Noblman’s Son 


CHRIST HEALS THE NO­BLEMAN'S SON.


ON leaving Sychar our Lord went throughout Galilee, preaching in the synagogues, saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand! Repent ye, and believe the gospel."  The time here referred to is probably the sixty-nine weeks of Daniel 9:25. This period was to reach to Messiah the Prince. Messiah means the Anointed, and it is an interesting fact that the sixty-nine weeks expired at the baptism of Christ, the time when he was anointed by the Holy Ghost. 

Up to this point he had lived in retirement, but now he was to enter upon his public ministry, and as he went forth preaching, he said, "The time is fulfilled." The kingdom of God here referred to cannot be the kingdom of glory; for that is not to be set up until all earthly kingdoms are destroyed. It must have reference to the kingdom of grace, and the wonderful manifestations soon to be presented in that kingdom. The Prince of that kingdom was then upon the earth, teaching and working miracles. He was soon to offer himself as a sin offering for all mankind. 

To this great event all Christians of past ages had looked forward, and to it all Christians this side the cross have looked back, as the central point of their faith. 

The pure Son of God was about to give his life for the wicked sons of men; and through his preaching and that of his apostles the gospel light was to be shed with a fullness and radiance never known before."   

The gospel, which the people were exhorted to believe is the glad news of salvation through Christ.

As Jesus was going from place to place, teaching the people, he came to Cana of Galilee, where he had performed the miracle of making the water wine. "And there was a certain nobleman whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus was come out of Judea into Galilee, he went unto him and besought him that he would come down, and heal his son; for he was at the point of death. 

Then said Jesus unto him, Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe. The nobleman saith unto him, Sir, come down ere my child die. 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. 

And as he was now going down, his servants met him, and told him, saying, Thy son liveth. Then inquired he of them the hour when he began to amend. And they said unto him, Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him. So the father knew that it was at the same hour, in the which, Jesus said unto him, Thy son liveth; and himself believed, and his whole house. This is again the second miracle that Jesus did, when he was come out of Judea into Galilee."

This simple narrative relates an astonishing miracle; but in addition to this, it teaches a lesson of simple faith which it would be well for all to heed. When Christ tells the nobleman that he will not believe without seeing signs and wonders, the afflicted man does not stop to make professions of faith, or to utter complimentary words, but in the earnestness of his soul, cries out, "Sir, come down ere my child die." At first this might seem like an imperative command; but when Christ says, "Go thy way; thy son liveth," the agonized father, like a true nobleman, accepts the statement without a question. 

He was satisfied with the Master's word. 

It was now only about an hour past noon, and as the distance to Capernaum could not have been much over twenty miles, it would seem that he might have reached home that night; but so great was his confidence in the Saviour's words, that, since the way was dangerous by night, he seems to have stopped, as darkness drew on, and rested till morning; for it was the next day when his servants met him on his way home.

How well it would be for us, if we could always accept the Saviour's promises as unhesitatingly as did this man of Capernaum, and walk out upon them by faith, as he did!