Increasing Faith
John 4:43 - 54 (NKJV) 43Now after the two days He departed from there and went to Galilee. 44For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his own country. 45So when He came to Galilee, the Galileans received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the feast; for they also had gone to the feast. 46So Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. 47When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” 49The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” 50Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!” 52Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household. 54This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.
Introduction:
We need to get the sequence of events;
- Jesus leaves Nazareth and goes to a wedding in Cana of Galilee there He turns water into wine – His first miracle!
- He goes to Capernaum and from there to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover – He cleanses the temple!
- He has an encounter with the Pharisee, Nicodemus where He reveals that “you must be born again!
- He travels through Samaria were he meets the woman at the well
- He returns to Cana of Galilee
- Here in Cana He meets this frantic father!
I. Little faith
ILL : It is 20 miles by foot from Capernaum to Cana when the Nobleman had heard that Jesus was in Cana he walked the 20 miles – he had faith in what he had heard!
John 18:33 - 34 (NKJV) 33Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” 34Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”
A. Belief in miracles is not faith in the miracle worker!
. 48Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.”
B. What the nobleman had faith in
- There is not one miracle of healing recorded yet in the scriptures
- He had heard that Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding
- He was a Jewish ruler in Herod’s court – so he had heard about Jesus driving the money changers and the animals out of the temple
C. Don’t confuse the story with the story of the centurion and his servant
Luke 7:1 - 10 (NKJV) 1Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. 2And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. 3So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. 4And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, 5“for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.” 6Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. 7Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” 9When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!” 10And those who were sent, returning to the house, found the servant well £who had been sick.
· This event happed in Capernaum the other in Cana
· The centurion was a Roman the Noble a Jew
· The centurion was asking for a servant the Nobleman for his son
· The centurion’s servant had paralysis the nobleman’s son had a fever
· The centurion sent others to Jesus the Nobleman came himself
· Jesus started to the centurion’s home but refused to come to the Nobleman’s.
D. His little faith put a limit of time and place on Jesus
49The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” 50
II. How faith is increased
A. Love
Galatians 5:6 (NKJV) 6For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.
Matthew 20:29 - 34 (NKJV) 29Now as they went out of Jericho, a great multitude followed Him. 30And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” 31Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” 32So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” 34So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
B. Obedience
2 Kings 5:9 - 14 (NKJV) 9Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” 11But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ 12Are not the £Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 13And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
John 9:1 - 11 (NKJV) 1Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth. 2And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” 3Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him. 4I£ must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; the night is coming when no one can work. 5As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6When He had said these things, He spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. 7And He said to him, “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated, Sent). So he went and washed, and came back seeing. 8Therefore the neighbors and those who previously had seen that he was £blind said, “Is not this he who sat and begged?” 9Some said, “This is he.” Others said, £“He is like him.” He said, “I am he.” 10Therefore they said to him, “How were your eyes opened?” 11He answered and said, “A Man called Jesus made clay and anointed my eyes and said to me, ‘Go to £the pool of Siloam and wash.’ So I went and washed, and I received sight.”
III. The tables are turned
John 4:49 - 51 (NKJV) 49The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” 50Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!”
The nobleman comes to a carpenter and tells him “come down to Capernaum and do it now!” The carpenter tells the nobleman, “go your way your son lives – now!” And the nobleman believed – what? The Word of God!
Romans 10:16 - 17 (NKJV) 16But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?”£ 17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
A. He obeyed
.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.
Do you understand who hard this was? The man loved his son, He believed that Jesus was his only hope and Jesus would not come with him.
· No sign was given
· No miracle was worked
· Jesus was not going to go with him
· He had to believe in the authority of the Word
1 Peter 2:22 - 25 (NKJV) 22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;£ 23who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. 25For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and £Overseer of your souls.
IV. He comes to full faith
John 4:51 - 53 (NKJV) 51And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!” 52Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” 53So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives.” And he himself believed, and his whole household.
Conclusion: What did the man and his household believe?
That the boy was healed? No! They knew that!
That Jesus is the Christ!
