PLEASE READ THIS FIRST: John 4:43-54
What do you sense the Lord saying to you in this passage?
“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe.” (John 4:48)
Jesus wants people to believe that he is God’s promised messiah.
This man only seems to want healing for his son, not God’s messiah.
And Jesus sees that he is a “signs and wonders” kind of person.
Someone slow to believe, and not eager for Jesus to be the messiah.
And why not – he is a “royal official” (46), whose employment depended on peace.
A messiah would mess up his life; but not as much as losing his son.
The fact that this man is begging Jesus was a sign of his desperation.
Jesus both challenges this man, and blesses this man.
He may not have had a pure heart, but Jesus graces his desperate heart.
The result of this interaction is “he and his whole household believed.” (4:53)
This is huge, and reveals again how Jesus operates: grace overcomes closed hearts.
My motives do not need to be pure in order for Jesus to grace me.
Grace is what convinces me to believe, not my strong faith.
If not for God’s grace, I would not believe… grace convinces me!
PRAYER
Lord, your grace to me despite my stubborn, resistant, closed heart is what compels me to hope in you. Like this man, I come desperate; like this man I leave graced!
“Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” I think I’m guilty of that – yet when I consider what has happened in my life and how I became convinced – they are signs and wonders. And if I look and give credit where credit is due, there are signs and wonders – there are ‘God’ moments, there is ‘manna’ in my life – they, for me, are re-affirmers – they strengthen my faith especially in weaker moments! God wants to communicate and reassure us of His Amazing Grace – won for us by Jesus – God the son! Thank you Lord as we wonder how it is possible that you should love us the way you do – that my desire is to know you better and to be with you! Pray continue your work in me!
The official went searching for Jesus. He found Jesus and trusted His Word however difficult that was. I too need to be like that official and surrender my pride, my all and trust in His unfailing love.
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word
What a glory He sheds on our way
While we do His good will, He abides with us still
And with all who will trust and obey
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey