Seeking Jesus First Feb. 23, 2026

Go Your Way; Your Son Lives

Today’s Reading: John 4:50–51
(Read the full passage before reflecting below.)

“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.” (John 4:50, NKJV)

This is the turning point.

The nobleman had pleaded, “Sir, come down before my child dies!” He wanted Jesus’ presence. He wanted Him physically near the problem. He wanted visible intervention.

Instead, Jesus gave him a word.

“Go your way; your son lives.”

No touch.
No journey to Capernaum.
No dramatic scene at the bedside.

Just a sentence.

And Scripture tells us something remarkable: “So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way.” This is the moment faith matures. Desperation brought him to Jesus—but trust sent him home.

There is a difference between believing in Jesus and believing the word Jesus speaks. The nobleman had already believed Jesus could heal. Now he had to believe that healing had occurred—without seeing it.

This is faith in its purest form.

The man turned and began the long walk home with nothing but a promise. Every step away from Jesus required confidence in what had been spoken. There was no evidence yet. No confirmation. Only the authority of Christ’s voice.

And that voice carries life.

Earlier in this Gospel, we are told that “in Him was life” (John 1:4). Here we see that life travels at the speed of His word. Distance does not hinder Him. Presence is not limited by geography. When the King speaks, reality aligns.

On the way home, his servants met him with the news: his son was alive. The fever had left at the exact hour Jesus said, “Your son lives.” What he believed by faith was now confirmed by sight.

But notice the order: he believed first. He walked first. He obeyed first.

There are moments in our lives when Jesus does not give us a sign—He gives us a word. We may want Him to “come down” into the details the way we envision. Instead, He calls us to trust what He has already spoken.

Faith often looks like walking away from the prayer meeting without visible change—yet anchored in His promise.

This passage gently asks us: what are we doing with the word He has given us? Are we waiting for additional reassurance, or are we walking in what He has already said?

The nobleman’s faith did not make the miracle happen. Jesus’ authority did that. But his faith positioned him to receive and recognize it.

Today, let this truth strengthen you: when Jesus speaks, life moves. His word does not weaken with distance. It does not expire with time. It does not require constant verification.

Sometimes the greatest miracle is not what we see at the end of the journey—

but the trust that carries us along the way.