John 4
"I won't believe in God unless He reveals Himself to me!" "If I can't see it, I don't believe it!" Have you heard these types of remarks? I've even heard people say "If I find out Heaven is real when I die, I will ask God why He never revealed Himself to me. If He's real, it's His fault I don't believe." This sounds absurd to me! Sounds like people are just looking for a reason not to believe.
Our text here shows us, I believe, the type of faith God expects us to have in His Word. John's gospel account identifies seven specific miracles Jesus performed. The second (not actually the second miracle He performed because we know He had performed many in Jerusalem, but it is the second time He performed a miracle after coming into Galilee from Judea, the first miracle being in Cana of Galilee after coming out of Judea. See verse 54) is the healing of the nobleman's son.
Before we read about this miracle, though, the Holy Ghost gives us some important information. Jesus had just spent two days in Samaria (a place despised by both Jews and Gentiles) where He performed no miracles we know of, and yet the people believe and follow Jesus because of His words (V. 41,42). So, now we have three groups of people listed:
1) The Jews who saw miracles and still didn't believe
2) The Samaritans who believed because of Jesus' words
3) The Galileans who believed only if they saw signs and wonders
This is why Jesus tells the nobleman, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." Note, Jesus was not just talking about the nobleman. We know that because He says except "ye" believe. If you don't have an Authorized, King James Version you may miss this. Some modern translations (including what they are calling the "2000 King James Bible" or the "21st century King James") have changed "ye" and "thee" to "you;" so it is hard to tell if it is singular or plural. The NIV and some other popular versions say "...except 'you people' believe..." I believe what Jesus is saying is "Except (you Galileans) see signs and wonders, (you Galileans) won't believe."
The nobleman continues to ask Jesus to come heal his son, but instead of going to the son, Jesus gives the nobleman a test. "Go thy way," Jesus tells him, "thy son liveth." From that, the nobleman must go home on faith that his son will be okay. Then we read that the man "believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him."
So the question is, what about you? What do you need in order to believe God? He has already given us His Word, supernaturally preserved It, and promised that It will never pass away. If you want to know the Lord's mind on a matter, you can find it in the Bible. Then, when you have heard it, you just need to "Go thy way."
"I won't believe in God unless He reveals Himself to me!" "If I can't see it, I don't believe it!" Have you heard these types of remarks? I've even heard people say "If I find out Heaven is real when I die, I will ask God why He never revealed Himself to me. If He's real, it's His fault I don't believe." This sounds absurd to me! Sounds like people are just looking for a reason not to believe.
Our text here shows us, I believe, the type of faith God expects us to have in His Word. John's gospel account identifies seven specific miracles Jesus performed. The second (not actually the second miracle He performed because we know He had performed many in Jerusalem, but it is the second time He performed a miracle after coming into Galilee from Judea, the first miracle being in Cana of Galilee after coming out of Judea. See verse 54) is the healing of the nobleman's son.
Before we read about this miracle, though, the Holy Ghost gives us some important information. Jesus had just spent two days in Samaria (a place despised by both Jews and Gentiles) where He performed no miracles we know of, and yet the people believe and follow Jesus because of His words (V. 41,42). So, now we have three groups of people listed:
1) The Jews who saw miracles and still didn't believe
2) The Samaritans who believed because of Jesus' words
3) The Galileans who believed only if they saw signs and wonders
This is why Jesus tells the nobleman, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." Note, Jesus was not just talking about the nobleman. We know that because He says except "ye" believe. If you don't have an Authorized, King James Version you may miss this. Some modern translations (including what they are calling the "2000 King James Bible" or the "21st century King James") have changed "ye" and "thee" to "you;" so it is hard to tell if it is singular or plural. The NIV and some other popular versions say "...except 'you people' believe..." I believe what Jesus is saying is "Except (you Galileans) see signs and wonders, (you Galileans) won't believe."
The nobleman continues to ask Jesus to come heal his son, but instead of going to the son, Jesus gives the nobleman a test. "Go thy way," Jesus tells him, "thy son liveth." From that, the nobleman must go home on faith that his son will be okay. Then we read that the man "believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him."
So the question is, what about you? What do you need in order to believe God? He has already given us His Word, supernaturally preserved It, and promised that It will never pass away. If you want to know the Lord's mind on a matter, you can find it in the Bible. Then, when you have heard it, you just need to "Go thy way."
