The Ministry of Jesus Study
Created by Evangelist Claudia Jordan
Date: 5/27/14
Week Study # 4
Title: Healing Ministry of Jesus
Scripture: Mark 1:29-31
Weekly Focus: I Peter 2:24
Memory Verse: Proverbs 4:22
Bible Reading: Luke 4:31-44; Luke 4:38-41 and Matthew 8:14-15
Getting Started
Several years later when Peter was preaching to the household of Cornelius, he said that "[Jesus] went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil" (Acts 10:38). Of all Peter could have said about Jesus' ministry he focused on His doing good and healing people. The ultimate purpose of Jesus' incarnation of course was to give His life as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28), but His three years of public ministry were characterized by doing good and healing people.
What was the purpose of Jesus' healing miracles? John in his gospel calls the miracles "signs," (2:11; 2:23; 4:54; 20:30–31). That is, they displayed the divine power of Jesus and attested that He was indeed the Son of God. In fact, John specifically states that the miracles he included in his gospel were for the purpose that his reader "may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you might have life in his name" (20:31). Jesus Himself used His miraculous healing of the paralytic man as a proof that He had authority to forgive sins — an obvious reference to His divine Son-ship (Matthew 9:2-6).
There was another motive, however, in Jesus' healing ministry. He was moved by compassion for those in need. Matthew records that as He went throughout the cities and villages, "When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd" (Matthew 9:36). On another occasion when Jesus saw the only son of a widow being carried out for burial, He had compassion on the woman and raised her son to life (Luke 7:11-14).
Jesus' acts of healing, then, had a two-fold purpose. Clearly, they were needed as an authentication of His divine Sonship. But in the process Jesus wanted to respond to true human needs. We should not overlook the application to us. While the spiritual needs of people are paramount, we must not ignore their physical needs. After all, according to Jesus' words in (Matthew 25:31-46), the final judgment will certainly take into account our ministries to the physical needs of people.
On an institutional level we evangelicals are doing a fairly good job of ministering to the physical needs of people. But as individuals, do we have compassion for the poor, the homeless, the elderly, and the disabled? We cannot perform miracles, but we can minister in many ordinary ways. Each of us needs to prayerfully consider how we might follow the example of Jesus' compassion in meeting the physical needs of needy people.
Returning to the miracles recorded in Matthew 9, it is instructive to note the part faith plays in them. In the healing of the paralytic man, Matthew says that Jesus saw his faith (v. 2). To the woman who was healed, Jesus said, "Your faith has made you well" (v. 22). And to the two blind men whom He healed, He said, "According to your faith be it done to you" (v. 29). And as for the ruler whose daughter Jesus restored to life, his faith is certainly implied in his request to Jesus: "My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live" (v. 18). Only of the demon-oppressed man who was mute is there no mention of faith on his part.
In all four of the instances where faith is mentioned, the object of faith was in Jesus' ability to heal, not His will to heal. Today as we pray for the healing of friends or loved ones who suffer severe illness or disease, we too should believe that God is able to heal, either directly or through conventional means. To say I have faith that God will heal is presumptuous since we do not know the mind of God, but to say God is able to heal is to exercise faith.
Is God limited to our faith? No, for there are several instances in the Gospels where faith is not mentioned. Today we sometimes struggle with the faith to believe that Jesus is able to heal because we see so little healing accomplished. When we struggle this way, we should follow the example of the father who said to Jesus, "I believe; help my unbelief" (Mark 9:24). There is a vast difference between a struggling faith such as the father had, and the stubborn unbelief of the people in Jesus' hometown, which did prevent Him from doing any mighty works there (Mark 6:3-6). Let's be sure we have a struggling faith and not a stubborn unbelief.
Do you know that Jesus is a healer? Do you really know it, in the depths of your heart? The beginning to any healing—whether it's your own healing or the healing of someone you love—is knowing who Jesus is and acting on what you know.
Healing the mother of Peter's wife is one of the miracle of Jesus in the Gospel, namely in Mark 1:29-31, Luke 4:38-41 and Matthew 8:14-15.
In the Gospels of Mark and Luke this episode takes place after the exorcism at the Synagogue in Capernaum. Jesus goes to Apostle Peter's house. There he sees the mother of Peter's wife lying in bed with a high fever. Jesus touches her hand and the fever leaves her, and she gets up and begins to wait on him.
Following this, the Gospels report that at sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness or were demon-possessed, and laying his hands on each one, Jesus healed them and cast demons out of them (Matthew 8:16-18). Awesome!
Jesus' activities in Galillee include a number of miracles and teachings. The beginnings of this period include the centurion's servant (8:5-13) and calming the storm (Matthew 8:23-27) both dealing with the theme of faith overcoming fear. In this period, Jesus also gathers disciples, and calls Matthew. His ministry was full of good works, but He was walking by faith, and not by sight. His healing ministry was so large. So many received healing at that time, but some didn't have faith to receive.
The healing ministry of Jesus is not only well-known throughout the world, but it is practiced in many churches that believe the power to heal through the Holy Spirit is for Christians today. This collection of healing miracle articles is a comprehensive look at Gospel accounts in which Jesus healed the sick, delivered the demon possessed and even raised the dead.
A miracle is a phenomenal or supernatural event in the physical world that surpasses all known human or natural powers, and more often than not cannot be explained by the laws of nature. God never operates contrary to His Word or to the laws of nature which He has established, but He has the prerogative to supersede them. Instantaneous healings and the expulsion of evil spirits always constitute a miracle.
One of the six miracles unique to the Gospel of Luke is the healing of a crippled woman. This record is found in Luke 13:10-17. "Now He was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up. But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, 'Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity.' And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God."
This woman's condition was caused by a spirit. She was bowed over and could not straighten herself to stand upright. She was in spiritual bondage and physically bound as a result. Although her name is not given and there is no other history about her, she went to the one place where one would think she could get help, the synagogue. Likewise, today's churches should be places where hurting people can find help. Jesus saw her, and called to her to Himself. He said, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." (NIV) Jesus then laid His hands on her, identifying her as the one to whom He was ministering, and imparted healing wholeness to her. The spirit causing her malady had to leave, and did. She instantly stood up straight and praised God.
"But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, 'There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day.' The Lord then answered him and said, 'Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it" The man responsible to oversee that particular synagogue was himself bound by legalism. He witnessed Jesus ministering healing to a woman with an obvious need, but instead of glorifying God, he was angry. He was more concerned about adhering to the letter of the law and which day it was than the fact that God had just set this woman free from an eighteen year disability. The ruler of the synagogue spoke to the crowd, as if to get them to agree with and side with him, but Jesus spoke directly to the man, and rebuked him publicly. Jesus knew the Scriptures, and referred to Exodus 23:12: "Six days you shall do your work, and on the seventh day you shall rest, that your ox and your donkey may rest…"
Jesus brought God's true heart and the meaning of the law to this situation, conveying that if one would compassionately care for an animal, how much more are people more important and of greater value than animals, no matter which day it is. "So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound—think of it—for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him."
Three Gospel writers record a miracle about a woman who had suffered for twelve years from hemorrhaging. Although there are differences between the Matthew account and the healing recorded in Mark and Luke, to dissect these records is not the purpose of this brief consideration. It should be noted that any discrepancies, so-called, are manufactured. The Bible is inerrant and apparent contradictions are usually not difficult to explain. Similar events happen regularly in life, which does not make them identical. Logically, many people suffer from similar diseases, and it should not seem unreasonable that Jesus healed many people suffering from like maladies. It should not seem unusual that two women would both be suffering from the same disease, as occurs among people today. Nevertheless, examining the differences is not the emphasis here.
In Matthew 9:20-22, Jesus and His disciples were on their way to heal a man's daughter, and "suddenly, a woman who had a flow of blood for twelve years came from behind and touched the hem of His garment. For she said to herself, 'If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well.' But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, 'Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well.' And the woman was made well from that hour."
Mark 5:25-34 offers the most details of the instantaneous healing of a woman, unnamed, but significant in the Bible because of her determination and faith. She had a continuous bleeding condition, and "had suffered many things from many physicians." She had spent all of her money on what medical care was available, as Luke 8:43 adds, but no one could help her, and she actually got worse.
Leviticus 15:19-30 addresses the condition this woman apparently suffered. "If a woman has a discharge, and the discharge from her body is blood, she shall be set apart seven days; and whoever touches her shall be unclean until evening. Everything that she lies on during her impurity shall be unclean; also everything that she sits on shall be unclean." It goes on to say that anyone that touched any place where she had been sitting would be unclean. No man would lie with her, and if she had been married, her uncleanness was a legitimate reason for her husband to divorce her (Deuteronomy 24:1). According to the Law as stated in Leviticus, if her discharge went longer than normal, all the days of her impurity would make her unclean. In this case, it had been twelve years. She was desperate, and likely very lonely. She couldn't touch anyone, nor could anyone touch her. She would have been shunned by everyone, including her family. She was not welcome in the synagogue or in any public place. Her life was wretched, but she had one last hope.
She heard of Jesus, and was willing to break social restrictions. She said, "If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." She came behind Jesus in a crowd and touched His garment. She knew she was healed. She could feel it inside. Jesus stopped, turned around and asked, "Who touched My clothes?" His disciples thought His question was absurd. Peter said, "Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, 'Who touched Me?' But Jesus said, "Somebody touched Me, for I perceived power going out from Me." (Luke 8:45, 46) Jesus knew by revelation that something had happened and He looked around to see who had touched Him. Afraid and trembling, but undoubtedly excited about her miracle, she came and prostrated herself before Jesus, and told Him before everybody the reason she had touched Him and how she was healed immediately. Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction."
For twelve years she was an outcast, rejected by everyone. All of her money was gone and all of her efforts had failed. She literally had nothing to lose. When she heard of Jesus, she knew that if she could just get close enough to touch His garment, God would heal her. With unshakable resolve, she worked her way through the crowd of people, reached out her hand and simply touched Jesus' garment. When Jesus called her "daughter," He was fully accepting her back among the people of God. Her tenacity and believing action brought her a long awaited victory.
EXTRA:
Mark's audience was a Christian community, suffering persecution and martyrdom, probably in Rome. They were tempted to betray and deny their faith to avoid pain and death.
Mark emphasizes the suffering of Jesus and tells them that Jesus has suffered out of love for them and that they must be willing to risk suffering, pick up their cross and follow him. Being faithful means being willing to suffer for him and not deny him. More than any other gospel, Mark shows the humanity of Jesus. Jesus has emotions, is compassionate, embraces children, gets angry, he weeps ...and he suffers. In Mark, Jesus is the Suffering Servant Messiah foretold by Isaiah.
Questions:
1. Who was Jesus talking to when he said, "Hypocrite!" Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?"
2, There are five healing miracles recorded in Matthew 9, name them.
3. What was the purpose of Jesus' healing ministry?
4. How many of the Gospels recorded the healing of the mother of Peter's wife?
5. How long did it take the woman who was bowed over to receive her healing?
6. Explain in detail the healing that took place in Matthew 9:20-22.
Reflection Questions:
1. Have you received in your spirit that healing is still for today?
2. When was the last time God healed you, and how?
3. Would you pray for someone who believed, and needed healing?
Prayer:
Father God, we com e to You on behalf of all who need healing in their physical body, and spiritual mind, in Jesus' name. Lord, You are our Healer! We praise You. Touch each person who need healing from any sickness or disease. Healing belongs to us in Jesus' name. Bless us to meditate on Your Word, which is greater than any sickness or disease. The devil can't make sympton stick, because God's Word in us drives them out. Thank You, Father God, for Your Word on healing. Isaiah 54:17 says, No weapon that is formed against us shall prosper; we cast all our care upon You, and we shall prosper, and be in good health, even as our soul prosper. We confidently pray in faith for healing right now upon every member and their family. We believe everyone will receive their answer because God's Word says, "by Jesus' stripes we are healed;" this we pray in Jesus' Mighty Name, Amen
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