Sermon video -- Miracles of Jesus, part 4: Jesus feeds the five thousand

SERMON: THE MIRACLES OF JESUS, PART 4 -- FEEDING THE FIVE THOUSAND

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to John 6:1-13

John 6:1-13 New International Version (NIV)

1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. 3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

            -- we are continuing our series on the miracles of Jesus as recorded in the Book of John -- so far in this series, we have looked at the miracle of Jesus turning water into wine -- demonstrating His showing His power over nature -- but, more importantly, pointing to His reason for coming to earth as He converted the six water jars from their intended use in purifying and cleansing the Jews to holders of wine -- now that Jesus had come to purify and cleanse from within, once and for all, there would be no need for ritual, external cleansings

            -- the second miracle we looked at was the healing of the official’s son -- and we saw how Jesus used that opportunity to help the father put his faith in Jesus -- a promise of healing was given, but the father had to have the faith to believe and to go home to Capernaum without Jesus at his side, believing only in the truth and promise found in Jesus’ words -- a message to us that we are to trust Jesus and to believe what He says

            -- the third miracle was the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda -- and we saw through this experience of healing the paralytic man how God’s prevenient grace reaches out to us to bring us to a place of belief and healing in Jesus -- although this man was not a believer in Jesus, Jesus chose him from the crowd and promised healing if he would but rise and pick up his mat and believe -- this healing act pointed to how Jesus died for us on the cross to offer healing before we even knew Him, while we were still in our sins and living in unbelief -- apart from Him and apart from faith

II.  The Signs of the Miracle of Feeding the Five Thousand

            -- this morning, we are looking at the fourth miracle recorded by John in his gospel -- the feeding of the 5,000 -- this is a very familiar story, and it’s an easy story for us to hear without truly hearing -- to see without truly seeing -- remember, these miracles were not done simply for the sake of the miracle -- John tells us these miracles were semeions -- they were “signs” -- the supernatural, dunamis power of God being made manifest in an event for a reason -- to reveal Jesus as Messiah -- to reveal an aspect of the purpose of His coming to earth and of His continuing ministry to us

            -- in this miracle, we see three important things in this miracle I want you to keep in mind as we look at this passage together

            -- the first is found in the element of the bread itself -- bread was the staple of life -- it was the basic food of the people -- they depended on bread for their sustenance and their very lives -- in the miraculous giving of the bread in this passage, the people are reminded of how God fed the Israelites with manna after they left Egypt, so this miracle is a very clear sign to the people that Jesus is our God who provides

            -- but God’s providence reaches beyond the physical to the spiritual -- the manna in the wilderness -- the bread that Jesus provides here -- and the bread at the table in the Upper Room at the Last Supper all point to the supernatural, spiritual sustenance that we only find in Him -- the bread is symbolic of eternal life -- and to receive that eternal life, we must partake of Jesus -- we must receive Him into ourselves -- over in verse 35, Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life -- He who comes to Me will never go hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty -- and over in John 6:53, Jesus said, “unless you eat of the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in you”

            -- so, remember that this miracle is about much more than just feeding 5,000 hungry people -- it’s a sign that we must receive Jesus in order to receive eternal life

            -- the second theme in this passage once again revolves around faith -- in this case, the faith of the disciples -- they have been with Jesus -- they have seen Jesus do mighty things -- they have heard the words of Jesus -- they have sat at His feet as He has taught -- but, did they truly see? -- did they truly hear? -- did they truly believe?

            -- faith is revealed by what we do with the words we receive -- faith is revealed in our actions, not in what we profess with our lips -- as James said in James 2:17, “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead” -- faith is revealed only when we act on what we profess

            -- in this case, do the disciples of Jesus believe enough to step out in faith and feed the 5,000 on their own?

            -- which brings us to the final point of this miracle -- Jesus was God -- He could have fed the 5,000 men gathered there that day on His own, without any help from the disciples or anyone else in the crowd, much the way He changed the water into wine as the servants carried the cup to the steward of the wedding banquet -- but, in this miracle -- for the first time, Jesus involves His disciples -- He tells them to feed the 5,000 -- this points to the ministry of the church, for Jesus calls us today to minister and do great things in His name -- as He directs and as He empowers

            -- there are many problems in this world today -- there is hunger and hurt -- sickness and despair -- broken hearts and broken lives -- Jesus could take care of all of that with a word -- Jesus could take care of all of that on His own -- but He invites us into ministry with Him -- He has chosen His church to be His hands and feet in this world -- the visible presence of Christ manifested through His people of faith -- never forget that we are the body of Christ and that Christ calls us to serve others in His name today in miraculous ways

            -- with that said, let’s move on and look at this passage again in more detail -- keeping in mind those three signs that are woven into this account of the feeding of the 5,000

III.  Scripture Lesson (John 6:1-13)

            -- verse 1 -- “Some time after this”  -- okay, let’s stop right there and let me give you the context of this passage -- what is John referring to when he says, “some time after this”

            -- remember the proper way to read a Bible passage is to first consider the passage in context -- don’t take passages, or especially verses, on their own because that can lead to a misunderstanding -- read them in context -- understand what came before and after the passage and why God led the author of that Book to put that chapter or verse in that particular place -- what was the setting of this passage?

            -- consider the audience -- who was this passage written for? -- and how would they have understood the words and the meaning of this passage? -- how would they have interpreted this passage in their day?

            -- understand all of that before you try to apply this to your own life today -- this will help you from reading into the Bible our 21st century biases -- it will keep you from reading into passages and making them say what you want them to say -- read the Bible to hear God -- to understand what He is saying to you -- not reading it to make it say what you want or to affirm what you believe

            -- so, context -- “some time after this” -- after what?

            -- as this passage opens, Jesus has just been teaching and preaching in the streets of Jerusalem -- in John 5 we read the account of how Jesus healed the paralytic man next to the pool of Bethsaida

            -- John tells us that when the Pharisees heard of Jesus' healing of this man on the Sabbath and Jesus' claims to be equal with God, they began to persecute Him and question His authority

            -- Jesus responded by appealing to their faith -- He told them that they had the testimony of John the Baptist -- they had the testimony of Moses -- and they had the testimony of God the Father Himself through the Holy Scriptures -- all of these, He said, point to me and to my purposes -- and the miracles support the word of God -- the miracles are signs that these scriptures are fulfilled in your sight

            -- but, if you don't believe in them -- if you don't have faith in them -- how are you going to believe in what I say?

            -- which brings us to Chapter 6 -- this is a chapter about faith -- this is a chapter that asks the question, "Are you going to believe in what Jesus says?" -- it is a chapter that questions the faith and the belief of all those around Him, even that of the disciples -- this account of the miracles of feeding the 5,000 is just a sign that Jesus uses to point people to Him in faith

            -- and, let me take this opportunity to encourage you to go home today and read the rest of this chapter -- to see how this miraculous sign was used to call people to true faith in Jesus

            -- back to verse 1

1 Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 2 and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick.

            -- John tells us that great crowds began to follow Jesus at this time -- but, they’re not following Jesus because of who He is -- they’re following Jesus because of what He was giving out -- they were coming for the miracles -- they were coming because they had seen Him heal the sick

            -- why do we come? -- why is it we gather together on a Sunday morning? -- are we coming because of Jesus -- or are we coming for what He gives us? -- a lot of people look to God as a vending machine in the sky -- if we need healing, pull that lever, and ask God to heal us -- if we need food, expect God to feed us -- if we need money, ask God to make a way and trust that the money is going to come

            -- and, all of that is true, but Jesus didn’t die on the cross to meet our material needs -- He died on the cross to give us eternal life and to reconcile us to the Father -- to restore the relationship with God -- to make it possible for us to come once again into the presence of God

            -- but, are we seeking God or just what He can give? -- there’s a song out by Natalie Grant that really touched me the very first time I heard it -- it’s called, “More Than Anything” -- and the lyrics include this thought:

            “Help me want the Healer, more than the healing -- Help me want the Savior, more than the saving -- Help me want the Giver, more than the giving -- Oh help me want you Jesus, more than anything”

            -- our desire should be for Jesus, not for what He gives us -- the crowd that day came because of the miracles -- because of what Jesus was giving -- they continued to follow Him, seeking what He could provide -- when all He wanted was for them to seek Him -- let’s keep that in mind when we come to worship and when we come before Him in our private times

            -- verse 3

3 Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 4 The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

5 When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” 6 He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

            -- there will be times in our lives and in our churches when God is going to speak -- when He is going to call us to a task that is greater than ourselves -- a task that seems impossible

            -- in this case, Jesus turned to Philip and said, "Look out at this sea of faces -- they have needs -- they’re hungry -- and I want you to feed them -- how can you make that happen? -- how can you feed those gathered here? -- where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"

            -- This was more than a question -- it was more than a test of faith -- it was a call to mission -- it was an invitation to join Jesus in ministering to others -- to this point, the disciples really had not been involved in the ministry of Jesus -- they had been with Him, but they had not participated -- Jesus was telling Philip, "I want you to feed My people -- now how will you do it?"

            -- take a moment and just think -- this was an impossible task -- there was no way that Philip could do this -- none -- and yet Jesus was asking him to do it

            -- what is He asking us to do today? -- what impossible task is He calling us to do? -- this is where faith comes in -- this is where trust comes in -- this is where we truly say what we believe about God

            -- verse 7

7 Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

-- Philip missed the point, didn't he? -- Philip was trying to solve the problem on his own -- He looked at the crowd, he figured up the cost it would take to feed them, and then he turned to Jesus and said, "It can't be done -- it’s impossible"

            -- we do that too, don't we -- God calls us to do something and we immediately start coming up with reasons why we can't do it -- "We don't have the money" -- "We don't have the people" -- "We don't have the resources" -- "We don't have the programs" -- "We don't have the time" -- "We don't have the talent" -- "It can't be done"

            -- Philip missed the point -- this was a test of faith -- Jesus wanted Philip to say, "I can't do this, but you can" -- when Jesus asked Philip, "Where do we go to feed these people?", He wanted Philip to say, "to You"

            -- and when He calls us to an impossible task -- to do something that we know we can't do -- He wants us to do the same -- He wants us to turn to Him and say, "We can't do it -- will You do it through us?"

            -- Dwight L. Moody was a poorly educated, unordained, shoe salesman who felt God calling him to do the impossible -- God was calling him to preach the gospel -- and Moody heard that call and said, "I can't do that -- I'm only a shoe salesman -- I can't speak to people -- I don't have any talent -- it's impossible"

            -- but then he went to hear the great Charles Spurgeon speak, and as he listened to the message from Charles Spurgeon, Moody realized something -- "it was not Mr. Spurgeon, after all, who was doing the work -- it was God -- and if God could use Mr. Spurgeon, why should He not use the rest of us -- and why should we not all just lay ourselves at the Master's feet and say to Him, 'Send me! Use me!"

            -- Moody went on to become one of the world's greatest evangelists -- and the ministry that he started continues to this day -- all because he realized, "I can't do it, but God can" -- and he stepped out in faith and said, “God, I trust you to do the impossible through me”

            -- verse 8

8 Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, 9 “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

-- when you read this passage, don't you just feel like encouraging Andrew along? -- I mean, he has the right idea -- he is looking at the possibilities -- he knows that the only way this is going to happen is through Jesus -- he even goes so far as to say, "Here's a boy with five small barley loaves and two fish..." and you just know that he's going to go all the way and tell Jesus -- "use them -- multiply them and do a miracle and feed the crowd"

            -- you just want to stand back and say, "Yes, yes! -- you're going the right way, Andrew, you're responding in faith -- you're not letting the size of the task keep you from moving forward -- now just ask Jesus to do something"

            -- keep in mind that Andrew had been with Jesus from the start -- He had seen the water turn to wine -- He had seen the sick healed -- He had seen people released from demonic possession -- He knew that miracles happened when Jesus was around

-- but then Andrew says that little three-letter word that changes everything -- "BUT" -- “here's the bread and fish...BUT”

-- Andrew once again falls into the trap of the impossible -- in this case, Andrew is limiting God's ability to work -- he got so close -- he knew where to turn -- but, truth be told, Andrew's conception of God was too small

-- In essence, Andrew was saying, "We've got these five loaves and bread and two fish, BUT not even you can do anything with them"

-- "BUT" is a ministry killer -- "BUT" is keeping our churches from being faithful to God's calling -- "BUT" is keeping us from doing the impossible through God

-- a friend of mine asked me the other day, "Why don't we see miracles like the Bible describes? -- if God is real, then why don't we see miracles all over the place?"

-- the answer is because of our "BUT" -- it's because of us

-- Jesus said that God is always at work around us and He is always calling us to join Him in His work -- He is always calling us to do the impossible -- and when we hear His call, what do we do? -- we count our money -- we check the budget -- we look at the number of people we have and how busy our calendar is and everything else and we say, "This is all we have -- we'd like to help, BUT…it's not enough"

-- we limit God and so we limit His ability to do miracles through us -- not because God can't do them -- but because He only works through our faith

-- What does this tell us? -- if we want to live lives of faith -- if we want to experience the miracle of God doing the impossible through us, then we've got to get off our "BUTs" and start trusting God

-- verse 10

10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). 11 Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

12 When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” 13 So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

-- in Mark 8, after Jesus had fed the 7,000 in a similar way, Mark tells us that the Pharisees came up to Jesus and asked Him for a miraculous sign -- and Mark says, "Jesus sighed deeply"

-- I just love that picture -- I think that's probably what Jesus did after testing Philip and Andrew -- I think He listened to them and heard their doubts and their lack of faith and just sighed deeply -- you see, Jesus knew what He wanted to do -- He knew what He was going to do -- He just wanted Philip and Andrew to be the ones who trusted in Him enough to suggest it

-- and when that didn't happen, I think Jesus sighed -- I think He does that with us, too -- I think when He calls us to do something impossible -- when He calls us to a new task or a new ministry and all we do is say, "BUT," -- I think He sighs -- and then He either turns to someone else or He does it on His own -- and we're the ones who miss out

-- in this case, Jesus took over and He fed the crowd Himself and He showed us what could have been

-- Jesus wasn't asking Philip and Andrew to feed the people on their own -- He knew they didn't have the resources -- He knew they didn't have the ability -- He knew it was impossible for them

-- what Jesus wanted was for Philip and Andrew to come to Him with what they had and to say, "This is it -- this is all we have -- it's not enough -- we're not enough -- but we know that you can take what we have to offer and multiply it and do a miracle through us"

-- Jesus takes what we have and multiplies it by faith and produces a miracle every time -- the key to seeing God do miraculous things through you hinges on two things -- you have to bring your resources -- and you have to bring your faith

-- your resources aren't enough to get the job done -- you have to have faith, too

-- on the other hand, your faith is not enough -- God wants us to offer up what we have -- our time and our money and our gifts and our talents

-- why do you think God asks us to tithe -- why does God want your money? -- He doesn't need it -- He owns everything -- so why does He tell us to bring it? -- because He wants you invested -- He wants you to offer your money and your time and your talents and your gifts as a sacrifice in faith

-- it takes both resources and faith to produce a miracle

-- and when God multiplies our resources by our faith, the world changes

IV.  Closing

            -- this miracle was more than just a sign to the crowd gathered there that day -- it was more than just a sign to Jesus’ disciples -- it was a sign for us -- a message for us

            -- Jesus invites us into eternal life by offering Himself to us as the bread of life -- and, once we have received Him -- once we have taken of His flesh and become one with Him and one with each other -- He calls us unto ministry with Him in this world

            -- He calls us to do the impossible -- not on our own -- not in our own strength or with our own resources -- but with His -- in His power and in His way

            -- Jesus told His disciples and He told us that we would do even greater things than Him -- get that in your head -- He told us that we would do even greater things than He did on earth -- but we're not -- just look around

            -- the problem is not with Jesus -- the problem is with us -- we're still walking in sight and not in faith -- if we can't see how something can be accomplished, then we don't even try -- Philip and Andrew were ready to give up before Jesus stepped in -- the church is doing the same thing today -- we’re giving up because we don’t believe enough to trust that Jesus will step in and do greater things through us

            -- God wants to take our limited resources and our limited faith and He wants to use them and us to do miracles in this place and in our lives

            -- what does it take to see a miracle today? -- it just takes trust and faith and obedience

            -- so, as I close, let me ask you to consider these questions -- What is God asking us to do today? -- What is God asking you to do today? -- what ministry are you refusing to do because you think you don't have enough? -- trust God -- trust Jesus -- and let Him multiply your ministry and your life -- let Him do great things through you

            -- as I close I want to invite you to respond to God's word -- give Him your BUTs today -- give Him your "We can'ts" and your “It’s impossibles” -- and leave here saying, "we can’t, but with You, we can, for all things are possible with God"

            -- let's pray

Sermon Video -- Miracles of Jesus, Part 3 -- Jesus heals the paralytic man

SERMON: THE MIRACLES OF JESUS, PART 3 -- HEALING BY THE POOL OF BETHESDA

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to John 5:1-15

John 5:1-15 New International Version (NIV)

1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.  5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. 6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jewish leaders said to the man who had been healed, “It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat.”

11 But he replied, “The man who made me well said to me, ‘Pick up your mat and walk.’ ”

12 So they asked him, “Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?”

13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.

14 Later Jesus found him at the temple and said to him, “See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you.” 15 The man went away and told the Jewish leaders that it was Jesus who had made him well.

            -- have you ever had to choose someone out of a crowd? -- have you ever had to wade through a crowd of people and stop and tell just one person, “I choose you?”

            -- I’m going through that right now -- we’re in the process of filling a new position at work right now -- for the past ten years or so, I’ve been doing double duty -- when I was promoted to the position I’m in now, the Air Force just converted my current position to the new one -- which meant my old position was not vacant -- it just went away, although the duties didn’t go away       

            -- so, I’ve been doing the duties of my old job plus the duties of my new job -- which has led to a problem because I just can’t do both the way they are supposed to be done

            -- but, thankfully, we worked out a way to hire someone from an outside agency to come in and fill my old biologist position -- we put out a job announcement, and had quite a few applicants apply for the position -- but, rather than narrowing down the candidates for us, the personnel office sent all of them to us to review and to select who we wanted -- so, for the past two weeks, I’ve been going through 186 pages of resumes to pick the right person for the job

            -- and that’s not an easy chore -- when you’re looking at resume after resume of qualified people who all have the required education and have lots of varied experience, how do you just pick one person out of the crowd and say, “You’re the one?”

            -- this morning, we are continuing in our sermon series on the miracles of Jesus from the Book of John -- in today’s message, we are going to look at the story of Jesus healing the paralytic man beside the pool of Bethesda

            -- this is a story with two main themes for us to consider -- the first is choice -- as we will see, there were many, many people at the pool of Bethesda that day who were in need of a miracle -- people who were disabled or sick or in need of a healing touch -- but Jesus didn’t heal all of them that day -- He only healed one -- out of all the faces in the crowd, Jesus walked over to one man and touched him and said, “I choose you”

            -- the second theme for us to consider is faith -- we talked about faith when we discussed the healing of the nobleman’s son on September 2nd -- if you remember, the nobleman only had a small spark of faith -- it was just enough for him to come to Cana from Capernaum to ask Jesus for a miracle -- and Jesus responded to this man’s faith by working in his life to make his faith stronger -- Jesus did not go back to Capernaum with the man as he asked, but instead sent him home simply with the promise the miracle he had asked for had already happened -- and when the father found his son whole and healed, his faith grew to the point where he led his whole household to believe in Jesus

            -- the miracle this week also involves faith, specifically, the lack of faith -- and, contrary to what we may think, faith is not a criteria for God to work -- in fact, sometimes faith only comes after God moves in our lives -- this is the premise behind the doctrine of prevenient grace -- God moving and working in our lives before we are even aware of His presence or before we are saved

            -- what we see in this miracle is that sometimes God chooses us out of the crowd and does a mighty work in our lives -- despite our lack of faith -- despite our doubts and unbelief -- He does this to demonstrate His great grace and mercy -- as Paul wrote in Romans 5:8, while we were yet sinners -- before we turned to Him in repentance and faith -- Jesus died for us on the cross

            -- God’s mercy and grace moves Him to choose us out of the crowd and to bring healing in our lives so that we might respond to Him and come to the cross -- the only place where true healing can occur

II.  Scripture Lesson (John 5:1-15)

            -- so, as we look at the story of the healing of the paralytic man here in John 5, let us remember those two themes -- choice and faith -- and let us consider that this man did not deserve to be healed -- he doesn’t appear to be a religious man -- he did not believe in Jesus -- he did not even know who Jesus was -- he did not even come to Jesus for healing as the father did in the last miracle we looked at -- he did not even appear to want to get better on his own -- but God chose him that day and did a mighty work in his life that we are still talking about 2000 years later

            -- remember that when you think of people in your life that you think God cannot touch -- remember that when you see people obviously living apart from God and flaunting His moral laws -- there is no one outside the reach of God -- there is no one that God cannot choose and cannot call for His purposes -- His mercy and grace reach all of us -- and we are only here today because one day He chose us

            -- so, with that in mind, let us look together now at this story from John 5 and look at God’s unexpected mercy and grace in the life of this undeserving man

            -- verse 1

1 Some time later, Jesus went up to Jerusalem for one of the Jewish festivals. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem near the Sheep Gate a pool, which in Aramaic is called Bethesda[a] and which is surrounded by five covered colonnades. 3 Here a great number of disabled people used to lie—the blind, the lame, the paralyzed.  5 One who was there had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.

            -- as Jesus begins to transition His ministry into Judea and Jerusalem in this narrative, we read that He goes up to Jerusalem for a feast of the Jews, probably the Feast of Tabernacles -- now remember that all of the miracles given to us in the Book of John were miraculous signs -- they were intended to demonstrate who Jesus was -- so, in each of these miracles, Jesus is affirmed as the Messiah -- not always publicly -- but the miracles always illustrate an aspect of His deity -- sometimes, His miracles and words are given to illuminate the meaning behind the festivals or religious practices that are going on at the moment He chooses to act

            -- so, John leads us to believe that Jesus entered Jerusalem through the Sheep Gate, which was near the pool of Bethesda

            -- Bethesda -- which is also called Bethsaida in some translations -- means “house of mercy” -- just FYI, in Hebrew, Beth means “house” -- so, when you see Beth at the start of a word, you know it means “house of” something -- so, Bethlehem means “House of Bread” and Bethel means “House of God” -- in this case, Bethesda means “House of Mercy,” which is what we are going to see demonstrated in Jesus’ choosing of this paralytic man for healing

            -- the sick and invalid gathered at this pool because they believed that an angel of God would occasionally visit and stir the waters and the first person in after the waters were stirred would be healed -- whether that was true or not, we don’t know -- but the people believed it and gathered for the chance of being healed -- this is a reminder to us that people are always looking for healing in their lives and will always gather where healing is possible -- we need to make sure people know this sanctuary is a place where Jesus comes to heal -- maybe not physically, but surely spiritually

            -- verse 6

6 When Jesus saw him lying there and learned that he had been in this condition for a long time, he asked him, “Do you want to get well?”

7 “Sir,” the invalid replied, “I have no one to help me into the pool when the water is stirred. While I am trying to get in, someone else goes down ahead of me.”

            -- so, Jesus walks through the crowd of the sick and invalid gathered at that pool in hopes of being healed and walks up to this paralyzed man and asks him a question that we would all consider ludicrous -- “Do you want to get well?”

            -- in the movie, “The Shawshank Redemption,” there is scene where Morgan Freeman’s character has a chance to get paroled from prison after being in there for almost 40 years. -- he’s sitting there with his friends contemplating the potential of being free -- And he says to one of his friends, “I don’t know if I want that. I’ve been here most of my life.

            -- “Besides, these prison walls are funny. -- First, you’re afraid of them. -- Then you get used to them. -- After a while you start relying on them. -- I don’t know if I can make it on the outside.”¹

            -- that may well be what was going on with this paralyzed man -- he had been an invalid for so long, that he had been comfortable with who he was -- it was what he knew -- it was what he was familiar with -- even though it was not a good situation, he was happy there

            -- that’s why so many people won’t take the first step in healing in their lives -- why so many people refuse to seek better in their lives -- why so many people stay unhealthy or overweight or in bad jobs or in abusive relationships or running from one lover to another or going back to the same bad partner time and time again -- they get comfortable with a bad situation to the point of refusing to change

            -- they claim they want to get better -- they tell us they are leaving that relationship or that job or that habit -- they’re not going back -- but, a short time later, there they area again

            -- perhaps that’s why Jesus had to choose this man on that day -- perhaps this man was only giving lip-service to his desire to be healed -- so, Jesus came to him and offered him mercy and grace where none existed

            -- verse 8

8 Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” 9a At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked.

            -- even though Jesus chose the paralytic man, there still had to be a response on his part -- just as in our salvation, Jesus chose us, we still had to respond -- we have to choose Him

            -- Jesus told the man to do the impossible -- he said, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” -- at that point, the man had a choice to make -- he could either choose to believe Jesus or not -- he could either do what Jesus said and believe in a miracle, or he could stay where he had been for the last 38 years -- but, he had to make a choice

            -- he picked up his mat and walked

            -- Healing begins with taking that first step -- even in miraculous healings, there always has to be a moment where we agree with Jesus that healing is needed and we take that first step -- sometimes, the first step is done by others, such as the father last week who took that first step to go to Jesus on behalf of his son -- sometimes, the first step is when we simply cry out to God, “Help me” -- but, a step of faith -- even just a tiny spark of faith -- is required for healing to happen

            -- that’s why we have to be careful when we help others -- we can’t take that step for them -- at some point, they have to choose to take that step of faith on their own -- we can’t heal an addiction for someone else -- we can’t lose weight for someone else -- we can’t believe in salvation for someone else -- they have to choose to take that first step on their own

            -- Jesus called out for this man to “Come,” and, in a moment of true faith, he rose from his mat, picked it up, and walked

            -- a miracle of mercy was done that day in the House of Mercy for a man who didn’t ask for it -- for a man who didn’t come to Jesus for healing -- for a man who didn’t try to find his own path to healing through religion

            -- no, this miracle was done because God chose him, just as God chooses us

III.  Closing

            -- in 1934, Mordecai Hamm was traveling throughout the country doing tent revivals -- he came to Charlotte, North Carolina, and a young dairy farmer was persuaded by his friends to attend -- he didn’t want to go -- he wasn’t particularly religious -- he didn’t really care about God -- he went simply because his friends were going and he didn’t have anything else to do

            -- we don’t know if Hamm’s message that day was used by God to touch him -- he doesn’t mention it in his autobiography -- but in the words of the last hymn, “Just as I Am,” he felt God’s hand -- he heard God calling him to “Come” -- to step out -- to take that first step of faith

            -- he fought the call -- he argued in his heart against it -- he was happy with who he was and with where he was -- he was satisfied with his life just as it was -- he didn’t want to change -- he didn’t come there that night seeking God -- but God still chose him

            -- all throughout that hymn, he fought against God -- finally, he said to himself, “if they sing one more verse, I’ll go” -- they had already sung five -- what were the odds they’d sing one more? -- but they did -- and Billy Graham stepped out and walked down the aisle and put his faith and trust in God² -- and God used him in a mighty, mighty way

            -- everyone here has been chosen of God -- as it says in 1 Timothy 2:4, God wants all people to be saved and to come to a saving knowledge of the Truth -- and, while that verse is primarily speaking of our justification through the cross of Christ, it is also talking about our sanctification -- of our progress in holiness through the work of the Holy Spirit

            -- God is calling for us to move from our homeostasis -- from our comfortable spot on these pews -- and to pick up our mat and to follow Him -- to get up and walk and do what He has called us to do

            -- if God can heal an unrepentant sinner -- a man who had no desire to come to Him or ask Him for healing -- He certainly can heal those who come on their own accord

            -- so, come -- come now -- step out in faith -- and trust in Him to do mighty things through you

            -- let us pray

1 Illustration borrowed from https://www.sermoncentral.com/sermons/what-do-you-really-want-god-to-do-dean-courtier-sermon-on-healing-146693?ref=SermonSerps

2 “Just as I am,” Billy Graham

Sermon Video -- Miracles of Jesus, Part 2 -- Jesus heals the royal official's son

SERMON: THE MIRACLES OF JESUS, PART 2 -- HEALING THE ROYAL OFFICIAL'S SON

I.  Introduction

            -- turn in Bibles to John 4:43-54

John 4:43-54 New International Version (NIV)

43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.

46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.”

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”

53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.

54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

            -- in the movie, “Bruce Almighty,” a Jim Carrey movie that came out several years ago, Jim Carrey’s character is looking for direction in his life -- he’s having all these issues -- he just got fired from his job -- his girlfriend has left him -- he’s driving around, screaming out at God, “Just tell me what you want me to do -- just give me a sign”

            -- and while he is driving, you see street signs appearing in front of him, saying things like, “Detour -- Turn around” -- and “Turn left” -- and then,  when he doesn’t pay attention to them, he gets behind a construction vehicle with flashing lights and a message on the tailgate that flashes, “Turn here” -- finally, he starts driving through a construction zone and a voice comes over a loudspeaker and calls out to him, saying, “You in the car, you need to turn here” -- and while all this is going on, Jim Carrey continues to cry out to God for a sign so that he would know that God was there and would show him where to go and what to do

            -- isn’t that the way it is with us? -- a lot of times we cry out to God for a sign -- we ask God for a miracle -- we want proof that He is there with us in the midst of our distress -- and then we miss seeing Him because we’re looking for something else

            -- this morning, we’re continuing in our series on the miracles of Jesus from the Book of John -- today’s message is the story of Jesus healing the royal official’s son -- but, one thing we need to see in this story and remember as we go through this series, is that God’s desire is for us to believe and trust in Him through faith, not necessarily through sight

            -- as it says in Ephesians 2:8, “for it is by grace you are saved, through faith” -- and in Hebrews 11:1 we learn that faith is “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”

            -- God wants us to believe and trust in Him through faith -- because of who He is -- because of His word spoken to us -- not because we need the miracles to prove He is God -- this will be a continual theme in this series we are going through

            -- John makes it clear that the miracles in this gospel were given as signs -- signs to prove who Jesus was so that we might believe in Him -- not so we might believe in the miracles themselves -- in other words, our faith in not in miracles -- our faith is in a Person -- the Person of Jesus Christ

            -- the theme of this miracle is faith -- you’ll see that as we look at this story together

            -- so, with that in mind, let us continue on in our series by looking at the story of Jesus healing the royal official’s son here in John Chapter 4 -- John is the only gospel writer that records this miraculous sign of Jesus -- there is a similar story recorded in the gospels of Matthew and Luke where Jesus healed a Centurion’s servant at a distance, but this is not the same event -- this is a different story -- a different miracle -- given for a different reason

II.  Scripture Lesson (John 4:43-54)

            -- verse 43

John 4:43-54 New International Version (NIV)

43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there.

46a Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine.

            -- after the wedding at Cana in Galilee, Jesus and His disciples had gone up to Judea, to go to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover Feast -- while there, Jesus had gone into the temple and overturned the tables of the money changers, getting Himself into a confrontation with the Pharisees and the temple officials

            -- so Jesus left the region of Judea and traveled back to Galilee, passing through Samaria, where He had His encounter with the woman at the well -- and although Jews and Samaritans did not get along, the Samaritans welcomed Jesus into this midst and wanted Him to stay with them even longer than He did

            -- but Jesus had to go to Galilee, because His message was for the Jew first -- so after two days in Samaria, Jesus left and went home -- because of His reception in Jerusalem and the conflict that arose with the Pharisees, Jesus did not expect this homecoming to be a welcoming event -- the Jews had a history of rejecting God’s messengers, even to the point of killing God’s prophets sent to call the people back to true faith in the Father

            -- to top it off, Jesus was going home -- back to the place where He grew up -- back to the people who knew Him when He was a child -- to people who might not respect Him or His message because they knew Him as one of their own -- the hardest people to reach are your own family -- the hardest people to speak to are those who knew you as a child

            -- that’s why Jesus pointed out to His disciples the familiar phrase of His day, “a prophet has no honor in his own country” -- it’s a saying that means the same thing as “familiarity breeds contempt” -- when someone knows you well, they sometimes can’t see past you to hear the message you are bringing

            -- but, when Jesus arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him -- on the surface, it appeared they were open and eager to receive Jesus and to receive the message of God to them -- but, as we will see, looks can be deceiving

            -- look at the second part of verse 46

46b. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

48 “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.”

49 The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

            -- John tells us that a certain royal official heard Jesus was at Cana, so he traveled the twenty miles from Capernaum to Cana seeking Jesus’ help -- we’re not sure who this royal official was -- more than likely, he served in the court of Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great who ruled the region of Galilee

            -- this official was probably Jewish in his heritage, given that he came to see Jesus at Cana -- at this time, Jesus was not well-known outside of Jewish circles -- His public ministry had just started, and it was only at the Passover Feast in Jerusalem that people began to hear of Him

            -- certainly, word of Jesus’ actions in Jerusalem -- His turning over the tables of the money changers and argument with the Pharisees -- would have been heard about by Herod and his court -- and word was probably spreading over Jesus’ teaching ministry, although at this time, there had not been any miracles recorded by John except for changing the water into wine at the wedding some time earlier -- so this royal official makes the journey to Cana to see Jesus and ask for Him to come and heal his son

            -- if you’ll notice, the official addressed Jesus as “Sir” in verse 49 -- not “Rabbi” or “teacher” or any other term indicative of spiritual respect -- whether this man was a practicing Jew or not, it’s obvious that he was not a true believer -- he recognized Jesus’ authority -- he recognized Jesus’ teachings -- but didn’t know who Jesus really was at this time -- he only knew that Jesus was a man touched by God, and that his son was sick, and Jesus was his best hope to see his son healed

            -- you know that as a royal official this father had already exhausted the best medical help to be found in Capernaum -- you know he would have had the best doctors at his disposal -- but they could not help -- his son still lay sick -- and so he comes to see Jesus

            -- that’s an interesting point -- this official probably would never have come to see Jesus if his son had not gotten sick -- it took a trial in his life in order for him to seek Jesus in the first place -- that’s the reason God sometimes allows trials and tribulations into our lives -- it forces us to look past our own strength and our own efforts and causes us to seek out the only One who can truly take care of our problems -- sometimes we have to have an unsolvable problem in order to find faith

            -- that’s why John Maxwell said on time that miracles only occur when you have a problem -- and he offered to pray for anyone there who didn’t have a problem to get one, so they would be a candidate for a miracle

            -- faith has to start somewhere -- sometimes it starts with a problem

            -- this royal official had lost hope in the world -- he had tried all that the world had to offer in seeking healing for his son -- so now he has come with a glimmer of faith, praying for a miracle through Jesus

            -- but, even though the official’s faith came through desperation, we need to recognize his correct action in turning to Jesus when he had a problem -- not everyone follows the official’s example when troubles come -- some look at the sky and curse God -- some turn away from God and from the church and from God’s people -- some spend their time in depression and despair, crying out, “Woe is me -- why is this happening?”

            -- so, we must recognize the faith the official had to come to Jesus in the first place -- it was not a full-blown flame of faith -- it was just a spark of light -- but it was enough to get him to Jesus -- sometimes, that’s all we need to make a big difference in our lives

            -- in verse 48, Jesus responds to the official’s request to come and heal his son by saying, “Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders, you will never believe” -- this pronouncement wasn’t necessarily given to the official, but was a general statement proclaimed to the crowd that had gathered -- Jesus knew the hearts of the Galileans -- He knew the crowd had gathered that day just to see a show -- just to see a miracle in their midst -- and He knew that even seeing such a miracle would not cause them to come to a saving faith in Him

            -- the Samaritans had believed in Him when they saw the transformed life of the woman at the well -- they did not require signs and wonders to believe -- but the Galileans were kind of like the people from Missouri -- the “Show Me State” -- they had to see to believe -- their faith was predicated on seeing the miracles first, which is not real faith

            -- as one commentator put it, “A short-lived, superficial acceptance of our Lord is not the same as an informed, long-term belief in who He is”

            -- so, Jesus makes this pronouncement as a way of separating the wheat from the chaff -- from getting rid of those who only came through looking for a miracle and not a Messiah -- who came, not through faith seeking a Savior, but who came seeking entertainment

            -- His statement here reminds me of the true story of the Chinese underground church -- they were having a service one day when the door burst open and two Chinese officials came into the church with guns -- they said they were going to kill the followers of Jesus, but that any who were not believers could leave first -- several bolted for the door and left -- when they had gone, the fearful believers looked at the officials in disbelief as they announced, “We are believers, too -- we just wanted to get rid of those who were not before we joined you in worship”

            -- in contrast to these “unbelievers [who were only] fascinated by signs,”¹ the royal official shows real faith in Jesus when he speaks up again and begs Jesus again to just come and heal his child -- his faith withstood the test -- he was persistent in coming to Jesus in his time of need -- and he was desperate enough to humble himself before a carpenter and ask Him for help that could only come through Him

            -- verse 50

50 “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed.

            -- the official came to Cana seeking Jesus, hoping He would come back to Capernaum and heal his son -- when Jesus spoke about the lack of faith in people seeking nothing but miraculous signs and wonders, the official asked again for his son to be healed -- he was, in essence, saying, “I believe -- I believe in You -- come and heal my son”

            -- Jesus responded to the faith of the official and told him to go -- that his son would live -- and the man had to make a choice -- he came to Cana believing that Jesus had to be with him for his son to be healed -- but the point of Jesus’ response here is “you have some faith, but can you believe without sight?  Can you trust My word and believe your son can be healed based on hearing the word only?”

            -- think about how hard it must have been for the official to turn away from Jesus and head home having nothing but the word of a carpenter to trust in -- but, he believed -- he had faith -- and his actions show the difference between “God’s word may be true” and “God’s word is true”

            -- faith is demonstrated through what we do, not by what we say

            -- verse 51

51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.”

53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed.

54 This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

            -- as the official began the long trip home, he had nothing to carry with him but faith and hope in Jesus’ promise -- he left, trusting in a miracle he could not see

            -- and somewhere along his journey, he was met by his servants with the news that his boy was living -- that his son had been healed at the very moment Jesus had spoken the word and told him to go

            -- distance was no limitation to Jesus’ healing power -- Christ has mastery over time and space -- as the Life Application Study Bible points out, “we can never put so much space between ourselves and Christ that he can no longer help us -- no matter where we are -- no matter how far away the need -- God is already there

            -- the healing of the official’s son was a sign of the power of Jesus to give life -- not only physical -- but eternal life

            -- liberal scholars like to try to explain away the miracles of God through natural means, but there is no way to do so in this case -- the healing of the son at a distance meant that Jesus had not healed the son by any natural means -- and, since the son was healed before the official arrived home, this means the official did not carry back any medicine to be applied that would bring healing -- the healing came at a word -- the healing was an indisputable miracle that caused the spark of faith in the official’s life to turn into a flame of belief

            -- one true sign of a miracle is the response of the people to the experience of God in their midst -- because of his experience with Jesus -- because he had believed and trusted in faith in the word of Jesus -- this man and his whole household became believers in Jesus -- not in the miracles, but in the Savior behind the miracle

III.  Closing

            -- let’s bring this to a close

            -- on July 4th, 2012, over 1,000 scientists gathered in Bern, Switzerland, to hear a dramatic scientific announcement -- for decades, scientists had believed in a particle called the Higgs Boson -- the fundamental building block of the universe that had long been theorized but never proven -- for over fifty years, scientists believed in this subatomic particle even though it had never been seen, never measured, and never proven

            -- the Large Hadron Collider was built at the cost of $10 billion dollars, all in hopes of finding this particle -- but in July 2012, its presence had been documented, and scientists from all over the world gathered to celebrate the news

            -- An article in The New York Times about the Higgs boson announcement had this to say: “Confirmation of the Higgs boson or something very much like it would constitute a rendezvous with destiny for a generation of physicists who have believed in the boson for half a century without ever seeing it.”

            -- Now, isn't that interesting -- These scientists have believed in something they could never see and previously had been unable to prove! -- They have believed in this unproven particle because what they could see had convinced them that it had to be there.

            -- that is similar to the faith of Christians who believe in an unseen God that we cannot prove exists -- we know He exists because what we can see and what we have experienced reveals His power and divine nature -- it is not irrational to believe in God -- on the contrary, our faith could not be more rational, for our faith is in a Person -- we don’t need miracles to prove God exists -- we believe because of who He is -- we believe because of His word²

            -- the royal official came to have the same saving faith in Jesus by the end of this story -- his progression of faith from initial belief to mature faith is an example to us of the path we are all to follow

            -- when the official first made the journey from Capernaum to Cana, his faith was just a spark -- he believed in Jesus just enough to turn to Him for help in the midst of his need

            -- his faith grew when he heard the promise from Jesus that his son would live and he acted on this promise by stepping out and heading home

            -- finally, his faith was made whole as he rejoiced at the healing of his son and spread the word about the Messiah, leading his whole household to put their faith and trust in Jesus, too

            -- growing in faith -- learning to trust in Jesus and not the miracles themselves -- that is the message from this miraculous sign -- the second sign that Jesus performed in the gospel of John

            -- as we leave here today, I want you take a moment to consider where you are in your faith and your belief in Jesus -- are you living on miracles and signs? -- is your faith based on what you see?

            -- or are you trusting in what you cannot see -- being certain of what you hope for, although unseen? -- faith is trust in a person and stepping out in response to Jesus’ word

            -- true faith does not require signs -- true faith does not require sight -- true faith is a mark of the mature

            -- where are you today? -- where is your hope and trust? -- trust in the One who speaks to your heart -- believe in Him this morning

            -- let us pray

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1 [Bob Deffinbaugh, https://bible.org/seriespage/11-jesus-heals-royal-official-s-son-john-443-54]

2 Craig Brian Larson, editor, PreachingToday.com; sources: Dennis Overbye, "Physicists Find Elusive Particle Seen as Key to Universe," The New York Times (7-4-12); Steve Bradt, "3 Questions: Physicist Christoph Paus discusses newly discovered particle," MIT News Office (7-4-12)