Sunday, September 11, 2016

Semon for Sunday the 11th of September 2016



2016.09.11                                     John 4: 42- 54
                    On Miracles and Faith
John 4: 43-45                          NLT  Neues Leben
43 At the end of the two days, Jesus went on to Galilee. 44 He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown. 45 Yet the Galileans welcomed him, for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did there.
John 4: 43-45                           NLT  Neues Leben
43 Nach diesen zwei Tagen setzte Jesus seine Reise nach Galiläa fort.
44 Jesus hatte selbst einmal gesagt: »Ein Prophet wird überall geehrt, nur nicht in seiner eigenen Heimat.«
45 Doch als er dort ankam, nahmen ihn die Galiläer herzlich auf. Denn sie waren beim Passahfest in Jerusalem gewesen und hatten gesehen, was er dort getan hatte.
v43… Jesus has just spent two days in Samaria… and he is now leaving for Galilee... Jesus´ time in Samaria was wonderfully successful… It looks like the whole town of Sychar was turning to Jesus… They gladly received Him as the Messiah… The Savior of the world… The focus is on Jesus.. He reveals Himself as the living Word… He did no miracles there… He simply reached out to a desperate and lost Samaritan Woman… He showed her what was in her heart… He poured out grace and mercy on her sin filled life… He gave her Living water and she was transformed…She ran to testify of Jesus to her village and a revival broke out… Look with me at verse 42… John 4: 42…
John 4: 42                       NLT  Neues Leben
42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”
 42 Zu der Frau sagten sie: »Nun glauben wir, weil wir ihn selbst gehört haben, und nicht nur aufgrund deiner Worte. Jetzt wissen wir, dass er wirklich der Retter der Welt ist.
No miracles… just the Living Word revealed to them… This is a better response than Jesus has gotten from his own people… Those 2 days in Samaria were awesome… But you will remember that He stopped there on his way to Galilee… and so in v43 we see Jesus continue on His journey...
Jesus grew up in Nazareth… In Galilee… Galilee is Jesus’ homeland in a special sense… He was often called the Nazarene… That word means “the Branch”… The branch is a Prophetic name for the Messiah… He and some of His disciples are also from this area… We see the villages Of Galilee mentioned often in the Life of Jesus over and over… Do you remember what happened in Nazareth when Jesus began His earthly ministry… Luke ch4… At first they were thrilled to see what was happening in Jesus Life… They loved to hear Him teach… One day He was invited to read in the Synagogue… He stood up and read from the Prophet Isaiah… He pointed to Himself as the fulfillment of the Messianic prophesies in Isaiah 61… They utterly rejected Him… In Luke 4:24… He said that they would refuse to honor Him… And He was right… The tried to kill Him… So He left Galilee and went into Judah… There He cleansed the Temple… Did many Miracles and was Tempted in the wilderness by the Devil…  Now Jesus goes back home… look at v 44.. you could read it this way…
v44… He went back to Galilee because… 44 He himself had said that a prophet is not honored in his own hometown… Jesus is coming again to his own people because of His love and compassion for them... Even though He knows that they don’t understand him… and don’t really believe him to be the Messiah…
This is not new… already in Ch 1… we read  He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him…John 1:11… Jesus will keep offering himself to his own… and generally his own people will not receive him… Now look at what follows… This time is different… v45…
v45a… Yet the Galileans welcomed him… This time things are different…
v45b…  for they had been in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration and had seen everything he did…
They welcomed Him as a miracle worker… They believed that God Had blessed and given Him Powerful abilities… But they did not genuinely believe that He was the Messiah… You could say that they were believing without Believing… Saving faith was not present in most of them…
This is also not new… We have seen this before too…  look with me at John 2…v23-25…
John 2: 23-25                      NLT Neues Leben
23 Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. 24 But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew all about people. 25 No one needed to tell him about human nature, for he knew what was in each person’s heart.
23 Durch die Wunder, die er während des Passahfestes in Jerusalem tat, glaubten viele Menschen an seinen Namen.
24 Aber Jesus vertraute sich ihnen nicht an, denn er kannte sie und wusste, wie es in den Menschen wirklich aussieht.
25 Ihm brauchte über die menschliche Natur niemand etwas zu sagen.
They trusted Him… in some sense they believed… But this was not the kind of faith that Jesus accepted… It is possible to learn about Jesus and be very impressed…. But to take the next step and have saving Faith…. That is another matter… This was simply an excitement because of his miracles… They did not accept Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah, the Savior of the World… That is the result of a transformed heart and mind… These are the things that the Samaritans saw… They came quickly to realise that Jesus is Who He claims to be… They came to a saving knowledge of Jesus… It was not a matter of knowing about Jesus… It was not a matter of being Impressed by His miracles… They had come to know Jesus as Savoir and redeemer…  They said now we Know that you are the Christ...
They welcomed him because they had seen His miracles in Jerusalem… They were seeking Jesus for what they thought they could get from Him… They wanted his Miracles…. They wanted to experience His power…. But it was a believing that laid on the surface… It was not real and Jesus knew it… He also rejected it completely…. But Jesus did not give up on them…. Just Like Jesus does not give up on us… This is grace… Jesus keeps on reaching out to a sin filled and rebellious people…. People like me… and maybe some of you… So here is Jesus… He is coming to these people knowing this is their attitude…. They are offering lip Service… they make much of Him…. But they do not really believe in Him…. Most of them will not repent and believe the Gospel… They will die in their sins… Let´s look now the next section… 46,47…
John 4: 46,47           NLT   Neues Leben
46 As he traveled through Galilee, he came to Cana, where he had turned the water into wine. There was a government official in nearby Capernaum whose son was very sick. 47 When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die.
46 Seine Reise durch Galiläa führte ihn auch wieder in die Stadt Kana, wo er das Wasser in Wein verwandelt hatte. In Kapernaum lebte ein königlicher Beamter, dessen Sohn krank war.
47 Als er hörte, dass Jesus aus Judäa gekommen war und durch Galiläa reiste, brach er nach Kana auf. Er suchte Jesus und bat ihn, mit ihm nach Kapernaum herabzukommen und seinen Sohn zu heilen, der im Sterben lag.
v46a… Cana… this is the place he had done his first sign…. His first Miracle… Right here in Galilee by turning the water into wine…
v46b… Now we meet someone who is in desperate need of a Miracle… A government official… a Nobleman… From the greek… It could be that this man was related to King Herod…
v47…  When he heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went and begged Jesus to come to Capernaum to heal his son, who was about to die...
This man is begging Jesus to heal his son… He is desperate… v48…
John 4: 48-50              NLT   Neues Leben
48 Jesus asked, “Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”49 The official pleaded, “Lord, please come now before my little boy dies.”50 Then Jesus told him, “Go back home. Your son will live!” And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.
48 Jesus sagte: »Wenn ihr nicht Zeichen und Wunder seht, glaubt ihr nicht an mich.« 49 Doch der Beamte sagte zu ihm: »Herr, bitte komm zu mir herab nach Kapernaum, ehe mein kleiner Junge stirbt.« 50 Da sagte Jesus zu ihm: »Geh zurück nach Hause! Dein Sohn lebt.« Der Mann glaubte dem Wort, das Jesus zu ihm gesagt hatte, und machte sich auf den Heimweg.
v48… Will you never believe in me unless you see miraculous signs and wonders?”
The you in this sentence is Plural…. Yes, He is talking to the nobleman…. But he is also talking to the people who live in Galilee…. They had tried to kill Him… But now they welcome Him because they want more miracles… Now in v48…
v 48… “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” You are sign-seekers… You are “wonder-worshipers… You say you believe… but your belief is not real… Not in the sense that it transforms your hearts and minds… Many of the people who began to follow Jesus were just looking for practical things like healing… Others wanted to be entertained…. They wanted see miracles…. Signs and wonders…. It reminds us of people today oder?
But when Jesus healed and did miracles… He was doing it to underscore the Word of God… To prove the validity of His message… of His Messiahship…
Jesus came to seek and to Save the Lost… Yes, He healed broken bodies… But most important He healed and restored broken hearts and lives…. Like he did for that Samaritan woman that we studied last week… He did that by offering grace and mercy…. He washed away her sins… Still Today He offers Living Water to cleanse us from sin and death…These are the best miracles of all… They result in Eternal Life…
Look at verse v48… Will you never believe in me unless you see signs and miracles?...They were sign seekers… This is wrong… It is very different from the Samaritans… They believed Because of His Word… And they were wonderfully transformed…. They were transported from death into life…    
But now what about this royal official? Was he in that crowd who believed as a sign-seeker… Or was He really a Savior-seeker who also needed a Miracle? The proof is in His response to Jesus…
The official is asking for a miracle for his dying son… This is happening in an area that has welcome Jesus the miracle worker… Of course people love to see miracles… He seems to be asking for the same reason any unbelieving person would…  I have a health need… my son is dying… Please come and heal him… He is not saying Help me I am a sinner…. Forgive me and give me some living water…  Wash my sins away… Sign seekers…. Even when they say they believe… Are really just looking to get something from God… They are really unbelievers pretending… They are fans of Jesus…  But they are unbelievers… And unbelievers don’t love God… but they are willing to try to use God…So Jesus puts him to the test…  In verse 50… Jesus says…. Trust me… believe me…. He will live…. Go Home…
v50b… And the man believed what Jesus said and started home…
Remember… the man had asked Jesus to come with him… But when Jesus said “Go; your son will live,” the man obeyed without asking a question… He believed and started for home… He did not insist on seeing the miracle... He did not complain that Jesus would not come with him... He believed and he obeyed… Let´s look at the last section …v51-54…
John 4:51-54                        NLT   Neues Leben
51 While the man was on his way, some of his servants met him with the news that his son was alive and well. 52 He asked them when the boy had begun to get better, and they replied, “Yesterday afternoon at one o’clock his fever suddenly disappeared!” 53 Then the father realized that that was the very time Jesus had told him, “Your son will live.” And he and his entire household believed in Jesus. 54 This was the second miraculous sign Jesus did in Galilee after coming from Judea.
51 Unterwegs kamen ihm einige seiner Knechte mit der Nachricht entgegen, dass sein Sohn lebte und gesund war. 52 Er fragte sie, seit wann genau es dem Jungen wieder besser gehe, und sie erwiderten: »Gestern Mittag um ein Uhr verschwand das Fieber!«
53 Da erkannte der Vater, dass es genau der Zeitpunkt gewesen war, an dem Jesus ihm gesagt hatte: »Dein Sohn lebt.« Und der Beamte und sein ganzes Haus glaubten an Jesus. 54 Das war das zweite Wunder von Jesus in Galiläa, nachdem er aus Judäa gekommen war.
Then the next day… we are told of the miraculous healing at the very hour when Jesus spoke… He and his household believe in Jesus…
What are Lessons in this text?
Lessons
1 God is by Nature a Savior…
2 Jesus reflects the Father perfectly…
He revealed Himself as Messiah to the Samaritan woman and then to the village of Sycar… and finally to this Nobleman... john 4: 26,42,53 also John 3:16; John 14:9; Luke 19;
3 Jesus unfailing love moves Him to reach out to a lost and dying world…  even when they refuse to repent and believe the Gospel…
Jesus never gives up…  Jesus is Mighty to save! He will save anyone who cries out to Him for mercy and forgiveness…. And the Gentiles will be the first to come… Look with me at Isaiah 65: 1-3…
Isaiah 65: 1-3                       NKJV   slt 2000
1“I was sought by those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. I said,Here I am, here I am,To a nation that was not called by My name.2 I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people, Who walk in a way that is not good, According to their own thoughts; 3 A people who provoke Me to anger continually to My face;Who sacrifice in gardens, And burn incense on altars of brick;
1 Ich bin gesucht worden von denen, die nicht nach mir fragten; ich bin gefunden worden von denen, die mich nicht suchten; ich habe gesagt: »Hier bin ich; hier bin ich!« zu einem Volk, über dem mein Name nicht ausgerufen war. 2 Den ganzen Tag habe ich meine Hände ausgestreckt nach einem widerspenstigen Volk, das seinen eigenen Gedanken nachgeht auf einem Weg, der nicht gut ist. 3 Es ist ein Volk, das mich beständig ins Angesicht beleidigt, indem es in den Gärten opfert und auf Ziegelsteinen räuchert,
This is God´s Chesed… His unfailing love reaches out to anyone who believes and repents from their hearts…
And yes… He can and will heal a dying boy… but
4 It is wicked to demand signs and miracles from the Lord… Matthew 16: 1-4… For the sake of time… look with me at just verse 4…
Matthew 16: 4                            NKJV  slt 2000
4 A wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.
 4 Ein böses und ehebrecherisches Geschlecht begehrt ein Zeichen, aber es wird ihm kein Zeichen gegeben werden als nur das Zeichen des Propheten Jona! Und er verließ sie und ging davon.
It is a form of idolatry when we demand that God does this or that for us… Asking for miracles as a sign of His Power or Love… There is no room for a superficial cool kind of faith… I Believe In Jesus… He is my homeboy…Therefore I deserve… NOOOOO!... We can not demand a sign from the Lord of Glory…
The sign of His love is Jesus death and resurrection! The sign of Jonah…
Often our inner sinful impulses make it hard for to seek Him from our hearts… Even we seem to seek the Lord for what He can do for us…. this is wrong…. We worship Him because of all that He is….
Sadly… we sometimes don’t feel the need for His Grace… We try to use him to get what we want…. We decide that we need or deserve special favor and blessings… Because we are Super Christians…  
This impulse to make the Lord prove Himself is very much alive today… We can also demand miracles… Instead of being content to know the Lord Jesus Christ…. And the power of His Life transforming Resurrection on our own hearts and lives…
When we expect Jesus to do things for us… It becomes harder and harder to see Jesus for who he really is… He is the one who saves by grace alone….  He calls us to humility and servanthood… He calls on us to trust and obey…  Not to Wealth and prosperity…
There is a wonderful old Hymn that captures these ideas perfectly…. It is called Trust and Obey… look at this…
Trust and Obey
When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.
Refrain:
Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.
This simple worship song connects three important Biblical truths together…
Trust Obedience and Joy
They are deeply connected to the Joyful Christian life that we all say that we want…
A final question for us to think about…
What does this Miracle Tell Us About Jesus
1 Jesus is full of grace… Jesus pours Grace and mercy out on us…. Even though we do not deserve it…
He is Gracious even when we don´t deserve it…
He heals this child in a very unbelieving atmosphere... these hearers are sign-seeking…. They are demonstrating false faith…  And in that context… Because of his Chesed… His unfailing love and mercy… Jesus heals this man´s dying son… The conclusion….
None of us has a divine right to demand anything of The Lord… We are totally dependent on His grace and mercy…
2) Jesus Is Powerful
The boy was dying… The power of Jesus to heal is seen in the fact that he did it with a mere word… He simply said, “Go, your son will live”v50
The boy was in Capernaum… That is 15 miles away…. He could have been 15,000 miles away... It would not have mattered…  Distance is nothing to the Lord…
And the power of his healing is also seen in the fact that it was immediate… John draws special attention to that... v52,53… Jesus spoke… And immediately it was done it was done… What power… What grace…  
A dying boy healed with a word… In an instant…  This is the power of Jesus… John wants us to understand who Jesus is… He is the Messiah…. The Savoir of the World… He is filled with the power and Glory of God 
We beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father… John 1:14… And from his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.. John 1:16
 I pray that we will see Jesus…. Clearly….. He has poured Grace and mercy out on us…. And the miracle is that he saves and heals us…. Even though we do not deserve it…. There is no room for pride… There is no room for a sense of entitlement… No… It is all grace… Let´s pray

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