Jesus' Second Sign Healing Official's Son

Today we have our second sermon in the series called The Seven Signs of Jesus from the Gospel of John.

As we mentioned last week that Jesus used seven signs very intentionally.

Seven signs were used throughout Scripture to represent perfection or completeness.

The signs John chose by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit was to prove that Jesus is the Son of God and the fulfillment of the law and the prophets.

John knew that Jesus was the completion of the law so seven signs communicating his knowing that Jesus is the anointed one that Israel has longed to see.

John 20:30–31 (ESV)

Now Jesus did many other signs 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.

Each one of these signs helps establish a deeper faith for believers already in Christ and helps non-believers to come to know Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of the World.

Each one of these seven signs that John describes signify something greater than just the sign itself as we will study and unpack again in this series.

Today we will unpack Jesus’ Second Sign of Healing Official's Son

John 4:43–54 ESV

43 After the two days he departed for Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 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. 46 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. 47 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. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 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.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

Before we study Jesus’ Second Sign of Healing Official's Son.

Let turn to the Lord in prayer...

1. The False Welcome

To get a better understanding of John’s point one must look back to John’s account of Jesus with the women at the well.

The women at the well was a Samaritan women who of course had two extremely negative things going for her right from the start.

The first negative was that she was a Samaritan and Jews hated Samaritans.

The second negative was the fact that she was a women which in that culture was unusual for a man to address a women, especially one that is alone. (Keener 272)

Of course the reason she is alone during the heat of the day getting water is because she has been married 5 times and the 6th man that she is with now, she is not even married to him.

This makes her be seen as a low class person in a low class community.

Yet she is the first missionary we see in the Gospel of John…

When Jesus gives a word of knowledge describing her sinful history of sexual activity,

She drops her task of getting water and runs into town to tell everyone about Jesus being the Messiah.

I give you this brief background of the women at the well because John is tying this story to the second sign of Jesus.

This is the part I want to highlight.

John 4:39-42

39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

It’s because of Jesus’ Word that the people know that Jesus is the Savior of the world.

The testimony of Jesus’ word of knowledge about the women brought the people to hear Jesus but as they heard the Words of Jesus they knew that he was indeed the Messiah.

And remember these were Samaritans who believe in Jesus’ Word, not Jews.

So now John begins the story of the second sign turning to how the Jews receive Jesus in verse 43 by stating...

John 4:43–45 ESV

43 After the two days he departed for Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 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.

In reading this one could ask “so were they welcoming him or not?”

This was a false welcome because they were only receiving him to get something from Jesus.

They were not welcoming him because they believed in His Word, but because of what Jesus could give them in signs and wonders.

See the people of Galilee were doing what many people do today.

People often want Jesus for what Jesus can give them...

People want Jesus’ blessing on their marriage

Blessing on their family

Blessing at their job

Blessing on their finances

They want Jesus for what they can get from him, but are not willing to surrender in trust in His Word.

My dad would often say people want Jesus as Savior but they don't want him as Lord.

People want to be saved from the punishment of sin, (They want a Savior)

but do not want to lay down their lives at the foot of the cross and surrender everything to God’s will in their lives. (They don’t want him as Lord)

Every one wants to get to heaven but nobody wants to pay the price of surrender.

People want Jesus on their own terms.

Jesus’ own people want Jesus to give them a sign but they are not willing to accept him at His Word.

John 2:23–25 (ESV)

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

Jesus knew that they were only for him as long as they could get something out of Him.

There was no true belief that he was the Word who took on flesh.

V43 “the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast.”

When Jesus arrives they welcome him not as the Messiah,

but rather because they had seen all that he had done at the Passover Feast in Jerusalem. (Carson 236)

True faith must be grounded in who Jesus is and not just what he can do for you. (Osborn 76)

Jesus knew if he stopped doing signs the crowds would leave Him.

He knew all too well what was in the heart of man.

In the Gospel of John one see’s the continual progression of the people of Israel not receiving Jesus as the Son of God.

Jesus not being honored and even being rejected by his own people is a common theme in John’s Gospel account of Jesus.

John 1:11 ESV

11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

Jesus’ own people continually reject his Word,

but they will receive His signs.

In this passage the people welcome him, but it is not a true welcome

Continuing on in the story...

John 4:46–48 (ESV)

46 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. 47 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. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”

The official hears about this Jesus performing miracles and goes to find Him to save his sons life from death.

In a moment of desperation he asked Jesus to heal his son.

Jesus’ response is “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe. (V48)

Jesus knows that he is not truly welcomed and honored as the Son of God and hits right at the heart of these people.

You are always wanting to see signs but you reject where the signs point...

The activity of God working with signs and wonders are always to glorify and point people to Jesus as Lord.

When the Kingdom of God manifests itself in a moment with a supernatural sign, it is always to draw ones attention to Jesus in order for people to know that He is God.

One should know that Jesus is not just addressing the official, but rather addressing the entire crowd. (Carson 237)

This crowd is here for a show, not to understand who this Jesus truly is and why he came to them.

The father hears Jesus’ Words and continues on with his desperate plea for Jesus to heal his son.

In the Scripture one comes across the simple truth that God rewards persistent faith.

(V49) “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

Jesus response is different from the officials request.

Jesus said “Go; your son will live” (V50)

In life we may request things to God, but do we respond with obedience to the Lord’s answer?

Or do we fight what God says because we think we know what is the best way to get the result that we want?

Jesus invites the official into a true welcome...

2. True Welcome

John 4:50 ESV

50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.

True belief is believing in the Word not just looking for the sign.

Jesus gives the man the gift to receive His Word.

The official responded by believing, and then acting in obedience.

How many know that we live what we believe? (repeat)

James 2:17 ESV

17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Fred Rodgers who had the famous show Mr. Rodgers Neighborhood was known for teaching kids about loving one another and putting others first.

Mr. Rodgers articulated through his show that each person no matter his or her background must be given respect and shown kindness.

A hard-nosed interviewer who was known for finding dirt on celebrities and crushing their reputation did an article on Fred Rodgers.

The interviewer was named Tom Junod and he did work for the Esquire magazine.

In doing his research on Fred Rodgers he had this to say about him...

“What is amazing about Fred was that he was the exact same person he was on TV. There was no show, no act—that was him.”

Fred Rodgers lived what he believed.

There is a difference between truly welcoming Jesus into your entire life versus welcoming hin only in matters that are convenient.

Let me put it this way...

James 2:19 ESV

19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!

It is not enough for us to think we have welcomed God into our lives simply because we believe there is a God.

There must be actions in our lives that show that we belong to Him.

We live what we believe...

So then, when we are invited to walk in obedience to His Word there must be action showing that we have truly welcomed Jesus into our entire lives.

Not just to get something from Jesus, but rather we live out what we believe by surrendering to His Word.

The official was invited to truly welcoming Jesus into his heart and believe in His Word.

The official responded by living what he believed when he went on his way believing in the Word Jesus had spoken.

John 4:51–54 ESV

51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 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.” 53 The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

The true welcome was when the official believed in Jesus, and welcomed faith in Jesus into his home

the results of that was the whole household turns their lives to God, and believed that Jesus is the true Messiah, the Son of God.

The first sign was to establish the start of the New Covenant with Jesus Christ.

The second sign established the power in this New Covenant.

At the spoken Word of Jesus Christ the boy was healed.

Jesus did not have to go and touch the boy, but just say the Word and it happened.

At the spoken Word of Jesus the supernatural power of the Kingdom of God manifested itself in Glory.

This Glory reveals that Jesus is the Son of God, the Savior of the World.