From A Crisis To A Brand New Faith
Who among you come to Jesus with a crisis at hand, and at the end of that meeting with Him, leave from that place with a brand new faith? Today, I would like to urge you with testimonies from the Bible in hope that through these accounts, you too will leave with a brand new faith just as they did.
Our story began with John 4: 46-53. In this account, Jesus went to Cana of Galilee. The second time He visited this place. Now in His first visit to Cana, He performed His first miracle for His mother, Mary. If you could remember, Jesus turned the water into wine during a wedding celebration (John 2: 1-11).
The crisis of running out of wine in a wedding celebration prompted this absolutely unintentional miracle from Jesus. It was all because He loved His mother Mary. You see, Mary knew all along that her son Jesus would be the Messiah. All those years that she pondered over what happened from the time she gave birth to Jesus in the manger, to this first miracle she saw.. that her son Jesus performed bewildered her. Had her faith in Jesus grew that day? Absolutely!
Jesus’ Second Visit To Cana
During Jesus’ second visit to Cana of Galilee, another miracle happened. Now this time a certain royal official whose son was so sick to the point of death, came from Capernaum to Cana to ask that Jesus go with him to save his dying son. Did the royal official come to Jesus with a crisis at hand? Of course he did! He was absolutely desperate for a miracle for his dying son.
The most interesting part of his meeting with Jesus was their conversations. Jesus began by saying in John 4: 48
Jesus therefore said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you simply will not believe.”
Why did Jesus begin His conversation with this? Jesus must have known the heart of the royal official. He came to Jesus with this crisis faith that ‘unless I see signs and wonders, then will I believe’. It is this mentality of ‘show me your power then I will believe in you’ that Jesus wanted to address in him. The royal official continued to plead with Jesus to go save his son. Interestingly, Jesus simply said in John 4: 50
Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.”
Something that Jesus spoke earlier to him must have changed his heart. You see, for one who disbelief, would not have left the place by simply following Jesus’ words. The royal official came with an intention to bring Jesus to Capernaum with him to heal his dying son. Yet, at the end of that meeting, he left without Jesus but with a promise that his son will live. How is that possible if he did not believe what Jesus said to him? His faith in Jesus changed. From ‘unless I see signs and wonders’ to ‘go, your son lives’. You see the progression? This man’s faith in Jesus grew by more than an inch (much more) that day.
When the royal official left Cana (without Jesus), on the way, he met up with his slaves. They came to give him the good news that his son lived. As he further inquired about when his son got healed, he found out that it happened right when Jesus said ‘go your way; your son lives’. (John 4: 46-54) Did this meeting with Jesus change his life? I believe his encounter with Jesus gave him a brand new faith that day. Jesus became his Lord and Savior.
In Conclusion
Do you have a crisis at hand and is looking for an answer today? Is Jesus the answer you are looking for? Come to Jesus today! Not with a crisis faith that the royal official came initially with, but with a courageous faith in Him that is not based on ‘signs and wonders’ but simply trusting in His words. I pray that you will embrace just like the royal official did, a brand new faith in Jesus today.