QT 7 Jun 12, There is a blessing to those who believe without miracles

John 4:43-54 (NIV) After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honor in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, for they also had been there.

46 Once more he visited Cana in Galilee, where he had turned the water into wine. And there was a certain royal official whose son lay sick at Capernaum. 47 When this man heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to him and begged him to come and heal his son, who was close to death.

48 "Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."

49 The royal official said, "Sir, come down before my child dies."

50 Jesus replied, "You may go. Your son will live."

The man took Jesus at his word and departed. 51 While he was still on the way, his servants met him with the news that his boy was living. 52 When he inquired as to the time when his son got better, they said to him, "The fever left him yesterday at the seventh hour."

53 Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, "Your son will live." So he and all his household believed.

54 This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.

NOTE: It seemed to bother Jesus that people would not believe unless they saw some miraculous sign. John seems to emphasize the point not only with Jesus' statement but with the earlier comment about a prophet having no honor in his own country. The entrance of the gospel is authenticated by miracles as also prophesied in scripture. But miracles are a sign, that for the most part, were not to continue. They identify that something new is happening and they authenticate the speaker. This theme occurs in other places in John's gospel where specific messianic miracles are performed, and where Jesus's miracles force others to deal with the question of where his power could come from, if not from God (which also argues against supposed blasphemy as well). After his death, Jesus visits the apostles, and rebukes Thomas for his lack of belief, and adds a blessing to those who later believe without seeing. We are those who don't get to see Jesus' miracles but we still believe. We are blessed for our belief. It is harder to believe when the signs do not always support our belief. God will reward us for our belief, both in this age and in the age to come.