What Is It Going To Take?

Text

John 4:46–54 NASB95

46 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. 47 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. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” 49 The royal official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. 51 As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. 52 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.” 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. 54 This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

A faith that relies only on demonstration, is a faith that is still in need of maturation

What is it going to take for your faith to move on? What is it going to take for your faith to go to the next level?

There is no doubt that John is interested in the faith of his listeners/readers. He writes about these signs to generate belief in those that read about them. This sign is no different.

There are two interpretive perimeters that are important when considering this text.

The placement of this text is important.

How John says what he says is as important as what John says.

Leading up to this story Jesus has a very interesting conversation with some Jews John 2:18 “18 The Jews then said to Him, “What sign do You show us as your authority for doing these things?””

Keep in mind this is after Jesus does a sign, turning water into wine. They still need a sign!

In contrast to this, in ch. 4 we have a Samaritan woman who Jesus does no sign for, yet she believes. To the extent that she starts telling other people about Jesus and they believe to

The content of text is important

He is now back in Galilee John 4:44 “44 For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country.”

The testimony here is John 4:48 “48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.””

The content and placement of this text truly begs the question, what will it take for you to believe?

Are you like the Jews? Do you always need a sign, a demonstration, a miracle, a blessing a deliverance?

Are you like the Samritan or this officer, who had a willingness to believe even when they didn’t see a thing?

Faith does not need God to divulge all the details, discuss all the plans, demonstrate His power just for me to take the next step.

That’s the point or faith needs to get to in our walk with God, so we can stand firm in any of life’s predicaments. - Faith needs to outgrow the necessity of seeing a demonstration.

This is the challenge - what will it take for you to step off in faith?

At some point we all need a “Red Sea faith”, a faith need to see the sea part in two, and dry ground be made before we took the first step

But eventually, we need to grow enough where we have the “Jordan River faith”. That faith stepped into the water trusting that as their feet hit the water the dry ground would appear.

Too many times we fail to step out in faith because we are leaning on our logic. We want to be undergirded by our understanding. We only step when it makes sense to us.

God is not bound to your logic or senses, because sometimes having faith means this might not make sense to you.

#1 - The setting

Jesus is back in Cana of Galilee “where He made the water wine”. The first sign, this should have been the thing that got people behind Jesus, at this point faith should’ve been generated.

A royal officer’s son is sick, to the point of death and he heard Jesus was in town and he stopped what he was doing and went to Jesus.

The way John writes this highlights to us that this man was interested in seeing some visible demonstration from Jesus hence the request (twice) to “come down”.

Jesus’ response confirms this John 4:48 “48 [So Jesus said to him,] “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.””

Unless you get the logisitics, the blueprint, the end plan, the course - Unless God shows me something I won’t believe.

Unless you see a blessing, a miracle, a move from God you will not believe. Stop expecting God to only show you things, and start taking God at His word.

John 6:26 “26 Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled.”

You seek me because of what you saw me do, not because you desire my presence or my lordship over your life

John 20:29 “29 Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.””

Faith does not need sight to function

Hebrews 11:1 “1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”

Furthermore, Hebrews 11:6 “6 And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him.”

Many times our faith is only interested in the latter part of this verse, “He is a rewarder” but miss that God is!

He is sovereign, he is self-sustaining, the uncasued cause, he is ruler over all - He Is! Sometimes we can be so enamoured by God’s blessings that we forget God is.

We ought to be just as excited for God’s presence as we are for His blessings

John 4:49 “49 The royal official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.””

APPL. While God is sensitive to our heart cries, He’s not controlled by them.

The royal officers orders Jesus to come, but Jesus orders Him to go!

This is the point where our faith is challenged.

Will I step out? Or will I stand aand wait for a demonstration? Will I take God at His word? Or will I ask for a sign?

John 4:50 “50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off.”

The man, started off.

He did not know if Jesus would do it

He did not know when He would it

He did not know how He would do it

He had no evidence that will or won’t work

But he “started off” - That might not look like enough, but to the eye trained by faith, that’s enough to go on. . .that’s enough to start walking.

If all I have is a word from the Lord, that’s enough for me to get going!

#2 - The sign

The miracle is that Jesus heals the boy, but for John this is not what he emphasizes.

His slaves meet him with the good news that his son was living. The father, according to the text, is not interested in the updates of the son’s health, but the timing of the healing.

This further underscores the tension in the text regarding the necessity of a demonstration to precede faith.

So all the while as this father made his way back to his home, he travelled with a faith that did not see a thing, i.e., a faith that needed no sign. He was trusting, moving, functioning without a visible demonstration that God did anything.

He was literally, “walking by faith, and not by sight” 2 Cor 5:7.

By this point he does not need a sign, all needed was a word! Romans 10:17 “17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

Upon this word

He heard it

He believed it

He acted on it

If God says it, that ought to enough

Too many today’s culture want a sign but don’t want the word.

Matthew 24:24 “24 “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.”

Revelation 13:13 “13 He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down out of heaven to the earth in the presence of men.”

2 Thessalonians 2:9 “9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,”

Signs does not mean it came from God. If signs is what you need your faith needs to grow up.

This is also true of the church/christian

They want a demonstartion, a lively lesson and upbeat singing. God has to bring a healing, a deliverance a breakthrough. God always have to show them something or else they won’t do anything for God.

#1 - God doesn’t have to anything for you - He’s not your genie

#2 - If God gives you a word He doesn’t need to send you a new prophetic revelation for you to get moving. Take Him at His word.

This is what this father did, I dare say that the way this is wrriten he seems more interested in the healer of his son than the healing of his son - because the question asks is, “when did it happen?”

Upon hearing the answer, John says he believes.

This implies that his faith had just hit a new level, it was no longer dependent on seeing something, but it got to a stage where God just had to say it, and that is all it would take.

What is it going to take for you?

Sometimes stepping out in faith, will not make sense to you or the people around you - Just ask Abram when God told him to leave his country and family and go to a land “I will show you”.

Sometimes stepping out in faith means that you know God can, but don’t know if God will act, but you step out anyway - Just ask the three Jewish boys facing the fiery furnace.

Sometimes stepping out in faith means God might allow the pain or the pressure - Just ask the Hebrew writer. Hebrews 11:36–37 “36 and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. 37 They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated”

Do you still have the faith to start walking without any answers or assurances? Are you waiting on a sign?

I wonder what would’ve happened if the father stayed until he got the answer he wanted rather than begin his journey back home.