John 4:43-54

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.

John 4:43–54

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,

John 20:30

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.

Amen.

John chapter 4, beginning in verse 43 and to the end of the chapter.

John 4 · chapter mention

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.

Luke 4 · chapter mention

Don't lose your spot here, but go with me to Luke chapter 4.

Luke 4 · chapter mention

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.

Luke 4 · chapter mention

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.

Isaiah 61 · chapter mention

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,

John 4 · chapter mention

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,

John 2:23

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.

John 2 · chapter mention

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

faith in

faith in

faith in

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.