Well, it’s that time of year again. It’s the time of year that most men love and some women hate. It’s the time of year when, for some of us, the weekend becomes even more exhausting than the weekdays. It’s the time of year when there’s less yard work getting done on Saturdays and Sunday naps seem to disappear. You guessed it; it’s football season. It’s almost here. It’s so close that we can taste it. In fact, most high schools around here have already played some type of exhibition game and are set to begin their season in less than a week. The same can be said about my personal favorite, college football, which returns to us this Thursday night. To me, there’s nothing like the college football experience. Some of my earliest memories are going with my dad to college football games all throughout the southeast. I don’t even want to think of the miles that we put on that mid 80s GMC Sierra that he drove until it literally blew up. My passion for college football, while sometimes bordering on unhealthy, has been a point of humor for Amy throughout our time dating and then our marriage. You see, for me, gameday starts somewhere around 5:30 or 6:00 in the morning. It’s a matter of personal pride for me to be one of the first ones out tailgating and to see the sun rise up over the stadium. Quite honestly, she thinks there’s something wrong with me. It’s like a holiday that comes around once a week. It’s equivalent to if Christmas morning came for my kids each and every Saturday.
I’ve been to numerous college football stadiums and caught many games throughout my years, but there is one particular trip that stands out above all others, and oddly enough it has nothing to do with my beloved Mississippi State Bulldogs. A good friend of mine in college came walking into my room one Friday after class and asked me what I was doing for the weekend. I replied, “I don’t know; probably just sitting around. How about you?” Drake responses, “Well, I think I may drive up to Knoxville; wanna come? Tennessee’s at home this weekend.” After a few seconds of thinking about it, “Sure, why not?” Now, keep in mind that Knoxville is about 6 ½ to 7 hours and almost 400 miles away from where I was attending college, but I had never been to the University of Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium and seen a game before. I had heard all about the atmosphere there from family that I had in Tennessee. They used to tell me that there was nothing like the sound of 100,000+ TN fans screaming for the Volunteers when they were on the field. Keep in mind that this was during their most recent time of success; when they were a national power and competing for national titles just about every year. As we drove up to TN, my friend began to describe the scene for me a little better. You see, he grew up close by and had been to numerous games there over the years. This did nothing but to heighten my anticipation. Eventually, gameday arrived and something that I had looked forward to for so long was here. I had heard for many years about the experience of being in this place and watching a game at this iconic stadium, and it was finally about to happen.
In our text today, Jesus is making a return to the city of Cana in Galilee, the site of his very first miracle. I know that it’s been a while, but about a month and a half ago we looked at Jesus’ first miracle; his turning water into wine at a wedding festival. If you recall, we read that almost immediately after this festival was over, Jesus and his disciples left town to continue on with his earthly ministry. I can’t help but imagine that word slowly started to spread about what Jesus had done. Although the servants who assisted Jesus didn’t say anything about what he had done in that moment, eventually word got out. “Hey, you know that really good wine that was served at the end of the wedding festival? Well, Jesus actually made it that night out of water. Yeah, it was a miracle.” Add to that the fact that at least some of what has happened in other parts of the world has made its way back to Cana by now and you have a group of people who are probably very anxiously awaiting Jesus returning to them. They have heard so much about him, but they have never had the chance to experience him in person since they found out about what he did that day and what he has done since that wedding.
As he returns to the city of Cana, there is one man in particular who has heard the stories and has a real problem on his hands at the moment. There was this official who had a son who had a particular illness. Now, we don’t know exactly what illness this boy had, but we are told that he is on his deathbed. This official, or nobleman, had some wealth and status and had most likely taken his son to numerous physicians prior to coming to Jesus. They hadn’t been able to do anything for him and he is now down to his last (and greatest) hope. He probably didn’t even believe that Jesus was who he claimed to be, but he was willing to give it a try. When we’re desperate, we’ll try anything. Here was a man who most likely didn’t believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but he’s heard some things about what he has done and he is willing to give it a shot. He comes to Jesus and tries to get him to come and heal his son. He comes to him simply wanting something from him. He wants to fix an earthly need instead of wanting to gain something in terms of salvation. After hearing the official’s pleas, Jesus responds to him, “Unless you see signs and wonders you will not believe.” Jesus is rebuking this man, and that’s not an uncommon occurrence during the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. In fact, Jesus is still having to rebuke his very own disciples even after his death and resurrection. One of the members of our men’s Bible study on Wednesday morning astutely pointed out that quite often during Jesus’ ministry it was only after seeing him perform a miracle that many people actually believed Jesus to be who he claimed to be. So let’s don’t be too harsh towards this official, but understand that Jesus did indeed sternly rebuke him.
However, the official doesn’t really seem to care about Jesus’ rebuke or anything that Jesus has to say at this point in time. He is only concerned with one thing, and that is the heath of his dying son. So, the official begs Jesus once again to come and see his son. It’s almost like he’s saying, “Ok! I really don’t care about that right now. Are you going to help me or not? Come on Jesus.” Notice that Jesus doesn’t cave into the demands of the official in one sense, but simply tells him, “Go; your son will live.” Jesus never leaves with this man to go and see his son. We’re told here that the man believed and went away, but I have to think that there must have been some sliver of doubt in his mind. The entire way back to his house, he has to be trying to imagine what he is going to return to. Then, some of his servants meet him and tell him that his son is getting better. After speaking with his servants, the official realizes his son began his recovery at the very same moment that Jesus told him that his son would live.
John, the author of this gospel, rerecords the words “and the man believed” again here, and I think that there is a lesson behind that. You can believe something, but not really believe it until you have experienced it for yourself. Jumping back to my story about going to Knoxville, TN and Neyland Stadium for the first time; the words and stories that I had heard for so long fell far short of the actual experience. We happened to luck up and get tickets on the first row of the upper deck on the 50 yard line. Tennessee was playing Arkansas and the game ended up being a 6 overtime game, the longest game in NCAA history at the time. As each play happened, the intensity of the crowd grew and grew; they seemed to live and die with each completed pass and missed opportunity. I have never been to a game that rivaled that one, and I wasn’t necessarily a fan of either team. All that I had heard about Neyland Stadium being one of the best places to watch a college football game at the time were confirmed and then some.
This official, while maybe mostly believing that Jesus could heal his son, I don’t think completely bought into the words “your son will live” when he first left Jesus’ side. After all, Jesus hadn’t touched the boy or even seen him; how could he heal him? Thoughts that had to go through the man’s mind as he made his way back home, but after hearing the words of the servant, “yesterday his fever left him” the official believed in Jesus. This wasn’t just believing that Jesus could perform a miracle. This wasn’t just believing that Jesus had the power to turn water into a sweet tasting wine. This wasn’t just believing that Jesus had some supernatural sort of healing power. This was believing that Jesus Christ, this man who he had just seen and felt and spoken with, was indeed the Son of God, the promised Messiah, the Savior, come to earth.
Friends, there are numerous things in life that don’t live up to the hype. We’ve seen things over and over that don’t quite meet our expectations, but there are numerous things in life that do meet our expectations and even exceed them. My experience in Knoxville was once of those things. But there is nothing in this world that holds a candle when compared to knowing and truly believing in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is a feeling that this official felt this day, and it’s a feeling that we have all had the privilege of feeling at numerous times in our lives. Think about the first time that you knew that God was real. It may have been when you were a small child or in the last several years. Think about the feeling that you had in that moment. And then there are things that happen throughout the course of our lives that leave us knowing without a doubt that God is real. I know that when my children come to me each night and give me the hug-kiss-love you routine that my God is real. I know that giving me such wonderful children and such a beautiful wife are things that I don’t deserve and it isn’t even close. Despite all that I’ve done and the countless ways in which I’ve messed up, He continues to bless me with moments that let me know that He is real and He is ever present in my life. Don’t just dismiss those moments in your own lives; relish those moments. Savor those times and take them completely in. I guarantee you that this official savored those moments after his encounter with Jesus. For the Messiah has come and paid the price for all of us, so that we may have eternal life and enjoy the fullness and richness of God’s merciful blessings. Glory be to God; in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
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