A Desperate Man

I have heard many say what a great and kind man Jesus was. I heard Lisa Ling state this recently in a documentary. She said that she was not a religious person but her experience reporting on a story about Christians had drawn her to this man. He was such a kind and loving man. The statement that Jesus was kind and loving is a true one. But exploring the nature of Jesus is crucial if you really want to know who you are talking about.

You see, if this great man was not God then he wasn't really so great. If Jesus was not fully God then the kindness was a complete farse and His ministry meant nothing. He spoke to many while here on earth and made the claim to be God. If it's not true then He is nothing but a liar and His greatness is not so. But would a liar do what I am about to tell you about? Or would it have to be God?

THE HEALING OF A SON

In John 4:46-54 we are told a story that takes place in Galilee. A nobleman, called so by either the largeness of his estate, the extent of his power or the royalties that belonged to his manor. Some scholars say he may have held an office to the King. In spite of his stature and largeness of estate, he could do nothing to help his sick son. So we see him seeking the real King for help.

He implores Jesus to come down and heal his son that is back in Capernaum, for he is at the point of death. A desperate father pleads with Jesus, "Sir, Come down before my child dies!"

Imagine this fathers anguish and pain, at the point of dispair, ready to do and believe anything if it will save his son's life. He goes to the man he had seen in Jerusalem doing miracles. "Maybe this is the Messiah, that can do such miracles."

Jesus doesn't need to travel to Capernaum to heal this man's child. He only needs to speak and the healing is done. I think we forget that. We forget that it only takes a word for Jesus to heal what ails us. For the nobleman it was easy. He was at that place of complete surrender and trust. He had no other place to go but to the Savior. So he went, pleading, with a surrendered heart, in complete belief that Jesus could heal his son.

Jesus's answer was this... "Go your way; your son lives" In belief, the man started back home. No more pleading or waiting for Jesus to go with him. With a trust that Jesus could do all things, he began his journey back to Capernaum.

As he made his way back toward home, he was met by his servants. "Your son lives!" they shout to him from a distance. "What hour was it when he got better?" Their answer proved that his trust had been correct. It was at that very hour when Jesus had said to him "Your son lives." His trust in Jesus had not been in vain and he believed on that very moment. His whole household also became believers from this miracle.

Jesus knew this mans heart. He knew that in his desperation this man would come to him. What He also knew was that the nobleman and his family would be saved by this situation. He knew that His kindness and mercy would cause their to be belief in His deity. Jesus wasn't walking the earth to do great deeds of kindness for no reason. His mercy was to cause those who saw Him to believe He was God in flesh. It was to teach them to believe He was the living God here on earth to pay for our sins.

A man who was "just kind" could not do the things that Jesus did. Only God could.