The Progression of Faith

April 26, 2026|The Progression of Faith| John 4:43-54

JD Cutler

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Good morning, church family. As we turn again to John’s gospel, I want us to take a few minutes and remember what we have seen so far.

First, John opens his gospel account by declaring Christ’s identity. The book begins with the absolute highest proclamation from the writer. This Jesus of Nazareth is the Word of God, present and active in creation, and made flesh in the incarnation. He records John the Baptist’s declaration on Christ’s identity with ‘Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.’

Second, John then displays signs and encounters from Jesus’ life and ministry that illustrate his declaration. Jesus displays supernatural knowledge when he meets Nathanael. Jesus displays supernatural power when he turns water into wine, a miracle that John identifies as the first of his signs that manifested his glory. Then comes the trip to Jerusalem where Jesus cleanses the temple, condemning corruption and claiming unique sonship with the Father. John then takes us into an encounter between Jesus and a religious leader named Nicodemus. Jesus tells Nicodemus that new birth is necessary and that eternal life comes through believing in the Son who will be lifted up. John then takes us briefly back to John the Baptist where his declarations give us even greater clarity on who Jesus is. He is the bridegroom, and his people are the bride. Jesus has come bearing witness of heavenly things and belief in the Son is the way to eternal life.

Then John tells us that Jesus decided to go back to Galilee, and even more confusingly, by way of going through Samaria. In Samaria, He engages one of the most unlikely witnesses imaginable. An unnamed Samaritan woman with a sinful past, where he again displays supernatural knowledge of her life and situation. In their conversation he reveals that he is the Messiah, the Christ of God. That story ends by telling us that many Samaritans believed because of his word, saying ‘we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world’

Thirdly, through it all, John is tracing the development of faith. What we have seen throughout John’s gospel in the first four chapters is a steady march from unbelief to belief, from faith to stronger faith, from skepticism to confession. From ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ to ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ From the general statement ‘We have found the Messiah’ by his disciples to the fuller statement ‘and his disciples believed in Him’. From ‘Behold the Lamb of God’ to ‘He who comes from above is above all.’ From ‘How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?’ to ‘Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did. Can this be the Christ?’

I think for both Pastor Will and myself, we believe as we study John together as a church, it is important that we remember John’s purpose for writing his gospel account. (These things Jesus did in the presence of the disciples 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.) John is showing us what genuine faith looks like in real time, while also showing us the signs that prove Jesus is the Christ.

Through these opening chapters, John is doing two things at once: revealing who Jesus is and revealing how people respond to Him. Some resist, some misunderstand, some believe weakly, and some come to settled conviction. Many of them go from one place of belief to another. That is exactly what we will see again in our passage this morning. Let’s pick up in verse 43 of chapter 4.

John 4:43–54 ESV

43 After the two days he departed for Galilee. 44 (For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown.) 45 So when he came to Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him, having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast. For they too had gone to the feast. 46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. And at Capernaum there was an official whose son was ill. 47 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. 48 So Jesus said to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” 49 The official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” 50 Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way. 51 As he was going down, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. 52 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.” 53The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live.” And he himself believed, and all his household. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

The first truth we find in this scripture concerning genuine faith is…

I. NEED LEADS THE SINNER TO CHRIST

The primary character interacting with Jesus in this encounter is described as an official at Capernaum. The Greek word translated official here is a word commonly used for kings or rulers. Most likely he is an official in Herod’s court, a high ranking member who lives in Capernaum. The word is translated as royal elsewhere in scripture. Coupled with the reality that he had servants, bondservants or slaves depending on the situation, indicates that this was a wealthy man. Authority, power, wealth. We often think these things are the answer for life’s problems and protection against hardships and yet we find that none of it kept the difficulties of sickness from this man’s family. His son was ill, not just ill, but at the point of death.

Like so many before and after him, his need led him to come to Jesus. Word had spread of Jesus’ works in Jerusalem and Galilee; reports that this Jesus was able to do things others could not. He hears that Jesus is in Galilee. So in desperation, this royal official does not send a servant, but goes himself from Capernaum to Galilee, a distance of about 15 miles or roughly a day’s journey to ask him to come down and heal his son.

Jesus’ response seems a little harsh if we don’t think a little about the context. He says, unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe. The first indication that something more is going on here than a harsh word from Jesus is that the you in ‘you see signs’ and ‘you will not believe’ are plural. Jesus is talking about more than just this man’s heart. Remember where he is, verse 46, 46 So he came again to Cana in Galilee, where he had made the water wine. In Galilee should cause us to refer back to what John just said in verse 44. ‘For Jesus himself had testified that a prophet has no honor in his own hometown’ But now the Galileans welcomed him, why? Having seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the feast.

Jesus is likely both commenting on the crowd and pushing back on the man a little. He is setting up the coming tension when he does not operate in the way this man requests.

The official asks him to come down and heal his son. After Jesus’ statement, undeterred, he says, ‘sir, come down before my child dies.’

The question is whether this man’s faith was already real but weak, or only beginning to awaken?

Yes he had sought out Jesus in his need, in his desperation, but so that Jesus would meet his need the way he wanted him to. Come down with me, heal my son. He assumes Jesus must help in the way he understands help.

Let that sink in for a minute. Perhaps when you first turned to Jesus you had a similar experience. Jesus if you would just, fix this problem, heal this disease, restore this relationship. Maybe you are in that position this morning. You believe that Jesus is the answer to your problem and you are turning to him in need.

Yes, turning toward Jesus in need may be the beginning of faith, but need alone is not yet mature trust in Christ.

But here is the good news. Jesus meets the man where he is. In Matthew the gospel writer quotes from Isaiah, saying that Christ fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet. 20 a bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not quench. If it’s not genuine faith, then Jesus is going to guide him toward that kind of faith. If it is genuine but weak or undeveloped faith, Jesus is going to guide him toward a more mature faith. Jesus welcomes those who are weak and struggling and bruised, not in judgment or punishment, but in mercy and grace.

This is the point where Christ begins to do what only He can do—not merely meet the man’s physical need, but deepen his faith. Whether this man’s faith was weak or only beginning, Christ does not send him away. He receives him, corrects him, and leads him forward. That is still Christ’s way with needy sinners. And that brings us to our next truth concerning genuine faith:

II. CHRIST LEADS THE SINNER TO TRUST HIS WORD

The man has traveled a day to find Jesus and bring him back to his son. A desperate two day trip with a son sick to the point of death. He did not get upset when Jesus challenged him, he just simply repeated his plea for Jesus to come down with him so that his son would not die.

To which Jesus says, Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.”

Can you imagine?

Not, I’ll go with you. Not I healed your son. Not even if you go, I’ll heal your son. Just go.

By the way, the word ‘Go’ is a complete sentence. In terms of faith, that’s always been the case.

Our father in the faith, Abraham, dwelling in his ancestral lands was told “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” The author of Hebrews summarizes it like this ‘And he went out, not knowing where he was going.” Abraham’s go was to leave his homeland, this officials is to return to it, either way the terms are the same. Trust, belief, faith.

The very essence of faith as explained in that same letter in chapter 11- Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Assurance of things hoped for- a firm trust in things not yet experienced the conviction of things not seen- literally, the test of things not yet seen

Faith is trusting God’s word even before personal sight confirms it.

We of course know that this is at odds with our current culture that says ‘seeing is believing’. We want assurances, we want evidence, we want tangibility. If we can’t see it for ourselves we won’t believe.

We hear people in the world saying things like ‘if God wants me to believe in him, he could just appear to me’ By that definition, you would not believe in God, you would know that he exists. That’s not faith, even demons know that he exists.

The transformation from disbelief to faith is not rooted in what we can see, but whether we can trust.

Do we believe that when the Bible says God created the world, that he did?

Do we believe that when the Bible says that God robed himself in flesh and lived among us, that he did?

Do we believe that when he says everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, they will?

Do we believe Jesus when he says he has gone to prepare a place for his people and he will return for them, that he will?

Faith is trusting the word of God before we experience and see that which has been promised.

So when Jesus tells the man to go, he is telling him to exercise faith that what Jesus says will happen. The official must depart without witnessing the healing, acting solely on Jesus’ word. This echoes the pattern established with Abraham, whose faith journey begins with a similar command.

Does he have genuine faith? John says. The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.

John uses the verb form of faith here—he believed, he trusted, he acted. The exercising of faith, which consequently is the very thing that displays that it is genuine is acting on that which God says but has not yet been done. On what God promises but has not yet been seen.

Why does all this faith talk matter?

Because without faith it is impossible to please him.

Because we walk by faith, not by sight.

Faith permeates the entire Christian existence.

We may come to Jesus expecting for him to meet our needs according to what we expect, but if we are going to exercise faith then we must believe that he will do what he has said he is going to do, the way he has said he is going to do it. That is faith.

Now imagine that long walk home by this man. No proof. No evidence. Only a promise. Trust that this Jesus spoke the truth and that his son would live. But, and here is the beautiful nature of God’s gracious work in our lives, before he reaches the house, Christ turns faith into sight and confidence into testimony. That brings us to our third truth concerning genuine faith.

III. CONFIRMED FAITH LEADS TO WORSHIP AND WITNESS

John tells us that as he was going down, that is as he was actively obeying Christ’s command to return home, his servants met him and told him that his son was recovering. Here is the tension in this moment, I don’t want us to rush past. You have the servants that know nothing about his encounter with Jesus, making the trip to find their master in order to tell him that his son is getting better. In other words, there’s no need to bring Jesus, while you have been gone, your son began recovering.

I wonder, in that moment, what they thought when they found their master coming home by himself? That he couldn’t find Jesus. That Jesus wouldn’t come down? Many scholars believe this was a gentile official, maybe no one believed that this Jewish miracle worker was even worth the shot of going down to Cana. Whatever it was, I’m sure they were delighted to be able to tell him that his beloved son was recovering. What does the official say? Does he celebrate, does he pick up the pace home? No, he says. At what hour, at what point, did my son begin to get better? He stops everything and says, just tell me this, when did this happen.

He wants to understand when exactly his son began getting better so that he can understand whether this was coincidence or consequence of Christ’s intervention. Yesterday at the seventh hour, or what we would call 1pm. The father knew that was the hour when Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live”

I have seen too many people who half-heartedly come to God with their needs, when they have been met, chalk it up to coincidence or luck. People who have promised to surrender to God if he would just do this or that thing only to chalk it up to good fortune and move on until their next crisis.

But contrast that with this man.

If you would, walk through this development of faith for a moment with me.

He heard about Jesus from others, a great need arose in his life, one where he turned to Jesus for healing of his son.

A great seed of faith born of desperation.

Then we see him resilient, even withstanding a general rebuke concerning signs, begging Jesus to come down with him so that his son might live. He is convinced that Jesus can help him, but he cannot conceive of any other way than if he comes to his son.

Then we have Jesus’ challenge, go, your son lives. To which the man responds believing in the words of Jesus, acting on faith.

Now we have his faith confirmed, at the very moment Jesus uttered these words, his son began to recover. And he himself believed.

What is different about his believe now that wasn’t true when John said he believed when he was with Jesus?

Let’s unpack the use of believe or faith in this passage.

Jesus said unless you see signs you will not believe (the verb being in the subjunctive tense communicating the potentiality of faith) Then the man believed the word spoken by Jesus (the verb being in the indicative tense indicating a statement of fact) Now, the man himself believed (period). The verb remains the same, but missing from John’s statement is the noun. The man believed the word- verb (believed), noun or subject (the word) Now, the man himself believed- verb (believed), noun or subject (blank)

John is showing us that the man’s faith has grown from what Jesus said to faith in the one who said it.

He has faith in Christ.

This separation between faith in miraculous ability and faith in who Christ is a central theme of John. Let me remind you of how he closed chapter 2. 23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many believed in his name when they saw the signs that he was doing. 24 But Jesus on his part did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people 25 and needed no one to bear witness about man, for he himself knew what was in man.

But that isn’t all.

The story doesn’t end with simply a desperate man becoming a man with genuine faith.

The Bible says, he himself believed, and all his household. What most likely began with that conversation with his servants, continued until they reached home, and blossomed into this man leading his whole household to place their faith in this Jesus, who had healed his son.

This is how genuine faith spreads. It is a beautiful expression of a father, a husband, a master leading his household to embrace Jesus in faith.

Over my life, in the world of parenting, especially in those loosely associated with evangelical thought, many parents are saying things like. We aren’t going to push faith on little Johnny, we are going to let him make up his own mind. We aren’t going to make little Suzy go to church, we don’t want her to grow up and not like church.

Church family, that way of thinking does not fit the logic of genuine faith. If Christ is life, why would we be indifferent about leading our children to Him? If you have genuine faith in Christ your life will be so radically reoriented that you will want everyone that you love and care for to meet and believe in Jesus. If you believe Christ is the answer to it all, that through faith in him you have everlasting life, you cannot tell me you do not want your household and those whom you love to come to that same place of faith.

Genuine faith always leads to worship and witness.

From need to faith to witness.

This pattern is repeated throughout scripture and has been seen in many of our own lives as well. Needs leads a sinner to Christ, Christ leads the sinner to trust his word, and confirmed faith leads to worship and witness.

It happened with the woman at the well, and now it has happened with an official from Capernaum. John is showing us what happens when someone meets Christ and accepts him in faith.

This encounter concludes John’s section outlining what is often referred to as Jesus’ first ministry circuit, which starts and ends in Cana of Galilee. 54 This was now the second sign that Jesus did when he had come from Judea to Galilee.

One miraculous provision at the height of joy in life, a marriage feast.

One miraculous provision at the depth of pain in life, a dying child.

One miracle worker who just has to say the word.

Both divine exercises over matter itself, proving that this Jesus is the word of God made flesh and his glory is on full display for those who see him for who he is.

There is a good chance this morning that many of you are somewhere on this spectrum of faith we have been talking about. Perhaps there are some who have been driven to come to church this morning because you are at the end of yourself. If Jesus doesn’t do something, you have no hope.

Perhaps there are some who have responded to Jesus in faith and you are in the midst of your faith journey trusting in his word.

Perhaps there are some who have seen and felt the confirmation of your faith in your life and your testimony is spilling over into your families, your friends, your neighbors.

Wherever you are this morning, the last thing I want to show you from our text is the beauty of God’s grace in Christ that meets us exactly where we are.

The man sought Jesus because even imperfectly, he believed Jesus was the answer to his problem.

That’s exactly where Christ engaged him, graciously.

The man was corrected and sent, and he believed Jesus’ word. Jesus met his physical need, that’s grace.

The man’s belief deepened and he shared it with his household. God gave him confirmation, that’s grace.

When God allows our faith to become sight so that our faith might deepen.

All faith is the gracious gift of God—from its first beginning to every act of trusting Him.

What is Christ calling you to today?

You know the greatest need you have is not a physical one. It’s not a financial one. It’s not a health one.

It is that, according to Jesus in John’s gospel, we are under condemnation because of our rebellion and sin against the truth.

Scripture says that condemnation leads to perishing, or eternal separation from the life of God.

And yet, Jesus met humanity in that need by coming into the world, living a sinless life, and laying down his life for sinners as the lamb of God. Jesus’ word says that 16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

This is who John’s gospel is revealing Jesus to be.

The son of God who has come into the world so that it might be saved through him.

John has shown us who Jesus is.

The question now is how you will respond to Him.

Will you come only for relief, or will you trust Him for life? Will you seek His gifts, or believe in the Son Himself?

Christ still meets needy sinners, still speaks saving truth, and still gives life to all who believe.

Let us pray.