Gospel of John - The Mind-set of a Following- Commitment or Convenience

      The Mind-set of a Following- Commitment or Convenience

John 4:43-54

It is interesting to follow in the footsteps of Jesus as he walked through each town. After leaving the Samaritans of Sychar, the disciples and others followed Jesus to Galilee. Along the road to Galilee was Nazareth, Cana, and Capernaum. Let’s look at the text, “After the two days he left for Galilee. (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 also had been there. 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.” 

Jesus knew this road would lead him past his boyhood home of Nazareth, John leaves a reference to a visit to Nazareth where Jesus and his words aren't accepted by the people of Nazareth, they even tried to throw him off a cliff (Luke 4:14-30). After being tempted by the devil, Jesus had gone back to Nazareth where the greeting was luke-warm at best. His immediate family rejoiced at his arrival but after speaking at the synagogue the following Sabbath, the people praised him, questioned him, and were furious with his reciting a proverb after he  rebuked them for the former and future unbelief by their forefathers (Jesus said to them, “Surely you will quote this proverb to me: ‘Physician, heal yourself!’ And you will tell me, ‘Do here in your hometown what we have heard that you did in Capernaum.’” “Truly I tell you,” he continued, “no prophet is accepted in his hometown. I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon (1 Kings 17:7-16). And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.”(2 Kings 5)).

  He did no signs and miracles in Nazareth except a couple of healings (Mk. 6:5). His next stop was Capernaum of Galilee. Here the people rejoiced to see Jesus, for they remembered the signs and wonders performed in Jerusalem during Passover. John doesn’t state how long they stayed in Capernaum, but they made their way back to Cana. The people received Jesus and the disciples, but again there is no mention of signs and wonders. Now, a royal official from Capernaum reached Cana with a very urgent need.

Application - I remember as a pastor, a group of families wanting to go and see a traveling Evangelist. He had packed out previous arenas and places with testimonies of healings and deliverances. When they returned they spoke about what they saw and heard, but none of them had received a healing or deliverance from evil oppression, and few of them could tell me what the message was. I believe they went to see a show, to be awed by the ambiance of the music and words of the evangelist anticipating something miraculous. A evangelist role according to scripture was to preach the words of Jesus, to lead people in a life changing transformation of faith and trust in Jesus, to speak from God words of knowledge from the Holy Spirit, and by the appointing of the Holy Spirit imparting the gift of the Spirit as the Holy Spirit enables and directs. (1 Cor. 12:7-11; Acts 2:4b, 8:26-40, 21:8-11). 

I say all of this because many today like to hop from one event to another especially with the internet, from one church to another, and one city or state to another searching for the spectacular, for the anointing of the Holy Spirit in a meeting. The Holy Spirit is everywhere, he is omnipresent as well, and he indwells everyone who believes. Unlike the people of Jesus’ day, where Jesus was only one person, today we have his Spirit to personally guide us through his word, who will infill us and use us for the Father’s purpose and plan, equipping us with the gifts and offices for the edification of the church (“Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” 1 Cor. 12:7-11;  “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Eph. 4:11-13)

We are all called to be a part of the church body, to the unity in the Spirit and the Word of God. (Heb. 10:24-25, Matt. 18:20, Acts 2:42, Eph.4:14-16)

We are called as his disciples to follow him, to deny ourselves, and pick-up the cross (Matt. 16:24). This takes commitment, not convenience as everyone who follows Jesus understands.

Now, John writes how Jesus gets to the point of truly believing in him. Let’s look at the text, “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. “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” “Go,” Jesus replied, “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. 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.” 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. This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.”

Jesus knew the hearts of all the people he had come to bring salvation too, for this was the plan and purpose of the Father. But in every village, town, or city, there were differences in truly believing and/or merely following as a fan or admirer. The people of Cana surely remembered the wedding miracle, and many probably had been in Jerusalem for the Passover feast, but Jesus didn’t come to perform or entertain but to bring the good news of the kingdom of heaven. During this time a desperate father of royal background, probably one of Herod's officials, came to ask for Jesus to heal his dying son. Imagine the eyes and hearts of the people in Cana as they heard this father’s plea. Jesus knew what the Father wanted done, so Jesus spoke to the people about belief. “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” 

Many of the people of the Galilean region had heard of Jesus’ signs and wonders, yet they had not truly believed in him as Messiah, Savior, and Lord. To them Jesus was amazing, spoke with authority, and performed miracles, he was the best show in town. Now a royal official of Herod’s from Capernaum came begging and pleading for a miraculous healing of his dying son. The royal official’s request wasn’t impossible for Jesus, even most of the people had begun to believe this, but most of the people only wanted the privilege of being there to see or hear about a miracle. They didn’t come in repentance of sin like those who came to John the Baptist, nor did they come to commit themselves to following Jesus by denying themselves, leaving everything, and trusting and believing in him as the author of their salvation. 

Jesus had compassion upon the pleading father, and spoke the word, “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”   The father, trusting in Jesus’ words, left and returned to Capernaum. As he was still traveling, his servants met him with the good news that his son was alive and well. He asked the question as would anyone still pondering believing in Jesus. “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.” Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.”

John didn’t say if the father returned to Cana to thank Jesus, but he probably went to Capernaum to see his son who had been healed by the authority of Jesus’ word. They rejoiced and all of the family believed in Jesus. He was sent from God with power unlike any others since the prophets. The man went from a desperate father in need of God’s mercy, to a family blessed with faith in God the Son.

Application - The story of the father’s pleading and begging Jesus for a miracle of healing is not foreign in our days. Many of us have been with a family, or friends praying for a dying person in hopes of seeing the healing of a loved one. I was at my own father’s bedside for days asking Jesus to heal my father of cancer that had overcome him in just 2 month time. In tears of love for both Jesus and my father, I yielded to the fact that it was God’s will for my father to go to be with Jesus. My sister is now at that point in her life of being sick with epilepsy, a form of MS, and degenerating eye disease that has left her blind at the end of her life. I’m sure Jesus hears the prayers for her healing, but again it is a matter of God’s will. Like the people in these villages, towns, and cities, we want to see miracles and hear those words, “Your family member will live”, healed of whatever disease. Jesus healed many while he walked in this world, in some places he healed all that were brought to him, in other places Jesus never worked a single miracle, especially if it was just to see a miracle performed to show that He really is the Son of God, the Messiah, the Christ.

Now for those to whom Jesus does heal their loved one or friend, like the royal official, a loving father was blessed. In receiving this blessing, God got the glory for the work of the Holy Spirit, and the entire family decided to believe, yield themselves to the Lordship of Jesus, and it is not told but they probably followed Jesus. God is compassionate, merciful, and omnipotent to heal any disease. He does this to reassure our faith and belief in him. Like the father in Mk. 9:24, “I believe; help my unbelief!” We cry out to Jesus to help us to believe in the answer to our prayers, whether yes or no. I believe the lesson again comes from our walk with God. As Paul wrote, “We live by faith, not by sight.” (2 Cor. 5:7) 

Are we committed to be a disciple or is it a matter to believe and pray when it is only convenient. This is the difference between a true believer and a fan.

 I’m again including the ABC’s of salvation (JD Farag). Please, Jesus, God the Son, came to this world to save all who would believe and trust in him. He desires to reveal himself to you, He is the Light that overcomes the darkness of this lawless world. He hears your prayers, and all authority in heaven and earth have been given to him. He will answer you if you will truly believe. If you haven’t asked him to be your Lord and Savior, today could be that day.

 First, A - Admit that you are a sinner. This is where that godly sorrow leads to genuine repentance for sinning against a righteous God and there is a change of heart, we change our mind and God changes our hearts and regenerates us from the inside out. Romans 3:10 - As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one." Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (We are all born sinners which is why we must be born spiritually in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven). Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. The bad news is that the wages of sin is death, in other words our sin means that we have been given a death sentence, we have the death penalty hanging over our heads, that's the bad news. But here's the good news: The good news is that the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Ephesians 2:8-9 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. Second,

 B - Believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and that God raised Jesus from the dead. This is trusting with all of your heart that Jesus Christ is who he said he was. Romans 10:9-10 - That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. Third, 

C - Call upon the name of the Lord. Every single person who ever lived since Adam will bend their knee and confess with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Lord of lords and the King of kings. Romans 14:11 - For it is written: "As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God." Don't wait until later — do this now. Romans 10:13 - For "whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved." "O God, I am a sinner. I'm sorry for my sin. I want to turn from my sin. I believe Jesus Christ is Your Son; I believe that He died on the cross for my sin and that He was buried and You raised Him to life. I have decided to place my faith in Jesus Christ as my Savior, trusting only in His shed blood as sufficient to save my soul and to take me to heaven. Thank You, Lord Jesus, for saving me. Amen."

Please share this with someone this week, the Lord knows that we and they need it.

If you would like other lessons, please go to http://pmdinhisservice.blogspot.com 

Until next week, In His Service Mike Davis

 

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