Come not in terrors, as the King of kings, But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings, Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea— Come, Friend of sinners, and thus bide with me.
From God to Man
The Holy Spirit always reasons down from what God is, and this produces a total change in my soul. It is not that I abhor my sins; indeed I may have been walking very well… but it is ‘I abhor myself. Until the soul comes to that point He does not give it peace – He cannot for it would be healing the wound slightly. The soul has to go on until it finds there is nothing to rest on – but the abstract goodness of God; and then, ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?'”
It is a real loss for the attention of believers to be turned from the spiritual dealings of the Lord Jesus with His own, and from all that is the moral result of those dealings, to be concentrated upon the thought of bodily healing and self-centered experiences. -C.A.C.
God has sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.Luke 4:19
Christ is the answer to each hurting heart, for the spilt blood of Christ alone can address each need and comfort each heart – the shed blood of Jesus alone can calm each cry and heal each hurt.
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.
Such a man also has first-hand knowledge of the loving care of the Chief Shepherd, and His ability to heal one who has come humbly to trust in Him and Him alone. Therefore, he does not easily despair of others, but looks beyond sinfulness, wilfulness, and stupidity, to the might of unchanging love.
Who forgives all my iniquities; Who heals all my diseases; Who redeems my life from destruction; Who crowns me with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfies my mouth with good things; Who renews my youth like the eagles. Bless the Lord O my soul… and forget not ALL His benefits. Psalm 37:14
You have a reward in time and in eternity. You will reign with Him in His kingdom in time (ruling with a rod of iron) but you will also be with Him for eternity (as an example in the ages to come of His astonishing grace.) Whatever the cause of your earthly sorrow – healing and peace comes from Him.
I can permit Him to identify blockages in me, that prevent me from living as He wills – and I can allow Him to search deep within... to heal all hurts that I hide from others.
Disciples Joy
The Word clearly indicates that in all trials and tribulations, disciples have a joy… a compensating, curative, rectifying, restorative, healing joy – a joy which cannot be taken, lost, removed, or destroyed – except as we permit.
While Proverbs 12:11 tells us that:: there is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing – and a gentle answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 15:1
Matthew 12:34 A heart that is filled with gracious love is likely to pour forth a healing foundation of gracious words.
Surrendered Heart
Help and healing comes from total surrender of your entire being to the Lord..surrender of all and everything in your life – past present and future..surrender of all past, present and future hurt, guilt, pain, fear, doubt, and worry..
In tender-mercy He stooped down to forgive the rebellion of the children of Adam: “LORD, be merciful to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against You”.
He can be drawn deep – deep into the inner recesses of your heart and your being. He can be invited to search out and heal the deep-rooted areas of your hidden soul.
Never a weakness that He doth not feel,Never a sickness that He cannot heal;Moment by moment, in woe or in weal,Jesus my Saviour, abides with me still.
Lack of Faith
Men that walked with the Lord throughout His ministry showed a great lack of faith. The disciples were frequently told – oh you of little faith. The same men with the authority to drive out demons and heal the sick – lacked faith!
He listened to the lovely words that poured like healing oil from His lips and agreed:- never a man spoke like this man, and they wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.
Jesus of Nazareth
Philip KNEW the man, Jesus of Nazareth. He knew He was the son of Mary, brother of James and Jude. He watched this performer of miracles with incredulity and he listened to the lovely words that poured like healing oil from His lips and agreed that: never a man spake like this man, and they wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth.
Right Sacrifice
As victorious warriors of Christ we need to offer continual sacrifice to our God, the Sacrifices of a Broken and Contrite Heart and the Sacrifice of Praise. And you know – this means opening your own heart to His scrutiny and healing.
He came to heal and bind up, so that we could truly be perfect as He is perfect.
Our Pain
There is no past pain too deep that He cannot bind up. There is no wound too entrenched that he cannot heal. There is no ill-treatment you have received that cannot be lovingly restored.
To be perfect is to allow Him to address the ruinous nature of sin in the lives of His children – to let Him heal and bind up, so that we truly can be perfect as He is perfect.
To allow Him to heal and lovingly restore, to bind up our hearts and to fill our emptiness.
Such a man also has a firsthand knowledge of the loving care of the Chief Shepherd, and His ability to heal one who has come humbly to trust Him and Him alone.
Israel is still waiting for their promised Messiah to arise with healing in His wings – but first they need to recognise the One Whom they pierced 2000 years ago and turn to Him as their Saviour.
A Study:- Man’s Nature and Destiny
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, but we can resist Him. The Holy Spirit guides us into all truth, but we can grieve Him. The Holy Spirit achieves His purpose through us, but we can quench Him. The Holy Spirit feeds us with His healing words of life, but we can neglect it – but in all our life and in all our pain, He is never far from us.
The Holy Spirit feeds us with His healing word of life, but we can neglect Him.
Let each of us cry out for our own inner purification as we plead, “search me oh God.” so that with clean hands and a pure heart we can cry out “heal the many”
Word of Truth
In Matthew 12:20 we read that: a bruised reed He will not break, and a smouldering wick He will not quench, while in Psalm 147:3 we read that: He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds, while in Psalm 51:17: the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
There is no one but Him that can heal the distressed and the broken-hearted.
Born to Die
He was born to die – that men might live. He was born to be made vile sin – that sinners might be made pure and perfect. He was born to be broken – that sin-shattered man might be made whole. He was born to be wounded – that damaged, traumatised man might be made new. He was born to bring the despairing, comfort, hope and joy that was lost in Eden’s realm. He came to bind up and to heal the broken, bloodied, wounded heart.
Refining Love
It is those He will break and calm and heal and clean and cleanse and love. Those are the ones in whom He will live His life – through them, and they will be told to come up higher. (Luke 14:10)
a Father Who binds up those aching wounds; a Father Who heals the brokenness of life; a Father Who creates afresh a life of meaning; a life of purpose.
as a young man should be pleased to consult his father for wise counsel – so should we open our hearts to allow His Spirit to lead and to guide; to correct and discipline; to heal and protect; to revive and to command – to conform us into the image of Christ.
And in His love and mercy, He will take each painful hurt and every throbbing heart – and pour in His healing oil and His soothing balm.
One Answer
There is only one answer when faced with the troubles of life and His name is Jesus – and this He promised: I, if I am lifted up, will draw all men and women to Me to save and forgive and to heal the hurt.
John 12:32 There is only One God, Who was sent to heal all brokenness and pain in life, and His name is Jesus.
Life and Health
To Moses, He unveiled Himself I AM the God Who Heals - the almighty Physician and God said: “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments (His Word), and keep all His statutes (His Word) I will put none of the diseases on you, which I have brought on the Egyptians: For I Am the LORD who heals you.” I AM your Healer – YHWH ROPHEKA Exo.15:26. And He comes to us as the God Who heals us our almighty Physician.
who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” and then in jubilant cry, I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And then we can rejoice with Hosea: Come, and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and He will heal us; he hath smitten, and He will bind us up.
What of that precious parent or that dearly loved, lost friend… that nasty neighbour? What of the healing and correcting and maturing work He is carrying out in your life? And what of the healing and correcting and maturing He's doing in mine? Could ye not watch with Me… could ye not intercede with me on their behalf, one brief span?
Wrong Expectations
Don’t expect the Lord to come to you in the way that you expect – for He won’t. Don’t expect Him to visit you exactly as He visited others – each visitation is distinct. Every word, every work, every healing, every miracle is unique to the individual.
The power of the Lord was present to heal.John 5:17
Power to Heal
What a glorious truth that “the power of the Lord is present to heal.” But there was a place where His power to heal was not a present help in trouble. There was a place where He could not help them – because of their unbelief.
for His healing touch comes through the almighty power of the almighty God – but He could not do many mighty works there.. because of their unbelief.” Matthew 13:58 How sad.
Rich Blessings
God desired to pour out health and healing – but their foolish bias prevented Him. Their proud hearts were tightly shut against the rich blessings He brought..
He desired to pour out on them, healing and wholeness, but they dismissed Him.
Jesus came to save the souls of lost men and women, but the people were more interested in seeing Him perform mighty signs, wonders, and healing miracles.
The second and third signs were connected with healing those that were sick, for as Isaiah prophesised - the Lord God anointed and qualified Christ Jesus to preach the Gospel of good tidings to the meek, the poor, the helpless and the afflicted.
He was sent to bind up and heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to those that were in both physical and spiritual captivity - and to open the blinded eyes of those who are bound by the god of this world.
Isaiah's comforting words tell of a future glory in Zion, for the Deliverer will come with healing on His wings to set up His eternal kingdom and to rule this world with equity, justice, and peace.
He had come to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captive, and to set at liberty those that are oppressed.
The positive declaration view sees faith as a force that can create one's own reality, or that God can be commanded to heal or to work miracles according to man's will and in response to man's word.
For just as a gentle, controlled, thoughtful, or caring word can calm the troubled breast, bring hope to the hopeless, healing to the injured, or grace to an offender, so a harsh, hateful, cruel, or careless comment, can as easily be used to wound or discourage, hurt or hinder, harm or handicap, or speedily stir up strife and anger.
He was part of a little remnant of committed believers and cried out for healing and deliverance: Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed. Deliver me, and I will be saved, for You are my praise.
Like Jeremiah, we are called to be faithful to the point of death and we will receive healing, deliverance, and the eternal reward that God has prepared for those that love and trust Him.
We are to know in our heart, by faith with thanksgiving, that He is the Lord our God Who pardons all our iniquities and heals all our diseases, Who redeems our life from the pit, and Who crowns us with lovingkindness and compassion.
He would be a Priest after the order of Melchizedek, and He would be called a Nazarene.He would be a light in Galilee, heal the broken-hearted, and set captives free.
He did not reject His people, despite their rebellion and unbelief, and although they broke their covenant with Him and had to be punished, He pledged to heal the nation, return them to their land, and restore the joy of their salvation.
Paradise, with the tree of life and its healing river, was lost when Adam sinned, but God's amazing plan of redemption was gradually unfolded throughout Scripture, and the tree of life reappears in the book of Revelation, which concludes with words of blessing that comfort and strengthen the hearts of all believers: Surely I come quickly.
Whenever God gives a warning of fiery judgement to the wicked, he also gives words of encouragement to the little remnant of believers: But... for you who fear My name, we read in Malachi, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall.
Gracious forgiveness, health, and healing, is the portion for those who call on the name of the Lord: For the Sun of Righteousness will arise with healing on His wings.
This verse is in a passage that points to the coming wrath of God which is soon to be poured out on a Christ-rejecting sinful world, but this verse points beyond the Tribulation terrors, to the return of Christ Jesus as the Sun of Righteousness Who will arise with healing on His wings.
He is the Son of Man Who comes to heal all who will call on His name, and He is the King of the Jews Who will one day bind up the wounds of His people Israel.
Though some erroneously link a lack of faith with a lack of healing in this Church dispensation, this is unscriptural, for we live in a fallen frame and reside in a dying body.
As members of Christ's Body, we are called to be salt and light in a darkened world that is sick, putrefying, and in need of Christ's healing, wholeness, light, and life.
It goes on to declare the future glory of Zion - when peace like a river will forge its healing stream throughout the whole earth - and this will happen during that millennial kingdom, which is yet future.
Throughout His life, Jesus had regularly attended this very synagogue, and for over a year He had been healing the sick, casting out demons, and teaching that the time of God's favour had come to His chosen people.
He alone could proclaim: 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 broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those that are bruised and to proclaim the year of the Lord's favour, the Sabbatical year of Jubilee when all debt will be cancelled and all slaves will be set free.
Praise God that He loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind.
However, this godly love is only possible as we abide in Him so that His abiding love in our hearts is enabled to flow back to our Heavenly Father in thanksgiving and praise... and out to others as a healing stream of living refreshment.When hatred towards another believer is excited in the heart of a fellow Christian, it is a hindrance to spiritual fellowship and an obstacle to godly growth.
The message that Paul delivered was a demonstration of the power of God as the Holy Spirit worked through him, causing a spiritual stirring in the hearts and minds of those that heard his healing words of truth, which brought them to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
The Lord Jesus suffered cruel treatment and gave up His life willingly so that all who believe on Him might not perish but be given peace with God, and have His inner peace guarding our hearts: For by His stripes we are healed, not a healing of the body, but an everlasting healing of the spirit and the forgiveness of sins.
An example of this is Christ's miraculous healing of the man at the pool of Bethsaida who had been crippled and bed-ridden for 38 years, which was considered as inconsequential by the religious leaders of the day because, in their estimation, it constituted breaking the Sabbath of the Lord!
The very instrument that God gave Israel in order to point them to Christ for salvation, was the very tool they modified to accuse the Son of God of blasphemy - and this particular Sabbath-day healing was a great turning-point in Christ's ministry, because from that time forward: The Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him.
But this Sabbath day healing was seen by the religious leaders of the Jews as breaking the Mosaic Law, and Christ's claim to be equal with the Father was considered blasphemy in their eyes: He not only was breaking the Sabbath, but also was calling God His own Father, making Himself equal with God.
Christ is eternally equal with the Father, for He is the second Person of the Holy Trinity, and the monologue that followed this controversial healing, proved beyond question Christ's deity and equality with the Father in many significant ways.
Christ alone is the One Who can heal the hurting, rescue the perishing, and save a sinner from eternal separation from our Heavenly Father; for there is no other name given among men whereby we must be saved.
He alone can heal the broken-hearted, rescue those that are perishing, and set the captive free from the weighty burden of sin.
He explained that when Moses lifted up a brass serpent on a pole in the wilderness to heal all who believed, it was a type of Himself, the Son of Man Who would also be lifted up as the sacrifice for sin, and that ALL who believe on Him would be healed, declared righteous, and live eternally.
or did they regard this miraculous healing as a wonderful gift from God.
He was healing on the Sabbath day, and they (not God) had labelled 'healing' as 'work'.
These small-minded and short-sighted Jews could not see that this poor man had been bound by Satan for thirty-eight long years, and this miraculous healing was a God-given release from his satanic bondage.
He had come with healing on His wings to save His people from their sin.
While journeying along the road, this Canaanite lady recognised the famous 'Jewish Rabbi', and began imploring Him to heal her daughter: Have mercy on me Lord, Son of David, she wept, Son of David, my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.
A time to be born and a time to die; a time to plant and a time to gather; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to tear down and a time to build up.
But the day is coming when He will return as the Son of righteousness with healing on His wings for all who trust in Christ as their Horn of salvation.
He went throughout the Galilee teaching, preaching, and healing all that were sick, and continued to authenticate his Person and work to priests and people alike, through His sermons, speeches, actions, and attitudes.
The first recorded healing in Matthew, following His Sermon on the Mount, was a man with leprosy, a highly contagious skin disease which made the man, and anyone he touched, ritually unclean.
This healing was highly significant, not only because the leper was cleansed, but because of the man's demonstrable faith and Christ's compassionate actions.
The very words of this man showed the genuine, depth of faith this leper had in Christ's power to heal, for he acknowledged Jesus as 'Lord'.
No doubt he had heard about Christ's ability to heal the sick and had an assurance, in his heart, that Jesus was able to make him clean.
Jesus was both able to heal, and He was willing to heal this leprous man who trusted in Him.
In this healing, Christ's Messianic claims were translated into action.
But the Lord Jesus is God's good and gracious Servant Whom He has sent to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim delivery to the captives, to recover sight to the blind, and to set at liberty them that are bruised and broken.
They questioned the man about his healing testimony, they cross-questioned his parents in an attempt to deny his blindness..
any person who was prepared to legitimise Christ's gifts of healing..
And so we find that for a second time the Pharisees summoned the man who had been born blind in a desperate attempt to have him denounce the Lord Jesus and expose His miraculous healing as fraudulent.
He had the power to heal their every hurt and forgive their every sin.
Jesus had sent His twelve apostles out with a special commission to preach repentance to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, and had given them apostolic authority and divine ability to: Drive out many demons, anoint many sick people with oil, and heal them.
Through the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus of Nazareth went about doing good, healing all manner of sickness, and delivering all who were oppressed of the devil.
His object was not simply a 'quick-fix' physical cure for the moment, but a 'long-term' spiritual healing, with eternal consequences.
When approached by those who desired healing, the Lord Jesus made sure he addressed the 'faith' issue, and the healing of the demon-possessed boy demonstrates this in a beautiful way.
The Lord Jesus had just been transfigured on the mountaintop in front of three of His amazed disciples, but then descended to the valley where a distressed father had unsuccessfully sought healing for his demon-possessed child.
A distraught father had come to ask Jesus to heal his son.
All Christ's disciples had been given the power and authority to heal the sick and cast out demons, but when attempting to heal this man's son, they failed miserably.
Not only did they question God's power to heal in their own hesitant hearts, but undermined the faith of this anguished man causing him to doubt Christ's ability to heal.
It was from the glory of the transfiguration to the desperate situation of a failed healing and the faltering faith of His chosen disciples, that Christ came.
It was not Christ's ability to heal that was in question, for He created all things and by Him all things hold together.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and His ability to heal the broken-hearted, cast out demons, set the captive free, make the lame to walk, the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, has never diminished over time.
Nevertheless, Jesus only said and did those things that He heard from His Father, and for three years He went about doing good, healing the sick, raising the dead, and authenticating His Messianic claims through His teachings, miracles, signs, and wonders.
But before we start reading through the comprehensive, historic outline of the decline of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, we see a series of God's miracles, carried out through Elisha the prophet, demonstrating the compassionate heart of the Lord for fallen man and His mighty power to heal.
The raising from the dead of the Shunammite woman's son, the healing of a poisonous stew where there was 'death in the pot', and the multiplication of a few loaves of bread which fed over a hundred hungry men, was followed by the heart-warming story of Naaman, the highly decorated, Syrian general, who was healed of leprosy.
God's forward-planning is also seen in Naaman's household, for employed in his home was a little slave-girl from Israel who knew that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was able to heal her master's illness.
It was even by the grace of God that the leprosy that caused him such distress, was used by the Lord to bring Naaman and many others souls in the kingdom of Syria, to hear about the God in Israel Who could heal him of this terrible disease.
However, as soon as this Gentile woman addressed Him as 'LORD' and asked Him to heal her daughter, she was saved by grace through faith in Jesus as the Saviour of the world - for Salvation is of the LORD.
For God does not always answer our prayer for healing in the way we would expect, and illness is not always the direct result of personal sin.
Some today call for a healing service, make a pilgrimage to a religious site, or attend healing conferences - but James simply instructs the sick person to call for the elders - privately.
And although we would all agree that supernatural miracles of healing are often linked with wise medical practice, this is not what James is describing here.
The anointing of a sick body was indeed a medical practice during the times of Christ, and God often combines natural medication with supernatural healing, but James clearly is identifying i) illness, and ii) anointing with oil in verse 14 with a) illness and b) the prayer of faith in verse 15.
It also takes an act of faith for the elders of a church to collectively gather to pray for the healing for a sick member of their congregation, and to anoint that person's body with oil, while praying collectively, in faith, for their healing.
He came to preach good news to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and to give recovering of sight to the blind.
As we bathe the thoughts of our heart in the Word of God and meditate on the truth of His wisdom, we will not only guard our mouth to keep us from evil but will pour out His words of healing and help to others – until it is not I that speak – but Christ that speaks through me.
Beginning in Matthew 8, we start to witness Christ's miraculous powers of healing and his absolute authority over disease, demons, death, and the forces of nature, which authenticate His Messianic declarations as foretold by prophets of old.
Isaiah had written how the coming Messiah would open the eye of the blind, unstop the ears of the deaf, heal the lame, raise the dead, and cast out demons, along with many other convincing evidences which proved unequivocally that He was Who He said He was.
The section on Christ's healing ministry follows the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus gave witness of His Messianic claims to the people of Israel.
The first person Christ healed was a leper (who was a Jew), and this was immediately followed by another healing miracle; the healing of the servant of a Roman Centurion (who was a Gentile).
He had been prepared to travel to the home of this Roman officer to heal his servant, but this man humbly admitted, I am not worthy for You to come and enter my house, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed.
It shall be done for you as you have believed. Following this miraculous healing, Jesus explained to His disciples truths about the kingdom of God.
They had seen Jesus heal the many sick people, and even raise some from the dead, and so they hurriedly sent an urgent request for Him to come and heal the one He loved so dearly.
They quickly changed their tune from rebuking him to reassuring him, when Jesus said, call him here. They were more excited at the anticipated healing miracle they were about to witness, than a sudden surge of brotherly love for this noisy beggarman, who was causing such a commotion at the roadside.
We do not have a record of what he did following his miraculous healing.
And God has promised that if His people who are called by His name will humble themselves and pray, and seek His face and turn from their wicked ways, He will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
National restoration, universal redemption, and the spiritual healing of both the northern and southern kingdoms are the key elements, while echoes of God's judgement on the wicked precede and follow this message of hope for Israel.
We read of the lame beggar in chapter two, who began walking and leaping and praising God for his healing.
In chapter 5, we find that Peter's powerful preaching and the healing miracles performed in the name of Jesus, caused the apostles to be held in such high esteem, that, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, to such an extent that they even carried sick people into the streets and laid them on mattresses, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on any one of them.
One such belief was that the shadow of a holy man, a fragment of his clothing, or even his handkerchief would bring about magical healing or good luck.
There is no magic trick to healing miracles and this wrong belief in the healing power of relics or shadows, laid the foundation for many other aberrant doctrines to develop in Christian circles, like the selling of religious artifacts, payments for indulgences and intercessions etc.
The Lord is the only one that heals the sick.
However, there is no evidence that healing took place on these occasions and nowhere in Scripture are we told that healing occurred as a result of these practices, which were borrowed from pagan societies.
It would also enable Peter, the other apostles, and the 70 who were commissioned by Christ, during His ministry, to continue fulfilling the commission they were given, to, heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons.
Jewish believers (who require a sign) and Gentile Christians, (who desired wisdom) would ALL have to learn to live by faith and not by sight or signs or works of the Law, or the healing power of shadows.
This was done in grateful remembrance of the rock that was smitten in the wilderness, and from which streamed life-giving water into the dusty desert for the thirsty Israelites - but it also pointed forward to the Rock of our Salvation and the Living Water that streams from our Saviour's healing side, bringing spiritual life, spiritual health, and spiritual healing to all who drink - for Jesus is the living water.
As we journey through its hallowed verses, we start to become aware that He is our ever-living help and that no matter where we are or where we roam, the Spirit of His presence is there to lead and guide, and His righteous right hand is sufficient to uphold and support us, protect and defend us, comfort and equip us, heal and help us.
No doubt news of Christ's healing power and his Messianic claims, had reached the ears of this blind beggar in Jericho, and when he realised that among the bustling crowd leaving the city was Jesus, the famous Prophet about Whom everyone was speaking, he started to cry out, Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!
Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover, where He would be sacrificed as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world, and this account of the healing of blind Bartimaeus is the last recorded healing miracle in Mark.
The crowds were unsympathetic about his desperate situation and told him to be quiet, and maybe the disciples had also become too accustomed to Christ's healing ministry, for they seemed unsympathetic to the plight of this poor blind beggar-man.
When men and women approached Jesus for healing, we see much evidence that is not simply a need for physical healing that concerns the Lord, but a spiritual awakening.
And this should be our concern as well when we are praying for healing, for ourselves or someone else, that not only bodily health is restored, but that the spiritual needs are also met and spiritual eyes are opened to see JESUS as Lord.
Friends that had given up all to walk with Him; friends that had eaten, slept, and marched with Him for three and a half years; friends that had been given apostolic power to heal the sick, cast out demons, and raise the dead.
For three and a half years, Christ had been healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out demons, healing the broken-hearted, and helping the afflicted, as the prophets of old had foretold.
In Revelation, we discover the return of the Tree of Life standing in the midst of the paradise of God: It produced twelve types of fruits, and yielded its fruit each month, while its leaves are given for the healing of the nations.
There is a lovely little chorus we used to sing many years ago that would give the same sort of comfort as the words of this beautiful verse, for we have a good and wonderful God, and He truly is able to heal the broken-hearted and to bind up the wounds of one that is destitute:
He is able, He is able, I know my Lord is able,I know my Lord is able to carry me through.He is able, He is able, I know my Lord is able,I know my Lord is able to carry me through.He heals the brokenhearted, He sets the captive free,He makes the lame to walk again, and He makes the blind to see.He is able, He is able, I know my Lord is able,I know my Lord is able to carry me through.
And God has promised to heal the broken-hearted and bind up their wounds.
Let us trust in His love, rest in His promises, and believe the truth of God's Word which tells us that He heals the broken-hearted and binds up their wounds, and He is able because He went to the Cross on our account, and shed His blood to become our substitute.
Let us hold on to the truth that our Saviour suffered for us so that He was able to both heal our hearts and bind up our wounds.
They had heard his authoritative teachings, been given great revelation about the Son of Man Who was in their midst, and heard the voice of God proclaim, This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased, They had witnessed the Lord Jesus perform many mighty miracles that clearly authenticated His Messianic claims, and they themselves had been endowed with power from on high to heal every kind of disease and every kind of sickness.
Indeed, in this 'Sermon on the Plateau', Jesus is not only speaking to His disciples, but also to the disinterested multitudes and hypocritical Pharisees that only followed Him for physical healing, self-help, or destructive criticism.
Born in Bethlehem, teaching and healing the people as He proclaimed His Messianic role before being crucified at Calvary, raised back to life and appearing to many in His resurrection body of flesh and bone, Jesus was indeed the only begotten Son of the Father.
Just as David found himself to be spiritually parched and in need of direction, so saints down through centuries of time, have turned to these words to bring solace, sympathy, healing, and hope in this broken world system.
They have closed their eyes; otherwise, they might see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart and return, and I would heal them.' And so, for the third and last time in his ministry, we hear Paul's scathing rebuke: Therefore let it be known to you that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen.
The curse of sin has ravaged our world and continues to do so... but its devastating consequences are but for a season for those who have trusted in the everlasting God Who heals all our diseases.
Yes, Jesus is the God who heals us - He is our Jehovah Rapha.
He is able to heal every disease.
There is no limit to His power to heal and no end of His tender-mercies, which are new every morning... for His grace is sufficient and His power is perfected in our weakness.
His healing hand never fails to comfort and succour His blood-bought children - for He crowns us all with loving-kindness and the tenderest of mercies.
The beautiful result of the man or women who has received God's perfect forgiveness is redemption, healing, comfort, provision, satisfaction and goodness.
Jesus instructed us to pray for those that persecute us, while Paul reminds us that when we are cursed - we are to bless those that curse us, and when we are hurt - we are to heal.
There are many times we cry out to the Lord for His healing touch in our lives and on our bodies.
We often call out to God for some restorative miracle for a friend or acquaintance who has been struck down with a serious health issue or life-threatening complaint, but too often we forget to give God the thanks and praise for His healing touch in our life, and for health restored.
However, we should not forget to offer prayers, supplication, intercession, and thanksgiving in every area of life and not only in connection with health and healing.
We are all aware that mornings of joy follow every night of weeping, but when a death-threatening illness has been reversed by God's grace and healing hand has brought life-giving health and strength, we should never forget to thank Him and to extol His holy name for His kindness in raising us up into health and wholeness.
May we be those who are careful with words, guard our speech, and use our word to heal and not hurt, to guard and not gossip, to edify and encourage and not to wreak havoc.
In this passage, and elsewhere in the Scriptures, we see that they forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, fruits, herbs, and seeds, which are part of God's gift to us - for our healing and benefit. For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected, if it is received with gratitude.
It is a time when the world will burn like an oven and proud, wicked men will be consumed: Leaving neither root nor branch. But it is also the precursor to the joyfully anticipated advent of the promised Messiah: The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings.
Healing and hope was promised to God's little remnant.
Both Peter and John had been endowed with the gift of healing and in Chapter 3, following the miraculous healing of a lame man, the crowds who witnessed this supernatural event, gathered round in amazement.
He was sent to heal them, to open their eyes, and to remove them from their former spiritual darkness.
And when the Lord Jesus opened this blind beggar's eyes, it was a picture of blind beggarly Israel whom the Lord desired to heal, for the kingdom of heaven was near.
It is in this chapter, that the Lord Jesus demonstrated His power to heal the sick and forgive sin, and in so doing, authenticated His deity.
It was when he returned there from teaching on the other side of the Galilee, that a group of men quickly brought their paralysed friend to Him, for healing.
Whether this was a long-term paralysis or something that happened during Christ's recent absence we are not told, but we are informed that these men had faith in Jesus because they brought their paralysed friend to Christ for healing.
God knows the heart of man and can read our private thoughts, and Jesus was able to see that these men believed He had power from on high to heal their sick friend.
The healing of their friend's twisted, disabled body was what they expected, and their expectation was rewarded, for we read that when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.
Both the paralysed man and his friends came to Jesus for healing, but received something more - much, much more.
God progressively revealed the many facets of His eternal character throughout the pages of Scripture and it was to Moses that the Lord revealed Himself as Jehovah-Rapha - I am the God Who heals you.
It was God Who saved His people Israel, after 400-years of bondage in Egypt, when they applied the shed blood of the Passover lambs onto the lintels of their doors - a striking picture of the true Passover Lamb, Whose shed blood at Calvary would provide the means of healing the nation that was saving His people from slavery to sin and its terrible consequences.
And as the attributes of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob continued to be revealed to His chosen people, as the years rolled by, so each of God's revealed characteristics, was one more beautiful picture of the coming Messiah - the Mighty God and Prince of Peace, Who would also be the one Who would heal His people Israel, the nation whom Isaiah described as being sick, 'from the crown of their head to the sole of their foot'.
He would come to heal the nation from their spiritual sickness, awake them from their spiritual slumber and remove the blinkers from their spiritual blindness... for He said to them, If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your Healer.
He would come in holiness and righteousness to bind up their wounds and heal His people from the sin and the suffering that has plagued this world since the fall of Adam.
Jesus is the one Who heals the brokenhearted and Jesus is the one Who sets the captives free.
It was to Moses, in the nation's infancy, that God revealed Himself to His people as Yahweh-Rapha - I am the Lord that heals you, and David expanded this glorious truth in so many of his psalms, for we read: He forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.
And as with all of God's good and perfect gifts, the healing He gives to all the redeemed is beyond our understanding and has an eternal perspective.
God often heals the physical wounds and earthly diseases that trouble our mortal bodies, and play heavily on our minds and emotions, but oft-times He whispers into our hearts, My grace is sufficient, for My strength is made perfect in your weakness... in your sickness, in your hardship - in your loss, and your pain.
But the incomprehensible truth of Jehovah-Rapha, is that His healing touch also spans the eternal sphere and the spiritual realm.
I am the Lord Who heals you SPIRIT, SOUL, and BODY.
I am the one Who heals your spirit - when you were justified, through initial faith in Jesus as Saviour - PAST salvation.
I am the one Who heals your soul - through the sanctification process, as you walk in faith and grow in grace - ONGOING salvation. I am the one Who heals your body - at the Rapture of the church and resurrection of the dead-in-Christ - FUTURE salvation.
Let us always remember that our eternal healing took place at the cross - and if physical healing is withheld, there is a reason that God knows about - and His grace is always sufficient.
Jesus came to heal the broken-hearted and set the captive free and His Holy Spirit understands - He knows, He loves, and He cares for each one of us, so draw closer to His arms of comfort, and trust in His love today, for a day is coming where there will no longer be any mourning, crying, or pain.
But for as many as believe on Him He is food for the soul, life for the dead, healing for the sick, and the God of our salvation.
Why did we need to know that on that very day, when Jesus was inundated with requests for healing, the leaders had rejected Him with their blasphemy, the self-centred crowds refused to recognise the truth of Who He was, and Jesus then started to teach His true followers in parables?
They would receive mercy and grace in time of need, and be granted God's gracious healing and spiritual wholeness: Then your light will break out like the first rays of dawn, were Isaiah's words of comfort to this little, faithful remnant:Your recovery will speedily spring forth and your righteousness will go before you.
The healing at the pool of Bethesda was unusual, in that Jesus Himself asked the man, do you want to be healed? - whereas normally He was approached by others who asked for healing.
It was during His second year of ministry that this healing took place.
But Christ continued to emphasise... in His actions and attitude, that He was Lord of the Sabbath with divine power to both heal the body and forgive sins.
The authority Christ demonstrated on this Sabbath-day healing, showed a godly concern and compassion for the well-being of mankind and a disdain for petty Jewish rules, rituals, and regulations, which dishonoured God and enslaved an entire nation.
Although the healed man picked up his bed and carried it home, as instructed, he did not know who Jesus was and seemed indifferent to the gracious healing he had just received.
And so, when challenged by the authorities for breaking the Sabbath day rule, he did not withstand their rebukes by glorifying God for his miraculous release from sin and supernatural healing - he simply answered that he had no clue who Jesus was... and informed the Jewish leaders that he was not the one who should be held responsible for breaking the Sabbath Law - it was the responsibility of the Man who said to him, Pick up your pallet and walk!!
He was one of the twelve disciples who were sent by Christ to minister to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, healing the sick, raising the dead, cleansing the lepers, and casting out demons.
Jesus came from heaven to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the leper, and drive out demons, but as He drew closer to the house, more servants met Him with an astonishing message from the centurion, Lord, do not trouble Yourself further, for I am not worthy for You to come under my roof.
The one... showing great faith in the spoken word of Christ and His supreme authority over nature, and the other... demonstrating such a lack of faith, that He was prevented from doing any mighty miracles in Nazareth, except to lay His hands on a few sick people and heal them.
However, it should be remembered that God does not always answer our prayers for healing at the time we expect or in a way that we would like.
Sometimes healing is delayed or even withheld to bolster our faith.
Similarly, there are those that declare that if a prayer for healing goes unanswered it demonstrates a shocking lack of faith - but once again these are totally unbiblical teachings which should be avoided.
And without the water of life, that streams into our hearts from above, and provides health and healing for the whole man, we too would be nothing more than a spiritual corpse that is left exposed and naked, with nowhere to hide.
He pardons all our iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems our life from the pit, and by grace has crowned us with lovingkindness, tender mercies, and great goodness.
Let us never fail to bless the Lord with our whole being, and not forget all His benefits - for He pardons all our iniquities, heals all our diseases, redeems our life from the pit, crowns us with lovingkindness and compassion, and satisfies our years with good things.
But it is also a time of purifying and healing - the purifying of sinners who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and the redemption of those who call on His name.
But the early Church could not be silent and when Peter and John exercised power from on high, by healing a paralyzed man, the Jewish leaders became fearful, arrested the apostles, and brought them before the Sanhedrin for trial.
They did not ask to be taught to teach or to preach, to heal, or to change water into wine, but their desire was to pray as Christ prayed, and so they came to Him and said, Lord, teach us to pray.
There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus, for He even gives forgiveness and healing to those who commit this sin, both in their pre-salvation and post-salvation life - for if we, who have been justified by faith, confess our sin, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness - including this one.
They will call on His name for His cleansing blood to heal them of their sin - their individual sins and their national sin. They will look on Him whom the chief priests, elders, scribes, and people of an earlier generation crucified, and like us, they will also realise that He was wounded for THEIR transgressions and bruised for THEIR iniquity - and that by the stripes He received 2000 years ago - they too, are healed.
Solomon's father had been, a man after God's own heart, who trusted the Word of the Lord, and the young king Solomon also humbly acknowledged that God is able to read the thoughts and intentions of man's heart - and so he prayed that if, individually or collectively, the people of Israel would turn to the Lord with their heartfelt and genuine prayer, that God would hear from His heavenly dwelling place, and forgive their sin and heal their land.
And Jesus will return for Israel, as the Son of Righteousness with healing in His wings, when God's chosen nation acknowledges Jesus, as their own Messiah, Who died and rose again, to save His people from their sins - and they will once again cry out, during that terrible time of Jacob's Trouble, blessed is He, Who comes in the name of the Lord.
and Peter himself was witness to many such healing and miracles.
Peter had seen his own mother-in-law brought back to health and strength by the healing touch of the Lord Jesus and he no doubt tasted the water that was changed to wine and heard the many of the gracious words that fell from the lips of this simple carpenter from Nazareth.
Mark is the shortest gospel... detailing the work of Christ's ministry, the calling of His disciples, the healing of the sick, and the teaching of the kingdom, at breakneck speed.
They were given authority to cast out demons, raise the dead, heal the sick and anoint them with oil.
It was Jesus whom Malachi called, the Sun of righteousness Who will come with healing in his wings, and Zechariah rejoiced that the Messiah had come to visit His people, and prophesied of their coming redemption and deliverance from their enemies.
Your faith has made you whole, was His response to many who asked for their healing.
The people in Christ's hometown limited His wonderful healing work and great redemptive ministry, because of unbelief.
Though a few trusted in Christ as the Son of God Who takes away the sin of the world, most followed Him to gain physical healing or to get a free lunch of fish and bread, instead of true spiritual food from the heavenly Man.
News of Him had spread far and wide and the Bible tells us, those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Him; and laying His hands on each one of them, He was healing them all.
His mighty signs and healing miracles demonstrated that Jesus had dominion over sickness, disease, demons, and even death.
This story reveals someone Who is able to sympathise with our weaknesses, for while the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to Jesus and laying His hands on each one of them, and heal them all.
He came to bind up the broken-hearted, heal the sick, and set the captive free, so that by grace through faith in Him, we might not be condemned, but have everlasting life.
When we live by faith, we remain in fellowship with the Lord, and can become healing balm and a godly comfort in the lives of others, who are facing similar difficulties.
And so like Israel, we are called to trust in the Lord, our Righteousness, forever and ever, and the Son of Righteousness will rise with healing in His wings.
The Lord Jesus was meek and lowly, full of compassion and great mercy – and the gracious words that fell from His lips were life and health and healing.
What music is the lovely name of Jesus in the ear of every sinner, saved by grace, for it calms all sorrow, heals each wound, and drives away all our fear.
And so we read that in a night-time vision, God appeared to His servant Solomon and gave the king the following warning for Israel: I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice: when I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people... then: if My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land...
The words He spoke, and the signs and wonders He performed, authenticated His Messianic claims, for all of them were prophesied of old. He was anointed by the Father to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, to give sight to the blind, and set at liberty those that are broken.
The One Who had healing in His wings had finally arrived.
They knew that He had come to heal the broken hearted, to set captives free, to heal the sick, to cleanse lepers, to raise the dead, to rescue the perishing, to bring liberty to those that were in bondage..
Jesus wanted to show... that just as He was able to heal all their sicknesses and provide for their physical needs, He is also the One Who could heal the broken soul, release them from the slave-market of sin, bind up their emotional distresses, and bring inner peace and joy to their heart.
that He would bless those that were poor in spirit, feed the hungry, heal the sick, comfort the afflicted, defeat their hated enemies and set up the prophesised heavenly kingdom of peace and prosperity.
This is the precursor to the healing of the paralytic man whose four friends were so desperate to bring him to Jesus for healing, that they joined the thronging crowds and even clambered up onto the roof of the house, in order to bring this man to Jesus.
They carried his bed onto the roof and let this paralysed man down into the courtyard below, so that the Son of God could heal his body and forgive his sins.
For over three years the Lord Jesus had gone about doing good, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and raising the dead, with great signs and miracles which authenticated His claim to be the Messiah, the Servant of God about Whom Isaiah and the prophets spoke.
He would cause the blind to see, heal those that are broken, feed the hungry, and raise the dead.
One sign of His authenticity was that he would cause the lame to leap like a deer, and the healing of this paralytic man at the pool of Bethesda, was a public sign that the Messiah was in their midst.
Jesus used this healing to open the eyes of those who had not yet recognised Him as their Messiah, to revive those that were weary, and to call His chosen people to repent for the kingdom of God was near and the King was living among them.
The healing of this paralysed man was punishable by stoning, according to the religious leaders, because it broke their Sabbath Law.
I wonder if this man was thanking God for his healing when Jesus found him in the Temple, or if his attitude was apathetic and thankless - for he chose to tell the Jewish leaders who were so outraged about the Sabbath healing and that it was Jesus Who had healed him.
The healing that flows from His nail-pierced hand is a streaming flood of forgiveness and grace, that is as effective today as it was on that day when His hands were wounded for our transgressions and He took the full force of God's wrath upon Himself, in our stead.
He forgives all my sins.He heals all my diseases.He redeems me from death.He crowns me with love and tender mercies.He fills my life with good things.He renews my youth like the eagle's.
Jesus called the Laodicean believers to clothe themselves in the shining white garments of righteousness and to heal their eyes with the truth of the glorious gospel of God.
He is the glory of His people Israel and the One Who will heal their soul and guide their feet into the way of peace.
Let us, therefore, with wholeness of heart, fervency of spirit, sincerity of soul, and diligence of mind, freely abandon the good to search for the very best, knowing that ALL who seek the Lord, will find Him to be rest for their soul, healing for their heart, hope for the future, and life everlasting.
The words of this psalm have become a source of great comfort and strength to generations of believers, providing healing in times of trouble, comfort in times of sorrow, freedom for those that are enslaved, restoration for all that are broken-hearted, strength in days of weakness, and hope in times of distress.
He boldly proclaimed that He was anointed by God to preach the gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to teach deliverance to the captives, to recover sight to the blind, and set at liberty those that are bruised.
He had been identified as the promised Messiah Who spent His time going about doing good, performing many mighty signs and miracles, and healing all those that were sick in body and distressed in soul.
But the day is fast approaching when the earth will be filled with the glory of God and His healing touch will stream out to beautify a broken earth and renew its original glory.
The last chapter of Revelation is also the final chapter of the Bible, where we are treated to a glimpse of the Holy City - the New Jerusalem where the shining River of Life, with its wonderful healing properties, streams forth from beneath the throne of God and of the Lamb.
He saw the Tree of Life, which speaks of restoration, with its leaves for the healing of the nations, bearing twelve kinds of fruit, and growing on both sides of the crystal river.
They had witnessed His mighty miracles and been supernaturally endowed to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons, and preach the gospel of the kingdom to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.