The healing of the nobleman’s son…This miracle is recorded for us in John 4:46-54.
In this miracle, we find that a nobleman approaches Christ requesting that Christ travel to Capernaum to heal his sick son. Based upon Jesus response (“Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe”) it appears that this man was not believing that Christ could heal his dying son… he was probably acting out of desperation, willing to try anything.
After desperately asking Christ to heal his son a second time… Christ responded by saying “Go thy way; thy son liveth”. Then, we are told that “the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.” By this we are not talking about a saving faith in Christ, this father mentally assented to what Jesus had claimed. The father needed to return to his home to see if this miracle had actually been performed. He traveled back and was told that his child had been healed. This healing took place at the time Christ had declared that the young boy was healed.
It was at this point, that the father now became confident that his son had been healed by Christ. The affirmation of the miracle caused him to recognize that Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Savior of God’s people. The father then exercised a saving faith. Based upon seeing this miracle take place, we are told that his whole house came to a saving belief in Christ as well. As we see in the Scriptures… “So the father knew that [it was] at the same hour, in the which Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth: and himself believed, and his whole house.”
In the life of this father we find three different ways that men can come to Christ:
- Many come to Christ out of desperation due to some situation they are facing. They are trying anything they can to escape their needy situation. They have no spiritual interest in Him at all, they simply cry out to Him, not wanting to ignore any possible avenue of escape from their dilemma. (John 6:26) This attitude we see in the father when he first approached the Lord.
- Many come to God with a head knowledge of who He is and what He can do for them. They come sincerely exercising a human “faith”, making a mental assent of Christ without ever experiencing God’s grace in salvation. (James 2:19) This is what we see in the father following the word spoken by Christ. It was a mental assent to the truth of His words without a reliance upon His person and work.
- There are those who are brought to Christ, exercising a saving faith in His persons and work. In the case of this father, it was just as Jesus had said… It was only after the father had proof the miracle was performed that he came to a recognition of who Christ really was. This same saving faith was exercised by his family as well, following their recognition of the miracle that was performed and the Messiah who had performed it.
What type of faith have we exercised in Christ?
Have we come to Him simply to relieve us of a earthly situation we are now facing and as soon as it is resolved we will depart from Him no longer needing or wanting Him?
Have we come to a mental understanding of His truth, while never submitting to His Lordship?
Or have we come to a genuine faith in Christ, that has made us a new creature in Christ and a willing servant for His glory?
May the Lord bless each one of us as we “Think On These Things”.
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Praise be to God that many who some originally out of desperation and/or a head knowledge come to know Him in their souls, in a state of deep faith. Many roads lead to the Throne Room, you know!
Granbee,
Thanks for your comments. Please let me clarify what you are saying for those who may not understand this area of Bible teaching. I believe you will agree with me.
When you say many roads lead to the Throne room, you are saying that the Lord uses many different types of circumstances in our lives to bring us to Himself. This is true However, in another sense, there is only one road that leads to the throne. That road is the Lord Jesus Christ, His work and His intervention in our lives. It is only through Christ that we can approach the throne of God and receive eternal life. I am sure you agree with this as well.
We should never think that simply acknowledging truths, apart from God’s intervention in our lives will bring to us salvation. This was the first type of “belief” that this man exhibited. The event of his son’s sickness and his later healing by Christ was simply a tool used by God to bring this man to a knowledge that Christ was the true Messiah. And it would be then that the Lord graciously intervened and granted this father the God-given gift of faith. It is ONLY this type of faith that will result in the salvation of an individual.
Praise God that He has seen fit to not only give us His Son to die for us, but also the faith that is necessary to secure salvation for His people.
Eph 2:7-9 (KJV)
7) That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in [his] kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
8) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: [it is] the gift of God:
9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Thanks for a great posting
“Three different ways” – yes, we see all three, and sometimes, I think, we see all three in one.
I cannot say that anything other than the Lord’s persistance brought me to Himself.
It was NOT my doing at all. He just kept hammering those words at me all week, giving me no rest. I didn’t understand them. Sure, I wanted an “out” from the 22 years of abuse, but I didn’t have the slightest thought about ‘God’ being able to do anything. I didn’t even have a mental assent of who He is. I didn’t particularly want to know about Him – only about those words which gave me no peace.
Then, He gave me the gift of spiritual understanding and my life CHANGED – completely, dramatically. I was a totally different person – so different that people noticed and asked what had happened.
That was nearly 54 years ago and in those years my loving PERFECT Father God has been my Everything. The Lord Jesus is not only my Saviour but my Lord, who supplies my every need to enable me to live for Him.
What an amazing triune God!
Angela,
It owuld be absolutely possible to see all three in the person. The key issue is that without the last type of faith that involves recognition of the person and work of Christ there is no true salvation experience. I’ve seen in the lives of others who face great tragedies how they run to the Lord making “deals” with Him to help them in their time of need. Then once the need is met, they no longer serve the Lord nor think about Him at all. They obviously, were not saved but simply “came to the Lord” out of necessity. This is the type of belief that was exercised by this man …. UNTIL he actually saw his son was healed and the healing took place at the same time Christ had declared Him healed. That is why this account ends by telling us it was at that time this man and his family believed on Him.
It is just as you said…. it was only when our life is changed by His intervention that we can have any assurance at all that our salvaiotn is genuine and based upon His intervention in our lives.
Lord bless. Thank you for your comments.
Dear Pastor Barkman,
I have always been struck by “Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.” John 20:27-29
Could I have been like Job and even when all things appeared to have been lost (including children, health and home) would I have not demanded a sign or some small tangible thing to keep my holding on? But, then I am reminded of the Lord’s sweet compassion to Thomas in letting the faint of heart touch the wounds. God knows what we need, when we need it and He will supply the faith because it is all of Him from beginning to end. Praise the Lord for His compassion!
Blessings in Christ alone, charisse
Charisse,
Yes, once we have come to a saving knowledge of Christ, He is so kind and gracious in working with us even during times when our faith can be so weak. Teh example of Thomas is a great example of this fact.
Lord bless you. Thanks for the comments.
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Thank you for showing us about salvation from this scripture! 🙂 God bless you and your genuine faith in Jesus!
Debbie,
May the Lord bless you. Thanks for your comments.