John 4:46-54 - Homiletics

The second miracle of Cana.

Our Lord is led to open his Galilaean ministry at the scene of his first miracle, at the spot where he had attached his first band of disciples more closely to himself.

I. A FATHER 'S PRAYER FOR HIS DYING CHILD . "He besought him that he would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death."

1 . The petitioner was a royal officer of the household of Herod Antipas, Tetrarch of Galilee, probably Chuza, "Herod's steward," whose wife afterwards, in gratitude for her child's recovery, ministered to our Lord of her substance ( Luke 8:3 ).

2 . It was affliction that brought him to Jesus. Many persons never think of Christ till they are driven to him by sickness or sorrow.

3 . He had faith enough to believe in our Lord ' s Tower to save his child ' s life. This faith was based upon testimony; for the Cana miracle, as well as the signs done at Jerusalem, must have been noised all over Galilee.

II. OUR LORD 'S TESTING ANSWER TO HIS APPLICATION . "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will in no wise believe."

1 . The words, through addressed to the royal officer, are really designed for the Jews, who wish to see him as a Worker of miracles. They desire to see miracles, not as the mere manifestation of facts of the invisible world, as "signs," but as "wonders" calculated by their strangeness to arrest attention.

2 . The Jews represent a lower type of faith than the Samaritans, who asked for no miracle, but merely believed in Christ's word.

3 . Yet the Lord condescends to the demands of a faith which is more sight than faith.

III. THE INCREASING URGENCY OF A FATHER 'S SORROW . "Sir, come down ere my child die."

1 . He did not regard our Lord ' s words as any refection of his prayer.

2 . His powerlessness leads him to a more unreserved dependence upon, the Lord ' s power.

IV. OUR LORD 'S ANSWER TO HIS PRAYER . "Go thy way; thy son liveth."

1 . A word is enough. Divine power acts through a word.

2 . The Lord gives us often more than we ask for.

3 . Jesus strengthens the faith of the royal officer by shifting his faith from the testimony of others to faith in himself. It rests now on a better foundation, even in Jesus Christ himself.

V. THE TRIUMPH OF FAITH . "And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way."

1 . He believed in Christ ' s power to heal his son a distance of twenty-five miles from Capernaum. This fact marks the rapid growth of his faith.

2 . His faith received a speedy confirmation. "And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, Thy son liveth." His faith has now reached its highest point, that of personal experience.

VI. THE FAITH OF THE ROYAL OFFICER EXTENDS TO HIS HOUSEHOLD . "And himself believed, and his whole house."

1 . A weak faith has in it the elements of growth.

2 . The faith of father often leads, through the Divine blessing, to the conversion of his household.