NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Bible Studies for Life curriculum.
Bible Passages: John 4:46-54
Discussion Questions:
- In what situations are you least likely to ask for help?
- What is it about Jesus that motivates you to take your needs to Him?
- How can taking Jesus at His word lead to an even deeper faith in Him?
Food for Thought:
We’ve all seen people who are just too hard-headed or prideful to ask for help. How desperate do you have to get before asking for help? Some people are willing to experience pain before asking for help. The situation may change, though, when someone else is involved like a spouse, child, parent or friend. In those moments, we’re willing to get whatever help we can to see someone we love receive the help and care they need.
A Roman royal official was desperate (v. 46); his son was ill. When the official came to Jesus, his desperation was obvious as he “pleaded with [Jesus] to come down and heal his son, since he was about to die” (v. 47). The gravity of this situation was evident in the tone of the royal official (v. 49).
When Jesus heard the pleading of the father for Him to do something that only Jesus could do, He carried out an amazing miracle not by physical touch, but by His own words: “‘Go,’ Jesus told him, ‘Your son will live’” (v. 50). The royal official heard what he needed to hear and believed. He displayed total faith in Jesus’ words at that moment and went on his way.
The next day while traveling home, the royal official was informed that his son was alive. He asked his servants when the healing occurred. He realized that it happened when Jesus said the day before that his son would live. This truth confirmed that Jesus was in sovereign control of the situation. The result was the affirmation of the royal official’s faith and the declaration of God’s power and grace to his entire household. This confirmed how the miracle was a sign of the person and work of Jesus Christ (v. 54).
It’s amazing to see how Jesus calls us to show the same type of faith today. We are simply called to be desperate for Jesus and to come with open hands and lives that respond with faith in the One who gives all good things.
Bible Studies for Life
Bible Studies for Life connects the Bible to life for adults, students, and kids. Bible Studies for Life helps individuals and groups know God’s Word through trustworthy content, creates biblical community through engaging and conversational group studies, and helps people engage the culture missionally by unpacking what the Bible says about real-life issues. More information can be found at Lifeway.com/biblestudiesforlife.
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