John 4,46-54. Epiphany 3

 John 4,46-54     1121

3. Sonntag nach Epiphanias 016

Timothy, St. Paul’s disciple, Bishop of Ephesus, Martyr in Ephesus 80 W

24. Januar 2021

1. O Almighty and Everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all dangers and necessities stretch forth Your mighty hand, to defend us against our enemies.  Amen. (Veit Dietrich) 

2. »So He went 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. So Jesus said to him: „Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.“ The official said to Him: „Lord, come down before my child dies.“ Jesus said to him: „Go; your son will live.“ The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 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.“ And he himself believed, and all his household. This was now the second sign that Jesus did when He had gone from Judea to Galilee.« 

3. The Apostle Paul tells us that Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom (1. Corinthians 1,22). In John 4 Jesus affirms this of His brethren: »Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.« „Jesus’ response to the official is not a rebuke of a weak faith seeking the security of miraculous proof. Rather, [it] is a “solemn promise and expression of the necessary requirement of faith.” [In the exodus story] God’s “wonderful signs” are always witnesses of his saving power, and God grants these signs so that faith might take root and grow” (Weinrich 540).  The 10 plagues of Egypt hardened the heart of pharaoh and caused his troops to perish in the Red Sea at the same time that the same signs caused the believing and deliverance of Israel through the same Red Sea (Weinrich 540). 

4. John makes it clear in his gospel that the signs of Jesus both hide and reveal; they are capable of misunderstanding, and they are capable of the discernment of faith (Weinrich 540). John begins his Gospel telling us this: Jesus was in the world, among His Jewish people, but many of them did not receive Him (1,10-11). However, others did receive Him and became children of God (1,12). 

5. John highlights 7 particular signs [1] of the many Jesus did in and among Israel. His first sign was turning water into wine. Today’s healing of the official son is the second sign. This son is at death’s door step, but Jesus restores his life. In chapter 5 Jesus declares: »For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will. I tell you the absolute truth, whoever hears My Word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life« (5,21.24). These 7 signs are messianic epiphany-miracles (Weinrich 324). They serve to convince the people, that just as Moses was sent from Yahweh with signs, so too is Jesus sent from Yahweh with signs to show He speaks and acts with Divine authority. Seven is the Biblical number of completeness and perfection. Genesis tells us that God’s work at creation took 6 days, and each day was good, and on the 7. He rested for everything was very good on the 6. day. 

6. „After each sign Jesus had made the situation good. When the wine had been depleted in Cana, Jesus created more wine and it was good. When the official’s son was dying, Jesus restored his health and it was good. Jesus’ signs culminate with the raising of Lazarus from the dead and it was good, for soon after the resurrection of Lazarus Jesus Himself would rise from the dead. Jesus’ resurrection is very good.  

7. Adam’s sin brought the curse and death upon Jesus’ very good creation. God’s salvation history is His redeeming of His creation to make it very good once more. The signs Jesus performs in John’s Gospel show God’s redemption of creation, and it culminates with Jesus’ resurrection. Sin is paid for and forgiven. Death is overcome by life. Hades is opened and heaven receives all believers in Christ. The words Jesus spoke to the official are for us to: Your son will live. We live because Jesus lives risen from the grave. As the father believed Jesus’ word, so do we believe Jesus’ word as Paul informs us: »If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, then you will be saved« (Romans 10,9). John affirms this: These signs are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His Name (20,31).  Amen. 

8. Let us pray. O Lord, who reigns over heaven and earth; let all people rejoice and be glad, so that our praises glorify your Holy Triune Name.  Amen. 

To God alone be the Glory 

Soli Deo Gloria

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All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2019 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. 

VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2020 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. 

Weinrich, William C. John 1:1––7:1. Copyright © 2015 Concordia Publishing House. 

1 Turning water into wine 2,1-11; healing of the official’s son 4,46-54; the healing of the lame man 5,1-17; the feeding of the 5000 6,1-15; walking on water 6,16-21; the healing of the blind man 9,1-41; and the raising of Lazarus 11,1-47.