The Sign to BelIeve
John 4:46-54
Have you ever just wished that God would give you a sign? Me too. It seems like it would just make every decision so much easier. In this passage, we will see why asking for signs and wonders may not be the most faithful request and how to have truly authentic faith instead.
When the official came to Jesus begging that his son would be healed, he probably expected some sort of miraculous sign. We can assume that he had heard about the signs that Jesus had been performing and came to see if this “miracle man” could heal his son. When the official asked, Jesus responded to him and the crowd, saying, “Unless you see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” He knew that the people were looking for more of a show than having any sort of true faith in Him and His message. Signs and wonders cannot prove God to us, but they can be experiences that deepen our faith and help us to trust Him more.
When Jesus responded, "Go, your son will live,” the man believed and went. He did not question, he did not beg for a sign, and he did not hesitate. He believed and went. This is a demonstration of truly authentic faith. The official took Jesus at His word that His son would be healed, and he left. The passage also shows that he did not hurry home but arrived the next day confident that it was as Jesus had said. True faith is trusting what Jesus says and taking Him at His word.
For us, this means that we take the Bible at its word. The theme we have seen throughout the Gospel of John is that Jesus is God and truly the Messiah. Jesus came to earth to live the perfect life that we never could and take on the punishment for our sins by his crucifixion on the cross. Then, He was raised from the dead three days later, proving that sin and even death have no power over Him and giving us free access to a relationship with Him both now and forever. We can trust that the Bible is God’s living and active Word (Hebrews 4:12), and we can demonstrate authentic faith by repenting and believing in what God has to say.
