John 4:46-54 Supernatural things come readily to those who are open and are uninhibited

John 4:46-54  Supernatural things come readily to those who are open and are uninhibited

Therefore He came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wi ne. And there was a royal official whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and was imploring Him to come down and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. So Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” The royal official said to Him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “Go; your son lives.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and started off. As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. So he inquired of them the hour when he began to get better. Then they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” So the father knew that it was at that hour in which Jesus said to him, “Your son lives”; and he himself believed and his whole household. This is again a second sign that Jesus performed when He had come out of Judea into Galilee. John 4:46-54

Background

In this episode, we see a man with no religious affiliation with Jesus receive a miracle which the Jews could only hope for. This man experienced the supernatural because he was desperate, open and uninhibited. Whereas the Jews harboured doubts and was hindered by their religious baggages. In today’s devotion, we learn: Supernatural things come readily to those who are open and are uninhibited.

Observation

After performing His first miracle in Cana, Jesus went to Judea to preach the gospel there. Here, Jesus was back to Cana where He first started. A royal official, (a Gentile with no religious affiliation with the Jews) who was in a prominent position in service of a king came to Jesus asking Him to heal his terminally ill son.

“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.” Jesus described the spiritual state of the people at that time that depended on signs and wonders and human reasoning to determine their faith in God. Those who believe are not only unable to receive miracles but to perform them. Despite the Jew’s obsession with miracles and having witness them, they still could not assimilate Jesus, the source of all miracles into their lives.

“Go; your son lives.” After Jesus gave the word that his son would be healed, the man believed and went home. This was commendable because the royal official took Jesus at His word and went home without hesitation. Regrettably, the Jews will not take hold of Jesus’s seemingly casual declaration.

As he was now going down, his slaves met him, saying that his son was living. This man while on his way home was met by his servant announcing the recovery of his son. He later discovered that the exact timing of his son’s recovery coincided with the time of Jesus’s declaration of healing.

The man’s entire household was saved because he was open and believed Jesus’s words. There were many needs among the Jews in Galilee but yet this was only the second miracle performed in Galilee. And it happened to a non-believing family.

Truth

Supernatural things come readily to those who are open and are uninhibited.

This speaks of the faith of the Gentile royal official… that one may be faithful in attending church services for many years but have little experiences of the supernatural. But a non-believer despite his lack of knowledge may experience many more miracles as compared to a believer. Jesus was willing to attend to this man even though he is not a believer. For Jesus, having seen the man’s openness granted him a miracle. This Gentile royal official pursued Jesus relentlessly believing He had the heavenly power to heal. Notice the man’s response upon Jesus words, “Go; your son lives.” The man went without hesitation believing every word that Jesus said.

The key to experiencing the miraculous is not our commitment to religious activities, but an openness for the supernatural. The royal official obtained his miracle because he was open and desperate, willing to try anything. Many Christians cannot experience the miraculous because they are not open to things on the “other side”. They stop progressing in supernatural experiences for fear they may be attacked or demonised. The apostle James said,

Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. James 4:7-8

A believer of pure heart need not fear, for he repels the devil and attracts the Spirit of God. Therefore, believers must be encouraged to enter into more profound spiritual experiences in the heavenlies where Christ is seated.

Supernatural faith is established by one’s attitude towards Christ.

This speaks of the supernatural faith of Jesus, the miracle worker. The believer’s progress in supernatural faith is determined by his attitude towards God. In the days of the gospel, Jesus encountered three types of people:

• Those who cannot recognise Jesus as God even when He is in the flesh.
• Those who recognise Jesus as God when He is in the flesh but not in the Spirit. They seek to live a moral life, but short of pursuing a more profound and intimate encounter with Jesus.
• Those who relentlessly pursue the heavenly things, where Christ is (John 14:19).

The first category of people are sensual and fleshly in their instincts. Such may witness the miracles that Jesus performed, but will not experience them again because their hearts are fleshly and evil. In Matthew 14, Jesus fed the 5000 but left them after they rejected the truth that He spoke.

The second category of people possess natural thinking patterns that kept them from experiencing the supernatural. Such show desire to pursue Christ, but their pursuit is based on natural thinking. Nicodemus is exemplary of this classic category (see John 3). Some of those present at Jesus ascension to God’s right exhibited unbelief (see Matthew 28:17).

The third category are those who pursue a deeper and more tangible fellowship with Christ, whose minds constantly dwell in the heavenlies, where Christ is seated. It is this category of believer that will continue to progress in experiencing the things above. Paul encourages believers to dwell on the things above,

Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. Colossians 3:1-2

The “things above”  refer to that which transcend the physical world: the heavenly virtues, wisdom, power, the things, the angels etc.

Through discipleship, believers receive authority to operate in the supernatural.

The authority to operate in signs and wonders is dedicated through structures of human authority that God has instituted through the church. Jesus called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to heal diseases (Luke 9:1). Subsequently, Jesus sent another seventy under the supervision of the twelve to every city in the region (Luke 10:1). This structure is essential to ensure the proper execution of the heavenly vision that He has entrusted to the church.

Application

1.  Do not let your lack of knowledge of the bible hinder you from asking God for things that are supernatural. This royal official did not let his lack of religious knowledge hinder him from coming to Jesus. If Jesus would attend to this man and answer his prayer, He will do the same for you.

2.  Continue to pursue the things above by setting aside time to pray. Enrich your mind with the word and purify your heart with His righteousness. Use your mind, your heart and your physical senses to connect with Christ in the heavenly realm.

3.  As the vision of your church is ordained by God, His authority and power will be evident when you align yourself with that vision.

Dear Lord, I am willing to obey You consistently to the best of my ability. Give me strength through Your Spirit to go beyond my natural capabilities. Anoint me to work miracles as Christ did. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen.