Acts 10:38 NKJV how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
This is a sermon summary that the Apostle Peter was giving, and it is interesting that he could have chosen a number of things to describe the ministry of Jesus such as:
- We were fishing and He said to cast our nets on the other side, and we did, and the nets were so overcome by fish that they broke.
- He turned water into wine at a wedding one day.
- Two times He fed the multitudes supernaturally by multiplying some loaves and fishes.
- He could have talked about how Jesus walked on the water one night.
- He could have talked about when He raised Lazarus from the dead.
Peter chose to talk about Jesus as the Healer because this was the most defining characteristic of His earthly ministry.
- Apart from spiritual things, the one thing that we as humans are most concerned about is our physical body.
Matthew 6:25 NKJV (25) “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?
The reality is that our cars, clothes, etc. become secondary when our bodies are not as they should be. God cares about the care of your body.
What type of people does Jesus heal?
- Jesus heals those that are outcast from everyone else because of disease.
Mark 1:40-42 NKJV (40) Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” (41) Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” (42) As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.
The leper had no doubts about the ability of Jesus to heal but the question was in was Jesus willing to heal him. When Jesus touched the man He would have been unclean.
- Jesus heals those who are left behind by society because of disease.
Mark 2:1-12 NKJV And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. (2) Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. (3) Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. (4) And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. (5) When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” (6) And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, (7) “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” (8) But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? (9) Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? (10) But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”–He said to the paralytic, (11) “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” (12) Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Life has left this man behind because of his paralysis. He was always at the mercy of everyone else and depended on their help.
- Jesus heals those who are limited because of some infirmity.
Mark 3:1-5 NKJV And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. (2) So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. (3) And He said to the man who had the withered hand, “Step forward.” (4) Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. (5) And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other.
The religious leaders were more concerned about whether Jesus was going to break the law than they were about the man being healed.
- Jesus heals those conditions that are long standing and that maybe you have learned to live with.
Mark 5:25-34 NKJV Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, (26) and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. (27) When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. (28) For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” (29) Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the affliction. (30) And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” (31) But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” (32) And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. (33) But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. (34) And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.”
This was a long-standing condition that the woman had had for years. It may not necessarily have been terminal and maybe she was on her way to learning how to live with this. But the woman was a fighter.
- Jesus wants to heal people so that they can have some normality in their lives and their lives not revolve around some kind of sickness or disease.
Mark 5:21-24 NKJV Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. (22) And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet (23) and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” (24) So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him.
Mark 5:35-43 NKJV While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” (36) As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” (37) And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. (38) Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. (39) When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.” (40) And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. (41) Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” (42) Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. (43) But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat.
The commandment to not say something had nothing to with what Jesus was doing or had done or even the effect on His ministry. The reason He said this was that they had been greatly amazed.
He had just healed a twelve-year-old girl and actually raised her up from the dead. In the eyes of the people, she could have become a spectacle and been harassed for the rest of her life. Plainly put, Jesus wanted her to have a normal life as a little girl, a teenager and then a young woman. The nature of people is that for the rest of her life there would be whispers about her and what she had experienced.
He said to give her something to eat. He wanted to restore to her normality in her life.
- It does not matter what the condition is or how great or how small, Jesus cares about it and wants us to be healed!
Mark 6:1-6 NKJV Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. (2) And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! (3) Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him. (4) But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” (5) Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. (6) And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
Their unbelief did limit Jesus in what He was able to do there. BUT he still healed some LITTLE physical problems.
He did everything He could, despite the unbelief of the people, to minister healing to them.
Hebrews 13:8 NKJV Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
- Healing was a defining characteristic of His ministry then and it still is a defining characteristic of His ministry today!