Yeshua the Healer

Reading: Matthew 4

Introduction

We live in a sick world: a world in which disease is commonplace. Almost everyone knows someone who is unwell. Billions are spent each year on the nation's health. Sooner or later - no matter how fit we currently are - we all become ill. If we are extremely favoured we will just get old and fall asleep in death without becoming ill. But few are so blessed. It was into this physically, mentally and spiritually sick world that Yeshua the Healer came. His divine commission is specified in Luke's gospel. Here it is:

Luke 4:18

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to:

Preach the gospel to the poor;
He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives,
and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19: To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

1. Yeshua the Healer

There are scores of Bible passages telling of how Jesus went about healing the sick. Indeed it is fair to say that more is written about his healing work than his sermons or prayers: though in reality all three are closely related. Here is one such text about healing.

Matthew 4:23

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.

Physical health is a priceless commodity, which increases in value the older one gets. When one's health is gone, it seems nothing we can do can bring it back. But the Saviour healed every type of physical ailment. When he had passed through a village or town, he left behind a perfectly healthy population: no lepers, no cripples, no cancer patients, no deaf and dumb mutes and no one possessed by evil spirits. It is quite impossible to imagine the sense of joy and exultation that followed in the wake of the Saviour's tour. In the annals of human history there has never been anything like it. Had he visited mankind in this century he would have been mobbed by millions simply for his ability to heal. But if you go back and study his 'terms of reference' (listed above) you will see that Yeshua the Messiah didn't just come to heal the body. After all everyone he healed died some years later. Their healing was simply a low-level lesson of the real healing he had in mind. Remember his mission was to:

Preach the gospel to the poor,
Heal the broken hearted,
Deliver the captives of sin,
Open the eyes of the spiritually blind,
Set at liberty those who had been battered and bruised by Satan;
And announce the acceptable year of the Lord: the day of Salvation!

With that spiritual commission in mind let us now consider the process of physical healing and what it really represents.

2. Surgery Hours

As you know most doctors have surgery hours. These are set times when they are especially available for consultation. The Great Physician also has a 'sacred time' when He is available for special consultation and help. That special time is called His Sabbath day. The Sabbath is Yahweh's appointed time for worship, for spiritual healing, learning, meditation, rest and recovery. It is His 'weekly surgery day.' If you want spiritual healing, the Sabbath is when you will always find the heavenly Physician available. The weekly Sabbath, incidentally, is Saturday - not Sunday. Sunday is the bogus sabbath. It was borrowed from paganism. It is not a holy day at all. Concerning time and the Sabbath the Scriptures say this:

Ecclesiastes 3:1

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Exodus 20:8

Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
9: Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
10: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
11: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day:wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

It is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day? It certainly is.

Luke 6:6

And it came to pass also on another sabbath, that he entered into the synagogue and taught: and there was a man whose right hand was withered.
7: And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him. 8: But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
9: Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?
10: And looking round about upon them all, he said unto the man, Stretch forth thy hand. And he did so: and his hand was restored whole as the other.

3. Yeshua's Methods & Medicines

When we examine Yeshua's healings we find that all he needed to do was command illness to go and it went. Or he would simply touch a patient and the contact - even of his garment - was enough to bring health to the sufferer. How was that possible? What power was at work there? How could a word or two heal a physical disease? How could a single touch open the ears of the deaf or cure leprosy? What spiritual powers were working behind the scenes? To be honest, I do not know how these miracles were accomplished. I only know they were - by the power of God.

A Word
Matthew 8:8	...but speak the word only,* and my servant shall be healed.*
A Touch
Luke 22:51	And Jesus answered and said, Suffer ye thus far. And he touched his ear,* and healed him.*
How is this accomplished?
Isaiah 53:5	But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

This is too difficult a text to fully understand. We accept it as fact; but we do not know how Christ's suffering effected our healing. One day we will know that is accomplished.

Matthew 8:3

And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

4. The Patient's Part

But even in the presence of the Great Physician there is something the patient must possess if a healing is to be effected. That something is Faith. If faith, however small, is present then healing is possible. But if faith is not present then healing is not possible.

Mark 9:23	Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. 24: And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Mark 6:5	And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. 6: And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
Acts 14:9	The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed, 10: Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.

5. Incurable Sicknesses

Unbelief is a real stumbling block to divine healing: rebellion is even worse. Rebellion places a person in an incurable position, which can only be reversed when repentance is present. In other words persistent sin puts a person beyond the reach of healing. Only spiritual enlightenment, conviction, repentance and faith can bridge that gap.

Jeremiah 30:12

For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous.
13: There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines.
14: All thy lovers have forgotten thee; they seek thee not; for I have wounded thee with the wound of an enemy, with the chastisement of a cruel one, for the multitude of thine iniquity; because thy sins were increased.
15: Why criest thou for thine affliction? thy sorrow is incurable for the multitude of thine iniquity: because thy sins were increased, I have done these things unto thee.

6. Infirm Believers

It is an error to think that only sinners become ill. Physical illness comes to most people - even to true believers. Read the book of Job to see how this 'spiritually perfect man' suffered greatly, all for no fault of his own. More examples:

Genesis 48:1	And it came to pass after these things, that one told Joseph, Behold, thy father(Jacob) is sick: and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim.
2 Kings 13:14	Now Elisha* was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died...*
Isaiah 38:1	In those days was Hezekiah* sick unto death...*

The great Apostle Paul also suffered from na unspecified infirmity. This is what he wrote:

2 Cor.12:7

And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
8: For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
9: And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10: Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

Yahweh's church (the body of Christ) is also infirm. Dare we say it again? The church is infirm! The church is not mentally ill, for Jesus its head is perfectly well. But the church is not well. Look about you and notice how many members of the body of Christ are spiritually withered, bruised, weak and ill. Yes, the body of Yeshua is not well. But it is still alive! And that is why we attend church at surgery hours. We've come for healing of our broken hearts, shattered hopes, splintered friendships and withered health. We will be healed.

7. How To Be Healed

Anointing by the Elders

In cases of physical illness, when doctors cannot help, then call the elders of the church and ask to be anointed. This is the divinely prescribed route for healing in our day.

James 5:14

: Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
15: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.
16: Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Some amazing physical healings have occurred when sufferers have been anointed by church elders. Many times, however, no healing takes place. We do not know why: but someday we will. On other occasions miraculous healings occur. You should, however, beware of false prophets posing as 'miracle workers.' See our article on Miracles for more on this subject.

Spiritual Healing

Spiritual healing comes from the Father via the son. You must accept Yahweh's offer of help if you want to be healed from spiritual wretchedness, misery, poverty, blindness and nakedness. There is no cure elsewhere for these spiritual maladies. Spiritual maladies call for a spiritual physician.

Rev.3:17

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19: As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
20: Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

Spiritual healing is always guaranteed in this life. The Saviour has promised to come into your life and heal you if you will but allow him. That is his promise. The whole superstructure of Christianity would collapse if he broke it: which he will not. Believe him. See Lesson 15 in the SBS Bible Course, where this matter of Human Suffering is dealt with further.

SBS Sermon Notes More Sermons about Yeshua

Elder: David B Loughran
Stewarton Bible School, Stewarton, Scotland
Placed on Internet May 1996 ... Updated August 1999