Each Sunday in Lent will focus on one of Jesus’ miraculous signs in the Gospel of John.
PREPARE
Ask the Holy Spirit to guide your devotional time. Before you read, meditate on John’s words about his Gospel:
But these are written so that you may continue to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing in him you will have life by the power of his name – John 20:31.
READ
REFLECT AND PRAY
Jesus returns to Cana to find that news of the miracle he performed there (turning water into wine) has gone before him. Yet Jesus is aware that many people aren’t able to look past his “miraculous signs and wonders” (v. 48) and seek him for who he is, not what he can do. The official seems like one of these shallow thrill-seekers at first, yet he trusts Jesus enough to believe his son has been healed without any evidence but Jesus’ own words.
1) Is there anyone you are trusting Jesus to heal – physically, emotionally, spiritually, relationally, etc. – even though you can’t see anything happening yet? How has Jesus shown you that he is trustworthy?
1) The official comes to Jesus in desperation. He has left his son in a different town, an 8-hour walk away, knowing that his son may be dead before he gets back if Jesus cannot or will not help. Have there been times in your life when you felt this kind of desperation? What were they? How has what happened shaped to the person you are and the relationship you have with Jesus today?
OBEY
Allow Jesus to stir up your deep need for him and pray that he will do the same for others he has brought to mind. Begin by praising Jesus for how he has worked in your life, then move to worshipping him for who he is.
You are also invited to hear a sermon on this passage. It will be streamed on the Vineyard One NYC Facebook page beginning at 10:30 am Eastern Standard Time. (Previous sermon audio files are available at vineyardone.nyc.)
“Leap of Faith” is a devotional series on the Gospel of John for the Lent season. All readings are available on the Vineyard One NYC app, along with additional resources for Bible reading, worship, and prayer (IPhone app here; Google Play app here).