“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
By Michael Adekoya – Dear Reader, the healing of a certain nobleman’s son in Capernaum was the second recorded miracle of Jesus in John’s Gospel. We are told that Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where he performed His first miracle that was mentioned in last week’s article. This nobleman heard that Jesus was there, he traveled for about 20 miles to seek for Jesus who was again in Cana. What was his situation? His son was sick and at the point of death. He was helpless, he needed a miracle to get his son’s health restored. No one else can help him, he himself can not even help his own son at that moment.
First thing to note is that, everyone in this world gets problems, challenges, troubles or negative situations either you’re rich, poor, noble person like this man, popular, Pastors, Presidents or a superstar. No one is completely immune from having problems, but it depends on how each one responds to it. Secondly, probably you are in a situation right now that is beyond your power, beyond your wisdom, no one can help you out, the situation is like a do or die matter. Well, there’s no new thing under heaven, this man’s hopeless situation was solved by Jesus, probably you’re are currently in a hopeless situation like this noble man too. The noble man’s situation eventually led to joy and celebration. Since that is the case with this man, you too shall come out victorious, rejoicing and with testimonies like this nobleman in the name of Jesus. Amen. How did he get his desired miracle?
Firstly, he set aside his ego, his nobility, his socioeconomic status, he travelled several miles to seek for Jesus. ”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 4:47. He must have heard about Jesus’ one and only miracle in Cana during the marriage feast as this miracle was Jesus’ second recorded miracle. One miracle was enough to convince him to seek for Jesus’ intervention. How many testimonies have you heard? Have they reinforced your faith in God or not? When he saw Jesus, he begged Him to come to his house to come and heal his dying son. After all, he is better than a lot of us today, he believed that if Jesus gets to his house, his son shall recover. That was as far as his initial faith and expectation was. To receive from God, seek Him irregardless of who you think you are, God is greater, higher and powerful than you.
Second thing to learn from this miracle, is that, Jesus knew about human mentality and mindset which is “seeing is believing”. That was why He said in John 4:48, “Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” God does not work that way. He wants us to believe Him, to believe His word, act and obey His word then the evidence will follow afterwards. Anyone can believe anything he sees, but for you to experience the miraculous, you need to have faith in God , have faith in His Person, faith in His power and faith in His promises first before your miracle shows up. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” 2Cor. 5:7. Don’t wait to see your turn-around before you believe, trust and put your faith in His word first, then you shall experience your expected answer to your prayers.
Third thing to learn from this miracle is that the man who came with the mindset that Jesus must come to his house to heal his son eventually believed the word of command and healing that Jesus spoke, that is, “Go your way; your son lives” – John 4:50. How did I know that? The man took Jesus at His word. There was no hesitation. He immediately did what Jesus told him to do, to go! He changed his mindset and previous expectation that Jesus must come to his house to heal his son. As soon as Jesus asked him to go that his son is headed, he believed and went his way. My dear friend, to receive from God sometimes, you need to adjust, change and align your mindset and expectations to His, as His ways are not your ways. ”“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says 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.“ Isa. 55:8-9. Therefore, surrender to the way, method, how or who God would like to use for your miracles, He knows better than you do.
Fourth thing to learn from this miracle is that the man received more than he was expecting. The nobleman asked his servant when his son “got better” or “started to recover” (John 4:52). But his servant told him that his son was completely healed as soon as Jesus’ command came out of His mouth. Probably he was thinking that it’ll take few days for his son to fully recover but unknown to him, his son was perfectly healed and restored instantly. Our God is able to do more than our expectations, ”Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us,“ Eph. 3:20. By bringing your case before God, trust Him that He is able to do for you more than you desire, expect or want Him to do.
Another thing we need to learn from this miracle is that we should never attribute our miracles to coincidence. When the nobleman was informed that his son got perfectly healed at 1:00pm the previous day, the Bible says, “So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives….” John 4:53. Even if your miracle happens long after you’ve prayed, don’t attribute your miracle to the Doctor, your medication, your cleverness, your connection or to anything else, be assured that it’s God who answers your prayer. Give glory back to Him! God is sovereign, nothing happens to you as his son or daughter without the knowledge of God. If He does not permits or allows it, it can not come to you. So attribute your miracles or answers to prayers to Him always even if you do not visibly see His hands in your situation directly, He sometimes works behind the scene.
Finally, having received more than he expected, the Bible says, “He himself believed, and his whole household.” John 4:53. Here is the first reference to the whole household believing in Jesus in the New Testament. This man’s faith was contagious. He led his entire family to faith in Christ. My dear friend, it is the will of God for your entire family to be saved, Noah and his entire family escaped the flood in the Old Testament, the whole household of Cornelius and the Philipian Jailer were saved in the New Testament, if you’re praying or you desire your entire family to be saved, trust in God, He has done it before, He can still do it again in your own family too.
In conclusion, Jesus demonstrated His power over distance, He proves Himself as the master of space and distance. The miracle shows what can happen if we believe the word of God without first waiting for the evidence before we believe. It shows that God operates by “believing is seeing” rather than our human mindset of, “seeing is believing”. Also we can see that faith is contagious so also is fear and unbelief. Probably one of the reasons why you’ve not received your desired miracles and some of your friends, families or household members have not come to Christ is because of your unbelief.
But as from this moment, things have changed as we shall all continue to experience unhindered and uncommon miracles in the name of Jesus. Amen. Remain blessed!
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