(Note: Some of the content in this lesson comes from Pastor Nancy Dufresne of Dufresne Ministries. You can visit their ministry at www.dufresneministries.org.)
(John 21:25 NKJV) And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written. Amen.
There were innumerable healings and miracles performed by Jesus but we do not have record of them all. We do have record of 19 of them and because the Holy Spirit instructed those men to record them for us, we should take the time to study them.
In studying these healings, we can learn that if we will do what the people did, we can receive what the people got.
For this reason, we are looking at the details of each case.
Remember, pay attention to the details. Sometimes the key for you to be able to receive from Heaven is in the details.
(Luke 5:15 NKJV) However, the report went around concerning Him all the more; and great multitudes came together to hear, and to be healed by Him of their infirmities.
Hearing the Word precedes healing.
There is an important truth in hearing and receiving healing by faith: you can learn how to maintain what you have obtained.
F. F. Bosworth in his book, Christ the Healer states that once you receive healing in your body, there will inevitably be a counterattack of the enemy to try and steal your healing.
Never discount the process of standing in faith for your healing versus an instantaneous miracle of healing.
This is a summary of the ministry of Jesus: He went about teaching, preaching, and healing.
(Matthew 4:23 NKJV) And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.
(Matthew 9:35 NKJV) Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
We need to hear proper teaching on healing so that we can cooperate with the healing power of God.
What you hear, is going to be what you have faith to receive.
Jesus wants you to have a life of health and healing and to walk in that, you have to know something and be skilled in it.
(Mark 8:22-26 NKJV) Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. (23) So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. (24) And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” (25) Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. (26) Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”
(Mark 8:22 NKJV) Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.
Someone must have heard that Jesus was a Healer, and they knew if they could get the blind man to Jesus, they could get him help.
The blind man must have heard about Jesus as well because he allowed himself to be led to see Jesus.
The people had compassion on the blind man.
“Begged” – to call for aid, help, and bring comfort. (Not a cry for desperation but from a place of faith)
(Mark 8:23 NKJV) So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
Because of the faith of the people, Jesus took the man by the hand and let him out of the village.
Notice Jesus took “him” and not “them”. We can lead people to Jesus so that they might receive from Him but at some point, it becomes between them and Jesus.
Why did Jesus take the man out of the village?
(Matthew 11:20-24 NKJV) Then He began to rebuke the cities in which most of His mighty works had been done, because they did not repent: (21) “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. (22) But I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. (23) And you, Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, will be brought down to Hades; for if the mighty works which were done in you had been done in Sodom, it would have remained until this day. (24) But I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you.”
Jesus did not pronounce judgment on these cities because He was mad at them. He did this because in some fashion or another, they had rejected His ministry and what He wanted to do there. They made the power of God inoperable because of their unbelief.
As a result of their rejection, Jesus never performs another miracle in the three cities.
Out of compassion, Jesus led the man out of the place where His ministry had been rejected.
This is not God withholding from them; it is them not being willing to receive. God will do the same thing in churches today. A church can reject healing and because of this people cannot get healed there. God will therefore lead you to a place where you can receive.
That is why during the great Healing Revival of the late 1940’s and 1950’s, the anointed men and women of God were led to have great healing crusades out of the churches and in tents and auditoriums. The churches had rejected healing, yet God wanted to heal the people!
Jesus wants to heal people, but they must be in a place where they can receive – either physically or spiritually.
(Mark 5:38-40 NKJV) 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.
Jesus is so good and merciful! Jesus had to correct the environment of Jairus’ house so that it did not affect the faith of Jairus and keep his daughter dead.
Either Jesus will put out doubt and unbelief or He will get you to. But sometimes it must be done so that His power can operate.
Miracles can happen in your household even if they are not happening in the region IF that is the setting and atmosphere that you create by faith in God’s Word.
(Mark 8:23 NKJV) So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
Jesus ministered to the man with this method because the Holy Spirit led Him to do it that way.
You cannot coach God on how He is going to minister to you.
You must be willing to receive how He wants to do it.
Spitting on someone is not necessarily polite or socially acceptable but if I know that the person doing the spitting is anointed and can help me then they can spit away. I can always wash it off later.
Jesus then asked the man if he saw anything. The man says he sees people that look like trees walking. So, there was improvement but not a total completion of the healing.
The man was healed by degree. Sometimes when we start out believing God there will be improvement. We need to stay in faith until there is a completion. Improvement is still healing!
Don’t limit God to the instantaneous. Improvement is still supernatural. Just stay with it in faith until the full manifestation comes.
Don’t be occupied with WHEN and HOW.
Why did Jesus have to lay hands on the man twice?
(This is the only time in Jesus’ ministry that this happened.) It could be that they doubt and unbelief around the man in Bethsaida could have affected his faith. It certainly was not a shortfall of the anointing on Jesus. It had to do with the faith of the man and his ability to receive.
Jesus met people at their level of faith just as He does today.
(Mark 8:26 NKJV) Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”
Notice the man’s house wasn’t in Bethsaida but apparently that is where he was spending a lot of his time.
Jesus instructs him not to go into the town or tell anyone in the town.
Jesus also did not want him to allow himself to be talked out of his healing.
People who have rejected the healing power of God will try and talk you out of what you have received from the Lord.
Jesus was telling him how to keep his healing – to maintain what he had maintained.
Faith cannot hang out with unbelief and get stronger. It will be weakened and diluted.
One way to protect is what you have received from God is to hang out with people who believe what you believe and love what you love.