Your Son Will Live

John 4:46-

On May 7, 1915, the R.M.S Lusitania, a British ocean liner, was struck by a torpedo from a German submarine. The ship sank in a matter of minutes, killing 1198 of the 1959 passengers aboard. In her book, Lusitania: An Epic Tragedy, author Diana Preston recorded the observations of one passenger, bookseller, Charles Lauriat:

As the ship was sinking and as Lauriat looked around to see who needed life jackets, he noticed that among the crowds now pouring on deck nearly everyone who passed by him that was wearing a life jacket had it on incorrectly." In his panic, one man had thrust one arm through an armhole and his head through the other. Others rushed past wearing them upside down. No one had read the "neat little signs" around the ship telling people how to put them on. Lauriat tried to help, but some thought he was trying to take their life jackets from them and fled in terror.

Preston continues: "Dead and drowning people were 'dotting the sea like seagulls.' Many bodies were floating upside down because people had put their life jackets on the wrong way up … so that their heads were pushed under the water."

Do we have a difficult time following and reading signs? Words that warn us? What do we need? Do we really need to learn the hard way? Do we really need to see before we will believe. Can we simply believe the Words that God gives? When we actually do, we find that believing is seeing. Watch this.

John 4:46–54 NLT

As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die. Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?” The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.” Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home. While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.

John 4:46-

I. The Official

-There are just some things money cannot buy

A. Here is a man of great influence and power. Because he was an official in Herod’s court he had lots of money. Here was a man who by anyone’s standards had everything he could possibly want, except for one thing—his young son was seriously ill.

Here was a man who by anyone’s standards had everything he could possibly want, except for one thing—his young son was seriously ill.

B. Believe it or not this is difficult for parents when our children are sick and not doing well. The child had contracted a fever, and his father had watched his life slowly drain away. The color had faded from the young face, the light in his eyes had begun to dim so that at times he stared but did not see, and finally he lapsed into an intermittent coma. Death was imminent.

The child had contracted a fever, and his father had watched his life slowly drain away. The color had faded from the young face, the light in his eyes had begun to dim so that at times he stared but did not see, and finally he lapsed into an intermittent coma. Death was imminent.

Hughes, R. K. (1999). John: that you may believe (p. 137). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

Hughes, R. K. (1999). John: that you may believe (pp. 137–138). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

C. I have not experienced anything like this with my children… I cannot imagine what this would be like. I panic when Scott has an asthma attack and all he’s doing is coughing. We can sometimes feel so powerless. Well this official felt that way. But he had so much…power, influence, and money?

D. Our world does not like to tell us this…but there are just things that money cannot buy. There are many things money cannot buy. Money can buy a king-sized bed, but it cannot buy sleep! Money can buy a great house, but it cannot buy a home! Money can buy a companion, but it cannot buy a close friend! Money can buy books, but it cannot buy brains! Money can buy a church building, but it cannot buy entrance into heaven! And as our text suggests, money cannot buy life and health. Wealth cannot buy the life of a loved one.

E. Steve Jobs when he died wished that he had spent more time with his family… money cannot buy that. Nothing could relieve the official. Nothing!

There are many things money cannot buy. Money can buy a king-sized bed, but it cannot buy sleep! Money can buy a great house, but it cannot buy a home! Money can buy a companion, but it cannot buy a close friend! Money can buy books, but it cannot buy brains! Money can buy a church building, but it cannot buy entrance into heaven! And as our text suggests, money cannot buy life and health. Wealth cannot buy the life of a loved one. The basilikos was in agony. Nothing could relieve him. Nothing! The end appeared inevitable.

F. He went to the only person who could do something about his situation and he heard that he was in town… he was so desperate that he did not send someone to go get him, but went to get him himself. And here we have a rich and powerful official begging Jesus for help… what a scene that was.

Hughes, R. K. (1999). John: that you may believe (p. 138). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

II. Huh?

- Did Jesus just say that? For you seeing is believing.

A. Our Lord’s reply is rather startling. “ ‘Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,’ Jesus told him, ‘you will never believe.’ ” That was Jesus’ answer to the man’s pathetic cry? Just by saying “you people” would get many in trouble today. On the surface it seems to be a detached, cold, unsympathetic response. The man had poured out his heart to the Lord—and now it looks as if the Lord throws a glass of cold water in his face! But actually Jesus’ reply was full of grace.

Our Lord’s reply is rather startling. “ ‘Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders,’ Jesus told him, ‘you will never believe.’ ” That was Jesus’ answer to the man’s pathetic cry? On the surface it seems to be a detached, cold, unsympathetic response. The man had poured out his heart to the Lord—and now it looks as if the Lord throws a glass of cold water in his face! But actually Jesus’ reply was full of grace.

B. Jesus’ words penetrated the man’s heart. You people are all about seeing is believing. You all are so focused on the signs and wonders that you continue to forget about me. So concerned with what that you forget about who it is. He wants us to go beyond signs and miracles to trust in him and believe in his Word.

He wanted them to go beyond signs and miracles to trust in him and believe in his Word.

Hughes, R. K. (1999). John: that you may believe (p. 139). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

II. Your Son Will Live

- For the official… now believing is seeing. Seeing that Jesus is Lord.

Hughes, R. K. (1999). John: that you may believe (p. 140). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

A. Jesus said, “You may go. Your son will live.” What did that man think when he heard these words? How would he respond? “The man took Jesus at his word and departed.”

What did that man think when he heard these words? How would he respond? “The man took Jesus at his word and departed.”

“You may go. Your son will live.”

Hughes, R. K. (1999). John: that you may believe (p. 141). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

B. There was no arguing, no pleading, no insistence on “just a little sign, please,” no mind over matter—“I believe, I believe … I think I believe.” He simply remembered what he had heard about the wedding miracle in Cana, looked at Jesus standing before him, added it all up—and believed!

C. Something radical happened inside that man that is the reverse of a very common phrase in our world today: “Seeing is believing.” In that nobleman’s life, believing was seeing. Even though there were eighteen miles between them, in his mind’s eye he “saw” his little boy well and healthy again.

Hughes, R. K. (1999). John: that you may believe (p. 141). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

D. The official believed Jesus… he did not see his boy alive and well. He just believed the word of Christ. He believed and so did his whole household. His whole family became people that believed that Jesus was the Christ the son of the living God.

Something radical happened inside that man that is the reverse of a very common phrase in our world today: “Seeing is believing.” In that nobleman’s life, believing was seeing. Even though there were eighteen miles between them, in his mind’s eye he “saw” his little boy well and healthy again.

Hughes, R. K. (1999). John: that you may believe (p. 141). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

E. Are we able to simply trust in Jesus’ words? Or are we like the official at the beginning… believe only if we see. The Lord has to show me a miracle before I will believe that He is Lord. If that is the case it will not work.

F. If we are thinking that … the Israelites saw the 10 plagues, the red seas split and destroy the Egyptian army, cloud by day, pillar of fire by night, manna from heaven and still they did not believe and trust the Lord. 2 months later they were making the golden calf.

G. Oh ye of little faith. The thing is is that our Lord knows this. And He has compassion on us always. He forgives us for our weakness. That is why we can celebrate today. The Officials son lived. Just like God the Fathers Son lives and because the Son lives, we live today. Trust and Obey for there’s no other way to be happy in Jesus then to Trust and Obey.