John 4:46-54
Doubt questions, “Who believes?” Faith answers, “I do.”
And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death (John 4:46b-47).
Here was a nobleman, with a problem he could not handle: a son who was sick. It was a question of doubt.
Doubting God
There were several obstacles to this nobleman’s faith.
Second-Hand Faith
All this man had was hearsay from listening to other people talk about Jesus’ miracles.
Second-hand faith is not strong faith. Hearing what Jesus has done for others is not strong faith in God.
Faith in Signs and Wonders
Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe” (John 4:48).
Jesus was rebuking the nobleman when He said this.
Look back in John 2:23-24—“Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men.” They believed in Him, but He did not believe in them. These people were not hungry for God; they were hungry for a miracle.
Self-Centered Faith
The nobleman said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” (John 4:49).
This man has yet to bow at the feet of Jesus Christ and worship Him. There is nothing wrong with asking God to bless us. But strong faith is interested primarily in the glory of God.
Strong-Willed Faith
This nobleman was trying to tell Jesus what to do, and when.
Instead of saying, “Lord, your servant hears,” maybe you are saying, “Listen, Lord, I’m talking to you.” Faith is hearing God, believing God, and acting on what God says.
Now, this nobleman in John 4 will go through a radical change. He will look past the miracles and see Jesus.
Faith After Doubt
Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way (John 4:50).
Faith Comes from Hearing the Word
In order for you to have faith, you must know what God has said. Faith is a response to the Word of God. (See Romans 10:17.) But hearing is not enough.
“I want to believe in God, but I have doubts.”
If you do not believe, your problem is in your heart; not your head. (See Hebrews 3:12.) Unbelief is not weakness—it is wickedness, and rebellion. If you want to believe today, God will enable you to.
This nobleman now believes. No sign, no wonders. What does he have? Only the face of Jesus.
Faith Comes from Obedience to the Word
He is doing exactly what Jesus told him to do. Had he not believed, he would have stayed there. But now his faith is shown by obedience. (See James 2:26.)
But here’s the sweet part.
And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, “Your son lives!” (John 4:51).
Jesus Is the Answer to Doubt
And he himself believed, and his whole household (John 4:53b).
Now, the nobleman is not believing for physical healing, he is believing for salvation. That is why the miracles were there: that he might go on to believe in the Lord.
Jesus did not come as a teacher or as a healer, but as a Savior. (Read John 20:30-31.)
