JOHN 4 (Kent Smith Notes 2/11/24)
HEALING THE NOBLEMAN’S SON
(The Second Sign)
John 4:43-54
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REVIEW AND UPDATE
John 1: The Testimony of John the Baptist and the Fist Disciples
John 2: The First Sign - The Water to Wine on Cana
John 3: Nicodemus and the New Birth
John 4:
Jesus was now baptizing more than John the Baptist (v.1)
Jesus goes through Samaria (V.4)
The woman at the well (v7-26)
Many Samaritans believed in Him and He stayed with them! (v.30-42)
Jesus comes to Cana of Galilee (v.43-45)
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THE GALILEAN RECEPTION
Jesus was welcomed by the Galileans, though he knew their motives were suspect.
They showed him interest only because of the things that they had seen him do in Jerusalem.
Jesus did not entrust Himself to the Galileans because He knew that they only received him as a celebrity showman; as their homeboy that did well.
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John 4:43-45 After the two days He went forth from there into 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 that He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves also went to the feast.
The response of many was merely superficial.
John 2:23-25 Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. But Jesus, on His part, was not entrusting Himself to them, for He knew all men, and because He did not need anyone to testify concerning man, for He Himself knew what was in man.
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JESUS WAS SOUGHT BY A DISTRAUGHT FATHER
He was a royal official that lived in Capernaum
He was also the father of a dying son.
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Royal Official: a likely Political appointee, whether Jewish or Gentile
Capernaum was 25 miles from Cana.
His son was at the point of death. So, he traveled a day to find Jesus.
What would you do for a dying child?
He implored Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son. (Asking/ Begging/ Pleading)
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JESUS FIRST RESPONSE WAS TO THE GALILEANS
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.”
JESUS SECOND RESPONSE WAS TO THE FATHER
“Go, your son lives.”
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Why did Jesus respond to the Galileans in this way? I believe He was a little put off by the Galileans because they likely only brought the nobleman to Him to see what Jesus would do. They were likely looking for another spectacle.
The Galileans were shallow in their response to Jesus.
There were some people had truly believed when they saw the signs (John 2:23)
But many Galileans received him only because they saw what he had done at the feast in Jerusalem (John 4:45)
These were the people who knew him primarily as Joseph’s son, the carpenter.
Mark 6:1-6
Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. 2 When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?” And they took offense at Him. 4 Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household.” 5 And He could do no miracle there except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He wondered at their unbelief.
Luke 4:14-30
Later in His ministry in Galilee Luke records that the Galileans of Nazareth (his hometown) heard him preach and sought to throw him off a nearby cliff.
Familiarity breeds contempt.
His response to the Nobleman was different.
He overlooked the crowd of spectators and spoke directly to the man with a true need, and a plea for help.
He said, “Go, your son lives.”
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RESPONDING IN FAITH TO JESUS
The nobleman believed the word that Jesus spoke and he started home.
He met his slaves on the road the next day and heard that his son had begun to recover at the very time Jesus spoke His words.
SO, HE HIMSELF BELIEVED AND HIS WHOLE HOUSEHOLD!
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True belief requires a change of direction!
After Jesus spoke, He started off toward Capernaum which was a full days travel.
He made it part way and spent the night on the road.
Unknown to him some of his slaves had also departed from Capernaum to bring him the news of his son. They too traveled part way and spent the night on the road.
The next day they came upon one another and he received the news that his son had recovered. He asked them when his son had begun to get better, and they told him about 1:00 yesterday afternoon. SO HE KNEW THAT IT WAS AT THE HOUR THAT JESUS SPOKE THE WORDS, “your son lives.”
So, HE HIMSELF BELIEVED AND HIS WHOLE HOUSEHOLD.
THE RESPONSE OF FAITH
Is always shown in our decisions, directions, and actions.
Experiencing God: Henry Blackaby says, When God speaks, WHAT YOU DO NEXT REVEALS WHAT YOU TRULY BELIEVE ABOUT GOD.
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THIS WAS THE SECOND SIGN
The First Sign Of Turning Water Into Wine Showed THE POWER OF JESUS
Over the elements of nature and the passage of time
The Second Sign of Healing the Man’s Son Showed
THE POWER OF JESUS over disease and the distance of space
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Jesus is God
He has the power over the elements of nature and the passage of time
He has the power over disease and the distance of space.
But wait …there is more…
John wrote this book that we might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.
(John 20:30-313)
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