Thy
Son Liveth!
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. 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, and 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.
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.
51 And as he was now going
down, his servants met him, and told him, saying,
Thy son liveth.
52 Then inquired
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, and his whole house.
54
This is again the second miracle that Jesus did,
when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee."
Verse forty-four: “For Jesus himself testified, that a prophet hath no honour in his own country.”
As we begin our King James Bible study for today:
1. We already know that Jesus Christ was not accepted by his own flesh and blood. [John 7:3-5] “His brethren therefore said unto him, Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. For neither did his brethren believe in him.”
2. We also know Jesus Christ would not be accepted by the Jewish leaders [The Pharisees and The Sadducees] as the Messiah because of envy and jealousy. [Matthew 27:18] “For he [Pilate] knew that for envy they had delivered him.”
3. We also, know that the Jews require signs. [1 Corinthians 1:22] “For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom:”
With these facts established, the Son of God is ready in verse forty-nine to perform his second miracle [SIGN].
1. The Father's Heart
Verse forty-nine: “The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die.”
We see here the prepared heart of a father whose heart has been made tender to his children.
We have seen that the ministry of John the Baptist in part was “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children”. [Luke 1:17]
“And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
John was to go before, and “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Here we have a nobleman distraught for his son.
The nobleman has a father’s heart ... a heart for his son.
If a father’s heart has been prepared then the father’s heart has a bent to it that yearns for the good of his children.
Are you a father? Then are you such a father? Is your heart turned toward your son?
Let me ask you this. If your son or your daughter asks you for something to eat, is not your heart tender and sensitive to [your child’s need] his hunger? [Matthew 7:9-11 shows the similitude of the earthly father’s care for his children to show how much our Father in heaven cares for us.]
“Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?”
2. The Father's Faith
Verse fifty: “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 nobleman … a father … believed the word. Amen!
He heard the word that Jesus spake, and FAITH came. Amen! “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” [Romans 10:17]
The father’s faith was rewarded and the father’s faith directly benefited his son. [Hebrews 11:6] “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”
The nobleman diligently seeking Jesus Christ was the very best way to nourish and care for his child.
Oh for fathers all across this land to believe the word of GOD.
This is the primary care for his children, all else is secondary, for all else will follow [food, shelter and clothing, everthing]. Amen!
3. The Father’s Son Liveth
Verse fifty-one: "And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth."
The sick son’s father had his heart turned toward his son. Perhaps this father benefited from the ministry of John the Baptist. After all, this was in fulfillment of prophecy. “And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
The nobleman heard and believed the one who had the words of life.
Go to [John 6:68] and see! “Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.”
Indeed, his son was facing death, [The son’s sickness was unto death] but because the father believed God … he was rewarded by God by hearing the words of his servants: “Thy son liveth.”
How many children have benefited from a God-fearing father, or a God-fearing mother?
How many fathers have put their trust in Jesus Christ for salvation and thereby have seen their house saved?
Turn to the book of Acts chapter sixteen for the story of the Philippian jailer.
“And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.” [Acts 16:31-34]
Did you see that? The jailer … a father … believed, and because he believed, all that were his house [family] were SAVED. Amen!!
Now let us finish with our text in John chapter four:
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, and his whole house.”
See how the nobleman believing the WORDS of Jesus Christ affected his whole house. The whole family BELIEVED. That is a miracle!
Pray for a miracle in your home!
54 “This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judaea into Galilee.”