Video Teaching
Verse-by-Verse Commentary
Full Transcript
Video Teaching
Verse-by-Verse Commentary
43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.)
45 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.
- “no honor in his own country.”
- Jesus grew up in Galilee. The people who live there are excited to see him again! They’ve heard about his miracles and teachings! They’ve seen the impact he’s making on the world! They want to talk to him, but not to know him. They think they already know him. He’s Joseph’s boy! What’s left to know? They’re interested in what he does and what he offers, but they aren’t interested in him.
- A lot of people approach God with imperfect motives. They often want good things (community, relationships, moral guidance, structure) that aren’t the best thing. These searches for little goods can lead to the greatest good: God himself and eternal life with Him.
- Cyril of Jerusalem, a great teacher of the Church, told a group of people that were hoping to join the Church: “[You may have] come on another pretext. It is possible that a man is wishing to pay court to a woman, and came hither on that account. The remark applies in like manner to women also in their turn. A slave also perhaps wishes to please his master, and a friend his friend. I accept this bait for the hook, and welcome you, though you came with an evil purpose, yet as one to be saved by a good hope. Perhaps you knew not whither you were coming, nor in what kind of net you are taken. You have come within the Church’s nets : be taken alive, flee not: for Jesus is angling for you.” -Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures, Prologue
46 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. 47 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 is an official that is a part of Herod’s royal court. He would have been powerful and very wealthy. He would certainly have had ample opportunity to see any doctors and miracle workers that he could have wanted. He likely had seen others already! In spite of all that the world has given him, here he begs at the feet of Jesus.
48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”
- The official’s motivation is good (he is a good father that wants to save his son) but just like the others, he’s more interested in Jesus’s power than on Jesus himself.
- Jesus first replies with a seeming rebuke: “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” This targets the crowd’s (and the official’s) desire for miracles over genuine relationship.
- Jesus also does not act with the urgency the man expects. Is it any surprise that the one who created life is not going to be bothered over something little like death? Is it any surprise that the Lord over all of eternity is not bothered by something like time? Jesus isn’t concerned because he’s in control.
- In our lives as well, God works on His own schedule. God’s goal is to make us holy, though not necessarily happy. Things can be long and uncomfortable, even if we’d prefer otherwise. Sometimes we need to be melted down to be forged into something beautiful.
49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
- In spite of his power, the official offers real sincerity here. There’s no threat or bribe. He sets himself aside and gives an honest, sincere, heartbreaking plea to help his child.
- “He thought it possible that his son could be freed from sickness and disease, but not that he could be raised up after he was dead; and therefore he urges Christ to make haste, that his son’s recovery may not be prevented by his death. Accordingly, when Christ pardons both, we may conclude from it how highly he values even a small measure of faith.” -Calvin’s Commentary, John 4
50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”
The man took Jesus at his word and departed.
- Jesus tests the man’s faith by telling him, “Go. Your son will live,” rather than accompanying him to his house to do the healing.
- By healing in this way, the man has to trust that Jesus is who he says he is over the pure spectacle of a live miracle. He has to give up his control and give total control over to Jesus.
- This man came for a miracle, but stumbles onto something (shockingly) even better.
- He came with nothing but hope, but he leaves with faith in Christ.
- He came wanting the life of someone else, but he is going to stumble into his own eternal life.
- He came to protect a relationship with someone that he helped create, and he is about to gain a relationship with the One who created him.
51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 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.”
53 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.
- The journey from Cana to Capernaum is about 25 miles, roughly an 8-hour walk. He could have arrived home in the evening the same day he spoke to Jesus, but instead, he finds the servant on the road the next day! He believed so strongly that Jesus was who He said He was that he chose to sleep at an inn along the way.
- As a result, the official and his “whole household believed.” This took courage for someone who worked for King Herod, who was instrumental in Jesus’s crucifixion. It likely cost him socially and professionally. He arrived with faith in one king (Herod) and departed with faith in a new King (Jesus).
54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.
- “The second miracle, he says markedly. The Jews had not come to the more perfect faith of the Samaritans, who saw no miracle.” – John Chrysostom, Homily 36, 1.
- “His teachings were the explanation of his doings his doings confirmations of his teachings. Jesus Christ had never occasion to any, ‘Do as I say, but not as I do.’ His words and his actions were in perfect harmony with one another. You might be sure that he was honest in what he said, because what he did forced that conviction upon your mind.” -Charles Spurgeon, “Characteristics of Faith,” May 27th, 1860.
Full Transcript
A few churches back, I was leading a confirmation class. I asked the lay leader, a man by the name of Dale, to come in and talk to the kids one day. I wanted him to explain what got him showing up to that church and why he was passionate about it, and he agreed. Good guy, so he came in. He sat down in front of those teens and he said, “I was about your age when I started coming to church regularly, and it was confirmation when I really started coming regularly. Before then, I had been a member at the Lutheran church downtown. Me and my whole family, we didn’t really go that often—once in a blue moon, you know, Christmas, Easter, that kind of thing—but once confirmation came around, I went to my mom and I begged her to let me go to confirmation class at the Methodist church.”
He promised her, “If you let me go to confirmation there, I will go there every single Sunday.” She said, “Sure, yeah.” So he started coming, and he came every Sunday, just like he said he would. Do you know why he did that? The girls at the Methodist church were a lot prettier than the ones at the Lutheran church.
That was Dale. Dale was a spitfire, and he was honest. I don’t doubt it for a second. There are a lot of things people come to church looking for that are not quite God for His own sake. That has been true since the very beginning of Christianity. You have a little quote from Cyril of Jerusalem in your bulletin, and this guy was in the first five hundred years of Christianity—old—but I think it captures that same spirit of what Dale was saying. Cyril was leading this class of people that wanted to be baptized, trying to teach them a little bit about the Christian faith. He told them all one morning right before the class began, “Some of you have come to these baptism classes for less than ideal reasons. Some of you men are here because you want to impress a cute Christian girl, and some of you women are hoping to snag a good Christian man. Others want to impress the Christian boss at their job, and others still want to spend time with a friend. I accept this, knowing full well that the fisher of men has used excellent bait. You have been caught in the net of the church. Don’t try to escape. Let Jesus pull you in.”
So often we come to church seeking something that’s good, right? It’s not a bad thing. Let’s take Dale for example. What made Dale start going to church? He wanted to meet a good woman, and he did actually; he met his wife at that church. But while he was there, he got more than he bargained for. While seeking one good thing, he received something even greater.
There are a lot of reasons that people might seek God. For example, maybe people are coming to church because they’re lonely, and they think to themselves, “Maybe I can meet some friends if I just start going to church regularly.” Maybe they have kids, and they want to teach their kids the difference between right and wrong, so they want their kids to participate in children’s ministry. Or maybe they just have a chaotic life, and going to church gives them this little piece of structure in a chaotic world. None of those are bad things. Every one of those things is good, and no one would argue against any of those. But if you do, you’ll find that it’s not so easy to get back into the rhythm of your spiritual life. By seeking one good thing, people all too often stumble across something even better—something that is greater than health or wealth or fame or any of the rest of that stuff. People stumble onto eternal life.
That’s what we’re going to see today. This story that we’re looking at is about a guy who came seeking something good that brought him before Jesus. He wanted to see his son healed; his son was very sick. He was a good father who wanted to try to help his son, and who could fault him for that? There is not a soul that would say, “Shame on this man because he wanted to help his son.” No, it’s great. Good for him. Way to be a good dad. He was seeking one good thing, but while he was there, he stumbled onto eternal life.
It’s been a minute since we last were here in the book of John. Looking at verse forty-three: “After two days, Jesus left for Galilee.” Let’s take a minute and remember what all has gotten him here. Two days where? He was in Jerusalem, and while he was there, he turned the tables at the temple and gave the Pharisees a piece of his mind. Then he went back to Galilee where he’s from. Jesus is a Galilean. On the way there, he went through the Samaritans’ territory, Samaria, which usually people avoid. Most Jews went around Samaria. They thought Samaritans were the wrong kind of people, sketchy people, and you never knew what might happen if you went through that territory. They thought they were people best avoided.
Jesus did not avoid the Samaritans. To the contrary, he went through their territory and he stopped and talked with them. He talked with a woman who he could tell was thirsty for something more. Sure enough, this woman came to recognize Jesus as Messiah. Not only did she do that, but she ran back into town and got a bunch of her friends, and all of her friends came out and begged Jesus to stay and to teach them. And so he did. It is an incredible reminder that sometimes it’s the people that you know are the “wrong sorts” of people that are the thirstiest for God. The people that others assume would have nothing to do with church or with Jesus are sometimes the very people seeking Him the most desperately.
That’s where we pick up. It’s been two days, and now we begin in verse forty-three: “Now after two days with the Samaritans, Jesus left for Galilee.” Verse forty-four: “Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 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 had also been there.” These people welcome Jesus. The Galileans are excited to see Jesus. Why are they excited? Because they’ve seen what he did. They’re not deaf; they’re not blind. They’ve seen him flipping tables and heard about him giving the Pharisees a piece of his mind. They know the reputation that he’s gaining, and that’s exciting. They’re excited about the things that Jesus is doing, and so they welcome him.
Jesus is less than thrilled about the circumstances. Why is that? He says it is because a prophet has no honor in his own country. These people are excited about what Jesus has done, but they’re not really that interested in him. The Samaritans were eager to know Jesus for his own sake to recognize him as Messiah, but the people in his home area—his region where he’s from—like what he does but aren’t really interested in getting to know him any differently. They know him well enough. “Oh yeah, that’s Jesus. That’s Joseph’s kid. Grew up over there, played tag over there. A hometown boy.” They’re excited for his reputation. While they’re excited by what he does, they’re less interested in who he really is. That’s what’s frustrating Jesus.
Verse forty-six: “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. 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.” Now we meet this royal official. We know so little about him, but we do know that he’s one of Herod’s guys—King Herod, one of the guys who plays a role in crucifying Christ. He is the king over this territory underneath the Romans, and if you were a royal official of Herod, you would enjoy an incredible amount of power and wealth. You would be someone that was dignified, and yet this dignified official is now begging at the feet of a troublemaking Galilean.
You have to wonder what got him to this place. In spite of all of his money and power, here he is because his son is sick. How many doctors from across the Roman Empire did he speak with about the condition of his son, desperately hoping that they would be able to do something, only to be told, “There’s nothing we can do”? How many supposed miracle workers from all over the region did he speak with in the hopes that they could do something, only to find out their reputation was illegitimate? There are so many different avenues that someone of this level of power would have had, and yet, in spite of all of that, here he is. This is someone who’s desperate, someone who has tried it all. This is one last Hail Mary: maybe this Jesus guy can do something. Maybe he can work a miracle. He’s been everywhere else, so why not? What’s the worst that can happen?
Jesus’s response at first can be a little puzzling: “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” It’s a little bit of a scolding. I think there are a couple reasons why this might come off wrongly to us: first because of the tone. We can see this man’s desperation and how he’s hurting, yet he comes to Jesus and Jesus scolds him. Why? When we think it through, there is some real logic to this. We can start to understand why Jesus might feel the way he does, because this man’s not really interested in Jesus; he’s just interested in his power. He’s heard that Jesus can do things, and so he has shown up in hopes of begging Jesus for a miracle, but he’s not really interested in Jesus apart from that. He’s not interested in getting to know Jesus. Just like the other people in this region, he likes what Jesus does, but he doesn’t care who Jesus is.
It kind of reminds me: how many of you have known a parent who had a kid and that kid only contacts them when they want something? It’s sad to know that every time this parent picks up their phone and sees their kid’s number calling, they know they’re not calling because they want to know how their day was. They’re not calling to invite them to lunch. They’re calling because they want something, and they’re missing out on a relationship. That’s how Jesus has to be feeling. This is a person that doesn’t want to know him at all, isn’t really interested in a relationship with him, and just wants his stuff. He has heard that Jesus has power and he wants it for himself. How frustrating.
Not only is that the case, but I think we can also be put off a little by the speed. This man is desperate. He comes to Jesus and says, “I need your help! Please help me! My son is dying.” And what is the response? Jesus doesn’t act with urgency; he takes his time. He takes his time responding. We wonder why you do not move immediately, Jesus? Why do you not go to this kid now?
Is it any surprise that the one who created life is not going to be bothered over something little like death? Is it any surprise that the Lord over all of eternity is not bothered by something like time? Jesus isn’t concerned because he’s in control. There is nothing that is seriously threatening the plans that Jesus has laid out. This guy wants Jesus to work on his schedule, but this is a simple thing that we all understand: God rarely works on our schedules. God works on His schedule. Sometimes our schedules happen to align, but very often, God works at a pace that’s much slower than we would prefer. We wish that God would work on our schedule. We wish that uncomfortable things would pass quickly and that God would fix everything the moment it goes wrong, but sometimes God doesn’t. Sometimes he takes his time. God never promised we’re going to be happy and comfortable; he told us he wants to make us holy. That can be a painful process. Metal has to be melted down before it can be forged into something valuable. Much like that, sometimes we need to be melted down. Moments of discomfort, anguish, and frustration are necessary for us to become what God designed us to be. God does not work on this guy’s schedule; Jesus works on His own schedule, and if He moves a little slower, it’s for this guy’s benefit. We are about to see Jesus do something. He is going to help this guy grow. This man came for one thing—he came because he wanted something—but before he leaves, he is going to find something even greater. He came just wanting stuff, but he is going to leave with faith in Christ. He came wanting the life of someone else, but he is going to stumble into his own eternal life. He came to protect a relationship with someone that he helped create, and he is about to gain a relationship with the One who created him.
Jesus is going to help this guy grow. He came seeking one good thing, and he’s about to get something he didn’t even bargain for. Continuing right there in verse forty-nine, the royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”
Jesus has scolded this guy a little bit, but the guy doesn’t leave, nor does he make the sort of argument that you might expect from a royal official. Think of all the avenues he could have taken. This guy is a big deal; he works for Herod. He could have tried to threaten Jesus: “Do you know who I am? I can be a very valuable friend, and I can be a very troubling enemy. You choose what you want. But if my son dies, I will make sure your life is as painful as mine is.” He could have said that, or he could have tried to bribe Jesus: “Jesus, I understand your time is worth a lot and you have a mission. I would be happy to compensate you in whatever way you see fit for the time that you spend helping me.”
He doesn’t argue based on his wealth or his worth. Instead, he just submits: “Please help my son.” He doesn’t go anywhere; he stays right at the feet of Jesus. Now Jesus gives him this invitation to move from faith in stuff to faith in Him. Jesus says, “Go. Your son will live.”
“Go. Your son will live.” This guy has said, “Jesus, please come with me and heal my son.” Now Jesus says, “Go ahead; it’s taken care of.” For this guy to leave, think of all the things that have to happen. He has to believe that Jesus has power that stretches over any distance. He has to believe that Jesus will actually do what He said He was going to do. If he does this definitively, it takes him out of the seat of control. As long as he is the one traveling home with Jesus, he maintains a level of control over it. He can always say, “Jesus, this isn’t working. Let’s try something else. Jesus, do you know any friends? Jesus, what can you do if things go south?” But if he leaves, what if Jesus is just trying to get rid of him? What if Jesus has to perform some kind of ritual and he forgets to do it? There are a million and one things that might not go right and are out of his control the second he leaves, but that’s what Jesus invites him to do. Jesus says, “Go!” Will this man trust that Jesus is who He says He is?
He will not have a hesitant sort of faith. One might imagine that he leaves begrudgingly, hoping for the best and hoping that Jesus is what He says He is. To the contrary, he believes so strongly in Jesus—well, you’ll see how it plays out. I shouldn’t get ahead of myself.
Verse fifty: Jesus says, “Go, your son will live.” The man took Jesus at His word and departed. While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. He inquired about the time when his son got better. They said to him, “Yesterday at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.” The father realized that this was the exact time that Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.”
Did you catch that? Yesterday. The road between Cana and Capernaum by foot is about eight hours—less if you’re traveling via an animal. You can check that on Google Maps; it’s right there. That would have been the same in the ancient world. It’s about twenty-five miles. You can get that done at a walking pace in around eight hours, and again, if you are running or mounted, it’s even faster. This was done at one yesterday. This guy did not run home. He could have made it home sometime around nine that night. But this tired father, afraid for the life of his son, once Jesus told him “Go, your son is healed,” believed so strongly that Jesus was who He said He was that he slept. He went home much slower than he could have. He found peace and rest in Jesus’s assurance that it was taken care of.
The next day, as he traveled home, he met his servants on the road. He didn’t even make it all the way home before his faith was put in the right man. Jesus is who He says He is, so he and his whole household believed. Someone in Herod’s royal court believed in Jesus. That took some bravery. This is a court that helped crucify Jesus, but someone in it believed in the upstart Galilean, the guy that flipped tables. It would not have gained this man anything to have faith in Jesus; to the contrary, it would have cost him something, and he was willing to pay that cost knowing that Jesus was who He said He was. He came with faith in one king and left with faith in a new King. This man came seeking something good, and he left with something even better.
I don’t know what got all of you in here today. I have no idea. Maybe you’re here out of familial obligation and you think to yourselves, “It keeps my folks happy, sure, I’ll go once in a while.” Maybe some of you see it as a way to connect with your roots. Maybe some of you are lonely and you want to make friends. Maybe some of you just thought, “Hey, maybe it’s just going to be this little place of peace.” I don’t know what good thing you might be seeking, but if you are seeking something other than the greatest thing—God for His own sake—I accept it. I know that the Fisher of Men has used excellent bait. You have been caught in the net of the church. Relax and let Jesus pull you in. Amen.