The Official’s Son -- John 4:43-54

The Official’s Son -- John 4:43-54
By Pastor Lee Hemen
December 7, 2014

There is an old saying that states, “It’s all fun until someone gets hurt” and this is more often the truth about our lives as well. What is true on the playground is true for life as well. Here is what I mean: Many do not give a single thought as to the consequences of their lives or their actions until the fun suddenly and abruptly come to a screeching halt due to sickness, death, injury, or just plain life happening. Then and only then do we cry out for the help we have always needed thinking that God should be at our beck and call.

Here in John’s gospel we find a royal official who had it all. Life was good and good things happen to good people, right? He had his office, his power, his money and recognition but now all of that is worthless because his child is sick and dying. When life falls apart, as it always does, who are you going to trust for strength, answers, and hope? Let’s discover what occurs with the official’s son…

READ: John 4:43-54

People have not changed much. We discover here in John’s gospel that…

I. Trust is not found in meeting our needs of the moment! (Vv. 43-45)

After the two days he left for Galilee. (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor 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 Feast, for they also had been there.

  1. In the other gospels we discover that when Jesus went to his own hometown they took offense to what he tried to teach them about the Kingdom of God. We discover that Jesus “went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples. When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. ‘Where did this man get these things?’ they asked. ‘What’s this wisdom that has been given him that he even does miracles! Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?’ And they took offense at him. Jesus said to them, ‘Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.’ (Mark 6:1-4 NIV)” It was a derogatory comment about not only his occupation but his family as well. Their inference was that Jesus and his family was common, ordinary, and without education so how in the world could he teach like he was? So, after leaving Samaria, he heads to Galilee. “When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him.” Interestingly, later even Jesus’ own family would question his ability and his teachings! And we find that the only reason the Galileans were interested was because “They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there.” They saw Jesus go after the corrupt in their midst and not thought he might suit their needs, not that they believed he was actually the Messiah! This is not faith, and this certainly is not trusting God! Like many today, those in Jesus hometown were only interested in Jesus when he could meet their needs. We discover, however, that trust is not found in meeting our needs of the moment!

  EXAMPLE: John is describing people’s spiritual selfishness. They only wanted something to do with Jesus when he could meet their needs of the moment. It is like the person who complains, “What has God ever done for me?” But they have never had anything to do with God! Like children on a playground who walk by a ball and when asked to pick it up declare, “It’s not mine!” or “I didn’t use it!” Their focus is only on what benefits them at that moment. Jesus would later admonish his listeners by telling them, “To what, then, can I compare the people of this generation? What are they like? They are like children sitting in the marketplace and calling out to each other: ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not cry.’ For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking wine, and you say, ‘He has a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and “sinners.”’ But wisdom is proved right by all her children. (Luke 7:31-35 NIV)” Like many today, those in Jesus hometown were only interested in him when he could meet their needs. We discover, however, that trust is not found in meeting our needs of the moment!

II. Faith in Jesus begins with trust! (Vv. 46-50)

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 sick 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 was close to death. “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus replied, “You may go. Your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed.

  1. Jesus was back where it all started with his first miracle and “Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine.” However, since that time things had changed and others are now taking notice of Jesus. We read that “there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum.” Isn’t it interesting that things have not changed much in that those who show no interest in godly things all of sudden do so when life reaches out and affects their lives? This official could have been goyim, a Hebrew, a Roman, or someone from Herod’s court, but we are not told who he is or what his function was as an official. But now he takes an interest in Jesus because, “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 was close to death.” Here is the crux of the matter, his son was sick and close to dying. Jesus became this man’s last hope for his ill son. He was willing to beg Jesus to come and heal him. We forget that Jesus wants folks to fully understand what it means to ask him into their lives. This is why when preachers who do not tell the entire truth concerning the gospel are not only frustrating the message but they are angering the Lord. Like a lot of folks do, the royal official wanted Jesus to heal his son simply because he asked! Why is this convoluted thinking on his part? Many think God should do what they want when they want him to because it suits their needs, heals their hurt, and helps them in some way. They think that a relationship with God begins and ends with their need of the moment. Was it tragic this man’s son was sick and dying? Yes! But is it God’s responsibility to act when we have never even given him any of our time, talent, or treasure? This is why Jesus responds, “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe.” A faith built only on miraculous signs, only on what Jesus can do for you, is not a complete faith!  There is a change in the man’s attitude however and Jesus has compassion on him. He tells Jesus, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” The term “sir” is Lord, meaning he was willing to submit to what Jesus desired of him. Here is where true faith begins! Jesus replies, “You may go. Your son will live.” And notice what the man does! “The man took Jesus at his word and departed.” He trusted Jesus to do what he promised! Faith in Jesus begins with trust!

  EXAMPLE: When teaching a child how to ride a bike, swim, or take their first jump off a high dive, they first learn to trust the person how is encouraging them. The fear is in falling, failing, or not being able to take that leap of faith. The same can be said for those who often fear to let go and allow God into their lives. However, there is no other way for God to work in the life of someone without their willingness to trust him. There is no such thing as partial trust. Faith in Jesus begins with trust!

We also see here that…

III. Trusting in Jesus brings its own rewards! (Vv. 51-54)

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, “The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour.” Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and all his household believed. This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.

  1. The royal official is hurrying back to his home. He can only think of his little boy slowly dying. In Jesus’ day, if you got sick with a common cold, measles, a mere fever – you would probably die. Life was and is fragile. We are not given a promise that we will all live to be 110 and then die quietly in our sleep. Some of us die from falling down a stair. We die from cancer, from drunk drivers, from war, a mosquito or spider bite, pestilence, hunger or thirst. Life is fragile and death waits in the wings to claim us at any moment! We think it is unfair and unjust when those we care about or love are ripped from the fabric of life by whatever means. But now, “While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living.” He is ecstatic and “Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’” Does Jesus heal everyone? No. Did Jesus heal everyone he met? No. Jesus worked and works within the universe of his creation and according to his plan. Healing for God is not necessary. Our physical condition is not all there is to life or death. We are created for eternity and we forget what that means. Paul would later write, “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed--in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’ ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:50-58 NIV)” Our labor, our lives are to be in the Lord! Notice, the man cannot believe what he is hearing. And then it comes to him and he realizes that his simple trust in what Jesus told him to do was the means by which his son was cured. I believe he went home and shared everything with his household and this is why we read, “So he and all his household believed.”  Trusting in Jesus brings its own rewards! “This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.”

  EXAMPLE: Do you have some of those “rewards card”? I do. Some I use and others are just taking up space in my wallet. I stopped getting them several years ago because they are the junk mail of my wallet. I think there is a hidden truth here in that not everything we are asked to trust in gives us the rewards we think they do. That includes religion. Some want you to meditate until you levitate; some want you to genuflect until you are circumspect, but only in Christ can one find hope. I have discovered as did this royal official that trusting in Jesus brings its own rewards!

Conclusion:

We discover that trust is not found in meeting our needs of the moment! Faith in Jesus begins with trust! Trusting in Jesus brings its own rewards!


This article is copyrighted © 2014 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.

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