The Healing of the Royal Official's Son

a bible and you can turn to John chapter 4 but you'll also find the words up on the screen.

John 4 · chapter mention

We're going to read from verse 39 to the end of the chapter. Many of the Samaritans from that town

believed in Jesus because of the woman's testimony. He told me everything I've ever done.

So when the Samaritans came to him they urged him to stay with them and he stayed two days

and because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman we no longer believe

just because of what you said. Now we have heard for ourselves and we know that this man really is

the saviour of the world. After the two days he left for Galilee. Now Jesus himself had pointed out that

a prophet has no honour in his own country. When he arrived in Galilee the Galileans welcomed him.

They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover festival for they also had been there.

Once more he visited Cana in Galilee where he had turned the water into wine and there was a certain

royal official whose son lay ill at Capernaum. When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee

from Judea he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son who is close to death.

Unless you people see signs and wonders Jesus told him you will never believe. The royal official said

sir come down before my child dies. Go Jesus replied your son will live. The man took Jesus at his word

and departed. While he was still on the way his servants met him with the news that his boy was

living. When he inquired as to the time when his son got better they said to him yesterday at one in the

afternoon the fever left him. Then the father realised that this was the exact time at which Jesus had

said to him your son will live. So he and his whole household believed. This was the second sign

Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee. So this is the third of seven signs that John

records. The healing of the royal official's son. Can we read the signs and respond in the right way

is a question that sometimes becomes really important. If like me you've ever been bewildered

by foreign road signs like the time I drove up a Belgian bike lane. Sorry about that Belgium.

Or if you try and decipher those Japanese washing care labels or if you're on a building site and there

are all kinds of safety guidelines. It's important that we can read the signs and respond in the right

way. And if that's important for everyday life it's certainly crucial when it comes to John's gospel.

John in chapter 20 in verse 31 he says these signs, so the seven signs that he has recorded, these signs

are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing

you may have life in his name you may have life in his name. So the signs of John are pointers to

the identity of Jesus. He wants to make it clear that Jesus isn't just a good man, good teacher, wise

or a healer or some political figure. Jesus is the Messiah, God's promised Saviour and that he is the Son of God.

And that he's come on a mission. He's come on a mission to bring life. Life for all who will believe in him,

who will trust in him. And as such it always calls for response.

Today's story is set against a backdrop. On the one hand there are groups of people who are believing

as Samaritans and then also the backdrop of rejection or failing to recognise the Saviour among the Jewish

people themselves. And against that backdrop there is this personal story. Here is a royal official

with a personal crisis, with a family crisis. Can we imagine how he would feel his son nearing death

with no help and no real hope? How will he in that setting, how will he read the signs about Jesus

and how will he respond? Right now it is clear that we are in a variety of global crises.

Maybe today as you listen in you find yourself in a state of fear. Perhaps uncertainty. Maybe high anxiety and stress.

Perhaps frustrated or angry. I was just plain sad.

In the middle of our crisis, how will we read the signs? How will we respond to the signs?

Will they lead us, will they draw us to Jesus to find healing and to find hope?

So let's begin to look at our story. The first thing we see as Jesus arrives in Galilee is a flawed welcome.

There is a problem in the way that he is welcomed. There's a change of location in verse 43.

After two days he left for Galilee and that change of location brings a change of attitude.

He's just been in Samaria, a place where many Jews wouldn't even go because the Samaritans were regarded as despised half-breeds.

They sort of mix and match religion. So they were hated or they were avoided.

And Jesus goes to a Samaritan town and he meets with and spends time talking with and brings salvation to an immoral woman.

And then following her testimony, a whole town comes to hear and to believe Jesus' words.

These Samaritans see his identity.

So in the woman's own words, as she leaves meeting with Jesus and goes back into her town, she says,

Come see a man who told me everything I've ever done. Could this be the Messiah?

And then the people in the town, we know that this man really is the saviour of the world.

Here in the story of this town, there is a discovery that God's love is like an ocean with no bottom, with no shore.

This mercy that extends to people who are regarded as nothing and nobody, people who are despised.

We see the heart of Jesus, which is moved by need and which moves towards those who are suffering and those who need to know God and his hope.

But now he's come to Galilee. Now he's come to his home territory.

And the emphasis is very much on not the words of Jesus, but what they had seen.

They welcome Jesus because of what they have seen.

They are looking for Jesus to do miracles.

That's where their interest seems to begin and end.

Not in his words, not in his identity.

They want miracles.

It's also important, and John really wants to flag this up for us,

that this is taking place, verse 46, in Cana in Galilee.

So Jesus' first sign in Cana, now his third sign in Cana,

they create bookends to this whole section from John chapter 2 to the end of John chapter 4,

John 2 · chapter mention John 4 · chapter mention

with the temple clearing in the middle.

So what do these signs, as we put them together, what do they teach us about Jesus?

Jesus turned water into wine to keep a wedding celebration going,

to show that he brings joy, that he brings grace,

that he is the true bridegroom who ultimately is going to lay down his life,

whose blood will be the wine that creates for lasting eternal joy.

Then there's the temple clearing.

And Jesus identifies himself as the true temple.

He is the way to God, to meet with God.

He's the new centre of worship.

And now here in this third sign, we're going to see him,

in this healing brain, restoration and life.

So the Samaritans see and believe the words of Jesus,

that he is the Messiah, that he's the saviour that God had promised,

but that the Jews in that section are largely failing to see,

and some are beginning to be resistant to Jesus.

So there's responses.

And so straight away, the question then becomes, well, how are we responding?

And one thing that becomes clear in this passage is that a superficial welcome of Jesus is not enough.

The people in Galilee, they wanted Jesus for what he could give.

Maybe get some people healed, maybe do something wonderful.

Maybe today we find ourselves thinking,

if I had Jesus, he could maybe give me a bit of peace, which I need right now.

Or I could get my life back.

And so we pray for a while, or we have that sense of looking for Jesus, for what we can get.

In a way, sometimes we can treat Jesus like,

perhaps if there's a friend that we know who has skills or who has access,

sometimes we maybe use that person for what they can supply,

in which case we're not really being true friends at all.

John's gospel is saying to us, we need to receive Jesus for who he is,

to welcome him as the saviour that we need.

Nothing else will suffice.

So their welcome is flawed.

But into that, we see Jesus as a merciful saviour.

So we're back in Cana, and we're back in a family situation.

But this is a totally different family story.

So the first time he was in Cana, it was a family wedding celebration.

And Jesus keeps the feast going and provides true joy.

Well, here's a very different story.

Here's a dad who's desperately concerned for his second dying child.

But again, there's another sign that transforms a family.

As we'll see, he transforms a family, not just for now, but for eternity.

So we meet a royal official in verse 47,

who hears that Jesus has come back,

and he goes and he begs Jesus to come and heal his son.

Now, what's clear is the royal official is coming with desperation.

He's coming with desperate faith.

It's not clear how much he knows about Jesus.

The other Gospels make clear that miracles were part of Jesus' public life from the very beginning.

He was giving windows into God's kingdom,

that he's about restoration and about life and pushing back the forces of darkness.

Perhaps he has seen some of these miracles.

Perhaps he's heard the reports.

There's the news spread of this one who is doing miracles.

Could he be the Messiah?

But we don't know.

But what we do know is that however much he has heard about Jesus,

it leads him to act.

I wonder today, have you begun to see who Jesus truly is?

Have you begun to see that with his power and with his truth,

that he is the Son of God?

And have you begun to see why he came?

That he is responding to our need, to our lostness,

to the fact that spiritually we are dead because of our sin,

separated from the one relationship that matters above all,

our relationship with God.

And Jesus has come to be a saviour, to die on the cross,

to go there, to take the punishment for sin,

to give us forgiveness and eternal life.

Have you begun to see that?

Or do you recognise that?

And the question is, will you act on that?

We need to understand it's not how much we know that counts.

It's all about who we know.

It's not about how strong our faith is.

It's about who our faith is in.

So this royal official, he gives us an example to follow.

With however much he knows, he comes to Jesus in faith.

And we see in this, in his experience,

just how merciful Jesus is,

how willing to save and to restore Jesus is.

So on the one hand, he can point out the flaw

in the welcome he's received in Galilee.

So in verse 48,

unless you people see signs and wonders,

Jesus told him,

you will never believe.

Unlike the Samaritan who believe in the words of Jesus,

unless you see signs and wonders,

you will never believe.

But what happens next?

Jesus in mercy and compassion gives a sign

so that the man will believe.

So the royal official said again,

come down before my child dies.

Jesus says, go, your son will live.

And the man discovers the child was healed

at the very moment that Jesus uttered those words.

And so one group, the Samaritans,

they believe simply because of the words of Jesus.

This royal official, he needs extra assurance.

And Jesus in mercy,

Jesus with a gentle heart,

gives that assurance.

So we're getting an insight into the heart of Jesus

for sinners and sufferers

as we think about this sign.

We read at the beginning,

that invitation from Jesus,

come to me if you're weak,

come to me if you're burdened,

and I will give you rest.

There's no qualifications on that.

And he tells us why we can come with confidence

it's because he is gentle

and he is humble in heart.

In just a couple of chapters,

in John chapter 6 and verse 37,

John 6 · chapter mention

Jesus will say,

whoever comes to me,

I will never drive away.

I will certainly welcome

whoever comes to me with faith,

whoever recognises me as saviour,

whoever reaches out,

cries out,

I will come

and I will never send them away.

Do you see

the welcoming heart of Jesus?

Do you hear him

inviting you

to come to him?

To invite him in

to your life,

into your circumstances,

to give you hope,

to give you peace,

to give you a future.

In chapters 2 to 4,

we get a wonderful picture

of the mercy of Jesus.

Who are the people that

respond with faith?

Who are those that Jesus moves towards?

Those facing shame.

The bridegroom of the wedding

who'd failed to provide for his guests.

Facing that public shame,

Jesus steps in.

Those who are facing the injustice

of being denied a place to worship,

Jesus steps in

and clears the temple.

Those whose lives are empty

and who are despised

because of their

moral behaviour,

the women of Samaria.

And now,

this man who is desperate

and in a personal crisis,

all of them

a weak

Jesus

compassion.

Sometimes

I'm not sure

that we understand

or that we can ever understand

just how

deep

the Saviour's love is,

just how

merciful

he is,

that his posture

towards us

is not

finger wagging,

but arms wide open

to welcome

and receive us.

And now that he's in heaven,

now that he's enthroned

in glory,

his heart hasn't changed.

He still

sends that heart

of mercy

to you

to give you hope

today.

And then we see

in response

to Jesus' sign,

a family

who believes.

There's evidence

of faith

in the man.

In verse 50,

John says,

the man

took Jesus

at his word.

There's faith.

Jesus says,

your son

will live.

The man

believes,

takes Jesus

at his word.

When Jesus

says,

whoever

believes in me

will not perish,

but have

eternal life,

we can take

him

at his word.

Whoever

comes to me,

I'll never

drive away.

We can take

him at his word.

I am the way

and the truth

and the life.

No one comes

to their father

except through me.

We can take

him at his word

that if we come

to him,

then we will

come to know

our father

in heaven.

Now,

Jesus

performs this sign,

a powerful

miracle,

healing the boy

at a distance,

backing up

his identity

as saviour

of the world.

The official

has exercised

faith

and his

seeing the sign

led to

believing.

When he's told

the boy was healed

at one in the afternoon,

the father realised

this was the exact

time that Jesus

said your son

will live.

So he

and his whole

household

believed.

that boy

was saved

twice over.

He was healed

physically

but he was also

healed spiritually.

Now he too

is trusting in

Jesus as saviour.

Now he too

has the hope

of eternal

life.

Just a little

reminder for us

if you're listening

in and you're

a Christian

to be praying

for your

family

and to be

praying for

families,

praying for

families in our

church.

that salvation

would come

to whole

households.

Pray for

mums and

dads as

they look

to teach

the Bible

and to

pray for

and with

their children.

Look to

bring them

up in

faith

in challenging

circumstances.

I sometimes

think of

Jonathan Edwards,

a theologian

from a past

century.

He used

to,

I think

daily,

pray for

six future

generations,

praying that

each of

them would

know the

Lord and

would serve

Jesus.

Important to

pray for

families and

households.

But this

royal official,

a wonderful

story,

through his

tears,

through his

pain and

anxiety,

he is able

to read the

signs about

Jesus.

He came to

Jesus in

faith and

he believed.

God,

we are

always being

called to

respond today

to the

Saviour.

The Bible

is very

clear.

There are

only two

ways that

Jesus relates

to us.

Either he

will relate

to us as

our judge

if we

refuse him,

if we

don't allow

him to

deal with

our sin and

to forgive

us, then we

will pay the

penalty.

Jesus will

be the

judge or

Jesus will

relate to

us as a

friend, as

a Saviour,

as our

elder brother,

as the

one who

loves his

church and

who gave

himself for

the church

so that he

might have

the joy of

spending eternity

with his

bride.

His call

has come

to him,

to believe

that he

is for

you and

to respond.

We see

just how

merciful and

how loving

Jesus'

heart is

towards us

most clearly

at the

cross.

Here's the

story of a

son who was

close to death

but there at

the cross

Jesus didn't

just go close

to death,

Jesus tasted

death,

Jesus died

and he

didn't die

for anything

that he

had done

wrong,

he died

in our

place for

our sins.

He didn't

have to do

that in

love,

he chose

to do

that.

Just as

the father

chose it

to send,

the son he

loves to

be our

Saviour,

so Jesus

in love

comes and

he tastes

death and

there God's

just anger

against our

sin falls

not on us

but it's

funnelled

onto him

so that

we might

know love,

we might

know forgiveness,

we might

have joy

in the

family of

God.

That just

as this

family in

our story,

they had

joy as

they welcomed

Jesus into

their life.

So we

can have

joy knowing

his mercy

that runs

deeper than

our circumstances

that is there

for us in

our suffering,

in our sin,

in our sorrow.

When we

think about

signs,

the cross

itself stands

as a blazing

neon sign

showing us

the dazzling

glory of

God's

merciful love

extended to

us in

the coming

of Jesus.

Will you

come to

him for

mercy and

rest today?

God's

love

to

say,

let's

pray once

again

together.

Let's

pray.

Lord God,

we thank

you for

your son

Jesus,

for his

mercy,

and we

thank you

that he

remains

compassionate

while he

sits in

the glory

of heaven,

ruling and

reigning over

all things,

interceding,

praying for

his people,

the church,

and calling

others to

come to

him.

Lord,

we pray

today that

just as we

see in

our story

Jesus'

compassion

for the

sick,

Lord,

we pray

that you

would show

mercy to

those who

are sick

and suffering.

It's some

that we

know in

our families

and in

our friendship

groups and

in our

communities.

Lord,

we pray for

healing and

restoration.

We thank

you for

doctors and

nurses and

care workers.

We ask that

you would

sustain each

one of

them.

Lord,

we thank

you for

your mercy

in the

virus seeming

to be under

a greater

level of

control and

we pray

that that

would continue

in our

own country.

But we

also remember

parts of

the Americas

and parts

of South

Asia where

there is

still a

huge battle

going on,

many lives

being lost,

much trauma,

happening.

And Lord,

we pray

that you

would show

mercy.

Lord,

we pray

for national

recovery as

we turn our

attention to

the future.

We pray for

financial recovery.

We think of

thousands of

people who

have been

made jobless

in the last

week.

Lord,

we ask for

provision.

We pray

for compassion.

We pray for

good solutions

for business

leaders,

for governments,

for employers.

Lord,

we pray for

social recovery.

Having spent

so much time

on our own,

we thank you

for greater

opportunities to

see family and

friends.

We pray that

as a nation

we'd continue

to do that

safely to

avoid any

spiking.

But Lord,

we recognise

maybe in a

more profound

way than ever

before how

important it

is to be

physically

present with

the people

that we

love and

care about.

And so we

pray that you

would bless

us as we

move towards

greater relationship.

Lord,

we pray for a

recovery of

emotional health

because of the

isolation,

because of the

fear,

because of

trauma and

grief that's

been experienced.

Lord,

may you show

great mercy

to us.

May you provide

true and

lasting healing.

recovery.

Lord,

may you provide

spiritual recovery

that in the

middle of this

crisis there

would be a

turning to

yourself,

recognising

that you

and you

alone ultimately

bring lasting

hope,

lasting healing,

and you bring

true life.

Lord,

we pray for the

global church

today.

We thank you

for parts of

the world that

are able to

open up for

worship,

albeit in very

different

circumstances.

We pray that

that would

encourage our

brothers and

sisters in

Christ.

We pray that

they would have

a sense of

joy in being

together.

We pray too

that there would

be joy of

knowing new

people joining

the church.

Thank you for

all those stories

of people in

this time being

led to online

church, being

led to read the

Bible and to

pray, and for

those who have

put their faith

in Jesus.

We pray to see

lasting spiritual

change through

this time.

And we pray in

Jesus' name.

Amen.

Now, let's sing

again.

We're going to

sing from Psalm

146.

We're going to

sing the first

six verses, and

then we'll sing

the hymn Across

the Land.

Praise the

Lord, my soul,

O praise Him.

I'll extol Him

all my days.

While I live to God,

my Savior, from my heart

I will sing praise.

Do not put your trust

in princes, mortal men

who cannot save.

All their plans will come

to nothing when they perish

in the grave.

Blessed is the one who truly

looks for help to Jacob's God.

Blessed is the one who places

all his hope upon the Lord.

He who made the earth and heaven

and the seas with all their store.

He who keeps his every promise,

who is faithful evermore.

You're the word of God, the Father,

from before the world began.

Every star and every planet

has been fashioned by your hand.

All creation holds together

by the power of your voice.

Let the skies declare your glory.

Let the land and sea rejoice.

You're the author of creation.

You're the Lord of every man.

And your cry of love rings out

across the land.

Yet you left the gaze of angels,

came to seek and save the lost,

and exchanged the joy of heaven

for the anguish of a cross.

With a prayer you fed the hungry,

with a word you come to see.

Yet how silently you suffered

that the guilty may go free.

You're the author of creation.

You're the Lord of every man.

And your cry of love rings out

across the land.

With a shout you rose victorious,

wresting victory from the grave.

And ascended into heaven,

leading captives in your way.

Now you stand before the Father,

interceding for your own.

From each tribe and tongue and nation,

you are leading sinners home.

You're the author of creation.

You're the author of creation.

And your cry of love rings out

across the land.

You're the author of creation.

You're the Lord of every man.

And your cry of love rings out

across the land.

And now let's pray.

Lord God, just as that Samaritan village

said they no longer had to believe

simply because of the words of this lady,

she testified to who she'd met,

that they had come to know for themselves

Jesus as the saviour of the world.

We pray that that would be our own personal experience,

that we would know Jesus as the saviour of the world.

We also pray that you'd help us

to share the message of Jesus with others

so that many around us might have that joy

of knowing Jesus as saviour for themselves.

So we pray that you'd go with us into this new week.

We ask that you'd give us strength

for all the tasks and challenges

and opportunities that lie ahead.

May we be conscious that your mercy

is there for us each step of the way.

Amen.

Now, just to remind you,

if you belong to our church,

especially Digital Tea and Coffee,

as always, is on at 12.

We have Monday prayer at 8.

And the community groups are meeting

to study John's Gospel together.

So hopefully we'll see some of you there

and look forward to sharing with you again soon.

Okay, take care and God bless.

Thank you.