The Problem of Unbelief
John 4:43-54

INTRO:
The problem of belief and unbelief has really been a theme that John has been carrying in his gospel.

Part of the problem is that we often define unbelief as the total rejection of God.
That's why if you take a general poll about if people believe in God, you get an extraordinarily high rating. Also if you ask people if they believe in Jesus, you get yet another extraordinarily high rating.

John, in a sense, is dealing with that and trying to show us what true belief really looks like, and in the process, exposes unbelief.

What is true belief? Who will believe in Jesus? Nicodemus came to Jesus with belief: “We know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” Jesus shows him that he has insufficient belief. Nicodemus must experience the new birth, total regeneration of the heart, to have saving faith. That same problem was illustrated in John 2:23-25. Many believed in His name when they saw the signs, but Jesus did not entrust Himself to them because He knew their hearts. Jesus is dealing with what true belief looks like and John is showing it to us. Many seem to have faith and belief in Jesus, but it is insufficient, it is shallow faith. John returns to this problem of unbelief in the final paragraph of chapter 4.

I. Unbelief Described – Verse 43, “After the two days he departed for Galilee.” Jesus has been in Samaria and He stayed there two days. Many in Samaria believed because of the words He was teaching. They no longer believed because of the woman’s testimony, but their faith had deepened to belief in Jesus because they heard Him for themselves. They confess Jesus to be the Savior of the world.

A. Then Jesus leaves and continues to Galilee. Remember in John 4:3 that Jesus left Judea and was going to Galilee. The reason why is because the Pharisees' attention has turned away from John the Baptist and is now turning toward Jesus, recognizing that He needs to be the point of their opposition.

1. Jesus continues His journey to Galilee and a curious statement is made in verse 44. “(For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.)” John tells us Jesus is going to Galilee (which was his own country) and then inserts this parenthetical comment that He had testified a prophet has no honor in his own country. Then John writes in verse 45 “So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast.”
2. That does not seem to make any sense. He is going to Galilee, where He is not going to receive any honor, yet the Galileans welcome Him. What are you telling us John? I think the things John wants us to observe are still about what belief and what unbelief really looks like.

B. The first is simply this, there is a contrast being drawn to the reaction of the Samaritans and the reaction of the Galileans.

1. In Samaria Jesus has enjoyed unqualified, unopposed, and open-hearted success. When the woman returned to the town, she told them of her experience and says, you need to come and see. Is this perhaps the Messiah? All the town comes to see Jesus, and we’re told there that they then believe on Him.
2. Next Jesus returns to His own people, the Jews, and the response is not going to be the same. Notice it is very carefully worded there in verse 45. The reason why the Galileans welcome Him is because of all the signs that He's done in Jerusalem. They are not welcoming Jesus based upon a true belief in Him.
3. Jesus finds acceptance with the Samaritans but rejection with His own people. The Samaritans believed because of what Jesus said (John 4:42). This belief has led to their salvation because they recognize Jesus to be the Savior of the world. They are experiencing the life changing faith that Jesus calls for. However, this is not true with his own people.
4. They are looking for the wow factor, to see something special occur. They saw all that He had done in Jerusalem at the feast, and they welcomed Him because of the signs. However, Jesus does not want “wow” belief but new birth. Jesus is not trying to generate in people’s hearts; a “wow, that was neat” belief. Jesus is trying to generate life-change, new birth, and fully transforming faith.

C. We see this several times in John's Gospel. We will see it again in John 7:2f, “2. Now the Jews' Feast of Booths was at hand. 3. So his brothers said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4. For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5. For not even his brothers believed in him.” We're told Jesus' brothers do not believe, but what do they want Him to do? Go to Jerusalem and show who you are. Put on a big display. Show them a sign you are who you say you are. They don't truly believe, but they're saying He can do signs.

1. It is the same here. They welcome Jesus, but it is a very shallow welcoming. They only want to see some miracles. They want to see Him do something neat.
2. The despised Samaritans turn to Christ in faith and declare “You are the savior of the world”, while the historical covenant community of God either oppose Jesus or cannot progress beyond a fascination for miracles. This goes back to the point John made at the beginning of this gospel: “He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him” (John 1:11).
3. It has been a couple months but remember we read in John 2:23, “Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.” Jesus is not being honored for who He is but what He did.

D. Do you think that this same false belief exists today? Are there those who believe in Jesus based on some shallow, physical benefit that can be derived from Him? Is there still the problem of people who are interested in Jesus and an association with Him, not to honor Him for who He is but for what they can get out of it?

1. I strongly suspect it is still very much an issue. That shallow belief, will leave them condemned. The pursuit of Jesus is often about, what does it mean for me? What am I going to get out of this? It’s not about, I'm going to follow you because I know who you are and I know how great you are and you are worthy of honor and praise.
2. It's about—I like this place because they've got good youth groups. They've got camps. They've got good music. They've got things that I really enjoy, good get-togethers, the church is nice, there's some kind of financial gain, the people take care of me. It is entertaining.
3. When we turn worship into what we get out of it or what we like, then we do not have the life transforming faith that Jesus expects. Bob Spence used to tell me that you only get out of it what you put in it. John tells us the people believe in Jesus because of what they can get from Him, and that happens today as well. People often think rather than Jesus being the treasure, the treasure is what we can get out of Jesus.
4. People are not coming to Jesus for mercy and salvation. They are coming to Him to divide inheritances, to tell others what to do, to justify their own lifestyle and decisions, and to gain something now.

E. Jesus is not a hobby. Jesus is not an idol to be put on the shelf with all the other things we put up and take down at will. Jesus demands life change. Jesus calls for new birth. “Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3).

1. John is writing this gospel so that we will truly believe in Jesus. What John tells us should be causing us to ask the question: Why do we follow Jesus? Nearly everyone welcomes Jesus, but why do we welcome Jesus? Why do you follow Him? Why do you obey Him? What are you seeking with Jesus? Is it recognition of who Jesus is? Is He the treasure?
2. Or is it simply self-serving? What I get out of it, and the moment I don't receive the things that I think I ought to receive, I will no longer obey. I will no longer follow. I will no longer listen.
3. Often, that's what people want to do with God, isn’t it? We want Him just to be there in times of difficulty, in times of inconvenience, in times of suffering. I'll pull my Jesus idol down and He'll take care of me. God will not accept that. Jesus is looking for a life change. He's calling for new birth.

II. Shallow Faith, Greater Grace – Watch how that moves into the story of the official’s son. John 4:46-47, “So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. When this man heard that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he went to him and asked him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death.” An official has an ill son in Capernaum. When he hears that Jesus had come from Judea to Galilee, he goes to Cana (about 15 miles away) and asks Jesus to come with him to heal his son.

A. Listen to the words of Jesus in verse 48, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” [ESV] We need to know that the word “you” is a plural “you.” Jesus is addressing the people, not simply this official. That is why several translations insert the word “people” into the text to help identify that the Greek indicates Jesus is not speaking to the official only.

1. Jesus did say it to this official, but Jesus is lumping him in with the rest of the Jews who are welcoming Him only because of the signs He performs.
2. The official persists in verse 49, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” The nobleman did not pretend to a faith he did not have but only poured out the agony of a broken heart before the only one who he knew could help. Such an outpouring of human sorrow was not lost upon "the Man of Sorrows."
3. Jesus then responds in a way that I find fascinating, compassionate and loving. “Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” Little faith had suddenly grown strong. In Jesus' presence, under the impact of His imperative word, and in the light of all he remembered from Jerusalem, the man believed the word of Jesus. Having believed, he obeyed at once, returning to Capernaum.
4. Rather than responding with the same words of how these people lack faith, reject him or ignore him, Jesus works on this official’s heart. Now the official goes down the journey of faith like we see the Samaritans doing earlier in this chapter. His faith is not complete, as we will see in a moment, but it is forming. The man does not disbelieve. He leaves Jesus and is going back home.

B. John 4:51, “As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering.” The reward of the nobleman's faith did not wait for his complete return but was brought by his servants who set out with the good news.

1. His servants meet him on the road and tell him that his son was getting better. Continuing, “So he asked them the hour when he began to get better, and they said to him, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live…”” Now listen to the end of verse 53, “… And he himself believed, and all his household.”
2. Had he not already believed back in verse 50? What John is showing us is the movement of belief. It all began with signs and wonders, then he believes in Jesus when He says, “Go; your son will live.”
3. His faith is forming. Then when he hears from his servant that the fever left his son at the same hour when Jesus said those words, it says he believed. Coming to full belief, resulting in the transformation that John has been proclaiming in these four chapters. The official’s faith has been growing and leads to the full transformation that Jesus is looking for.
4. Do we see that this is the same pattern as the Samaritans? The Samaritans first believe because they heard the testimony of the woman. Then they fully believe because they met Jesus and heard His teachings.

C. John is showing us something through the actions and teaching of Jesus. Faith starts shallow. I submit to you that perhaps for most of us, if not all of us, we typically start with that very baseline belief. We didn't like the idea of eternal punishment. That was our primary motivator. That's not our motivation anymore. We may have started out of fear, and while that's a very real scare, it's moving to a love of Christ. We want to obey, not out of I don't want to go there, but out of I want to be with Him.

1. The problem is not that we start at the beginning point of belief. The problem is that so many remain there and never go any deeper to true, saving, life changing faith. We enter the first stage of belief and think it is enough. We declare that we believe in Jesus.
2. We believe He came to this world and died for our sins, but for some belief never expands beyond that. Think about how James identified this same problem, James 2:19, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”. The demons believe, but it is not a saving faith. They have the starting point of faith just like many others.
3. True belief is one that brings about radical life transformation in obedience to Jesus. This is exactly what James teaches in the rest of that paragraph. James 2:20-21, “Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar?”
4. Abraham’s faith was so deep that he was willing to offer his only son Isaac to God because God commanded it! That is true belief — radically transformed faith. True belief obeys God regardless of the cost. It is important to see what John is showing us so that we understand where the people we meet might be on their journey. We need to be able to relate so that we, in love, can encourage them.

D. True belief does not leave God because of inconvenience and difficulty. True belief does not come to Jesus at night. True belief loves Jesus and seeks Him, not because of what He does for us, but because of who He is, how great He is, and how I owe Him everything. We encourage those we meet to not remain with basic, shallow belief that does not lead to life change. Take the road of faith. Let your faith grow. Grow deeper with your Savior.

III. The Sign – In verse 54 John writes, “This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.” John calls this a sign so we need to pay attention to the meaning of the sign. John has a purpose in picking out the seven signs. There is a deeper meaning behind these than simply, He does miracles. John is driving at something.

A. Jesus has come to Cana in Galilee, the location of His first miracle where He turned the water into wine.

1. Recall in John 2 that with this turning of the water to wine, Jesus was showing that what He brought were blessings of God which were greater, superior, and more abundant than the blessings which were found through the Law of Moses.
2. Jesus is shown as being superior to the things of the Old Testament, making Himself equal to God. He is God because He does what was done in the past. He does the very works of God. We saw that with the very first verse in the first chapter of John. “In the beginning was the Word.” Here is this equation made right out of the gate. Using the creation story, Jesus is God because He does what God does.

B. Jesus returns to Cana and John tells us that this is the second sign he recorded there. I wondered why John included this sign? I suspect John did so to show that the physical presence of the Lord was not required in the performance of His signs, but that His Holy Will was effective from any distance whatsoever.

1. In 1^st Kings 17 we see the widow’s son had become ill and there was not breath left in him. Elijah took the boy, and prayed to the Lord, “O Lord my God, let this child's life come into him again.” And the Lord listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived.”
2. Then in 1^st Kings 17:23 we read, “And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, “See, your son lives.””
3. Elijah was there and prayed to the Lord but in John 4:50 “Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.”” With Jesus the spoken word was enough. Jesus is greater than Elijah. Jesus does what only God can do.

CONCLUSION:
Jesus has the power to give life, and He can give it through His very words. This is what leads to our deeper level of belief. Jesus gives life. Notice the greatness of Jesus in the story. It is by His very words that this son lived. Jesus said simple words, “Your son will live” and the son lived. What power! When He tells you that you will live, then you will live! Listen to Jesus’ words: “… I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” [ESV] (John 11:25–26)

When you have experienced life transformation… when you go past the surface of superficial belief, come to know Jesus, who He is, and love Him… here's what's going to happen. You will live. You have life. He has the power to declare it. He has promised that He will give it to all who believe in Him. This is what John is trying to get us to understand. The hanging question is, “Do you believe this?”

Whoever believes in Jesus, though we die, will have life! Jesus has showed us that He has power over physical life. He therefore has power over spiritual life. Whoever believes in Jesus shall never die (i.e. be separated from God).

John said, “In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” Life is not anywhere else. Follow Him because He is the Lord. He is worthy of our honor, worthy of our praise and worthy of us giving Him everything because He came and died for us.

Faith begins when we recognize Jesus as the son of God and recognize our need for forgiveness of sins. It is a belief that recognizes I need to escape eternal punishment because that is what I deserve because of my actions. Then it progresses, it presses on. It doesn't stay there.

If you have not accepted Jesus and believed in Him and submitted your life to Him, that is your starting point—believe that Jesus is the son of God who came to this world and died for your sins. Be immersed in water to have your sins washed away to enter a relationship with Him so that you can know that you have eternal life.

If you've already begun there, don't stop. Do not think you can now put your life in neutral and you're good to go. Deepen the relationship. See him as the treasure.
Recognize Him and honor Him for who He is. We invite you to come while we stand and while we sing.

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Reference Sermon: Brent Kercheville