December 11 Life Power

John 4:49-54 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.
 
OUR Lord has returned to Cana. Recall how he had powerfully willed with simple instructions, “Fill the jars with water; so they filled them to the brim.” (John 2:7b) Now in the same manner he has healed a royal officer’s sick son from his deathbed. “You may go. Your son will live.”
The son was miles away in Capernaum. In God’s will, God’s life power came into his creation as if it were the first week of time. “And God said.” (Genesis 1:6a)
   From Genesis on the Bible has many illustrations of God’s eternal salvation spoken to his chosen servants. Noah is instructed to build an ark; Abraham is called from a pagan life to become God’s own. Moses is commanded to free Israel; Samuel is appointed to redeem God’s people.
   God’s spoken, written laws also point to God’s life power through sacrifice, atonement and forgiveness. Obeying God’s Word, Israel found life safe and secure in the Lord’s presence. The prophets’ words, too, steadfastly projected God’s eternal promises into Israel and Judea. Then Jesus, the Son of God, came to speak and to demonstrate the Father’s will of his eternal life promise. Hear Paul’s words teaching this in Ephesians 1:9-10 And Jesus made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment — to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
   God’s will fulfilled the wedding feast with the best wine. God’s will fulfilled a sick boy with new life. These miracles were not done to glorify Jesus. Jesus did them to show the signs of God’s will to fill our cup to overflowing with his goodness, mercy, salvation and life. These are the signs that a new, transformed life awaits God’s people in his eternal kingdom to come.
   At the wedding feast and on this day, people took Jesus at his word. They trusted his seemingly simple directions to discover the fullness of God’s will. In faith they watched the Lord God fill their lives with his life promise.
   What is the Lord’s will for you? Do you trust him enough to do as he says?
 
Prayer: Father in heaven, I pray your will is done in my life as it is in heaven. Amen.