Where is God?

John 4:43–54 ESV

After the two days he departed for Galilee. (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast. So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

PRAY…

As the recovery from Hurricane Harvey continues in Texas and Hurricane Irma is beating on Florida, as the northwest portion of our country is on fire, and earthquakes are happening in other places around the globe, there is one question that many people are asking. Where is God? The problem with that question is that it assumes something about God that just isn’t biblical. It assumes that God MUST do everything He CAN do. In other words, it says God has to stop hurricanes or wildfires or earthquakes just because He has the ability to stop them. But the Bible doesn’t talk about God that way. God has a purpose for everything He does. I agree with - For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD. - For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. We can’t fully comprehend all that God is doing even in the midst of horrible disasters like we are seeing.

And even though we can’t fully comprehend all of God’s purposes, there is at least 1 overarching principle that God works under. And this particular overarching principle is found in the reason the Spirit of God inspired John to write this Gospel.

John 20:31 ESV

but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

But not only is this principle found in the entire Gospel, it is also demonstrated in the verses before us today. I actually would not be surprised if the official in this story was asking the very question that may be on the tip of our tongues this morning. Where is God?

Just to set the context, Jesus has just completed the ministry in Samaria that saw many people believe. It began with that lone woman at the well and spread throughout the town. Jesus stayed 2 days and then, as we read in verse 43-45, He finished the trip to Galilee. Many of them had seen Jesus clean out the money-changers from the temple in Jerusalem and so they came to Him. Probably wondering what He would do next. And that is where we will pick up the story this morning.

John 4:46–49 ESV

So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.”

1.1. This official’s son was nearing death. But he had heard that Jesus was nearby. He might have heard something about the fantastic wine that had been served at a wedding the last time Jesus was there. He might also have heard about the ruckus Jesus had made in the temple in Jerusalem. Either way, this man had heard that Jesus was someone special. He was desperate. His son was deathly ill. So he pleads with Jesus to come and heal his son.

1.2. Jesus makes, what I think, is a sad statement. Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe. This man wasn’t sure that Jesus COULD do anything. What he knew was that he was desperate for his son to live. And if Jesus could do it, this man knew that he had to ask. Jesus’ statement is sad because it assumes unbelief. Jesus knows that this particular man will not believe unless he sees with his own eyes the power of God. It kind of reminds me of Thomas, the one we call the doubter. After Jesus had died, been buried, and raised from the dead, He appeared to some of His disciples. They told Thomas about it. And Thomas didn’t believe. He said, Unless I put my fingers in the holes the nails made in his palms and unless I can put my fist in the hole in his sides, I will not believe. The next time the disciples were all gathered, Jesus appeared and invited Thomas to put his fingers in the holes of His palms and his fist in the hole in Jesus’ side. Thomas fell down and worshiped Jesus. This man is no less a doubter than Thomas. The difference is this man is pleading for his son’s life.

1.3. Please come down before my child dies. It was just a matter of time. His son was going to die. But if this Jesus could do something, He needed to do it quickly. Can you hear the urgency in the man’s voice? Come on! My son is dying. DO SOMETHING! Jesus responds, but not in a way we would expect.

John 4:50–51 ESV

Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.

2.1. I appreciate this translation and what they are conveying, but, to be honest, they completely miss what John wrote here by placing it in the future tense, Your son will live. The Greek simply says, Go, your son lives. This becomes very important in a few verses, but you need to know that Jesus did not say your son will get better. He did not say your son will slowly respond to treatment. Jesus simply said your son lives.

2.2. And just like that, the man believes that what Jesus has said is true and he begins the journey back home. Remember, there are no cell phones, no email, no texting, no snapping, no Instagram, no Facebook. There was no way to know that his sons condition had changed. In fact, as we will see in the next verse, this man had been away from his son for at least a full day. In his mind, his son may have already died. But he is still intent on doing whatever he had to so his son could live. Yet, even will all of that, when Jesus told him his son lived, the man believes and leaves to go home.

John 4:51–54 ESV

As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

3.1. During the trip home, the official meets his servants who were coming to get him. And they told him that his son was getting better. Can you almost see the wheels turning in the man’s mind? He asks those servants what time his son began to get better. They respond that his son’s fever broke at 1pm the day before. And the official realizes that was the same time Jesus had said to him, your son lives. And that man believed! And his whole household believed!

3.2. Do you see the point? The Holy Spirit inspired John to write this collection of historical events so that the reader would believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that by believing you could have life in His name. And this story takes us on a short journey from unbelief to belief. The man came because he had heard something about Jesus. He made his request of Jesus. Jesus answered, but didn’t go where the man wanted him to go. Jesus predicted that he wouldn’t believe until he saw a sign. Jesus then told him the sign was done. The man begins his journey home and meets his servants halfway to find out that his son is healed. And THAT is when the man believed. A short journey from unbelief to belief.

Now, to bring this short account to a close. I began by asking a question many are asking in our country today. Where is God? I went on to say that the question carries some unbiblical demands of God along with it. Including the notion that God MUST do everything He CAN do. Just because He CAN calm a hurricane does not mean He MUST do so. Just because He CAN snuff out the flames in the northwest doesn’t mean He MUST do so. You see, the question implies how God is always going to act. And God simply will not live in the comfortable little box we would like to stuff Him in.

And the official in our story is kind of like that. He thinks that Jesus must come physically to heal his son. Jesus doesn’t go. Why would Jesus not go? Or, perhaps as he is watching his son get worse and worse, the man asks, where is God?

The answer is, at least to me, stunning. God is doing whatever it takes so that this man will believe. Do you see? Remember, our ways are not God’s ways, and our thoughts are not God’s thoughts. In the aftermath of these so-called natural disasters, I know someone who does not believe, will believe. Whether it is through surviving hurricane force winds outside your house, or having the floodwaters invade your house, or wildfires destroying everything around you, or the earth shaking you off your feet. It might be in the voice and hug of a first-responder. It might be in the free-labor of a disaster relief worker. I don’t know exactly what God will use, but I am certain that there will be new believers in the Kingdom of God as a direct result of these disasters.

Now, I did say that bringing people to belief in Him was 1 of God’s purposes, but I did not say it was the only purpose. There are many conjectures as to why God is allowing such destruction. I will not add my voice to them. I don’t know all that God is doing. I do know that one of His purposes is to save sinners. And I believe it will happen.

And I also believe that you are here today because God wanted you to hear this message. I know that God has promised wherever His Word is proclaimed, He will be in it. Today, we have briefly studied the journey of a man from unbelief to belief in Jesus. Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Do you believe that God raised Him from the dead? I’m getting ahead of myself.

- for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

- For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

- because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God? Do you believe that God raised Him from the dead? Would you confess Jesus as your Lord today?

Let’s PRAY…