The words heal and healing means to make solid or whole. In the Bible it means the restoration of health, the making whole or well whether physically, mentally, socially and spiritually. In the New Testament the LORD God alone was the source of all healing. In every aspect of his life man is dependent on the LORD God alone. The privilege of physical healing is governed by the will and sovereignty of God. The LORD God heals whomever He wills. It is His sovereign choice. Man has no basis for demanding that God intervene and heal him of an illness.
Arrogance and presumption of sinful man is in stark contrast to the sovereign grace of God (Davies and Stevan, 1995). This essay will analyse and reflect the healing ministry of Jesus in the three gospels of the bible. The first three gospels or Synoptic Gospels, demonstrate the New Testament emphasis of God as the healer of His people being fulfilled in the ministry of Jesus. Immanuel has come and He dwells in the midst of His people. The kingdom of God has arrived. Jim Glennon (1980) observes healing in the New Testament is of two kinds, (a) physical healing (Matt. 4:24; 10:8; Luke 5:17; John 4:47) and (b) spiritual healing (Hebrew 12:13). . . .
It is important to observe that our Lord’s healings are never portrayed as mere wonders. Moreover, In both the Old and New Testament the idea of physical healing readily lent itself to an application in a spiritual and therefore a fuller sense (cf. John 12:40; 1 Pet. 2:24). IntheNewTestamentJesusisthehealer. ItisimportanttonotethatJesushealed organic diseases, not psychosomatic illnesses. It was not a matter of mind over matter in His healings. He dealt with incurable diseases from birth and long standing illnesses. He was no modern day faith healer charlatan.
With the exception of two verses the writers in the Gospels and Acts use the Greek word Therapeuo forty times meaning to heal. It is used to describe the miraculous healings wrought by Jesus and His disciples (Bosworth, Fleming and Revell, 1973). Healing is an important part of the ministry of Jesus, but it must be seen in the context of His teaching ministry if it is to be correctly understood. Jesus was going throughout all 1 Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people (Matthew 4:23).
Jesus went about teaching and healing. He did not discriminate the sick people nor gave excuses that he is busy. He ate, sleep, talk and share with the poor, needy and the broken hearted. He approached people from all walks of life and reflected his father’s glory. InrapidsuccessiontheGospelwriterMarktellsusJesusbeganHisministryin.
Capernaum by casting out the demons, healing Peter’s mother-in-law who was suffering from a high fever, a large group of sick people brought to him one afternoon, a leper, a paralytic, a man with a withered hand, multitudes by the sea shore, a woman with a haemorrhage for 12 years, raising Jairus’ daughter from the dead, the people in Gennesaret, demon possessed daughter of the Syrophoenician women, the deaf and dumb man, the blind man of Bethsaida, demons possessed boy with a dumb spirit, blind Bartimaeus, the paralytic man, etc (Clowes and John, 1817).
As a means of health promotion he emphasized for repentance so that the Lord will forgive their sins as well as their illness. As a committed physician of his time he often sees people by their faith and healed them accordingly. Though he has other responsibilities from healing, he always welcome and attempt to those who comes along with health problems or other personal problems that often bothers them in their daily living.
According to the Acts of the Apostles (1911), Matthew also presents Jesus’ ministry of preaching, teaching and healing the sick. Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who was ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them. Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan”.
(Matthew 4:23-25). Matthew adds two more examples by including the healing of the 2 demoniac in the synagogue (Matt. 1:23-28) and the blind man of Bethsaida (8:22-26). Matthew sees Jesus’ healing as directly fulfilling the Old Testament. He was very popular at that time wherefore people all over Syria and other neighbouring countries brought their sick to Jesus for healing. On such occasions he often teaches people many things in parables to them thus empower them with their spiritual lives. The healing ministry of Jesus is a revelation to the world. In the gospels the healing ministry of Jesus is understood primarily as it relates to the spiritual proclamation of the kingdom of God and it’s King.
The Gospel of Luke, written by an ancient physician, stresses the healing ministry of Jesus. He introduces the ministry of Jesus in Luke 4:18-21 when Jesus quoted Isaiah 61:1-2 in the synagogue at Nazareth. “‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives, And recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, To proclaim the favourable year of the Lord ( Pilch and John , 1991).
And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:18-21). Luke includes all of the healing events in Mark except Mark 6:45-8:26. The healing ministry of Jesus points to the arrival of the kingdom of God as promised in the Old Testament. Christ healed men not only of bodily diseases but also of demon possession. With the coming of Christ the Satanic powers were subject to His power and spoken word.
They glimpse the splendour of Christ the King as He casts out demons. Here is evidence the kingdom has come (Clowes et al, 1817). JesustrainedHisdisciples,empoweredthemandsentthemouttoministertothe needy. His disciples were empowered with Holy Spirit and they went into the cities and towns and proclaim the love of God to the sick, poor and needy. Encourage people to live 3 good and healthy lifestyles in order to keep their health. They also teach and also heal the sick in the name of the God. Without fear of their lives they often go into the foreign countries and do ministerial work. They often adapted to the new environment by adopting their cultures, beliefs and values.
By doing so they get acquainted with people concern hence provide better service to them. TheGospelofJohn hasonly fourexamplesofJesus’ healingministryeven though John was with Jesus during the three year ministry. Jesus healed the royal official’s sick son at Capernaum, the cripple who had been helpless for 38 years, the man blind from birth, and rising of Lazarus from the dead. These miracles were attesting signs pointing to Jesus as the Son of God. (Bosworth, et al, 1973).
Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:30-31).
ThehealingministrywasaministryofproclamationofthekingdomofGod. The kingdom had arrived with the coming of the King. When Christ returns we will see the consummation of the kingdom of God. There will be the manifestation of the glory of the King and His reign. The healing ministry of Jesus is simply the outworking of His majesty and power. In Matthew 8:16-17, quoting Isaiah 53:4 we see the Suffering Servant of the LORD is fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies by His healing miracles.
The healings give evidence that He is the Anointed of the LORD. This is a necessary element of His messianic work. This is why He has the authority to heal on the Sabbath (Borg, Marcus and Wright. 1999). 4 What Jesus beganto do in His first coming He continues to do throughHis Body,the church (Acts 1:1-8). This is the work of the Holy Spirit in the Body. The main emphasis of Acts is on proclamation. The disciples of Jesus went about doing what Jesus was doing by proclaiming the good news of Jesus and calling men to put their faith in the risen Christ. People were healed in the name of Jesus. The apostles Peter and John healed a poor lame beggar.
But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, ‘Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? (Borg et al, 1999). The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, and a fact to which we are witnesses.
And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all (Acts 3:12-16). This is the thrust of the healing done by the apostles in Acts. The stress is upon the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The risen Christ is doing these things (Acts of the Apostles 1911). Theauthoritiescouldnotsilencetheapostles.
Theywouldn’tshutuptalkingaboutthe resurrection of Jesus Christ. “And now, Lord, take note of their threats, and grant that Your bond-servants may speak Your word with all confidence, while You extend Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders take place through the name of Your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:29- 30). Peter healed Aeneas and raised Tabitha from the dead. Philip, the lay evangelist went about preaching the gospel and healing the sick and the unclean spirits.
Remember, he was one of the first deacons in Acts 6. The apostle Paul went about preaching and establishing 5 new churches, healed the sick, cast out demons, and raised Eutychus from dead after he went to sleep and fell out a window and died during Paul’s sermon. I think it is important to note that Paul says very little about healings in his letters (Acts of the Apostles 1911).
In1Corinthians12:9,28Paulwroteaboutthegiftofhealing. Thewordhealing, literally healings (plural) can refer to various healings such as emotional as well as physical ailments by natural as well as miraculous means. The context determines the interpretation. The context of this passage teaches that not every believer is given all these gifts, and that God is sovereign in His distribution of gifts for the edification of the body (Andrew et al , 1982). The Bible reveals that God not only advocates health, but He actually abhors or hates sickness. Leviticus 21 clearly reveals that God would not allow sickness in His presence, which in those days was in the temple.
Now, in New Testament times, our bodies are His temple. According to 1 Corinthians 3:16: “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you? ” If you are sick, the fact that God hates sickness does not mean that you are unworthy or that He hates you. He just hates the sickness that you have, because it is not from Him It is His perfect will to heal you and for you to be in health (3 John 2) (Bosworth et al , 1973).
In Old Testament passages such as Deuteronomy chapter 28 where it appears that God is putting sickness on people, Jim Glennon (1980) explains that the nuance of the Hebrew wording shows that because of the people’s disobedience, the text really means that God is “caused to allow” the sicknesses. Our behaviour can “cause him to allow” sickness to come upon us, even though it is not His perfect will. For example, suffering from AIDS is not his will, but if man indulges in promiscuous behaviour by his own free will, which God will not 6 violate, God is caused to allow AIDS. Man has brought it upon himself, as did the ancient Israelites.
Rebellion against God and His commands can cause him to remove his protective shield over us, such as promised in Psalm 91 and elsewhere, and allow the natural consequences. However, do not despair if you have a disease caused by sin. If you confess your sin to God, His grace and mercy can still provide your forgiveness and healing. Otherreasonsforsicknessare:(1)Somepeopleabusetheirbodies,usingharmful substances, or not allowing enough rest; (2) excessive stress; and (3) some people do not provide the body with nutritious food, often substituting junk or processed food.
Much modern commercial food is deficient in nutrients and contains chemical additives, such as hormones and antibiotics in excessive exposure to meat and dairy products, and environmental pollutants (Counsels on Health, 1923. ) Also, many people violate God’s food guidelines in the Bible and still expect to remain healthy.
Examples are in Leviticus chapter 11, no longer a legal requirement but still the wisdom of God. Paul said, Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial (1 Corinthians 10:23). God’s law of sowing and reaping always applies, but His grace transcends our past mistakes. Allow God to show you any area that needs attention. When sick people came to Jesus and asked to be healed, He did not reject them nor refer them to the doctors. He did not ask them to make an appointment with Luke because he is a doctor. God uses doctors, who can be especially helpful with things like fractures and wounds.
Those in healing ministries usually encourage the sick not to ignore proper medical attention, nor to stop their medications, possibly to protect themselves against lawsuits, but also maybe wisdom in many cases. It is not necessarily a lack of faith to see a doctor, and your healing will be a witness to the doctor of God’s power (The Ministry of Healing, 1905). 7 However, be careful, because doctors’ three main methods slash, burn and poison often do more harm than good:
(1) slash (surgery, often dangerous and mutilating), (2) burn (radiation, with bad side effects) and (3) poison (drugs, most all with bad side effects that you may not be told about). If Jesus tarries, I believe someday current medical practices will be considered primitive and outrageous. More people are refusing these highly invasive and potentially harmful medical procedures and are opting to trust God, and perhaps also using natural alternatives. Even many medical doctors have become disenchanted with the failures of their profession and are turning to alternative (complimentary) medicine.
Studies show that doctor and healthcare mistakes are the third leading cause of death in the world, whereas God has never made a mistake. (Jim Glennon ,1980). To conclude, Jesus set a foundation for all of us to follow in our Christian journey. He healed the sick, feed the hungry, and teach the people on how to care for themselves. During his ministry on earth, he had endured many challenges in terms of health. People often coming with all sorts of problem with the hope that he will heal them. He performed miracles and also raised death and gave them the second chance to live.
As future nurse of this country, the challenge is whether we will go and minister to the sick, lame and broken hearted like Jesus did or we will hide our identity as Christ chosen generation to work in his field. 8 Reference Pilch, John J, (1991). Sickness and Healing in Luke’s Acts: The social world of Luke’s Acts. Peabody MA: Hendricksons Publishers. The Acts of the Apostles. (1911). Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, Borg, Marcus J. , and N. T. Wright. (1999). The Healing of Jesus: Two Visions. New York: HarperCollins Publishers.
Counsels on Health. (1923. ) Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, Davies, Stevan L. , (1995). Jesus the Healer: Possession, Trance and the Origins of Christianity. New York: Continuum Publishing Company. The Ministry of Healing. (1905). Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association, F. F. Bosworth, Fleming H. Revell. , (1973). Christ the Healer. Grand Rapids, MI).
The Holy Bible. (1985) . Mountain View, CA: Pacific Press Publishing Association Andrew M and Whitaker H, (1982, Divine Healing. New Kinsington: PA. Jim Glennon (1980). Your Healing is Within You. South Plainfield, NJ: Bridge Publishing. Clowes S and John H, (1817). The Miracles of Jesus Christ’. Manchester, UK: J. Gleave.