"Go, your son will live."
Pastor Frank Park | Founding and Senior Pastor
There are moments in Scripture where just a single sentence from Jesus dismantles fear, confronts doubt, and rebuilds a person’s entire world. John 4:46–54 gives us one of those moments.
A desperate father from Capernaum comes to Jesus in Cana, pleading for his dying son. He doesn’t bring casual concern; he brings urgent, aching desperation. His boy is at the brink of death. And then Jesus speaks five simple words: “Go; your son will live.” That’s it. No trip back to Capernaum. No dramatic display. No accompanying presence “just in case.” Just a word.
And the father does something remarkable: “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” (v. 50) He didn’t beg for Jesus to come along. He didn’t ask for proof, a sign, or a guarantee. He didn’t request a backup plan. He simply obeyed. And he went home the next day in peace. Think about that. A father whose son is dying, taking an overnight journey home without Jesus physically beside him, because he trusted that Jesus’ word was enough.
That is faith. Not faith in an outcome. Not faith in a feeling. Not faith in a formula. Faith in Jesus’ word.
And when he arrived home the next day, he discovered that the exact hour Jesus spoke was the exact hour the healing began. The boy lived. And the father’s faith deepened into a household revival.
Healing: The Question Is Never If, But When
This story naturally brings us to the larger question of healing. Every Christian wrestles with it. Every church prays for it. Every believer has begged for it; sometimes with tears. And Scripture is clear: Every Christian will be healed. The question is never if. The question is when. Some will be healed in this life. All will be healed in the next. The resurrection guarantees it. Revelation 21 seals it. The empty tomb promises it.
The Danger of “Guaranteed Healing Now” Theology
Unfortunately, there is a stream of teaching today that places an unbearable burden on suffering Christians. It claims that if you have enough faith, God must heal you now. And if you’re not healed, the blame lies on you: your lack of faith, your hidden sin and/or your spiritual failure.
But Scripture gives us sobering counterexamples:
JOB : Job wasn’t suffering because of sin. He wasn’t being punished. He wasn’t lacking faith. He was righteous. And still, everything collapsed around him. Yet his suffering became a stage where God displayed Himself more deeply than Job had ever known.
APOSTLE PAUL: Paul, an apostle who moved in miracles, pleaded three times for the thorn in his flesh to be removed. God’s answer?
“No. But My grace is sufficient for you.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) God didn’t remove Paul’s thorn. He gave Paul His presence. Paul didn’t get deliverance. He got Christ.
Two Ways God Heals
1. He removes the problem: And when He does, we rejoice and we celebrate.
2. He gives His presence in the midst of the problem: And when He does, we grow.
In one situation, God changes what is happening to you. In the other, He changes what is happening in you. Sometimes God gives you the miracle you desire. Other times He gives you the strength, depth, character, and intimacy with Him that you need. You may not like your circumstances. But you may come to love who God is shaping you to become.
The desperate dad in John 4 teaches us how to live between the promise and the fulfillment:
You trust the Word, even when you can’t see the result yet.
You walk in peace, even while the outcome is still in God’s hands.
You move forward, not because you understand everything, but because you trust the One who speaks.
And whether God heals you now or heals you later, His Word is enough.
His presence is enough. And His timing is perfect.
A desperate father from Capernaum comes to Jesus in Cana, pleading for his dying son. He doesn’t bring casual concern; he brings urgent, aching desperation. His boy is at the brink of death. And then Jesus speaks five simple words: “Go; your son will live.” That’s it. No trip back to Capernaum. No dramatic display. No accompanying presence “just in case.” Just a word.
And the father does something remarkable: “The man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him and went on his way.” (v. 50) He didn’t beg for Jesus to come along. He didn’t ask for proof, a sign, or a guarantee. He didn’t request a backup plan. He simply obeyed. And he went home the next day in peace. Think about that. A father whose son is dying, taking an overnight journey home without Jesus physically beside him, because he trusted that Jesus’ word was enough.
That is faith. Not faith in an outcome. Not faith in a feeling. Not faith in a formula. Faith in Jesus’ word.
And when he arrived home the next day, he discovered that the exact hour Jesus spoke was the exact hour the healing began. The boy lived. And the father’s faith deepened into a household revival.
Healing: The Question Is Never If, But When
This story naturally brings us to the larger question of healing. Every Christian wrestles with it. Every church prays for it. Every believer has begged for it; sometimes with tears. And Scripture is clear: Every Christian will be healed. The question is never if. The question is when. Some will be healed in this life. All will be healed in the next. The resurrection guarantees it. Revelation 21 seals it. The empty tomb promises it.
The Danger of “Guaranteed Healing Now” Theology
Unfortunately, there is a stream of teaching today that places an unbearable burden on suffering Christians. It claims that if you have enough faith, God must heal you now. And if you’re not healed, the blame lies on you: your lack of faith, your hidden sin and/or your spiritual failure.
But Scripture gives us sobering counterexamples:
JOB : Job wasn’t suffering because of sin. He wasn’t being punished. He wasn’t lacking faith. He was righteous. And still, everything collapsed around him. Yet his suffering became a stage where God displayed Himself more deeply than Job had ever known.
APOSTLE PAUL: Paul, an apostle who moved in miracles, pleaded three times for the thorn in his flesh to be removed. God’s answer?
“No. But My grace is sufficient for you.” (2 Corinthians 12:9) God didn’t remove Paul’s thorn. He gave Paul His presence. Paul didn’t get deliverance. He got Christ.
Two Ways God Heals
1. He removes the problem: And when He does, we rejoice and we celebrate.
2. He gives His presence in the midst of the problem: And when He does, we grow.
In one situation, God changes what is happening to you. In the other, He changes what is happening in you. Sometimes God gives you the miracle you desire. Other times He gives you the strength, depth, character, and intimacy with Him that you need. You may not like your circumstances. But you may come to love who God is shaping you to become.
The desperate dad in John 4 teaches us how to live between the promise and the fulfillment:
You trust the Word, even when you can’t see the result yet.
You walk in peace, even while the outcome is still in God’s hands.
You move forward, not because you understand everything, but because you trust the One who speaks.
And whether God heals you now or heals you later, His Word is enough.
His presence is enough. And His timing is perfect.