A Second Sign in Galilee
For the Lord’s Day:  the 7^th of November 2004 

John 4: 43-54

Introduction:  The official in question here is of a minor sort, perhaps limited in authority to the city of Capernaum and the immediate surrounding district.  And yet, as in every age – those who administer the law are used to having their own way.  We have only to consider the twenty-year whine of the political party out of power and their inability to move on and rethink their options for the future.  Now, I am speaking in generalities here and even as we well know in America – all political organizations are a mixed bag and God’s people do indeed serve in sometimes interesting places.

The official from Capernaum has been prompted by sickness in his immediate family, his own son lay ill at home and having heard of the miraculous powers of Jesus of Nazareth, he travels himself to learn if Christ can and will be of any assistance.  Let us be certain of this fact, the official came of his own accord; he did not send mere servants but petitioned the Lord of all the earth in person.  This fact should tell us something about his limited spiritual understanding and even some personal humility.

And yet, as Calvin notes – Jesus treats him with some harshness, but not directed specifically at his person but more in general to the Jewish population who demanded signs as evidence of Christ’s calling before coming to any theological conclusions.  Prove yourself and then I’ll believe is the very general attitude of the crowds who flocked to see the miracles that overflowed in the Lord God’s visitation in the person of His only Son.

Development:  As we know from our ongoing study in this chapter, Jesus has turned His footsteps towards Galilee.  He has not returned directly to Nazareth because Jesus well understood the common proverb that a Prophet is not usually honored in his hometown.  These are the people who knew the family and even perhaps the old saying that nothing good had ever come out of Nazareth – so what could Jesus possibly have attained in reputation and achievements given such an ignoble start in life, the son of a common Carpenter from the back waters of the empire?

However, the residents of Cana and Capernaum were not infected with the common doubts; word had doubtless also spread of the first miracle in Galilee – the changing of water into wine.  Our text also tells us that “the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast.”  Like the Samaritan women and her village, the Galileans came with an open mind – not clouded by the religious delusions of the central religious authorities in Jerusalem.  Galilee was far enough out from the religious capital that the people could be somewhat theologically independent when it came to the Sabbath gathering and teaching of the word.  After all, it is a fact of the ongoing human condition:  the further from the proverbial central capital of any country, organization and religion – the less respect that is given to the ordinary authority.  To know the Jewish mind today, one must travel to Jerusalem itself to gain a full understanding.  In a similar fashion, one must go to Rome to know the mind and heart of Catholicism.  Protestantism however is much more divergent as well as diffused.  It could certainly be helpful if there were an ironclad definition of what constitutes an evangelical church.  And even within our own polity – we could benefit from some form of minimal expectation as to what a Reformed Church really is.

At least in the case of the Old Covenant Church during Jesus’ ministry – there were areas where His teaching and miracles were taken to heart and understood more fully than in other places.  Even in Samaria, the disciples could only wonder at the increasing grace of the Lord in finding such converts.  Paul of course captures the vision of taking the Gospel to the gentiles and thereby the expansion of the Christian faith was organized and established on the firm foundation of the person and work of Christ as well as the faithfully recorded revelation given throughout His ministry.

Now, let us focus on the specific points of the passage before us.  Having completed our introduction the first important issue is the concern of Christ for the national attitude towards “signs and wonders.”  The second issue is the honest inquiry and request of the official in question.  And last but not least, the developing faith in Christ that comes to the official’s household.

1.  We begin our analysis at verse forty-eight in Jesus’ first words to the official:  “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”  Calvin first notes is the all too common assumption in that day which viewed “the power of Christ as inseparably connected with his bodily presence, from which it is evident, that [the official] had formed no other view concerning Christ than this, - that he was a Prophet sent by God with such authority and power to prove, by the performance of miracles, that he was a minister of God.”

There were all too many people who ate the loaves and fishes, or who viewed the countless healings and had gotten no further than this in their understanding.  About the only thing that the rock opera of the seventies:  Jesus Christ – Superstar got right, was the invitation by one of the leaders to Jesus: “to walk across my swimming pool.”  We get a certain sense here of that general malaise which Calvin describes as a definite because of the national fixation on miracles there was an inordinate “wicked contempt for the word of God.”  Sadly, as we understand the New Testament it mattered little what Jesus said in the short run and even in the long run on the miracles themselves as well.  The Apostle Paul describes this condition in 1 Corinthians 1: 22  where he complains “ Jews demand signs.”  Calvin completes his sad assessment in these poignant words:  Jesus “saw that his doctrine had no great authority, and was not only neglected but altogether despised; and, on the other hand, that all had their eyes fixed on miracles.”

2.  At least in the case of this official – he persists in his petition.  Perhaps he silently admits the charge, but we do not know – he speaks only from the heart of a father:  “Sir, come down before my child dies.”  Here he goes beyond politics and the positional warfare of theological conflict.  In this answer we sense that this man stands apart from the ordinary and usual pack of political appointees.  Unlike some of our overweening political personalities he does not take insult.  He does not seek redress of his character or person, but simply continues his original request that the Lord give consideration for his beloved child.  There is no arrogance here as we might expect, there is no demanding authority that his needs be served – this is very simply a man troubled with the sickness of his son.  I can attest to a few similar examples in my ministry when troubled parents came for express prayer for the healing of their little child.  The first was many, many years ago when medical science was less scientific and capable than it is today.  The doctors had given little hope – but for the first time in his life a father prayed for the life and health of his little daughter.  The Lord carried her through the crisis and as a result the man attended church many years afterwards.  I of course do not know what was in the man’s heart, had he truly repented and gone on to believe in Jesus?

Application:  At least in the case before us, we have evidence to se not only that Jesus was greater than all the prophets, but also that the official and his whole household became believers in Jesus Christ.

3.  Now, we must reflect upon the reactions of this official when the Lord answers his request in these words:  “Go; you son will live.”  R.V.G. Tasker notes on this point that the man later “ascertains that Jesus’ words were not merely prophetic, but restorative, for the cure had been effected at the precise moment they were uttered.”  Many people both then and now are willing to concede that Jesus was a prophet mighty in word and deed.  But sadly, few are willing like this official to realize that He is much more than what the worldly might assume.  After all, any talented person who has studied the human health and condition is reasonably able to prescribe “two aspirin tonight and see me in the morning if you are not better.”

In that conventional wisdom, if there is really truly something dreadfully serious – you won’t be here in the morning, but if it is a treatable problem the odds are you will be around, either better or worse.  After all, the human body even in its frailty is wondrously capable to surviving all manner of diseases, conditions and imaginations!  Fully eighty per cent of what ails us is a product of mind and character.  We are all capable of destroying ourselves with bad habits and even stupidity.  It does indeed take an astute physician to sort out all of the complexities and realities of the human condition.  Prophetically, it would be safe to say – your son will get better.  All manner of faith healers play the odds and appear to have the gift of healing.  Yet, as the official here was to learn, this Jesus from Nazareth was totally different.  Given the testimony of his servants, it was at the very hour when Jesus spoke that the son recovered.

This certain fact caused the official to consider the implications of what Christ had accomplished in this second miracle in Galilee.  Just as in the first miracle, where Mary, the mother of Jesus trusted in the ability and compassion of her son – so too does this official travel twenty-some miles to request the blessing of Christ.  He has already trusted in the power and affection of Jesus.  And despite the questioning of Jesus as to his motives, he humbly requests the desire of his heart.  He has trusted in Jesus, and being given the words “you son will live,” it is enough to leave immediately for home.

And even before he arrives, his servants hurried in his direction to tell him the good news.  Then having ascertained the power of Christ’s word, the passage tells us “he himself believed, and all his household.”

The implication here is that the man and his family realized that in Jesus Christ there was something much, much more than a mere prophet.  The seeds of faith were firmly planted just as assuredly as they were in the hearts of the disciples.  Certainly, we may understand that as the events of Christ’s coming came to fulfillment – that he was like many others already not only elected to faith but as the mission and purpose of Christ was more fully revealed – that they came to know Jesus as God with us.  After all, only God could speak and thereby accomplish His will and purpose.  An astute pagan as well as a faithful Hebrew could easily come to that conclusion.  But, as we all know, the word believe here is more pregnant in meaning than the common eye beholds.

A lot of faith in this old world is not unlike the pregnant chads of the elective process in Florida four years ago.  Dimples here from the stylus, hanging chads there contained some evidence of purpose in the minds of careless voters.  However, just as a vote that goes all the way removes every subtlety of the voter’s intentions, so too is a life giving faith that goes all the way to honor God’s only Son as Savior and Lord.  Last week, when I helped to handle the ballots for one precinct I noticed how careful so many of the voters were to make certain there were no dangling chads on their ballot.  And as I counted the ballots to verify how many voters had come through I discovered no litter on the table from any chads what-so-ever.  As a result of the debacle four years ago in Florida, a lot of people have learned better habits and a more serious attitude to the process of voting.

The survey articles are now trumpeting that a substantial number of voters were thinking in terms of morality and character when they came out of the polls.  This is good, now if we can only appeal to that new found seriousness as we go on to present the gospel as widely as possible – let us pray that the faith of many will come in the same way as it came to this obscure, unnamed official in Capernaum.  May the Lord increase his kin and continue to grow His church in our day and age.  Amen.

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PREACHING RESOURCES
Calvin: Commentary on the Gospel of John.
Tasker, R.V.G.  Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: The Gospel According to St John.
The Holy Bible:  English Standard Version.

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