JESUS THE HEALER

Jesus: The Healer

INSTAGRAM: Jesus Pics

“Images of Jesus from the Gospel of John”

CONNECT We have all been there: the late-night call, the bad news, the hours beside a bed in a hospital or a home watching the one we love struggle in the throes of an illness that is taking their life. We pray; we pray fervently; we pray in hope; but… How does the story end? How does your story end?

TENSION Does God still heal today? If so, why do so many of our prayers go unanswered? Why do we attend more funerals than celebrations of healing?

SOLUTION God does still heal today! The Bible is clear that healing is part of the plan when Jesus suffered and died. In this Jesus Pic, we will see some things that can help us tap into God’s healing power!

PRAYER

INSTRUCTION

1.     Healing has always been part of the nature and character of God.

Exodus 15:26 (NKJV) “If you diligently heed the voice of the LORD your God and do what is right in His sight, give ear to His commandments and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have brought on the Egyptians. For I am the LORD who heals you.”

Psalms 103:1-3 (NKJV) Bless the LORD, O my soul; And all that is within me, bless His holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases,”

Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

2.     Jesus is a healer.

Depending on your definition, there are over thirty healing miracles attributed to Jesus. Of course, the Bible only records a sampling of what Jesus said and did.

John 21:25 (NKJV) And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

There are four healing miracles recorded in the book of John…

In John 4 Jesus heals the nobleman’s child.

In John 5 Jesus heals a lame man.

In John 9 Jesus heals a man blind from birth. 

In John 11 Jesus demonstrates the ultimate healing by raising Lazarus from the dead!

It would be impossible to cover all four of these in detail in one talk, but if you would allow, let me preach just a little bit from these four stories about Jesus being your healer in every situation.

INSPIRATION

In John 4 Jesus responds to the desperate pleas of a concerned father. We see that if things are sick and dying in your life, He can speak a Word and change your direction! It may be your physical children or something you gave birth to that is sick on the verge of dying. Cry out to God and He will meet you. The Word will speak life into that thing you birthed and raise it up again!

Psalms 34:6 (NKJV) This poor man cried out, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

In John 5 we see a man in the throes of despair. He has about thrown up his hands and quit.  If you are powerless, the old KJV uses impotent, and paralyzed, KJV uses withered, Jesus asks us, “Do you want to get well?” Then commands us, “take up your bed and walk!” 38 years he had been impotent; 38 years frustrated; 38 years wondering when his day was coming.  His Day walked in in a man, Jesus Christ, and gave him what he had longed for four decades!  Everything you have tried all your life and nothing worked, one Word from Jesus can make you stand up and walk again!  No angel, no water, no man, just you and Jesus!

In John 9 we see a man blind from birth and the disciples wondering who sinned so that this happened. Jesus said, “Nobody sinned; this man was born blind so that the works of God could be seen in him! That mess you're in is not your fault, it is a vehicle for God to show up and show off! If you are blind today and have no direction, He can spit on the ground of your life, make a mud pie, anoint your spiritual eyes and give you clear vision and purpose!

Luke 4:18-19 (NKJV) "The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD.”

In John 11 Jesus gives life to what has already died!  Not only that, He waited until everyone was sure Lazarus was dead before He shows up!  Jesus specializes in lost causes and impossible situations! If you are dead and stinking, Jesus is on His way! He will roll the gravestone away and call you to come forth and live. And you know what? You will get up off that slab where you are bound and come jumping out to the entrance with new life. Jesus will call for helpers to loosen you and set you free!

Can I get a witness this morning? Does anyone need a miracle today? Reach out to Him and let Jesus give you the miracle you long for!

APPLICATION

As I prepared to preach this message this morning, I wanted to encourage you. I wanted to give you hope that Jesus would come as Healer in your life. And He will!

But I believe God wants me to apply these passages in a different way this morning.

You see, we were all sick, impotent, blind, and dead but Jesus has already released his healing power in our lives. Today, I want to talk to you not as the people that Jesus touched and will touch, but as the “Jesus” who will touch the sick, the lame, the blind, and the dead!

This was the ministry of Jesus!

Luke 7:20-23 (NKJV) When the men had come to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, ‘Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?” And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is he who is not offended because of Me.”

This is our ministry!

Matthew 10:7-8 (NKJV) “And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”

Luke 9:1-2 (NKJV) Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.

Mark 16:17-18 (NKJV) “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Whatever Jesus did, we are to do!

John 14:12 (NKJV) “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.”

I John 4:17 (NKJV) Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.

What did Jesus do?

Acts 10:38 (NKJV) God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

ACTION STEPS

1.  Open your senses.

Mark 5:30 (NKJV) And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?”

2.  Open your spirit.

Luke 5:17 (NKJV) Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.

3.  Open your mouth.

 Romans 10:8 (NKJV) But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach):