The Gospel of John chapter 4, and we will read from verse 39 through the end The Gospel of John chapter 4, we'll read verse 39 through the end of the chapter, which is verse 54. And many of the Samaritans of that city believed in him, because of the word of the woman, the Samaritan woman, who testified, He told me all that I ever did. So when the Samaritans had come to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. And many more believed because of his own word. Then they said to the woman, Now we believe, not because of what you said, for we ourselves have heard him, and we know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world. After the two days he departed from there and went to Galilee, for Jesus himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans received him, having seen all the things he did in Jerusalem at the feast, for they also had gone to the feast. So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee, where he made water wine. And there was a certain nobleman When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to him and implored him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means be healed. The nobleman said to him, Sir, come down. Jesus said to him, go your way, your son lives. So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him saying, your son lives. And he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, yesterday at the seventh hour, the fever left him. So the father knew that it was the same hour in which Jesus said to him, your son lives. And he himself believed, and his whole household. This again is the second sign Jesus did when he had come out of Judea into Galilee. beloved congregation of the lord Jesus Christ. This morning, we continue our study of the gospel of John. Uh we come to the closing section of of John chapter four and we have seen uh in our study, in our attention to the book of John. First, that in the beginning was the word. John one one. And the and that all things were made through him, such that nothing was made, nothing was made that was not made through him. We are told that the Word became flesh. That's the birth version of the Gospel of John. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory. The glory is of the only begotten of the Father. We are then introduced to who? John the Baptist. John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the Christ. And he made clear, I am not the Christ. I have been sent to prepare the way for the Christ. In fact, he even says, I'm not even worthy to unloose, to untie his sandal. Remarkable. More recently, Why? He could do the seeming impossible, right? Why? Because he was true God. Because he was the eternal word, the second person of the Trinity, right? He was the Lamb of God who came to take away the sins of the world. And so the material world, the world of nature, at His disposal, clearly. Not only did He form and fashion it, right? The Father would speak, and Proverbs chapter 6 says that Jesus was His master craftsman. He was the one that would do the building, the structuring, the creation. More recently, Nicodemus, a Samaritan woman, to whom each he reveals that true spiritual life, true renewal of soul, can come only from God. They would need what only he could give. Regeneration, living water, both which points to the transforming work of the Holy Spirit. This morning we come to the second miracle in John's Gospel, the healing of the nobleman's son. I'll preach the word to you under this theme. Jesus demonstrates the greatness of His power, that He is God, by healing the nobleman's son, by speaking the promise of healing. Your son lives. We will look first at Jesus' reception of ministry in Galilee, secondly, at the royal official's request, and then thirdly, the focus of this second sign. Verse 43 records Jesus leaving Samaria. Now, after two days, He departed from there and went to Galilee. And the Samaritans had been very anxious, very glad. They wanted to hear more. In fact, they said, Please stay. But Jesus would go to the work that was before Him. Now, in fact, it points out that, look at verse 42. They said to the woman, Now we believe, many more believe because of His word. have heard Him and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. What did Jesus say to them? We pondered a little bit about that last week. Who He was. Why He came. How the Father was to be worshipped in spirit and truth. what were His plans for the future, for the whole world. The conclusion they come to is that not only is He the Christ, but He has plans for the entire world. And it's remarkable that they have this spiritual hunger and spiritual thirst. Remember what Jesus said to His disciples, that the fields are white unto the harvest. In other words, there's grain to be plucked, Well, Jesus' ministry is interesting, right? Jesus testified, verse 44, that a prophet has no honor in his own country. There are similar sentences in three of the Gospels. The version of the other Gospels begins this way. Now, a prophet is not without honor except in his hometown. And then it's Matthew 13, Mark chapter 6. One of them adds, among his own relatives and his own house. And interestingly, if you keep reading verse 44 to 45, when he came to Galilee, what happened? The Galileans received him. having seen all the things that he did in Jerusalem at the feast. And they also had gone to the feast." It sounds like almost a contradiction. Jesus says a prophet is not without honor except in his own town, and now he comes to his home region anyway, and it says that they received him. Well, Jesus makes clear what He means by that. They welcomed Him in Galilee, but it becomes pretty clear that they welcomed Him for the wrong reasons. They wanted to see more amazing signs, amazing wonders. In fact, we were told, remember back in chapter 2, that Jesus had done many other signs, but then the sign of Cana was the first miracle. Now Jesus had been down in Jerusalem and done many signs and wanders, and now we have the second sign, the second miracle. And so what we see here is not a contradiction, but a clarification. In Jesus' ministry, at one point it says, I think it's in Luke 14, 16 I think, after the rich man in Lazarus, it says that the people that followed him were an innumerable multitude. Think about that. an innumerable multitude. And yet we also learn, and we will see that as we continue our study of the Gospel of John, that many of them came for the wrong reasons. They wanted to see some miracle. They wanted to receive some benefit. After He feeds the 5,000, Jesus said, Oh, you've just come because you want food in your stomach. Jesus comes that many might know Him. When He reproves them, He speaks regarding the attitudes with which they come to Him. Look back in verse 46 now. So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee, where He had made the water wine, and there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. How does Jesus respond? Look at verse 47. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judah into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death, dire. What is Jesus saying? Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe. They were looking for Him. They were coming to Him. In fact, going back to the theme verse, right, John 20, verses 30 and 31, it says, truly Jesus did many other signs that are not written in this book, but these are written, what are included, are there for a purpose, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing in Him, you might have life in His name. This will become a major issue in chapter 6, where we're told that many turned back and followed him no more at the end of that chapter. For now, we note that he was troubled, even potentially perturbed, is my word, not the Bible's, by the lack of faith, by the wrongful expectations He didn't come to impress the multitudes. He didn't come to gather a following of those who were impressed with His amazing strengths and abilities. He came to call them to repent. He called them to recognize Him as the Messiah, you know, like the Samaritans did. We know that He is the Christ, the Savior of the world. Well, things were different in Galilee. Well, this nobleman's request is quite humble. Look at verse 49. The nobleman said to him, Sir, come down before my child dies. What were his motives? Were they mixed? Were they selfish? Were they self-seeking? He came on behalf of his son. And the interesting thing, he's called a nobleman. Well, they didn't really have noblemen in those days. But they did have those connected to power. someone who was the governor, someone who was the ruler. In fact, the word is translated king in the proper setting, this adjective. And so it is that this man probably had brought the most experience, the best doctors, the treatments that were supposed to heal, but didn't. He says, So this man's only hope would be the hope that comes through Christ, that comes from God. And of course, as he speaks to him, what is it that Jesus heard, what Jesus saw, At one moment, he says, Oh, these people, they want signs and wonders. And the guy broke it. He asked God, he asked Christ to come and heal. He implores Him to come and heal his son. Jesus' concern with those who wanted signs and wonders is that it was without faith. It was without believing. Jesus is the Christ that it is through Him alone that men might come to the Father. He alone is the source of spiritual life. In fact, one of the well-known verses in John chapter 14, Jesus says, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father. You're coming through the Son of God sent to redeem His people from their sins. This mighty man was impotent in the face of his son's sickness and impending death. His singular hope, his earnest plea, was that for the aid that God could give, only Christ could open and shut the door to the world that is to come. Even more amazing, if you think about this, Jesus is speaking these words, and we know the outcome, the child is going to be saved. But this miracle happens before His suffering death and resurrection. It happens before Revelation 1, verse 18, which says, I was alive, I was dead, and now I am alive forevermore, and behold, I have the keys of death now. I think he forensically had the power of death, had the power over Satan, over sin, because of who he was, because of why he had come. And so, what does he do? He says, Go your way, your son lives. Almost the same words. This is kind of an incidental note, and in 1 Kings chapter 17, During the big famine with Elijah and the widow from Zarephath, her son dies. She goes to Elijah and pleads for his life. He comes and he takes the child up to the upper room, breathes on it, warms the body, and life returns. Exact same words. Son lives. Look at the verse that follows, Jesus' words. So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went his way. No doubt, he said, thank you, Lord, very much. Interestingly, that he believed what Jesus said, and yet the fullness of his belief in what Jesus said will be confirmed and enlarged in just a couple of verses. As he was now going down back to Capernaum, his servants met him and told him, saying, Your son lives. First response? Dad's among you? You would run to your son, right? You'd want to see that he's well. What does the man do? Verse 52, He inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. Maybe about one o'clock. So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, your son lives. And he himself believed and his whole household. God's grace does amazing things. It's just remarkable What is it that this man now believes? Certainly that Jesus is the Christ. That Jesus is the One whom He says He is. His interactions were this big. And the grace He receives is full. What does it mean? For this man, when we talk about what it means for us to believe, what does it mean for him to believe? That Jesus was the Son of God. Well, wait, that's one of our reasons for the book, right? Truly, Jesus did many other signs that are not written, but these are written that you might believe that He is the Christ. And more, that He is the Son of God. And more, that you might have life in His name. God takes pity. God provides for what He needs and grants this Father the life of His Son. Notice the remarkable power of this miracle. Canaan is located, best I can tell, 10, 12, maybe 15 miles from Capernaum. So not only, just think this through with me, not only was Jesus able to know this child, via this great distance, to deal with his illness and do what needed to be done, but He was able to save his life and heal him from a great distance away, without seeing, without being there. And the consequence, the effect? Well, the man really believed now with his household. If we were farther down the path to the redemptive history of the book of Acts, it would say more than this, right? He and his household believed and were baptized, right? They became part and parcel. And so we have You know, the city of Sychar and the many men who live there believing in Christ. What did that mean? Are they going to go to Jerusalem to worship and be barred from the Temple? I don't think so. But God's grace, God's kindness, God's mercy, God's design. Remember what they said to the woman? Now we know that He is the Christ because of what He said. And He is the Savior of the world. How many of the Jews got that right? At this point in redemptive history, probably not. And yet this is... I've wondered about the disciples who are along with Jesus. What are they thinking? What are you doing, Jesus? That's not the way it works. And yet the Word of God provides grace, is received and given and provided. Astoundingly. In fact, I'm pretty sure this royal official wasn't Jewish. So it's even a healing, not just to Samaritans now, but to Gentiles as well. And this all fits together because it's intended. This book was for the generation which it was written, and it's for us in our day. And so we can see what was God's plan all along. Like in Abraham's call in Genesis Chapter 12. In your seed, all the families of the earth will be blessed. You know, it's like on the top of the bulletin there. You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood. From where? Out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and have made us kings and priests to God our Father. Astounding. And we have this little microcosm of the same story told here, leading us to conclude that God's grace would prevail, and did prevail, and accomplish all that He intended. The final verse of the chapter, and again, this again is the second sign Jesus did when He came out of Judea into Galilee. Jesus clearly had done other signs, other wonders, But this would be the second one recorded here. Well, the first miracle, water to wine, shows that Jesus has power over the forces of nature, over the elements, and so on. Think about Jesus on the Sea of Galilee with the boats being tossed to and fro. What does He do? He speaks to the winds and the waves and says, Peace, be still! And they were. What do His disciples say? Who is this man who has command over the forces of nature? Well, as impressive as that is, the second miracle is even more and better. Jesus has power over nature and far more. Jesus shows that He has power over space and time and distance, even life and death. He gave assurance to the desperate dad, because of who He was, the incarnate Son of God, true man and true God in one person. And this important man, this king-like figure whose son is dying? He goes to the only place that help can be found. I don't want to belittle modern medicine, but modern medicine is not going to make you live forever. might extend your life, 10, 20, 30 years maybe, but then you too will face what this man's child was facing. They might have earthly power, wealth, and influence, but what does that compare to life and hell? And it's the same today, isn't it? Who can help man with his most desperate needs? Who can help us with the issue of death and life? Only God. And yet men are deaf to the truth of the gospel, often until they've exhausted their every hope, their every effort. People talk about death in favorable terms. Death is just a part of life. And you know this how? These are contemporary, modern faux pas, and yet the reality is that there are such things as deathbed conversions. Not very many. By my count in the scriptures, two. Manasseh repented before he died and is forgiven now. That's a hard one for me. Who else? The man on the cross. And so, I think, as J.C. Ryle says, these examples are given that none should be so... I can't read my writing. They should not give up. There's hope. There's a chance. But there's only one. So man should not presume. Normally, normally, it's not the way it works. Generally speaking, men harden their hearts to the Word of God. When they plug their ears and refuse to listen, there's not a lot of hope. I mean, we can still preach. We can still call. But when there is a rejection of God and the words and the things of God, there's not a lot of hope. What is hope, right? I've done funerals for parents that had hope. I'll hope with them. I will hope with them. a little bit of hope. We open the service with Psalm 95. And it has this warning right in the middle of the psalm. Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. And that word endures. That word continues. That word prevails. What is it? 1 Corinthians? So long as it's today, it's a day of salvation. So long as it's today. And it is today. And so there is this possible work of redeeming grace in the hearts and the minds of men. Of course, none of us are saved by our works. Not one of us. But we're saved by grace through Christ. And that's not to say that there's not true faith and a variety of false faiths. But there is a consistency. The Catechism goes through it. It says, why must we do good works? Well, because we can't help it. Because we have a new nature and a new heart and a new life. We will come to love the things that God loves and hate the things that God hates. That is reality and that is truth. True faith always results in true conversion. The dying of the old man, coming to life of the new man. And so if you look in the mirror and you don't see yourself hating sin and turning from it, if you don't see yourself loving the things of God, His Word, His truth, it's probably time to do business with God, with an earnestness of spirit, an earnestness of soul. Because we should look like those that have been converted. will be accompanied with a genuine, the fruits of faith. And of course, the Bible's clear on that. So may the Lord be pleased, as we continue our study, it's dealing with that same issue. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Believe in Him and live. Amen. Gracious God, we thank you for your word. of your people throughout the ages. We thank you for the labors of our Lord as he came to reveal himself and the work of redemption to us as your people. Lord, let your church be strengthened. Let it grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior. We pray this all in Jesus' name.