May 31, 2014
Today’s reading from Encounter with God

A Great Confirmation

Please see the links to our EXTRA Bible Study notes at the bottom of the page.

Opening Prayer

Lord, help me see You work in my life and the lives of those around me the way the apostles did.

Read John 4:43-54

[43] After the two days he left for Galilee. [44] (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) [45] When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there. [46] Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. [47] When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death. [48] “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” [49] The royal official said, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” [50] “Go,” Jesus replied, “your son will live.” The man took Jesus at his word and departed. [51] While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. [52] When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, “Yesterday, at one in the afternoon, the fever left him.” [53] Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” So he and his whole household believed. [54] This was the second sign Jesus performed after coming from Judea to Galilee.

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright &copy 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.&reg Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Reflect

The apostles were continually awed by what Jesus said and did. There are times you can almost hear Jesus say to them: “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet!”

Jesus spent two more days teaching the people of Sychar (40). When he elaborated on what the woman at the well experienced, their faith was confirmed (42). The apostles most likely observed and continued to marvel. They had just seen Jesus break the cultural/societal rules of “being a good Jew” by reaching out to a woman with a bad reputation — and to a town of Samaritans! The next encounter would shake their worldview even more!

We read that “a royal official” (46), a Gentile, came to Jesus, begging him to heal his son who was near death. I can imagine the apostles wondering, “What would he do now?” But Jesus was more conscious of “reaching people for the Kingdom” than what others thought about him or what he “should do.” Jesus “performed a miracle,” a miracle that would amaze: “You mean, you don’t have to go there and touch the child?”

Miracles are meant to inspire or deepen faith as they bring God glory. Miracles aren’t about amazing people for the sake of amazement, but for bringing them to a closer walk with the Father, because they see “his love in action.” But what about the official?  He trusted enough to go when Jesus told him to go (50). He received confirmation of his belief: “What time?”  He knew in his heart, but he confirmed with his eyes and ears what his heart had already recognized. He had stepped out in faith and saw that faith realized and confirmed. His faith, like that of the woman at the well, like that which Cornelius and the Philippian jailor would experience several years later (see Acts 10 and 16), would lead to the conversion of “a household,” whether an extended family or town. One person’s faith can lead to God bringing faith to others, if that one would only believe!

Apply

How has your faith grown recently as you’ve seen God at work? What can you share of that work to increase the faith of others?

Closing prayer

Father God, I thank You for the gift of Jesus for our life and salvation. Use me as Your instrument of love and grace to bring others to faith, also.

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