Signs & Wonders
Notes
Transcript
Handout
Introduction
Introduction
As we begin this morning, I want to ask you a question.
QUESTION: Why do you follow Jesus?
This may sound like a stupid question, but I really think it is a question that each of us must wrestle with.
Why do you and I follow Jesus? Why do I live and serve Him?
You see if I’m honest, there have been times in my life when my reason for living and serving Jesus was ALL wrong.
If you have been in this church for any period of time, you may have heard me talk about a false theology—a false understanding of how God works—that permeates Christianity today.
This false theology says:
If I accept Jesus as my Savior
And I serve Him with my life
Then I will have the “blessed” life—which I have interpreted to mean, I will have a life without any problems!
First, I want to tell you that what I just shared is truly a false understanding of God and how He works.
Secondly, I want us to look at our passage today, because we are going to see that a lot of people in Jesus’ day struggled with the same problem.
The only reason they came to Jesus was to see some amazing miracle or to have Jesus do something for them!
I actually hate to admit that many times the only time I approach Jesus is when I want Jesus to do something for me!
If you have your Bibles, I want to encourage you to turn with me to John chapter 4, and we’ll begin reading with verse 43.
After the two days he left for Galilee.
Jesus Resumes His Journey
Jesus Resumes His Journey
John gives us a clue that the story is now continuing (v. 43a). After two days--the two additional days that Jesus spent with the Samaritans.
Jesus is resuming his travels to Galilee (v. 43b) (cf. v. 3).
(Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.)
As Jesus and his disciples travel on their way, he points out that a prophet has no honor in his own country (Gk. patris meaning: homeland, home town, one’s own part of the country, fatherland, native city, country) (v. 44).
The question that we have today is what was Jesus talking about?
Some compare this statement to Matthew’s and Luke’s reference to Nazareth (Matt. 13:57; Lk. 4:24).
Others suggest that John was identifying Galilee as Jesus’ “home town.” But that is inconsistent with verse 45.
Some believe John was identifying Jerusalem (and Judea) as Jesus home town.
I think the best answer is that Jesus is going to contrast the amazing acceptance that he received in Samaria verses the Galileans desire for Jesus to do bigger and greater miracles (cf. v. 45, 48).
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.
When Jesus arrived in Galilee they “welcomed him” (v. 45a). They were truly excited to see Jesus, but why?
They welcomed him because they had see everything Jesus had done in Jerusalem during the Passover Festival (v. 45b). They are looking for the next amazing dog-n-pony-show!
Jesus Returns to Cana of Galilee
Jesus Returns to Cana of Galilee
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.
We are again given a place marker (v. 46). The event in this section is going to take place in Cana of Galilee:
Where Jesus turned the water into wine.
Where a certain royal official tracked Jesus down.
Because his son was sick in 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.
This official heard that Jesus was back in Galilee (v. 47a).
He went to find Jesus to beg him for help (v. 47b).
His son was close to death (v. 47c).
So he begged Jesus to make the 13 mile trek from Cana to Capernaum (which was kind of Jesus’ headquarters — cf. Jn. 2:12 — (v. 47d)
“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
Jesus’ Response
Jesus’ Response
Jesus is frustrated because all the people want from Him is that they won’t believe unless they see signs and wonders.
Signs (Gk. refers to something miraculous).
Wonders (Gk. teras has the meaning of to marvel, to be amazed, to be in awe). This is the only place that John uses this word. It seems to indicate that the people wanting to be awestruck and wanted Jesus to wow them!
Jesus understands this because he says unless they are awestruck they will NEVER believe!
The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
The man repeats his request and begs Jesus to come down (topographically) to Capernaum.
The man’s son is about to die!
Jesus’ Second Response
Jesus’ Second Response
“Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed.
Go, because your son will live!
The Man’s Response
The Man’s Response
He took Jesus at His word!
And the man left and began the return journey home.
While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living.
The Rest of the Story!
The Rest of the Story!
On the man’s way home, received news that his boy was “living” (Gk. made alive again, being restored) (v. 51).
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.”
The man asked what time his son got better (v. 52a).
They told him that the fever left his sone at 12 noon (v. 52b).
Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.
When the father heard the time, he realized that it was exact time that Jesus told him that his son would live (v. 53a).
As a result, the man and his entire family believed (v. 53b).
This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
Post Script
Post Script
John tells us that this was the second sign (miracle) that Jesus preformed after he came back to Galilee.
So What?
So What?
Come back to my original question:
QUESTION: Why do you follow Jesus?
Do you follow Him because you need Him to do something for you?
Or do you follow Him because of what He has done for you?
These are two very different answers.
If the reason I serve Jesus is for what I can get, I will be disappointed, because Jesus NEVER works the way I want Him to work.
On the other hand, if I serve Jesus because of what He has done for me, then I owe my life to Him.
IF I owe Jesus my life, and IF Jesus is God, then Jesus has to be my Lord, Master, Ruler!
And IF Jesus is my Lore, Master, Ruler then Jesus gets to call ALL the shots in my life!
Will you go where Jesus go wherever He sends you?
Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.”
Will you do what Jesus says to do?
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Will you love Him?
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’;
Will you love your neighbor as yourself?
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
This morning, I want to challenge you to serve God, not for what you can get from Him, but serve Him because of what He has already done!
Next week our kids will go to Summer Safari and there we often sing a song that goes like this:
He paid a debt He did not owe, I owed a debt I could not pay, I needed someone to wash my sins away! But now I sing a brand new song, Amazing grace the whole day long, Christ Jesus paid a debt that I could never pay.
That is what He has done for you, and that is what He has done for me!
Jesus paid our debt of sin and put us into a right relationship with the God-Head!
Because of His sacrifice, I can have a personal relationship with God! And that is amazing!
And because I have a personal relationship God, I will serve God with the totality of my being! Because I owe God EVERYTHING!
He IS GOD! And God always gets to call the shots in my life—even when I don’t like it!
