Title: Miracles and Faith (John 12:39-54)
[John 4:39-54]
Verses 39 to 42 are the final closing words of the woman of Suga. In verses 46 to 54, there is a scene where Jesus goes back to Galilee and heals the king's servant son. Today, through this text, I will testify of the Word under the title of ‘Miracle and Faith’.
Let's look at verses 46-54. Jesus went to Cana of Galilee again. He went through Samaria to Galilee and then to Cana. Cana is the place where Jesus had the first sign of turning water into wine, as described in John 2. The son of a servant who is serving the king of Cana here has fallen ill. He comes from Capernaum to Cana and asks Jesus to heal his son. It takes about 4 hours to walk from Ghana to Capernaum. The servant asks Jesus to come to Capernaum and heal his son. Looking at the background of making this request to Jesus, after hearing the rumor that Jesus performed many miracles in Jerusalem during the Passover, he begged for the healing of his son. In verse 47, he comes down to Jesus himself and begs him to heal him. However, in verse 48, Jesus replies that he cannot believe unless he sees signs and wonders. This can be seen as pointing out the heart without faith.
The servant had faith that Jesus would heal his son, but Jesus did not call it 'faith'. The servant's faith was nothing more than an earnestness and hope based on his own needs. He thought of Jesus only as someone who had the power to heal his son. I thought only of those who could perform miracles. In fact, Jesus answered his earnest request to come down before the child dies (verse 49) and answered with one word, saying, “Go because the child is alive” (verse 50). And the servant heard what Jesus had said and went. The expression of the servant's faith in Jesus can be found in two places. “The man believed what Jesus had said and went away” (verse 50). And “the father knew that it was the time when Jesus said that your son was alive, and he and all his household believed” (verse 53).
If he had completely believed that Jesus would heal his son, he had to return immediately. With his son dying or living, there was no reason to stay in Ghana for even one more day. Perhaps this person was looking for other lawmakers. Maybe he was thinking of other ways to save his son. Anyway, he wasted a day. And seeing the servants on the way home, it seems that the departure was late the next day. Having met the servants, this man realized that his son's fever had gone down and that the time coincided with the time Jesus said that his son was cured. Only then did he and his whole household come to believe in Jesus. It was only in verse 53 that he realized that Jesus was the Messiah. And I learned that Jesus is also the savior.
John recorded this event as the second sign. Jesus performed the first miracle in Cana. After that, he performed many miracles and signs in Jerusalem.
However, John recorded the healing of his servant's son as the second sign, even though there were many miracles and signs after the first sign of the Cana wedding feast. The meaning of the signs in the Gospel of John was recorded as ‘signs’ only for events that accurately guide who Jesus Christ is. No matter how many miracles and wonders, if they do not show that Jesus is our Savior and Messiah, John did not record them as signs. Many people come to Jesus with their own earnest heart. Sometimes we come with vague expectations that we can solve our problems or with specific aspirations based on experience. However, the Apostle John is saying that these expectations, longings, and miracles are meaningless if they do not lead to meeting God Himself, unless the center of our hearts is meeting Jesus personally.
It is very special that the Samaritans, who were being persecuted by the people of Jerusalem at that time, heard the words of Jesus and had faith that he was the Savior of the world. Because Jesus performed many miracles and miracles, he did not perform any miracles only in the city of Suga in Samaria. Through the Word, people realized that He became the Savior. In the past, people recognized him as the Savior after seeing the miracles he had performed, not just the Word. Many of the Jerusalem people were enamored with his miracles, but later they killed Jesus on the cross. It was because their hearts were centered only on the power and miracles that Jesus performed. Through this power, what Jesus wants them to see is that Jesus is the Christ. they didn't see it. However, the people of Suido, who did not show any miracles, had the right faith to know Jesus as their Savior, but the people of Jerusalem who had many signs and miracles killed him on the cross.
As we approach the new year of 2006, I have one wish for myself and the members of the congregation. It means that God will do many things through us, but it just wants us to be His signs. It should be a guide for a deep personal encounter between God and us. We should not focus solely on the miracle itself. What we desire and aspire to become the grace of our lives and our ability to solve problems. However, if such things prevent you from forming a personal relationship with Jesus, there is no maturity in your faith. It may not be the faith that Jesus acknowledges, but only our longing for Him to meet our needs.
We are a church that has received much power, grace, and blessings from God. However, if these things block the ability to see God rightly, it is not a blessing. It's not a boast, it's not an ability, it's not a blessing. If we can only meet Jesus personally because we are sick and perish, it can be a blessing, but it is nothing if the many blessings given to us fail to make us look to Jesus. This year, I hope to deepen my relationship with Jesus. We want the joy that comes from a deep personal encounter with Jesus to be our prayer topic. When this happens, the miracle of God working in us can be a clear and perfect sign to change our lives and win. This sign will function to lead us accurately before Jesus. We hope that these signs will overflow in our lives in 2006.