John writes about a nobleman, who met Jesus one day, who had many resources at his disposal, but he had a problem in John 4:46-54. When the nobleman first met Jesus, his faith was almost nonexistent. “So, Jesus came again to Cana of Galilee where He had made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. Then Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe.” (John 4:46-48 NKJV). The nobleman had a faith which was based on signs and wonders. Evidently, his motto was, “Seeing is believing.” Or “God, if you will just give me a sign, if you will give me a wonder, then I can believe.” This nobleman was dependent upon his five senses, for he certainly was not dependent upon the Word of God. There is no doubt he heard about Jesus who turned the water into wine; and now He is back in town. It is little wonder if this nobleman, who was a father, really believed in Jesus or was he just hoping for another miracle for the sake of his child. The nobleman could have been thinking, “Jesus, who turned the water into wine is in town, maybe He could perform another miracle and if I could see it with my own eyes then I can believe in the man Jesus.” However, Jesus knew that miracles (signs and wonders), do little good when you are trying to grow a strong faith. As a young Christian, I was often thinking, “O God, I just want to see a miracle; I mean, a genuine, industrial-strength miracle; I mean, one which cannot be explained any other way except You do something supernaturally.” Have you ever done that?
This nobleman had heard about Jesus turning water into wine, and the nobleman hears where Jesus is at. Therefore, the nobleman travels all the way from Capernaum, which is seventeen miles away from where Jesus is, and he sees Jesus and says, “Now, come down and heal my son. If anybody who can turn water into wine like you did, then you certain should be able to heal my son.” Instead of answering the nobleman’s requests, Jesus rebukes him. Which is the same way Jesus responded when He was asked to turn the water into wine. “Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.” Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern had to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.” (John 2:2-4 NKJV). It is true Mary was not seeking a sign and wonder, however, she did now the truth of who Jesus was, and yet she still hope He would do something for the wedding feast. Jesus did at this time perform His first miracle and this was the beginning of signs which Jesus did in Cana (vs. 11). Jesus did perform more signs and wonder after the wedding, however, notice what begin to take place. “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man” (vs. 23-25 NKJV). Notice the word “commit”, and the word “believe” in the Greek language these words are the same Greek word (Strong’s Concordance, 1984) They believed in Jesus, but He did not believe in them. They had a superficial faith much like the faith of the nobleman. Jesus knew the people’s heart and how they were just following and believing on Him only because of the miracles. This is the case with the nobleman. He like the people did not have a strong faith in Jesus just a superficial faith.
Jesus indeed performed miracles there is no ifs, ands, or buts about this fact. However, the question comes to mind as to, why did He do it? Why did Jesus give signs and wonders? Well, He did them to authenticate His ministry. “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know” (Acts 2:22 NKJV). “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31 NKJV). God did miracles to authenticate the ministry of Jesus. But the miracle was not for the miracle’s sake. The miracle was so you might believe on Jesus and have eternal life; not so you might seek a miracle.
THE WOMAN WITH THE BLOOD ISSUE
Take for instance, the scene in Mark 5:24-34. As Jesus was making His way to one of the rulers of the synagogue’s house a throng of people pressed in on him. In the crowd that day there was a weak, timid, dying woman who reached out and touched Jesus. When she did, her life was instantly, completely, and permanently transformed. But what makes this woman different from the nobleman? She was not seeking after a miracle; she was seeking Jesus. According to Mark 5:25, we are told she was suffering from “a flow of blood for twelve years” (NKJV). In medical terms, she was hemorrhaging, or bleeding, from some part of her body. Whatever may have caused this internal hemorrhaging, she was a very sick woman “and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse” (vs. 26 NKJV). From the constant blood loss, this poor woman would have been weak and anemic. She would have been pale. She would have had no energy at all. The least efforts would have worn her out. Her disease was like a scourge, constantly beating down, day by day.
This woman had tried all the remedies know to the physicians of her day. Most of these remedies or medical techniques are found in the Talmud. To be precise, there are eleven remedies prescribed in the Talmud. Some are potions, most are simply superstitious nonsense. Everything from carrying various concoctions of herbs; to frightening the patient; to have her stand over a ditch while some says, “Arise from thy flux”; all these were suggested cures. One remedy even called for the woman to carry an ear of corn taken from the dung of a white donkey. It is hard for us to imagine the kinds of indignities those doctors put her through.
This woman was most likely not married, because through physical contact she would have defiled her husband. If she had ever been married, her husband would have probably divorced her. She could not work around others because of the danger of defilement. This reduced her to a life of begging for scraps of food from a distance. Her condition left her on the fringes of society for twelve years. She has lived her life moving from one rejection to another. She was lonely, isolated, and desperate. In society, under the Law (Lev. 15:19; 25-27), this woman was to be considered unclean. Anything or anyone she touched was also considered unclean. As a result, she could not mingle with people in public. She could not go to the Women’s Court of the Temple because she was unclean. She had no money because the doctor’s useless remedies drained her bank account and left her penniless and destitute. After all the years, all the doctors, all the times she had hoped this remedy would be the one which worked, she has come to the place where she knows she is living under a death sentence.
THE WOMAN SEEKING JESUS
“When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well” (Mark 5:27-28 NKJV). Where did this woman hear about Jesus? Maybe she heard about the leper being healed (Mark 1:40-42). Or maybe she heard about the wild man on the other side of the sea being helped (Mark 5:1-20). It is possible that one of the women traveling with Jesus and His disciples could have talked with her somewhere and told her about Jesus. Wherever she heard the news, it is no doubt she heard there was power in His touch. She believed in Jesus and knew she had to get to him. She realized Jesus was her only hope! She believed with all her heart that if you could just get to Him, she would be healed. She displayed here determination to get to Jesus by approaching Him in the crowd. As she elbowed her way through the people, she was causing ceremonial defilement for everyone she touched. She was taking a great risk, for if she had been recognized, she would have been subjected to public humiliation and ridicule. A crowd like this might have gotten worked up and beat her or stoned her to death. For her, it was a risk worth taking. She believed Jesus could heal her! She had to be determined, because by the very nature of her disease, it would have taken all the energy she had to drag herself out of her bed to struggle through the crowd to get to Jesus. She was not seeking a miracle; she was seeking Jesus!
WHAT IS WRONG WITH DEMANDING A SIGN?
“But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matt. 12:39 NKJV). Why is demanding a sign wrong? First, it dishonors God and His Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 NKJV). “He who believes in the Son of God has the witness in himself; he who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed the testimony that God has given of His Son” (1 John 5:10 NKJV). When you demand a sign, it brings dishonor to God because it says, “God you are not good enough to believe. Your Word is not good enough to trust. Your Son, Jesus, is not good enough I must have something tangible I can see and touch.”
Second, it is deceiving to man. Signs and wonders can easily deceive a person. As a matter of fact, there is coming a day when Satan’s superman, who will be the devil incarnate, will come with signs and wonders trying to authenticate his ministry. Jesus said, “For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (Matt. 24:24 NKJV). Paul writes, “The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders” (2 Thess. 2:9 NKJV). The Antichrist will be able to make you think black is white, good is bad, and cut your mother’s throat with a smile on your face because of the ability he will have to deceive “with all power and signs and lying wonders.”
So, if we are not to demand signs and wonders, then what are we to do to have simple faith. This is where growing your faith and allowing God to help grow your faith becomes important.
