Wednesday, February 17, 2010
GENTRY — “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. When he heard that
Jesus was come out of Judæa 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. Then said Jesus
unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders,
ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto
him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 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.
And as he was now going down, his servants
met him, and told him, saying, Thy son
liveth. 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. 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.” John 4:46-53 Are we willing to take Jesus at His word or
must we see to believe? When Jesus returned
to Cana in Galilee, a certain official at Caper
naum whose son was sick and at the point of
death heard of Jesus’ return and went to Je
sus for help. He begged Jesus to come down
to Capernaum and heal his son.
Those who have had children sick and fac
ing death can understand this royal official’s
desperation. All seemed hopeless. Only a
miracle could save this man’s son, and he
had heard of Jesus’ power to work just such
miracles. If only Jesus would make the trek
down to Capernaum in time!
How did Jesus respond to the nobleman’s
request? He said, “Except ye see signs and
wonders, ye will not believe.” And it’s true.
Think of Martha’s words to Jesus when
Lazarus died: “Lord, if thou hadst been here,
my brother had not died” (John 11:21). And
we might think the same thing as we stand
at the bedside of a dying loved one: “If only
Jesus were here, he wouldn’t die.” But wait, Jesus is here. He’s present every
where. He’s with us always, even to the end
of the world (cf. Matthew 28:20). Do we have
to see His presence to believe He’s with us?
Do we have to see Him lay His hands on the
sick and dying to know that He has done so?
Must we see signs and wonders with our
own eyes before we believe? Is it not enough
to read of His mighty works in the pages of
Scripture, hear of His love and mercy toward
us and know that He Himself died for all our
sins, rose from the dead and ascended to the
right hand of God the father?
And if we see no miracle, has none oc
curred? If a loved one dies in the Lord Jesus
rather than being restored to health and life
here in this world, is not this an even greater
miracle? Think about it. Jesus died for the
sins of the world and rose again. His Holy
Spirit raised up our loved one’s soul, which
was dead in sin and unbelief, to faith and
life in Christ Jesus. For Christ’s sake, a soul
destined to eternal damnation in hell has
received God’s pardon and forgiveness and
was restored to fellowship with God and
destined to the eternal joys of heaven. When
that loved one died a temporal death, God’s
angels came and carried his or her soul into
the very presence of Christ our Savior. Is not
this a greater miracle than any temporal
healing we might see with our earthly eyes?
We cannot see it now, but when we get home
we shall see!
When the nobleman said to Jesus, “Sir,
come down ere my child die,” Jesus said
to him, “Go thy way; thy son liveth.” Jesus
wanted this man to trust Him and take Him
at His word - He challenged this man’s
faith. And, indeed, when we think about
it, wasn’t it better that this man’s sick son
be healed immediately rather than waitinganother day while Jesus walked from Cana down to Capernaum?
Jesus wants us to take Him at His word as well. He promises us forgiveness for all our sins and life eternal with Him in heaven through faith in His name. We can’t see these blessings now, but they are ours just the same. Must we see signs and wonders to know His word to us is true? Must we speak in tongues or work miracles in Jesus’ name before we can believe we are really forgiven and have a place in God’s eternal kingdom?
Knowing our weaknesses, Jesus does give us visible means connected with His Word that we might take hold of and receive the promises. That we might know our sins are washed away and forgiven and that we are born anew as God’s children, He gave us the waters of baptism. Water is used by God’s command and connected with His Word of promise, and through it He washes away all our sins for Jesus’ sake, regenerates us and make us children of God by the gracious working of the Holy Spirit (cf. Titus 3:4-7). In and with the bread and wine in the Lord’s Supper, Christ Jesus gives us His body and blood which were given and shed for the remission of our sins - all that we might be assured of full and complete forgiveness as we partake of the sacrificial “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).
The Bible tells us that “faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17). When this nobleman heard the words of Jesus, he “believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way. And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. 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. 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.”
Now think of Jesus’ words to us: “Be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee” (Matthew 9:2); “Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world” (Matthew 28:20); or “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (John 14:2, 3). Jesus spoke these words and they are recorded for us that we, too, might believe. Through these and many other passages of Scripture, He assures us of eternal salvation - of a place in His everlasting kingdom!
We may not be able to see all these blessings now - we can only take Jesus at His word and live our lives here in confidence - but when we get home, we’ll see that His words are true. God did indeed forgive all our sins for the sake of Jesus’ innocent sufferings and death in our stead. God was watching over us, caring for us and preserving us in the faith throughout our earthly lives. Heaven is real, and Messiah Jesus did prepare a place for you and me to dwell with Him there in the mansions of His Father’s house.
In fact, when we get home, we’ll be amazed and struck with awe at the blessings which are ours in Christ Jesus - blessings which we didn’t begin to fathom here in this world! The Bible tells us “That in the ages to come” our gracious God will show us “the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).
Yes, when we get home, not only will we see that Christ Jesus our Savior lives, we will see that we indeed live forever in Him!
O gracious God, grant us faith to take Jesus at His word until that day when we go home and see with our own eyes that all He has promised us is true! Amen.
[Devotion from The Still Small Voice, Gentry, Ark. Scripture from the King James Version of the Bible.]
For The Record, Pages 4 on 02/17/2010