Many years ago, I faced one of the greatest challenges in my ministry life.
There was a man named Jim in our congregation who was in his sixties and battling cancer. He asked our church elders to pray over him. We prayed—and medical tests later confirmed the cancer was gone. God had healed him. The doctors were amazed, and Jim was ecstatic.
At the same time, an athletic young father and dentist named David was suddenly hit with excruciating headaches and rushed to the hospital. He’d contracted encephalitis (viral brain inflammation) after one of his dental patients bit him. Again, our elders prayed fervently over him—but David died the next day.
While we may never fully understand God’s plan for healing this side of heaven, the Bible gives us insight—through the healing miracles that Jesus performed—that we serve a loving, sovereign God we can trust.
Jesus’ miracles are intended to illustrate the fact that He truly is the Messiah. He said in Luke 4:18-19: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me…to proclaim good news…to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”
When you look closely at His miracles, you’ll see His kingship and compassion and deep spiritual truths. Jesus’ miracles prove that He’s greater than anything that tries to hurt you physically, emotionally, spiritually, or psychologically.
When Jesus opened the eyes of the blind man He illustrated, “I am the light of the world.” And when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, it was to demonstrate, “I am the resurrection and the life.”
Years ago, I stood in front of my congregation to announce Jim was healed—but that David got better. Remember that all healing is only temporary, a simple postponement of the inevitable. Eventually, we will all get better and experience the fullness of grace that will be ours only in eternity.
So what can you expect Jesus to be doing today? You can expect Him to be demonstrating His kingly power and authority… showing you His great compassion… working out His sovereign purposes for your life… and meeting you at the point of your deepest spiritual need.
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