John 4:50 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Jesus said to him, “Go; your son will live.” The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.

NIV: Go,' Jesus replied, 'your son will live.' The man took Jesus at his word and departed.

NASB: Jesus *said to him, 'Go; your son is alive.' The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went home.

CSB: "Go," Jesus told him, "your son will live." The man believed what Jesus said to him and departed.

NLT: Then Jesus told him, 'Go back home. Your son will live!' And the man believed what Jesus said and started home.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your son lives.” So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.

This man came to Jesus in a desperate attempt to save his son, who is nearly dead (John 4:47). His request is fairly simple: come back to Capernaum and heal my child. Jesus' comment about signs and belief (John 4:48) makes more sense when read in the context of verse 50. The point Jesus is making is that simply "knowing" something, or "hoping" something is not the same as "having faith" in something. Asking Jesus to perform a miracle only requires hope. Watching Jesus perform a miracle only results in knowledge.

"Faith," on the other hand, requires trust. The man is not being asked to exhibit blind faith. He already has reasons to believe that Jesus can heal his son. If he had no prior knowledge, he never would have come to see Jesus in the first place. What Jesus is asking for is trust. If the boy is that close to death, there is no time for the man to make a second trip. Either he trusts that Jesus can heal his son from here, or he does not. Walking away without Jesus right by his side will require the man to trust Christ's healing power and His words. That is what true, biblical faith is all about.

As it turns out, the man has exactly that kind of faith. He believes, in his mind, that Jesus can heal. More importantly, he is willing to trust Jesus to make good on His word without absolute proof. And so, he acts in faith and goes back home. He trusts Jesus, and sees his faith rewarded (John 4:51–53).

John 4:46–54 records the second of Jesus' seven miracles in the gospel of John. The primary point of this miracle is the importance of biblical ''faith,'' which is really ''trust.'' Jesus suggests that some people won’t believe—won’t actually ''trust'' in Christ—without seeing some miraculous event. Jesus then asks a miracle-seeker to act in trusting faith, by leaving without any proof that his request has been granted. As it turns out, the man has actual, trusting belief, and obeys. He finds his faith has already been rewarded on his way home. This also demonstrates the fact that God may sometimes answer our prayers long before we know He's done so.

Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman who is drawing water from a well. Jesus both confronts her about her sin, and comforts her with the truth of the gospel. In particular, He explains that even though He knows her sins, He still seeks after her, and those like her. The woman returns to town, eventually bringing many people to meet Jesus. The disciples, meanwhile, have to be reminded of the purpose of their mission. Jesus also heals the son of a government official in a way that demonstrates the importance of trusting faith, rather than reliance on spectacle.

John chapter 4 continues the use of contrast. Jesus goes from conversing with an educated, powerful, prestigious man to talking to an outcast, unlearned, self-conscious woman. The combination of this passage, along with Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, makes an important spiritual point. The gospel is for all people, in all places, and all times. Christ can reach each person exactly where he or she needs to be reached.

The gospel of John was written by the disciple John, decades later than the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. The author assumes that a reader is already familiar with the content of these other works. So, John presents a different perspective, with a greater emphasis on meaning. John uses seven miracles—which he calls “signs”—in order to prove that Jesus is, in fact, God incarnate. Some of the most well-known verses in all of the Bible are found here. None is more famous than the one-sentence summary of the gospel found in John 3:16.