Title: Christ Heals a Nobleman
Text: John 4: 43-54
Date: March 18, 2012
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
John 4: 43: Now after two days he departed thence, and went into Galilee. 44: For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country. 45: Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast. 46: So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where he made the water wine.
I. HONOR DUE TO CHRIST JESUS THE LORD
Christ Jesus is the Word. The gospel of John begins declaring, “the Word”. The Word from the beginning, that was with God and is God was made flesh and dwelt among us. And we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten o the Father.
Christ Jesus is THE PROPHET—the Word who went about calling sinners by the word. The Lord Jesus came to Philip and said, “Follow me.” The Word spoke the word. And Philip followed him. Then after Philipp was called of the Lord he went and declared the good news to Nathaniel. “We have found him, of whom Moses and the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” The Lord Jesus referred to what Philip did to Nathaniel as “Philipp calling thee.”
In our text 45: Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast. The Galileans lived a long distance from Jerusalem. They had to walk through Samaria, which no Jew would want to do. Yet, honoring the word of God they went up to the feast. At Jerusalem they saw the Savior’s miracles
Now, we see the Lord by-passed those who dishonored him and came to these who honored him. And we are told a certain nobleman came because he had heard...46: And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47: When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him,
Where Christ has sent his gospel, believers gather to hear his word—literally to hear a word from THE PROPHET, our Savior—as these Galileans did. We have seen by faith the miracle of grace he performed at Jerusalem: laying down his life, being made sin for us, satisfying divine justice, making us the righteousness of God in him. By his word being planted in our hearts, being born of him, we honor him with a truly genuine desire to hear the gospel of our Redeemer preached.
1 Peter 1:23: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. (24) For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: (25) But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
It is by the sincere milk of the word that we are grown in faith. Have you heard him? Have you this desire to honor Christ? If you knew he had come here today would you gather to hear him speak? If he has assembled this body then he is in the midst. If he has given you a dire need of his grace we will. My brethren, let us give THE PROPHET the honor due his holy name.
II. GOD HEALS HIS CHILDREN OF OUR UNBELIEF THROUGH HIS WORD
John 4: 46: And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum.
This man was a nobleman from Capernaum. He was an officer, well-off—he had servants and so on. Capernaum means “village of comfort”. But none of those things had brought him comfort. His son was sick.
Are there any here this morning who have sons or daughters or dear loved ones who are sick? Sin sick? Dead in trespasses and in sins? It could be that the Master is doing for you what he was doing for this certain, elect, nobleman. He only thought his son was sick, he did not know that he was. He did not know the truly desperate condition his whole house was in, nor did they.
May every one of us who are parents do as this nobleman did. Come to Christ in earnest, importunate prayer, carrying your little ones, dead in trespasses and in sins to the Savior for mercy. And may we learn something here about ourselves.
There are times when I am sure the Lord uses those bodily infirmities of our loved ones, or some other trial in our lives that he has sent by his providence, to draw us personally to him. We think the problem is only with them but I wonder how often there may be a worse problem in our own hearts. Instead of asking others to acknowledge what the Lord may be teaching them, we would do better to ask ourselves that question.
John 4: 47: When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judaea into Galilee, he went unto him, and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death.
Oh, to find someone as wise as this nobleman. He heard that Jesus was come. He went unto him. He besought him
Have you heard that Jesus has come? Have you heard what great things he has accomplished at Calvary? Have you besought him? But there was something amiss in the what the nobleman asked the Lord,
John 4: 47:…besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. 48: Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. 49: The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.
This nobleman’s son is sick, but it is nobleman the Lord will heal first--He besought him to come down. Christ Jesus must have preeminence—we are the ones who must be brought down. The Lord said, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” The sign and miracle of God’s grace is that sinners are healed inwardly and made to believe by Christ the Word speaking the word into our hearts.
Naaman came to a prophet of the Lord, just as this nobleman. And Naaman expected the prophet to come out to him, and call on God and heal him. But the word came to Naaman to go dip in the Jordan seven times. And it offended Naaman to have to heed the word of God.
Most sinners want to be healed. Most sinners want their children to be saved. But we can’t tell the Lord how to do it. Until Christ speaks the word, until the Holy Spirit enters in and give us life, gives us faith to truly believe Christ is able, makes us willing to believe him, we will not be content for God to save in the manner that pleases him.
How did it please the Lord to heal this nobleman’s unbelief?
John 4: 50: Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.
The Word spoken came home to his heart with Divine, irresistible power, causing him to believe. He stopped his insisting on Christ going down with him, and firmly believed that his son was alive, and well, as Christ had said he was--and he went his way;
III. THE LORD IS ABLE TO SAVE THROUGH HIS WORD FROM HIS THRONE IN GLORY THOUGH HE BE NOT PRESENT IN BODY WITH US.
John 4: 51: And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. 52: Then enquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. 53: So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed…
The nobleman at first believed that Christ had power to heal his son, by what he had heard concerning him. But he thought Christ’s bodily presence was absolutely necessary. Now he believed he could heal by his word without being bodily present.
Someone will say, “Well, he healed the nobleman’s son without his son hearing the word spoken so Christ can heal me without me hearing his word spoken.” Do you think we are given the details of how:
· He left the Pharisee’s who wrangled about his doctrine
· Of how he spoke faith into the woman at the well…39: And many believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that I ever did….41: And many more believed because of his own word 42: And said unto the woman Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.
· Do you think we are given these details of how he went not again to those who gave THE PROPHET no honor and came instead to Cana to those who had honored him by going up to Jerusalem.
· Do you think we are given the detail that this nobleman heard and therefore came 15-20 miles personally to where Christ was…and that the man believed when Christ spoke to him and went his way
Fact is his whole house only knew that his sons fever had broken. They only went to tell the nobleman that. They had no idea what had happened between the nobleman and Christ.
It was when the father met his servants and enquired the hour and told them Christ did this by his word that same hour the day before, that then like the nobleman himself believed…John 4: 53:…and his whole house [believed].
Now just in case some are still in doubt of what is being taught here, the Holy Spirit points us to another miracle:
John 4: 54: This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.
That first miracle, our Lord turned the water into wine, a good picture of God’s method of grace in saving sinners through his gospel. The sinner is empty like the water pots. The sinner receives the water of the written Word at the command of Christ. The water produced the best wine by the power of Christ. The change wrought in the new birth is a miracle of grace, as clearly miraculous as the water being turned into wine. The miracle manifested forth his glory. The governor proclaimed it to be the best wine, as truly his grace and redemption is far better than the best the world can give.
Remember these three things:
First, we see the importance of heeding Christ’s gospel (a prophet is not without honor save in his own country). Secondly, Christ gives faith when he speaks the word into our hearts—v50: Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. Thirdly,\ Christ works this miracle of grace from heavens glory without his being present in body in our midst through the word of those he has already given faith so it was—his whole house believed.
1Thessalonians 1:5 For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake.
Mark 13:10 And the gospel must first be published among all nations; 16:15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
2 Thessalonians 2:14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 14: 22:…a sign, [is] not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.
Romans 10: 17: So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
AMEN!