John 4:49

The nobleman saith unto Him, Sir, come down ere my child die.

V. 50. Jesus saith unto him, Go thy way; thy son liveth. And the man believed the word that Jesus had spoken unto him, and he went his way.

The nobleman received the reproof of Christ's words meekly, but he was not deterred from his purpose. His faith was gaining strength, he was not so easily diverted and discouraged. He repeated his prayer for the Lord to come down lest his boy die meanwhile.

But he is still wrong, inasmuch as he persists in the idea that it is necessary for Jesus to be present in person to perform the healing. He had as yet no knowledge of the omnipotent power of the Lord, which is not bound by place and time.

But Jesus, in recognition of a faith which, though weak, was yet sound, bade the father return to Capernaum. His son lives, and will live.

Christ did not go with him. His cures are independent of His bodily presence and of any material media.

And now the man believed the word of Jesus. "His first immature faith has grown into something better....On Christ's word he departs home, believing he will find his son healed" (Expositor’s Greek Testament, 1, 734).

Although he saw nothing of that which Jesus had told him, the officer was fully satisfied with what he had heard. That is always true advance in faith, when a person believes the simple Word of God, even if there is not the slightest evidence of fulfillment of the promises. "Therefore I have said that all else must be rejected, and one must cling to the Word alone; if we have taken hold of that, then let world, death, sin, hell, and all misfortune rage and storm. But if you give up the Word, then you are bound for destruction" (Luther, 11, 1767).