The Opportunity

Jesus is just coming off of an amazing 2 day revival in Samaria.

Samaritans are considered dogs (by the Jews), but Jesus has an divine appointment with a lady who has social issues & turns a city upside down

He does it by treating her with dignity, not excusing her sin, but by breathing life into her situation.

Jesus also empowers her to 1) walk in freedom & 2) represent Him to others, by telling her story.

Story of girl at the gas station on 9/5

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.

Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

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. (ESV Jn. 4:43-54)

Jesus is just coming off of an amazing 2 day revival in Samaria.

Samaritans are considered dogs (by the Jews), but Jesus has an divine appointment with a lady who has social issues & turns a city upside down

He does it by treating her with dignity, not excusing her sin, but by breathing life into her situation.

Jesus also empowers her to 1) walk in freedom & 2) represent Him to others, by telling her story.

Jesus then goes to His own hometown, where everyone is too familiar with Him, but they heard & saw what Jesus has been up to at the Passover (). That was also the time when Jesus cleared the temple.

And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household.” (ESV)

A quick observation here: Those that think they know God & believe that they are intimate with Him, will be the first to disrespect Him.

The more I get to know God, the more I realize I have to learn.

But the Galileans, it appears were not interested in knowing Jesus, they seemed to be merely curious about His actions & why He didn’t perform for them.

Verses 46-54 The Nobleman’s Son

This is not the Centurion as recorded in & this is a different miracle altogether.

Some observations:

This nobleman came into an area where Jesus’ influence should have been the greatest, but actually seems to be the weakest. (already stated)

This nobleman was not discouraged by being lumped in with the rest of the Galileans, in fact this moved him to press Jesus further.

Check out how this reads in the message:

46–48  Now he was back in Cana of Galilee, the place where he made the water into wine. Meanwhile in Capernaum, there was a certain official from the king’s court whose son was sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and asked that he come down and heal his son, who was on the brink of death. Jesus put him off: “Unless you people are dazzled by a miracle, you refuse to believe.”

The Message Chapter 4

46–48  Now he was back in Cana of Galilee, the place where he made the water into wine. Meanwhile in Capernaum, there was a certain official from the king’s court whose son was sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and asked that he come down and heal his son, who was on the brink of death. Jesus put him off: “Unless you people are dazzled by a miracle, you refuse to believe.”

49  But the court official wouldn’t be put off. “Come down! It’s life or death for my son.”

49  But the court official wouldn’t be put off. “Come down! It’s life or death for my son.” (the MSG John 4:46-49)

The Message Chapter 4

46–48  Now he was back in Cana of Galilee, the place where he made the water into wine. Meanwhile in Capernaum, there was a certain official from the king’s court whose son was sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and asked that he come down and heal his son, who was on the brink of death. Jesus put him off: “Unless you people are dazzled by a miracle, you refuse to believe.”

49  But the court official wouldn’t be put off. “Come down! It’s life or death for my son.”

The nobleman was pushed to strengthen his resolve in seeking an answer.

The nobleman pressed further into Jesus for the life of his son

3. The nobleman believed when he heard Jesus speak life into the situation

3.

The nobleman believed when he heard Jesus speak life into the situation.

The nobleman checked

It is ok to check God

He’s big enough to handle it

It’s ok to be human in front of God, He sees us where we are at.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

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.

Believe 3x’s

Jesus in v. 48 “Unless you see…you will not believe”

V. 50 “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him & went on his way” I get the sense that it is the type of belief: “well He said it, I believe Him” & he is convincing himself.

V. 53 he checked when the son started getting better & he himself believed - he was convinced

The result is that his entire household believed.

in this society, this was still somewhat of a patristic society, where the father was the head of the household & everyone followed his lead.

Application:

We are to go to God, when we are uncomfortable, chances are He is trying to get our attention

This man was given a 2nd chance, Jesus had been to Capernaum (), but somehow, this nobleman missed the opportunity to meet Jesus.

A quick lesson on weak faith I found in a commentary

John Homiletic Notes

I. He does not turn them away from Him, but rebukes them as they require (vers. 47, 48).

II. He calls them to believe in His word, on which all depends (vers. 49, 50).

III. He gives them to experience the blessed result of this faith in order to strengthen them (vers. 51–53).

IV. He converts them into instruments fitted to lead others to faith (ver. 53).—Dr. v. Biarowsky.

Look for opportunities to press in:

English Standard Version Chapter 18

Abraham Intercedes for Sodom

22 So the men turned from there and went toward Sodom, but Abraham still stood before the LORD. 23 Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? 24 Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? 25 Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” 26 And the LORD said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.”

27 Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. 28 Suppose five of the fifty righteous are lacking. Will you destroy the whole city for lack of five?” And he said, “I will not destroy it if I find forty-five there.” 29 Again he spoke to him and said, “Suppose forty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of forty I will not do it.” 30 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak. Suppose thirty are found there.” He answered, “I will not do it, if I find thirty there.” 31 He said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord. Suppose twenty are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of twenty I will not destroy it.” 32 Then he said, “Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak again but this once. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it.” 33 And the LORD went his way, when he had finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

illustration of advertising (Chuck)

Not God tempting us to give up

New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update Chapter 1

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone.

The second sign of Jesus in Cana

the first was the water into wine

the healing of the nobleman’s son

both of these miracles or signs happened at Jesus’ word, He didn’t lift a finger.

If you think back to the beginning of the book, Jesus is called the Word, or Logos. just a thought.