From a False Belief to a Real Belief

Are words important?  Absolutely!  In the Bible, we know that when a word is repeated numerous times, God has a good reason for doing so.  In the Gospel of John, we see the word believe used more than 100 times.  So, I’m going out on a limb and am suggesting that this word must have some incredible importance for us.

In the context of this book, believe seems to be used in some form of connection to eternal life through Jesus Christ.  Interestingly, the opposite of belief would be unbelief.  There are some people who would say that they believe; however, they choose to believe what they want to believe. They will not go so far as to believe in Who Jesus Christ really is and what He has to offer. Unbelief is not only an opposite to the word believe, but also in the consequence or result.  There are all sorts of sins that we are capable of and any single one of them would condemn us to hell.  Yet, there seems to be one sin that ultimately seals a person’s doom; that is the sin of unbelief.  There is no forgiveness offered for the person who refuses to believe in Jesus Christ as the only way for salvation.

All of us have experienced a form of unbelief.  We were all sinners, thinking we were alright.  It may have been out of ignorance, or lack of exposure of information, or outright intentional rejection.  In this portion of the Bible we’ll be studying today, we’re going to see Jesus moving an individual from unbelief to belief.

In the gospel of John, there are seven or eight miracles that are recorded as evidence that Jesus was the Messiah, depending on how you count the miracles. You remember the first being that of turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. Today, we’ll be looking at the second recorded miracle or sign. The event we’ll be studying continues to remind us that salvation is by faith and not by works.

Today, I want to take some time to look a bit at what some consider belief which is not saving belief.  Any belief that is based upon my approval of the criteria or my setting the standards, is not real belief.  However,

A belief that is based purely upon God’s Word and His promises leads to a saving faith.

Proving Belief - 4.43-45

After the two days He went forth from there into Galilee.  For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.  So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.

We recall from our previous time in the book of John, the fact that Jesus was invited to stay in that area of Samaria and He accepted.  Many people believed and came to salvation.  

Now we see a new transition from Samaria to the area of Galilee.  But Jesus states a very curious thing about the reception He expected to receive.  We read this in John 4:44 “For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.” This is a sad commentary on how His very own people would not believe in Him.  However, we know that some did, though not the vast majority.  It certainly was nothing like the Samaritans’ reception of Jesus. 

It’s also interesting to note that the Galileans did receive Him, though John clarifies somewhat sarcastically in the last part of verse 45, having seen all the things that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.

Notice why they received Him.  It was not necessarily because He was God.  It seems that it was because of what they had seen Him do in Jerusalem at the feast.  Thus, it seems that they received Him almost like some rock star or movie star.  Their reception of Him was not based on Who He was but on what He did.  Of course, we remember Jesus commenting other places that people are always looking for proof with signs and wonders.  

What a reminder to us that believing does not need proof which we understand or choose to accept.  If God says something is to be a certain way, then that should be enough for me to believe.  But if someone says they believe only because the proof or evidence convinced them or fit their standards, it probably is not a saving faith.

Pleading Belief - 4.46-49

Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum.  When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death.  So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.”  The royal official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

Here, we find another segue in the story.  Jesus is returning to Cana, where He had performed His first miracle of turning water into wine.  We are introduced to a royal official who had a sick child.  

One might wonder why John uses the word “therefore” in this context.  Let’s review a bit.  The Samaritan people believed in Jesus as the Savior of the world.  They understood that He was indeed the Messiah.  However, the Jews seemed more interested in signs and wonders; miracles, if you will.  These Jewish people had observed the amazing molecular miracle at the marriage ceremony some time back.  It appears that this royal official is almost part of the thinking of needing miracles to believe.  However, he will separate himself from the group think, as we’ll see shortly.  

But let’s first look at the situation here a bit more closely.  This royal official had come from Capernaum to Cana.  That is a distance of about 16 miles.  That would have taken probably 4 or so hours to walk. His son was deathly sick and this royal official probably realized that only Jesus would be able to do anything about his son.  As a side note, we see that this royal official wanted Jesus to come to his place before his son died. He had not yet realized that this Jesus is the resurrection and the life. This royal official is portrayed here as a very humble person.  It is amazing what desperation can do to the most powerful of people.  In fact, the word for “was imploring” carries an incredible picture of begging over and over.  This royal official was begging for help from the One Whom everyone else declared to be only a carpenter’s son.

Yet, we must understand why he is so desperately seeking Jesus’ help.  It is not about his own hopeless, lost soul.  It is not because he recognizes that he is condemned to eternity without God.  It is because of his love for his son.  He desperately wants his son to be able to live.  He is in the present moment in his thinking.  He also believed that Jesus had to be physically present to heal his son.  He didn’t realize that this healing would only be temporary.  Jesus responds with a statement that many might think to be harsh, as we see in John 4:48 “So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.””  MacArthur gives a very astute observation at this point:  Jesus’ rebuke encompassed the royal official and all of the Galileans whose flawed faith disregarded His message and mission of salvation and focused instead on the sensational miracles He performed on their behalf. 

Warren Wiersbe states, If your salvation is based on feelings, dreams, visions, voices, or any other fleshly evidence, then you are on dangerous ground. It is faith in the Word alone that gives us the assurance of eternal life.

Interestingly, the father’s pleas are even more desperate as he uses the term “child” instead of “son” which shows a more intense, heartfelt request.  So, this royal official had moved from his initial seeking out of Jesus because of the proofs he had heard about, to a belief that was strong enough to cause him to be willing to humble himself and plead for Jesus to do something.  However, he still thought Jesus had to do things in a human manner by being physically with his son.  He didn’t quite have that saving belief.

We look to the next verses to see what Jesus actually did.

Positive Belief - 4.50-54

Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off.  As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living.  So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.”  So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed and his whole household.  This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

Jesus responded positively.  Sometimes, Jesus will deal with the physical so as to help us better understand the spiritual.  I believe that by what we read that this comment Jesus made hit much deeper in the royal official’s heart.  No longer did this royal official need a miracle for belief.  Now, he took Jesus at His Word and believed, without actually seeing the miracle.  Previously, he was begging for Jesus to personally come to the place where his son lay dying.  Now, with Jesus’ statement that his son would live, not just in the future, but right now, the royal official accepted it and went back home.  

Friends, this is another reminder that we, too, must have complete faith in Christ’s Word. For a person to experience salvation, there has to also be a placing of faith in the truth of God’s Word. There is an old quote that states, Christ says it, I believe it, that settles it!

On the 16 mile journey back, his slaves met him and gave him the news that the boy lived.  One can assume that while walking, this royal official was contemplating and considering all that had taken place.  We can guess that he was considering his belief, yet without knowing by his own knowledge of personal observation that his son would live.  And now this news from his servants.  He asks the time of the healing and is told.  It was about the seventh hour when Jesus told him his son lives.  His servants told him it was about the seventh hour that his son’s fever broke.  

My friends, that shows that the royal official’s unbelief was completely shattered.  No longer did he require signs and wonders.  No longer was it based upon a gut feeling that Jesus would do what He said He would do.  Now, he knew there was no coincidence or anything else that could verify the reality that this Jesus is the Savior of the world.

Look carefully at the last part of John 4:53 “So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed and his whole household.”  

Reflections

Wholehearted saving belief is what is necessary to enter into the Kingdom of God.  There is no room for a belief system that has to be proven based upon any manmade criteria.  The world may mock our belief in Christ; critiquing it as unscientific, calling it a crutch, mocking it as weak, naming it as narrow-minded and intolerant.  However, The only true belief is believing in Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation.  Accepting the Bible as the absolute authority of God and applying it to our lives is a sure sign that we also believe in Jesus Christ.  

Remember:

A belief that is based purely upon God’s Word and His promises leads to a saving faith.