Dealing with a sick child is no fun. Days are filled with thermometers, medicine cups, piles of blankets, and endless tissues. But what happens when it’s much worse? Parent-nursing isn’t enough, doctors are baffled, and your child is no better and words come you never thought you would hear: “Your child is dying.” This is the awful situation in which the nobleman in John 4 found himself. If your sins are not forgiven and you are honest, this is a story with your name on it.
A Father’s Problem
We aren’t told what was wrong with the boy, but it was critical – he was at the point of death. His father was helpless. If he could have done something about it, he certainly would have. But he was out of options.
We all have a problem which is critical and fatal. There is no sugarcoating it – we are all sinners (Rom 3:23), and it’s a problem we can do nothing to fix. If we could, we would, but, just like this father, we are in need of help.
A Father’s Desperation
You can picture this father weighing his options. Which doctor should he try next? Then, the news hits that Jesus is 25 miles away in Cana. Maybe he remembered the wedding feast where the water was turned into wine. Forget doctors; now there is real hope! But there was also a dilemma. In his day, 25 miles was likely a 16-hour round trip. What if his son dies while he is gone? Could he forgive himself? Could he get there and back before dark? This was his only option, so off he went. As he arrives, you can hear the desperation in his voice as he begs the Lord Jesus, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” Time was critical.
If you don’t approach your soul the same way, you’ll never be saved. You must be desperate. Forget about your job, your friends, or anything else that you are putting ahead of your soul. Nothing is important enough to lead you down the road to hell.
A Father’s Relief
I love the response of the Lord Jesus to this father. The father was worried about his son, the time, and distance. Jesus wasn’t worried at all. He simply told the man, “Your son will live.” No trip was necessary. Jesus gave this man everything he needed. He needed healing, and he needed it now. Jesus gave him both. But what was the father going to do? Return home without medicine or a doctor? All he had to go on was the word of the Lord Jesus. It was enough for him. So much so that he went home the next day. He put his trust in what Jesus had told him. Problem solved; his son would be just fine.
The Lord Jesus has everything you need. For a soul to be in heaven, sin must be forgiven, and in an uncertain world, in uncertain times, the Scripture reminds us that, “Now is the day of salvation” (2Cor 6:2). The Lord Jesus can forgive your sins. He can save your soul right now. Upon the cross, He paid the price for sin. Just before He died, He said, “It is finished” (John 19:30). It’s up to you. Do you trust Him? Was He telling the truth? Is the work really finished? Absolutely! We have His word, and it’s all we need.
