Sunday, September 25, 2016

Todays sermon notes



2016.09.25                                    John 5: 1-18
                The Compassion of Jesus
This morning we will be studying the first 18 verses of John 5…
In this passage… John is again showing us Jesus…. He wants us to see Him…. He wants us to hear His Words of Life…. He wants us to know and believe that He is the Christ…. The Savoir… So that in repenting and believing in Jesus…. We will receive that Living water that He freely offers…. Because when we do…. We find life…. Eternal Life in Him…. That is why John wrote this Gospel… It the goal of all scripture… Our text for today is amazing in what it shows us about Jesus…  The world is full of sin and sickness and death… And in spite of Jesus’ power to heal… our world continues to be filled with unbelievable pain and suffering… Look with me at the first section… John ch5… v1-5…1–5,
John 5: 1-5                      NKJV   slt 2000
5 After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 2 Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five porches. 3 In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed, waiting for the moving of the water. 4 For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool and stirred up the water; then whoever stepped in first, after the stirring of the water, was made well of whatever disease he had. 5 Now a certain man was there who had an infirmity thirty-eight years.
John 5: 1-5                       slt 2000
1 Danach war ein Fest der Juden, und Jesus zog hinauf nach Jerusalem. 2 Es ist aber in Jerusalem beim Schaftor ein Teich, der auf hebräisch Bethesda heißt und der fünf Säulenhallen hat. 3 In diesen lag eine große Menge von Kranken, Blinden, Lahmen und Abgezehrten, welche auf die Bewegung des Wassers warteten. 4 Denn ein Engel stieg zu gewissen Zeiten in den Teich hinab und bewegte das Wasser. Wer nun nach der Bewegung des Wassers zuerst hineinstieg, der wurde gesund, mit welcher Krankheit er auch geplagt war. 5 Es war aber ein Mensch dort, der 38 Jahre in der Krankheit zugebracht hatte.

Jesus is in Jerusalem again… He is there to celebrate one of the Feasts…
Jesus goes to the Pool of Bethesda…. This is where people with diseases and disabilities wait for the troubling of the waters… because healings happen in this pool… Jesus walks in among this huge crowd of suffering and desperate people…
v3… In these lay a great multitude of sick people, blind, lame, paralyzed…  There is desperate need in this place… And Jesus moves to the need… But just like the woman at the well… Jesus is going to a specific person in this place…  
v4… For an angel went down at a certain time… This was a popular belief…. They ascribed the Angels as servants or Messengers of God who had the power to do miracles… It was a mix of Jewish and Greek religious practices…. Many thought this…
Let´s look at the next section…  v 6–9… Here the focus is on Jesus as He continues to reveal Himself to Israel… John ch5… v6-9…
John 5: 6-9                              NKJV    slt 2000
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
John 5: 6-9                              NKJV    slt 2000
6 Als Jesus diesen daliegen sah und erfuhr, daß er schon so lange Zeit [in diesem Zustand] war, spricht er zu ihm: Willst du gesund werden? 7 Der Kranke antwortete ihm: Herr, ich habe keinen Menschen, der mich in den Teich bringt, wenn das Wasser bewegt wird; während ich aber selbst gehe, steigt ein anderer vor mir hinab. 8 Jesus spricht zu ihm: Steh auf, nimm deine Liegematte und geh umher! 9 Und sogleich wurde der Mensch gesund, hob seine Liegematte auf und ging umher. Es war aber Sabbat an jenem Tag.
John tells us that he wrote this Gospel so that we would believe… and in Believing find salvation through Him… John 20: 31… He said that Jesus did many miracles and many healings… John focuses on three… This is the first of them here in ch5… In ch 9 Jesus will heal a man born blind…. That had never happened before… In ch 11 Jesus will raise Lazarus from the dead… This man has been very sick for 38 years… As we come into this scene… John is showing us   Jesus… 1 His  Supernatural knowledge…v6… 2 his compassion… and 3 his power…
Let´s look at these… First, his Divine Supernatural knowledge…
v6a…When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time… Jesus knew this man’s situation… Just like us…. Jesus knows us completely… Perfectly… He knows what you and I go through day by day… He knows everything that we have ever felt or thought or done… He sees our past and he knows our future too…  Look with me at Hebrews 4:12…
Hebrews 4:12                           NLT   Neues Leben
12 For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.
12 Das Wort Gottes ist lebendig und wirksam. Es ist schärfer als das schärfste Schwert und durchdringt unsere innersten Gedanken und Wünsche. Es deckt auf, wer wir wirklich sind, und macht unser Herz vor Gott offenbar.
12… Exposes our innermost thoughts and desires… Jesus  knows he has been disabled for Thirty-eight years… He knows the sin and guilt that this man has been experiencing all of these years…. You see the culture says that this man is a terrible sinner…. His physical condition is to them proof of great sin… He of course knows that he is a sinner and he is certainly ashamed of it…. That shame has it´s own deep suffering… Can you imagine this… We are talking about a man who has been suffering for 38 years now… I am sure that he was feeling hopeless… Believing that he would ever be healed… Let´s look at the second thing that we learn from this scene about Jesus…  His deep Compassion…  Think about this… Jesus is moved to show mercy and compassion to this man… Even though He sees deep into His faithless and sin filled heart…
Jesus chooses to go to this pool on this day…  He was going to this pool the same way he went to Samaria to find the woman at the well… and the same way he went to sign-seeking… prophet-dishonoring Galilee to the dying son of a Royal official… Do you remember what Jesus read in the synagogue the day He began His earthly Ministry?… That day they rejected Him as Messiah… In fact they tried to kill Him…. He read from Isaiah ch 61… look at it with me…
Isaiah 61: 1-3                                    NLT   Neues Leben 1The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, for the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.He has sent me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. 2 He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. 3To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory.
Isaiah 61: 1-3                                    NLT   Neues Leben
1 Der Geist Gottes, des Herrn, ruht auf mir, denn der Herr hat mich gesalbt, um den Armen eine gute Botschaft zu verkünden. Er hat mich gesandt, um die zu heilen, die ein gebrochenes Herz haben und zu verkündigen, dass die Gefangenen freigelassen und die Gefesselten befreit werden. 2 Er hat mich gesandt, um ein Gnadenjahr des Herrn und einen Tag der Rache unseres Gottes auszurufen und alle Trauernden zu trösten. 3 Er hat mich gesandt, um es den Trauernden zu ermöglichen, dass ihnen ein Kopfschmuck anstelle von Asche, Freudenöl anstelle von Trauerkleidern, und Lobgesang anstelle eines betrübten Geistes gegeben werde; und dass man sie »Eichen der Gerechtigkeit« und »Pflanzung zur Verherrlichung des Herrn« nennen kann.
This is why Jesus came…. He came to heal and restore lost and broken lives… This man certainly is in this category… He is in deep sorrow and mourning… He needs a miracle… Look at v3a…
v3a… To all who mourn in Israel, he will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair… His Mission is clear…  Jesus moves toward needs… He has come to seek and to save the lost… They… We receive His mercy and grace… not the self-righteous and legalistic… They think that they do not need a Savior… Jesus is doing exactly what He came to do… Proclaim the Good News… By the way… He expects us to do the same… look at the last part of v3b…
v3b… In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for his own glory….
Here we see the ultimate goal of the Good News…. Salvation that produces joy and praise… and finally…  Righteousness… And it is all for His Glory… Back to John ch5…v6…
John 5: 6-9                              NKJV    slt 2000
6 When Jesus saw him lying there, and knew that he already had been in that condition a long time, He said to him, “Do you want to be made well?” 7 The sick man answered Him, “Sir, I have no man to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up; but while I am coming, another steps down before me.” 8 Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” 9 And immediately the man was made well, took up his bed, and walked. And that day was the Sabbath.
John 5: 6-9                              NKJV    slt 2000
6 Als Jesus diesen daliegen sah und erfuhr, daß er schon so lange Zeit [in diesem Zustand] war, spricht er zu ihm: Willst du gesund werden? 7 Der Kranke antwortete ihm: Herr, ich habe keinen Menschen, der mich in den Teich bringt, wenn das Wasser bewegt wird; während ich aber selbst gehe, steigt ein anderer vor mir hinab. 8 Jesus spricht zu ihm: Steh auf, nimm deine Liegematte und geh umher! 9 Und sogleich wurde der Mensch gesund, hob seine Liegematte auf und ging umher. Es war aber Sabbat an jenem Tag.
v6… Do you want to be made well?
Notice that the man did not say yes… Instead in verse 7 he explains his problem… I am not fast enough to be first in the water… Jesus does not ask any more questions… Jesus simply acts…. V8…
v8…“Get up, take up your bed, and walk.”
Jesus healed him simply because his situation was so desperate… This healing came from Jesus’ compassion… It had nothing at all to do with the man’s faith or righteousness…
Over and over again we see Jesus moved with compassion for the lost and the sick and dying… Jesus was moved with compassion or pity… So not only does Jesus know us perfectly… but he is easily moved by the misery we feel…
v8,9a…“Jesus said to him, ‘Get up, take up your bed, and walk.’ And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked.” The words “at once” In an instant… When Jesus speaks… broken bodies are healed… The blind see… And hopeless sinners are forgiven…   
John’s goal is that we see the Supernatural knowledge… the Divine compassion… and the sovereign power of Jesus... We learn all of these things from His Word… This is how you get to know Jesus... This is how you build a relationship with Jesus… You meet him here in his word… The great King David said… Thy Word have I hid in my heart.... Why? Not only to know Him.... But to not sin.... Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Him… Psalm 119… v11… I would recommend that you read Ps 119… v9-16…. As a great place for your personal Bible Study… Let´s look at  verse 9…
v9b… And that day was the Sabbath...
Jesus knows what he has done… He healed a man on the Sabbath… Jesus told him to carry his bed as a sign and celebration that he is whole...
He knows this will create conflict… Jesus is not only showing mercy and compassion to this man…. But by healing him on the Sabbath… He is showing mercy and compassion on His enemies… He is going to confront them over and over for their sin and pride and hypocrisy… They are going to go Ballistic about this healing… Exactly because it occurred on the Sabbath… look at the next section v10-13…
John 5: 10-13                          NKJV slt2000
10 The Jews therefore said to him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to carry your bed.”11 He answered them, “He who made me well said to me, ‘Take up your bed and walk.’”12 Then they asked him, “Who is the Man who said to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” 13 But the one who was healed did not know who it was, for Jesus had withdrawn, a multitude being in that place.
John 5: 10-13                          NKJV slt2000
10 Nun sprachen die Juden zu dem Geheilten: Es ist Sabbat; es ist dir nicht erlaubt, die Liegematte zu tragen! 11 Er antwortete ihnen: Der mich gesund machte, der sprach zu mir: Nimm deine Liegematte und geh umher! 12 Da fragten sie ihn: Wer ist der Mensch, der zu dir gesagt hat: Nimm deine Liegematte und geh umher? 13 Aber der Geheilte wußte nicht, wer es war, denn Jesus war weggegangen, weil so viel Volk an dem Ort war.
Look at this…  Jesus healed the man in an instant… then He disappeared before the man could find out who he was… The man didn’t even know who healed him…
What was the goal here… Just a random act of mercy… No… This is about much more than just a miracle for a stranger… He wants this man´s total transformation… It is Living water that He will offer him… look at the next verse…. V14…
John 5: 14                 NKJV    slt 2000
14 Afterward Jesus found him in the temple, and said to him, “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.”
14 Danach findet ihn Jesus im Tempel und spricht zu ihm: Siehe, du bist gesund geworden; sündige hinfort nicht mehr, damit dir nicht etwas Schlimmeres widerfährt!  
Jesus had no intention of walking away from this man and leaving him with nothing more than a healed body…
Notice two things… At the end of verse 13, the reason Jesus walked away from the man was that there was a crowd there… “Jesus had withdrawn, as there was a crowd in the place.” The place was filled with sick people… If Jesus had stayed there after healing one man…. I can imagine a stampede of the sick and lame rushing toward Jesus for their healings too…  They would have all been demanding their miracles too… He did not come there to heal them all… If that was His goal… He would have done it… He certainly had the power to heal everyone of them Instantly…. Why didn´t He?...There were times when He healed everyone who came to Him… Luke 6…v19…
Yes Jesus heals…. Yes He still heals today… But Healing for everyone in this life is not the Sovereign plan of God… If it was… it would have happened…. Think about this man…. He did not even know who healed Him…. He certainly was not exercising faith for Healing… It had nothing to do with this man at all… Jesus was moved with compassion and He healed Him… Mere Physical healing is far short of the Awesome plan of God Remember from Isaiah 61…. The goal is righteousness…. Salvation and transformation… and the Glory of God… We are still in John ch5… Look at verse 14....
Jesus seeks out the man in the temple…
v14… “Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, ‘See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you.’
What’s the goal? Mercy and forgivenss for sins… In the NLT…. Jesus says stop sinning! The goal and purpose of God is holiness… Definitely not mere health…. That man got sick and died one day… But Because Jesus had transformed Him Body and Spirit…. We will get to meet him one day… I want to hear him tell all about his life after that miraculous day of healing… Jesus is saying… I have healed you to make you holy.” So now… Stop sinning…   I have given you a gift… You didn’t earn it… Now it is time to show your gratitude by the way you live…  I have freed you from the power of sin and death…  Now, live in this power… Let this gift of healing… this gift of grace… Lead you in paths of righteousness… Psalm 23… v3… we all know that verse don´t we… look at it with me for a minute…
Psalm 23: 3                    NKJV slt 2000
3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
3 Er erquickt meine Seele; er führt mich auf rechter Straße um seines Namens willen.
He leads Me in paths of righteousness… Jesus is saying to this man and to us… I have healed you… Now follow me… Walk in righteousness… For my Sake… That means for my Glory…
Think about this…. Jesus healed only one man… He leaves hundreds of invalids behind unhealed... Then he finds the man…   and Jesus puts all the focus on Discipleship…. The goal of this man’s healing is much more than a body that now functions normally… The true healing is in his transformation… New life…. Living water… Jesus is calling him to live a Godly Life… Remember v14… stop sinning… Remember Jesus only healed one man…
Until Jesus comes again… Healing Is the Exception… Not the Rule… Most people who suffer from disabilities in this life will have them to the day they die… And until Jesus comes again… We will all die of something… Yes Jesus still heals… It is right for us to ask the Lord to heal us.. And some are healed… We believe in miracles still today… But even though Jesus had the power to heal them all… He healed only one… He did not usher in the final day of perfect health... His ministry points to that day… That glorious day when He wipes away all tears forever…  That Glorious day when He will forever banish all of the consequences of the Fall… He will restore Paradise lost… But not yet… Not until He returns with power and great Glory… 
The Goal of redemption until Jesus comes back is that we meet him… That we repent of our sin and pride and rebellion… Then we receive the transforming power of His Mercy and Chesed…Ezekiel 36… Because of His unfailing love… He gives us a new heart and He puts His Spirit in us… and we will obey Him… We will be transformed into His image day by day…
Do you remember that I said that Jesus was starting a conflict with the Jewish leaders by Healing on the Sabbath…. He is shining the light of truth on their sin and pride and self righteousness… He is inviting them the look at their own desperate need for inner healing and forgiveness… He tells them That He is the Messiah…. But they hate Him for telling the truth… But they refuse to repent and instead they decide to Kill Him…
A final question for us to think about…
What does this Miracle Tell Us About Jesus?
1 Jesus is  Omnicient… He knows everything
2 Jesus is full of compassion… Chesed
3 Jesus Is All Powerful…
The greatest miracle is the mercy and grace that He pours out on our lives… He washes our sins away…
John said that he wrote this Gospel so that we would believe in the Lord Jesus…. And that in Knowing Him…. We would find life in Him… John 20:31… May the Lord open our eyes to truly believe in Him… He knows everything about us… And yet… He is filled with  compassion and mercy for us… He is meeting us at the House of Mercy… Jesus has come offering forgiveness and mercy to all who cry out to Him… Do you know Him… Today is the day for your miracle…
Let´s pray….

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