Intro video: Symbols and Signs by Beautiful Eulogy

Good morning and welcome! If you’re visiting with us and you’re slightly uncomfortable because of the video you just viewed, you are likely in good company. Hopefully, your level of discomfort is related to the means, not the message, of the last video. The message speaks to us as the introduction to our passage; it is not merely this pastor’s attempt to be cool, and attractive to the Portland hipster or millennials. If spoken word is different for you, I implore you to hear the message of these men and be encouraged that their pursuit is life and godliness through the word of God.

Have you seen this? Or is this you? Do you search for answers from God in signs and symbols? Is this the basis of your faith in him? Is supernatural phenomena your evidence for faith, or the ouija board for your decisions? It is this way with the world. I’ve observed carefully over the past year and 1/2 the palm reader’s property on TV highway. I’ve watched as their sign has improved, their property has been developed, the purchase of a jet boat, and a number of nice cars has filled the lot. It reminds me of some of the health-wealth pastors mentioned in the video. The world seeks after the supernatural, but they seek it for their own selfish reasons, not in adherence to God. 

Is your preference, when making hard decisions, a neon sign in the sky, or do you go to the word of God? Have you ever asked the question: Which would God prefer I seek? Would he prefer I wait for a sign, or would he prefer I look to His word, and act according to faith and godly principle?

Let me state up front, I am not stating that God can’t, won’t, or even that He doesn’t do miracles in the here and now. His Spirit is active and among us. He can do anything He desires, and I am not limiting that. Nor am I discouraging you from seeking God’s hand to move in miraculous ways, for I also believe He desires to show Himself, and reveal His glory to His people. Pray for healing! Pray for His Kingdom to come! But what I am stating, and what I believe we see from Scripture, is that faith is birthed, and sustained, by the living and active Word of God. It is in His written word that we can bank our faith. We return to our series in the Book of John: Bearing Witness. Our passage is John 4:43–54. We are going to look at the passage under the following headings:

A Prophet Without Honor

A Desperate Plea

Symbols and Signs

Belief in the Word

Faith Affirmed

The Sign of Deity

Would you stand and read with me.

[43] After the two days he departed for Galilee. [44] (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) [45] So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.

[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 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 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 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. (ESV)

A Prophet Without Honor

Read again with me verse 43-45:

[43] After the two days he departed for Galilee. [44] (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) [45] So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.

Let me remind you of the context from which John was writing. We’ve subtitled the series: Bearing Witness. That was John’s aim: to bear witness that Jesus was and is the eternal Son of God. John, in his gospel account, sets up a contrast between the people of Samaria and the people, the Jews, of Galilee! Recall with me the story of the Samaritan woman at the well. Samaritans are despised by the people of Israel, and their ethnicity is literally a curse word to the Jews. Jesus made a pit stop at Jacob’s well just outside the town of Sychar, a Samaritan community. He met a woman who was at the well in the middle of the day. Jesus encountered her and asked for water. The encounter goes back and forth over social and religious boundaries, and Jesus offered her living water. Jesus called to attention that she was not married and had 5 husbands. She changed the subject and argued about her people’s religious justification. Jesus reveled to her that salvation is from the Jews, and that he was the Messiah. It was at this revelation that she ran into town and called the people of the town to come see the Messiah who “told me everything I had ever done.” The picture we get from scripture is that they came out in droves to the well. They invited Jesus to stay, and he did for 2 days. This is the conclusion of his stay: 4:41 And many more believed because of His word. They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”

So our passage today, where a prophet has no honor, comes on the heals of Jesus being honored by the Samaritans, who believe because of his word. John is making known to us in verse 44 that the clamoring over Jesus in Galilee was not honor according to Jesus. Why did the Galileans welcome him? Because they had seen all he did in Jerusalem at the feast. 

Though John records this as his second sign in Galilee, this was not Jesus’ second sign, nor is the book of John a complete record of Jesus’ signs. John tells us in 2:25 that Jesus went to Jerusalem and many believed after seeing all he had done. Also, he told us in chapter 21:25: Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

So, let us understand that the honor Jesus received from his miracles was not the honor he desired as a prophet. Why?

What does a prophet do?

A prophet speaks forth the word of God. This is consistent in scripture, that a prophet would come to a people, sometimes to the leaders and other times to individuals, and speak to the nation on behalf of God. Much of the time, the word would come as warning and rebuke. God would come and point out the unfaithfulness of the people of God, where they had broken covenant with Yahweh. The prophet would foretell of God’s discipline upon His people, for He treats the people of Israel like a father would a son. Then, the prophet would speak of God’s promised mercy, His faithfulness to His people. This was to draw them to repentance, to soften their heart, and return them to their first love— Yahweh, their God. This pattern is consistent in the prophets.

Why is a prophet without honor? Because they tell the people of their sin! They tell the people of their need! They warn them of the discipline that is to come. Even God’s chosen race are filled with rebellious people who chafe at the thought of being rebuked. This is a natural response of every human soul.

I believe I’ve learned that sending one sibling to correct and warn another only serves to heighten the consequence, not mitigate the situation. When I deputize and send one child to tell the others to straighten up, is that child heard by the others? NO! They have no honor… they are not heard. My children want to continue playing video games, even though the timer went off 20 minutes ago!

The honor Jesus received in Galilee was for the signs he performed at the feast in Jerusalem, not for the word he spoke.

On a side note, be careful who you identify with here. There is a temptation to identify with Jesus, and not see yourself as a Galilean. We have a hero-complex, especially as Americans. If you see yourself a prophet, notice that Jesus did not run away from Galilee, but continued to speak the word there. Though he had no honor, he loved his people, his hometown, and continued to proclaim the word, regardless of how it was received. We also have to reflect on he possibility that our words are not received because our character has not been sufficiently formed. This is a grace God gives us sometime… for it gives us an open eye to our frailties, as we believe the promise that He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it (Phil 1:6).

A prophet without honor… next, A Desperate Plea

[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.

Desperate people will go to desperate measures. Somehow, word had made it to Capernaum that Jesus was in Cana. This official, whom I believe to be Jewish, though an official of king Herod, traveled 16.5 miles from Capernuam to Cana to plead with Jesus to come heal his son. That is about a half day’s travel on horseback. 

We must observe that an official would have access to physicians, like Luke, and medicine of the day. His son was at the point of death. Truly, this was a fox-hole prayer on the part of the official, one that I can understand. My wife shared with me yesterday that I get especially anxious when my children are sick, even irrational. I admit to this, especially when I don’t know what it is, or how to fix it. The feeling of desperation can drive one to great lengths for an answer, for healing. Sometimes, that desperation can drive us to overlook rationality, even morality.

Have you experienced this? Have you been in a desperate situation, like the official in our passage? Can you relate to him?

In his desperation, he had come to Jesus. He had come to the right person. I don’t believe, from our passage, that he knew that. I believe he was trying whatever might work. 

Why do I say that? Does that sound insensitive? It might seem that way, but the truth is too important to put buffers on. It’s like putting a surgical instrument in a sheath for a physician to use: if he used the instrument in the sheath, it will not cut straight to remove the cancer. In fact, it will only serve to infect the wound even more.

He came with a desperate plea, but he was seeking symbols and signs…

Look at verse 48 with me

Symbols and Signs

[48] So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.”

First, we must recognize that Jesus’ response was to the official, but also to the crowds. The word you was plural. Jesus perceived the mind and heart of men, as John shared with us in John 2:23-25. He was speaking to those gathered around who wanted to see a sign, something fantastic, something that makes the little bumps on their arms and hair stand. While the official was desperate for healing, the crowds were clamoring for phenomena. They were clamoring because they wanted their senses filled, not because they wanted to hear the words of a prophet who could speak life into their dead souls. 

His response: “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe…” They wanted signs and wonders to verify the answer to the question they were asking: is this the messiah? The Samaritans came to faith because of the word he had spoken. The Jews wanted a Messiah who would feed an army, heal their wounded, and lead an army against the Roman government so they could have their land back. The desire of the people of Israel was not a cleansed heart, it was not to be a forgiven people under the rule of God, but to be a self-ruled people. The Messiah was not their teacher, but their instrument; not the Word of God, but their sword to vanquish their agony, to remove them from their circumstance. He, to them, was the savior from political rule, not the Savior of the World.

They couldn’t believe in the Messiah that he was, for they were looking for a different messiah. Signs and wonders would confirm their messiah to them, but those signs and wonders would not produce saving faith.

This is what Jesus came to call the world to: Belief in the Word.

Belief in the Word

[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.

We must admire the persistence of the official. He petitioned Jesus to come with him before the child dies. This is what the crowds wanted too! They wanted proof that Jesus could do these miracles and heal. Can you imagine what it would have looked like, had Jesus traveled to Capernaum? The crowds would have followed. The sign-seekers would have their opportunity to witness first-hand the miracle worker, Jesus. Wouldn’t that be what Jesus would want? A crowd of believers because of his signs and wonders?

Apparently not. Jesus, instead, commands faith. Do you see it? Jesus’ response to the official is this: “Go; your son will live.” The word go is an imperative. Literally, go away.  Now, Jesus wasn’t saying go away in a pejorative sense, but the command implies belief that it will be done. 

And John gives narrative to what happened: The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. The man believed in the word Jesus spoke. 

Just as the Word  spoke and the galaxies came into existence, saving faith was born in seed form, as it was commanded by the Word of God. The response of the man was to believe what the Word of God, Jesus,  had spoken. He came first only looking for a miracle, for his son to be healed. He left believing his son would live. 

A prophet is honored when his word is believed. And this was no ordinary prophet, this was the Word incarnate, God himself, speaking and healing. The man didn’t honor him when he came looking for a sign. The man honored Jesus when he believed, and went on his way.

God honors our faith as evidenced in our obedience. When we believe His word and act accordingly, God is pleased to affirm the faith we’ve placed in Him. And what we see next is faith affirmed…

Faith affirmed

[51] As he was going down, his servants 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 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.

God loves to show himself glorious, to reveal His character, to His people. His people are a people marked by faith. There is no other way to be one of God’s children than to believe in Him as Father. And He is so good to us to affirm our faith, however small, so that it grows from a mustard seed into a blossoming tree, rooted in His word. 

How did God affirm his faith? He asked his servant the hour he began to get better. It was at the 7th hour, which was 1 PM. If you do the math, and he left at 1 PM, he would arrive the next day, having traveled 16 miles, around 5 AM if he had traveled through the night. Later if he had stopped. 

What did the man do? He testified to his house. He believed the word spoken to him, his faith was affirmed, and then believed the word of God was given from the Messiah. Like samaritan woman, he must believe the message of the gospel, for that was the message Jesus preached. That is what we read in John 3, and in the other gospel accounts. John is not simply affirming that he believed Jesus could work miracles, but that Jesus was the Messiah, and his whole house believed.

So, what do we make of the sign? What are the signs and wonders for? Jesus still healed the boy! He still preformed a sign! What do we make of that? What do we learn from it?

I would implore you to consider the miraculous from Jesus The Sign of [his] Deity.

The Sign of Deity

[54] This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee. (ESV)

In all God’s creative and restorative acts we see evidence of His character. All of God’s acts are a pouring forth of His character. His miracles revealed the character and nature of God, and so does his justice and judgement upon sin and unbelief, as well his mercy through the death of the Messiah on the cross. 

What does the healing say to us? That God is a god of mercy, compassion, who cares for His children, weeps with the hurting, and desires that none should perish. His healing of this boy was not an apathetic attempt to dismiss the official, but a sign of His deity, that He is the One in whom you can place your faith. He has the power over life and death, whether 16 miles or 16 lightyears away.

We must also learn something of Christ, his power and knowledge. This is called Christology. Did you notice there was no exchange of address? I don’t believe John omitted it from his story for litigious reasons! Did you notice that Jesus didn’t need to go? He simply commanded man to “go; your son will live.” He is  sovereign over sickness and death, omnipotent and omniscient over all things.

But in all of this, we must see that faith does not come through signs and wonders, but we know that faith comes by the hearing, and hearing by the word God. In fact, with all the signs recorded in the gospels, the Jews, in large part, still rejected Jesus as their Messiah!

Jesus gave one last sign, which pointed to His ultimate aim: the Sign of Jonah

The Son of man would be in the belly of the earth for 3 days, and then would rise from the dead. The pharisees saw the evidence of this, an open tomb, a distraught Roman guard, and still refused to believe. Signs are not the genesis of faith, the preaching of the word is. Understand that there is something wrong with us, we who were made in the image of God, do not project the perfect beauty, grace, patience, love, joy, kindness of God the way we ought. Instead, we’ve rebelled against our creator, we’ve attempted to overthrow the Master of the house, and ignored His perfect rules. As a result, we live in a world of chaos, of murder, strife, and various evils which we both are afflicted by, and inflict upon others. The consequence for this rebellion is death! We can’t repay, nor can we escape this consequence on our own. The Son of God, the heir to the house, has come to proclaim peace. He has come to announce our pardon. 

He has come to bear our consequence and bring us peace! This is His word from God! This is God’s final prophet come to speak to man! Will we listen to His word? Will we believe, then proclaim to our household, the forgiveness we’ve received because of His goodness, beauty, love, grace; his glory!?

And we who call Him Savior are we who believe His word. We believe that we, like sheep, had gone astray. That we were born sinful, condemnable by God, deserving of eternal punishment for the God we sinned against was himself, eternal! But God, because of His great love for us, even when we were dead in our trespasses and sin, made us alive together with Christ. We believe in His atoning death on the cross, and that just as he laid his life down for the forgiveness of sin, he had the power to take it up again. He rose victoriously, having destroyed the work of the devil—which led mankind into rebellion. And now, the Messiah, the Christ, our King reigns gloriously at the right hand of the Father until all His enemies are made His footstool.

And we believe His word, that He will return to gather His kingdom people, and set His reign and rule on the earth. 

Would you pray with me.