#DailyDevotion Will You Believe Jesus’ Word?
John 4:49-54 49“Lord, come down,” the officer asked Him, “before my little boy dies.” 50“Go,” Jesus told him, “your boy is well.” The man believed what Jesus told him and left. 510n his way back his slaves met him and told him his boy was well. 52So he asked them what time he got better. They told him, “Yesterday at seven in the evening the fever left him.” 53Then the father knew it was the same hour when Jesus had told him, “Your boy is well.” And he and everyone at his house believed. 54This was the second miracle Jesus did after He had come from Judea to Galilee.
The officer, the father of the dying boy is confronted by Jesus for his lack of faith in Jesus. I don’t know how much time is elapsing here but at verse 49 it sounds like the father is desperate. Who else can he turn to? Who else can help? It seems to me his last cry here, “Lord come down,” he is casting aside any remnants of doubt he may have had. Maybe he is casting away any other hopes but Jesus.
Jesus gives the father a word of promise, “Go, your boy is well.” With this word of promise the man believed what Jesus told him. The man’s servants met him on the way and told him his son was well. He found out his son was healed the same hour Jesus told him his son was well. Now, not only did the man believe in Jesus but his whole house did as well.
Now this was the second sign Jesus had performed, had given witnessed to, in the Gospel of John. The first was changing water into wine. Jesus had said, “If you don’t see proofs and miracles you won’t believe,” earlier. Well here is proof and miracle number 2 out of seven. The last is Jesus rising from the dead.
Have you ever been where this father is? Have you been desperate, looking for a miracle? I know I have at times. Did you cry out to Jesus for help? Did the help you seek come? If you are like me, probably not. “What? Wait!” you may say, “Why would you continue to believe and trust Jesus if you cried out in faith to him for some miracle and Jesus didn’t listen to you?” Because Jesus isn’t a divine vending machine. My hope and faith in Jesus isn’t for this world alone. My faith in Jesus is for the world to come and the kingdom he will establish then. My faith is for the gift of the resurrection to eternal life. Anything I am crying out for to him today, no matter how serious, is for this world. His word of promise to me is not that he is going to solve all my problems no matter how serious. His promise to me today is he will be with me always, even unto the end of the ages. He promises me he will never leave me or forsake me.
The miracles in the Gospels were there to affirm Jesus’ power, authority and identity. The miracles the apostles did during their age was to confirm their message about Jesus. Now we have Jesus’ word and work written for us. We, like the man, are called to believe Jesus’ word and through that word believe and trust in him. All we have is his word of promise. Will you believe his promise he will resurrect you to eternal life?
Heavenly Father, in the midst of every trial and tribulation increase my faith in Jesus’ promise he will never leave me or forsake me so I make take comfort in his presence in ever trouble. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.