November 5, 2010
I WILL BELIEVE IT WHEN I SEE IT
John 4:46-54
Connor Thompson
Central Truth
Jesus can do anything. Have faith in Him.
Key Verse | John 4:48
So Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe." (John 4:48)
John 4:46-54
Jesus Heals an Official's Son
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 1 4:48 The Greek for you is plural; twice in this verse 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 2 4:51 Or bondservants 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 3 4:52 That is, at 1 p.m. 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.
Dive Deeper | John 4:46-54
So Jesus is back in Cana, the site of His first miracle when He turned water into wine. He is teaching, introducing new ideas to the world, and claiming He is the king of the Jews, when a royal official from a nearby town comes up to Jesus with a request.
As a royal official, he is probably not a big fan of Jesus, because most of them were not in His day. But this official has a son who is very sick and near death. The man must have tried everything else to save his son before he approached Jesus. After hearing that Jesus was in Cana, he swallowed his pride and begged for His help. Jesus responds, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe." (John 4:48)
It is interesting how Jesus shifts His focus from the official to "people" in general. I often lose faith in Jesus because I cannot see Him or do not feel Him working in my life. Then He will do something incredible that makes me say, "WOW." However, the things God does that "WOW" me are not the foundation of my belief. Rather, they strengthen and encourage me to believe more.
Jesus tells the official, "Go; your son lives." (John 4:50) Then the royal official does something very praiseworthy. He takes Jesus at His word and leaves. He does not question Jesus. He does not ask Him to prove it. He does not do anything else. He just believes. And goes.
Before the official reached home, his servants met him to say that his son was healthy. Then he and all his household believed in Jesus. The story ends on a happy note. The man trusts Jesus and is rewarded for it. So, too, will we be rewarded if we trust in Jesus.
It is important to believe in Christ. He sincerely wants to help.
Discussion Questions
1. What do you think about Jesus' words,"Unless you people see
signs and wonders, you simply will not believe?"
2. How has God moved powerfully, if not miraculously, in your life?
3. Would you believe in God if He never performed miracles? Why or why not?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. What did the man ask Jesus to do (verse 47)?
2. What was Jesus’ response to the man (verse 50)?
3. Did the man believe that what Jesus SAID was true even before he saw his son healed? What do we call this? (Answer: faith)
4. The Bible is God’s words to us… do you believe what He says in His word, even before you get to see it with your own eyes? (Read 2 Corinthians 5:7, Hebrews 11:1)