you living out an abundant life,
trusting and enjoying all that is provided for you
by the generous God,
or is your life more like holding on to a life safer or life rough,
keeping working hard until and waiting for your next rescue?
How do you feel about your life right now?
It's a telltale sign of whether you have a life-giving faith
or invalid faith.
It is a sign of whether you have a belief that leads to life
or one that leads you to rejection of God or by God.
If you have not decided whether you believe in God or have faith or not,
and you are here gathering with us today,
may I take it as a sign that you want to find out more
about what and who we are believing in.
And for that, I welcome you
and hope that what you are going to hear
will be helpful in your journey of discovery.
We have mentioned a few times since the beginning of our current series
that John's Gospel has recorded some particular signs of Jesus
for definite intention.
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples,
which are not recorded in this book,
but these are written that you may believe
that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God,
and by believing, you may have life in his name.
The signs are written that we may believe
that Jesus is the Saviour, the Son of God,
and by believing, you may have life in Jesus' name.
There is faith that will lead to abundant life in Jesus.
And by implication, there is faith that will not lead us there,
but cause us to get further away from God.
Jesus was in Canaan in Galilee back in chapter 2 at the wedding.
John told us that Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding
was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory,
and his disciples believed him.
Between chapter 2 to chapter 4,
Jesus traveled to Caponium,
then he went back down to Jerusalem,
and then he came through Samaria,
and right now he's back in Canaan
after a couple of chapters.
The distance between Canaan and Caponium
is about 26 kilometers,
a little bit more than a day's journey.
And at the end of chapter 2, it says,
Now while Jesus was standing in Jerusalem
at the Passover festival,
many people saw the signs he was performing
and believed in his name,
but Jesus would not entrust himself to them,
for he knew all people.
Here is a group of people
who have a faith that distanced themselves from God.
Jesus knew their faith was forged
with a hidden agenda and wrong motive.
Even though they trusted in Jesus' name,
Jesus did not entrust himself to them.
So what is a life-changing faith?
In chapter 4, what we read out to us in verse 46,
there is a royal government official from Caponium
whose son was very sick.
And in verse 52,
indicate that he has a fever.
Very different to today,
where we have ready access to medicine,
fever is a life-threatening sickness
that often leads to death around Jesus' time.
We can sense the urgency
and how desperate the father is
regarding his children,
his child,
by how John described the situation.
The son lay sick at Caponium in verse 46
and was close to death in the next verse.
And then in verse 49,
the father begged Jesus to come down
before his child died.
He went to Jesus and begged him to come
and heal his son.
It was in this royal official coming to Jesus
as a desperate father
that we see life-changing,
life-giving faith.
John told us at the end of chapter 4
that the healing of this official son
and the consequence belief of him
and his whole family in Jesus
was the second of those particular signs
with definite purpose
that Jesus performed in this gospel.
This official demonstrated a belief
that leads to life.
He heard the report
of the miraculous things
Jesus was doing in Jerusalem and Canaan.
He got him thinking,
maybe, perhaps,
Jesus can save my son
like how he performed those signs in Jerusalem.
Jesus is the last resource
to stop him from dying.
Can I really trust Jesus
to keep my son from dying?
He is using his head
as he begins his journey
while feeling heavy on his heart.
He came to Jesus with an agenda
to save his child,
his little boy.
He is not looking at Jesus
and his works as a spectator.
He is like being in the ocean
with his little boy in his arms,
threatening water desperately.
His little boy is drifting asleep,
falling, can't stay afloat,
choking on water and drowning,
and he looks to Jesus
at his last and final hope.
And he in the man's request,
what did Jesus do?
He says,
unless you people see signs and wonders,
you will never believe.
What?
What kind of a fight is that
to a desperate father?
Come on, Jesus,
don't you see this man
is suffering right now?
Jesus seems to want to engage this man
in a theological discussion
about relationship between signs and wonders.
But in fact,
Jesus is helping him
to make his need for Jesus personal.
To ensure his trust in him
is sure and certain and intimate.
Jesus engaged with him
to make sure his knowledge
of who Jesus really is
does not stay in the head only,
but is one that comes from the heart.
Jesus is making sure
their interaction
engages both the head and heart.
When the royal official says,
Sir, come down before my child dies,
the whole treasure of his life,
this little boy's life,
is on the line.
His heart would have
tossed and thrown within him
like raging seas.
This father may be thinking
if only Jesus would come to his home.
May he be to wave his hand
or to touch a boy and pray,
there may be a chance
that this boy will not die.
But on him, Jesus said,
Go, your son will live.
He did not insist on his way.
He took Jesus at his word
and headed home.
Up to this point in the Bible,
miraculous healing
over a long distance
was so rare and rarely heard of.
Something has to have happened
within this desperate father
to make him ruling
to take Jesus at his word
and start heading home.
Something in Jesus' words
and the interaction
caused hope to grow
within this man.
Something supernatural
has been given to him.
I cannot imagine
what is going through his head
as he walked those 26 kilometers
down towards home.
What he got to hold on to
is only those four words
spoken by Jesus.
Your son will live.
Would he be repeating those
to himself,
My son will live,
my son will live,
to reassure himself?
Or would it be a quiet expectation?
It would last at least
12 hours
before beginning to the journey
that his servant
bring him the news
about his sons
because his servant
referred to yesterday
at one in the afternoon
when he asked about
when exactly
his son was restored.
It's at this moment
of inquiry
that genuine faith
come about in this man
when he realized
that his boy
came alive
and got well
at precisely
the time Jesus told him,
Your son will live.
This royal government official
from Caponean
Caponean
come to Jesus
to beg him
to keep his little boy alive
and ended up
with life-giving faith
because this faith
was granted to him.
Jesus helped him
to see what he needed
was not a miracle worker
who did wonders
for his son.
Jesus helped him
to become fully aware
of his incompetence
in this situation.
Jesus engaged
with this man
intellectually
and emotionally
through his head
and his heart.
And by doing so,
Jesus showed the man
that Jesus himself
has the power
to heal over a distance
because he is
the source of life.
Jesus did not just
perform a healing
miracle here.
He gave the desperate
father a chance
to see who he was.
The royal official
received life-giving faith
by taking Jesus
at his word.
And after hearing
the official son
remotely,
Jesus returned
to Jerusalem,
a place where
he did not
entrust himself
to the people before.
It was a place
full of invalid faith.
And he came
to a place
where a lot
of disabled people,
the blind,
the lame,
and the paralyzed,
usually.
He came across
a man who had been sick
and had a disability
for 38 years,
an invalid.
And he asked him,
do you want
to get well?
And the invalid replied,
sir,
I have no one
to help me
into the pool
when the water
is stirred.
While I'm trying
to get in,
someone else
goes down
ahead of me.
Have you noticed
the difference
between Jesus'
previous interaction
with the official
father
and now?
It was Jesus
who instigated
the interaction
on that particular day.
And John will tell us
the reason
and purpose
very soon.
What about the way
the invalid replied?
The official father
and the invalid
both seemed to know
what needed to be done,
but there was no urgency
or desperation
with the disabled man.
He sounded like
he's looking at Jesus
and saying to himself,
you seem to be
able to help me
to get whatever
I need.
I will partner
with you
so you can help me.
I will do you
a favor
and let you
get some merit
or maybe
gain some popularity
for helping me.
Jesus ignored
his excuse
and commanded him
in verse 8,
get up,
pick up your mat
and walk.
And the man
was cured immediately
and picked up his mat
and began to walk.
John told us
that the day
on which this sign
took place
was a Sabbath,
which means
there is going
to be some controversy.
Jewish leaders
were agitated
that the man
was doing something
forbidden
by the law
on the Sabbath
and they questioned
the man
who had been healed.
I must highlight
an actual
but disheartening fact
that a lot
of religious leaders
are more concerned
about people
obeying the law
they have laid down
than celebrating
life-changing events.
Equally disheartening
is that a lot
of religious followers
are busy getting
approval
of their leaders
and concerning
themselves
with the approval
of man
more than God.
When the invalid
was challenged
about his non-compliance
with the Sabbath law,
he was stripped
to defense
and stripped
to blame.
He replied,
The man
who made me
well
say to me,
pick up your mat
and walk.
If you have
heard some
Bible stories,
especially those
from the Old Testament,
does this remind
you of someone?
It sounds
so similar
to the way
Adam and Eve
answered God
in Genesis 3
after they disobeyed
and ate
from the tree
that God
commanded them
not to eat from.
Their disobedience
marked the fall
of humans
and the breaking
of relationship
between the creation
and their creator.
The creation's
relationship with God,
the creator
from this point on,
is in turmoil.
It becomes
something good,
sometimes good,
sometimes bad,
ups and downs
like tossing about
in a raging sea.
When Jesus
found this man
later at the temple,
he said to him,
see you are well again,
stop sinning,
or something worse
may happen to you.
Jesus is not saying
that all worse things
are the consequence
of sin,
but it's very apparent
that the infinite
needs to repent.
He needs to repent
at least of
his ingratitude
towards Jesus.
There's no record
of him thanking Jesus
for healing him.
There are other sins
that he needs
to repent of
for him to have life,
such as
having other things
above God
or loving himself
more than God
and others.
It seems that
he wants to please
those religious leaders
at any cost,
even if it means
to getting
the person Jesus
into trouble
who has just
killed him.
He has no interest
in who Jesus is
or what it means
to have a relationship
with him.
Jesus is only
someone who helped him
to get his physical help,
but his life
is more about
whether he's accepted
by his people or not,
especially the leaders
and the social elites.
The infinite
has an invalid faith
that does not
lead to life.
He has no idea
who healed him,
and when Jesus
presented himself
to him later,
instead of seizing
that moment
to get to know Jesus,
he went away
and told the Jewish leaders
that it was Jesus
who made me well.
He wants Jesus
to take the blame
for his violation
of the Sabbath law
so he can stay
in favor
with the religious leaders.
His belief
did not lead to life
because he has
no interest
in the only one
who can give life.
He does not see
Jesus as who he is,
the Savior,
the Son of God.
Jesus was just
another person
who could partner
with him
to get what he wanted.
One, he is healed,
he has no interest
in getting a new life.
He wants to fit
right back
into the day-to-day
Jewish life
that the Jewish leader
monitors.
He has no interest
in what Jesus
has to offer.
Jesus restored
this infinite,
and he cannot walk,
but Jesus to him
is like a life saver
or a life raft.
The man is busy
keeping afloat
among the social elites
of his time,
but he is missing out
on the extraordinary life
and the adventure
that living in Jesus
would bring.
Jesus offered life
to the full,
an abundant life
that makes
this illustration
seem very insufficient.
Imagine you're living
on an all-inclusive,
lustrous cruise liner,
already paid for
for the rest of your life.
It would take you
to visit all the wonders
of God's creation
around the world,
and while doing that,
keep on rescuing people
from the raging sea
and picking up more people
at each port.
The abundant life
that Jesus offered
is way better than that.
The abundant life
that Jesus offered
outweighs any illustration
a human can think of.
It's a life
resting in God,
a life with sure hope
and certainty,
in perfect relationship
with God
and his creation,
a life rested in God.
Jesus picked the Sabbath
to heal the influence,
to point out
the invalid faith of people
around the religious center
at the time.
It also speaks
to those who treat
a relationship with God,
a genuine belief
in the living God,
as a religious,
spiritual practice.
Many people,
inside and outside the church,
falsely imagined
that the primary purpose
and message of Christianity
is to get people
to behave in such a way
that they can get to heaven.
That is a gross distortion
of God's message
to us in the Bible.
Jesus came to bring salvation
as a gift
for guilty sinners,
not as a reward
for the righteous,
as there are no person
who fits that description.
God created the world
in six days,
and on the seventh day
he rested.
Genesis 1 says that
God looks at every day
of his creation
and concludes each day
as good.
Then,
on the sixth day,
it says,
God saw all that he had made
and it was very good.
And there was evening
and there was morning,
the sixth day.
Then,
by the seventh day,
God had finished
the work he had been doing.
So,
on the seventh day,
he rested from all his work.
Then,
God blessed the seventh day
and made it holy
because on it,
he rested from all the work
of creating
that he had done.
God stipulated the Sabbath,
a day of rest,
in all the work of creating.
Sabbath is what God set aside
for him
to enjoy his creation
with his creatures.
It was there
before the fall of humans
and no fallen human mind,
nor the religious elite,
would be able
to restore the Sabbath
to its original meaning.
No amount of laws
or regulations
would be able
to get humans
back to that original design
and relationship
that God intended,
except for Jesus,
who is the Son of God,
who was there
when the world was created,
and when the Sabbath
was installed.
Jesus is the only person
who can restore us
to God the Father.
And healing the influence
on Sabbath
is a way Jesus showed
the religious leader
and any religious person
that whatever
they are doing
to get back to God
without him
is invalid
and in vain.
what Jesus has done
infuriated those
with invalid faith.
In verse 16 to 18,
it says,
so,
because Jesus was doing
these things
on the Sabbath,
the Jewish leaders
began to persecute him.
In his defense,
Jesus said to them,
my father was always
at his work
to this very day,
and I too am working.
For this reason,
they tried all the more
to kill him.
Not only was he
breaking the Sabbath,
but he was even
calling God
his own father,
making himself
equal with God.
Jesus has been
working alongside
the Father
from the time
the world was created.
And soon after
this interaction,
he will perform
the most significant
work of all
to restore
relationship
between human
and the creator.
Jesus,
the Messiah,
was crucified,
buried,
physically resurrected,
and sinned
by hundreds.
Life-giving faith
comes about
because the resurrected
Son of God
lives today.
As Jesus told
the royal official,
your son will live,
and keeping the son alive
to spare the father
and son
from going through
the suffering
of death
and separation,
he knows that
he will go through
death and separation
from his heavenly father.
It was the necessary
step
that only he could take
to give life
to all those
who believe in him.
The foundation
of our life-giving faith
was an actual,
complex,
historical event
that took place
in the life of Jesus.
And Christianity
is not a merely
philosophy
of behavioral
modification.
As the sun rises,
change the sky
from darkness
to light,
believing in Jesus
should change
your world
from striving
and trying
to please others
to a state
of rest
that is enjoying
the presence
of God
in his creation.
You will definitely
experience
some behavioral changes
as you believe
in Jesus
as the Messiah,
the Son of God,
and start
a new life.
But I hope
that is not
the only reason
you have become
a Christian
or are interested
or wanted
to become a Christian.
What kind of faith
do you have?
Are you still
restless,
kicking and treading
water,
struggling to stay
at fault in life?
Consider the report
you heard about Jesus.
Look to Jesus
and take him
as his word.
Realize
what he has done
for you
and this world
and believe in him.
And by believing
you may have life.
you