It's All About Jesus

Intro

Shortly after we got married, my wife and I bought a yellow lab and called him Jack Bauer. He was a unique animal. He ate kitchen towels and socks and carpet. But one thing about Jack would never fail. When you came home, he was excited to see you.

He would get himself into this somewhat demonic terror as he whipped around our tiny apartment from room to room as though he just needed to show us how happy he was to see us. And after we’d come in and sit down on the couch, Jack would come right over and sit down right in front of us because he just wanted to be with us.

Men, that’s how we need to be with JESUS, and our passage is going to help us understand why as we dive in to John 4:43-54.

Body

John 4:43–54 ESV

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. 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.

John 4:43-45 “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.”

“hometown”

Judea

But this isn’t in keeping with John’s repeated descriptions of Nazareth as Jesus’ hometown (1:45-46; 9:19)

Also implies Jesus was shying away from conflict or retreating because he was facing opposition which doesn’t line up with what we’ll see from Jesus in the coming chapters.

Galilee

He’s just come from Samaria where He found fertile soil in the heart of the woman at the well and the others from the town who believed in Him

Now he returned to His own people, and this was John’s way of foreshadowing the things to come

Even the welcome in verse 45 is to be tempered with the understanding that they were not welcoming their Messiah, but Jesus, the miracle worker and great teacher

The faith he had encountered among the Jews was in large par the spurious faith described in John 2:23-25.

We’ve talked about this before in this series–that we can follow Jesus for the wrong reasons–the crowds that welcomed Him in Galilee were there for what He could do for them. They weren’t welcoming their Messiah, they were welcoming a man who might possibly make their lives better.

P1: Make Your Christian Walk Jesus-Centered (vv. 43-45)

We live in a world bent on catering to our needs and our comforts and our wants and desires. We live in a consumer society that is panicking because of a clogged supply chain. In fact, the other day I read the headline: “Supply Chain Disaster Threatens Christmas.” What?! No it doesn’t! Not to sound cliche, but y’all know that Christmas isn’t about the gifts, right? We could be in the middle of the Saharan Desert with nothing but a canteen and a campfire, and Christmas wouldn’t be ruined. Why? Because Christmas is about JESUS!

Men, that same sentiment should be true of our entire lives. Do you want JESUS, or do you want the benefits of JESUS?

You’ve heard me say before the line about seeking out those things that “stir your affection for JESUS.” That’s the idea here. If good coffee stirs your affections for JESUS it’s because you are moved to worship HIM, to thank HIM, to praise HIM, for the gift of that glorious dirty water that wakes us up each morning.

Some in this room might have a JESUS-Benefits-Centered walk. When it comes to your relationship with JESUS, you’re primarily focused on what it means for you, what you get out of it, how it helps you. When we embrace this mindset we become functional health, wealth, and prosperity followers.

We become like the Galileans, all too excited to welcome JESUS back to their town because of how it might help the morale, how he might heal the lame, how he might attract more business with people flocking to see Him and hear from Him.

Philippians 3:7-8 “7 But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. 8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ”

Galatians 2:20 “20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Is your walk with Christ me-centered or is it JESUS-centered?

Do you make decisions while thinking how this will impact your relationship with JESUS?

Do you make decisions thinking about how it will honor or dishonor HIS name?

Do you become overly irritable or angry when things don’t go your way?

Do you expect things to break your way when you’ve had a good week doing the DBR?

Do you find that your closest times with JESUS are those times you feel like you need something from Him?

END P1

Some want to connect what follows with the account in the synoptic gospels of Jesus’ healing of the Gentile Centurion’s servant (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:2-10). However, a few differences make this unlikely:

Nothing is said to indicate that this man was a Roman or a Gentile of any sort

It is the man’s son who was sick in John’s account rather than his servant

The official entreats Jesus to come with him to heal his son as opposed to the Centurion who believed it could be done from afar

Jesus responded positively to the faith of the Centurion, while here he almost chastises this official’s request

John 4:46-47 “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.”

John’s note about the water to wine in verse 46 is not inconsequential. Jesus has a reputation as a great miracle worker in this region.

The “official” would likely have been a man who served in Herod’s court as one of his royal attendants.

The request is one of a desperate father, something some of you can probably relate to better than others after watching your children suffer.

Here was JESUS! This man had heard of what He had done there in Cana at that wedding if not the other signs He had performed since then.

John 4:48 “48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.””

This was the problem with his hometown; their faith was more in what Jesus could do than in who Jesus was.

This is a rebuke that may at first seem harsh given the circumstances, but, on the other hand, given the grave consequences of missing JESUS for JESUS’ benefits would be far worse for this man and the Galileans in general.

What if Jesus hadn’t healed this man’s Son? What if he hadn’t healed the Centurion’s servant? What if he hadn’t healed the lame man we’ll read about next week? What if Jesus left Lazarus in the tomb? What if he never restored sight to the blind men? What if he never raised the widow’s son? Would he still have done enough when all was said and done?

P2: Understand that Jesus has Already Done Enough (vv. 46-48)

Jesus owes us nothing, whereas, we owe Jesus our everything.

Romans 8:32 “32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?”

This isn’t so much about how we should expect more from God, but how we should realize how much He’s already given us in giving us His Son!

We have no guarantees from God outside of our salvation and the blessings that come along with that, and that is truly all we need!

God may give you that promotion that you’ve been praying for, but He may not.

God may take away the cancer that you’ve been praying to be freed from, but He may not.

God may give you a child that you’ve been praying and pleading for, but He may not.

If your faith in JESUS is anchored to what He may do for you, your faith is not anchored at all. Men, we must hold fast to JESUS for what HE has already done, and WHO HE IS, not for what He might or might not do for us.

2 Peter 1:1 “1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:”

Do you believe that this evening/morning?

END P2

John 4:49-53 “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.”

The official persists as any one of us would do if we were standing in the presence of a man who had the ability to heal our child. He implores, so desperate for the well-being of his child that he is unable to follow or even feel Jesus’ rebuke.

And JESUS does what He has done for you and for me so many times. He provides an unmerited blessing and heals the man’s son.

“Go; your son will live.”

The man believed the words of JESUS. While he may have been after the benefits of JESUS more than JESUS Himself, the man wasn’t a voyeur of the miraculous.

On his way home he is met by his household servants bearing the good news that his son had made a full recovery.

With what could only be something greater than a sneaking suspicion, the servant inquired when he had turned the corner.

When they confirm his suspicions, this man believed and like the Samaritan woman, became an evangelist, leading his whole household to believe as well.

JESUS didn’t have to do anything for this man or his family, but in healing this man’s son HE had paved the way for the salvation of the entire household. We’ll talk next week about JESUS taking center-stage in our lives, but this is a good preview when we see how this man responded to JESUS grace. He didn’t boast in how great a dad he was to travel so far to persuade JESUS to save his son. He didn’t throw a party and invite everyone to marvel at his son. Instead, he pointed the finger at JESUS and he pointed his family to JESUS as well.

P3: When God Acts Give Him the Glory (vv. 49-53)

The most obvious occasion for this is when we or someone we love is saved. Recently my son professed faith in Christ and the joy I felt was indescribable. It was akin to seeing him healed from a physical malady to know that he had been delivered from his spiritual malady. I couldn’t help but rejoice and praise God for such grace and mercy.

But what about when you get the raise at work? What about when you close a big deal? What about when you recover from an illness?

Do we give God the glory for the everyday blessings as much as we do for the eternal ones? Would others say we do this? Do our neighbors know when we get over COVID that it was God who brought us through? Do your coworkers know that it was God’s favor on your efforts that led to that promotion? Do your family members know that it was God’s provision that enabled you to purchase that new home?

Do these people know that it was God’s grace that saved you and that same grace is available to them?

Conclusion

It really is all about JESUS. We forget that when we make it about what JESUS can do for us. We forget that when we make it about our wants, desires, and ambitions.

Let’s be careful to not become like the Galileans, wherein our excitement about JESUS is only so great as His usefulness to us.

We need to be more like my dog Jack when it comes to our relationship with JESUS. We need to be excited about Him more than what we might get from Him.