Dwight Fletcher | What Jesus’ healing ministry reveals about God

Last week we discussed an important question: Is healing still something we should expect from God today? While many of us believe that God can heal, we live as if we don’t expect Him to. We don’t pray without ceasing to ask for healing, and we get discouraged and give up if we feel it’s taking too long.

But have you ever asked yourself, why did Jesus spend so much time healing people when He was on earth?

Everything Jesus did was intentional, and healing is no different. Matthew 8 is a highlight reel of Jesus healing people all day long, and then it says, “When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick.” (Matthew 8:16 NKJV)

After a full day of healing everyone who asks, what does Jesus do with His evening? He healed all who were sick.

That tells us something profound about God’s heart. Remember that Jesus came to reveal exactly what the Father is like. In John 14:9 (NIV), Jesus said, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” So, what we see in the life and behaviour of Jesus shows us all we need to know about God.

Sometimes we picture God as distant or reluctant, as though we have to convince Him to care about our pain or there is a quota we can’t exceed with our requests. Yet, Jesus never ignored the sick. He never told someone their suffering was unimportant. He never said, “Come back another time,” or “Perhaps this illness is God’s plan for your life.” Instead, He consistently responded with compassion and confronted sickness.

Healing was not an interruption to His ministry. It was part of His ministry. I love how Acts 10:38 (NKJV) summarizes Jesus’ life: “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.”

This also reminds us that sickness is not something to celebrate or embrace. It is part of the brokenness of a world affected by sin. Jesus brought restoration where there had been loss, hope where there had been despair, and freedom where people had lived under oppression.

His miracles were signs that the Kingdom of God had arrived. Luke 10:9 (NIV) records Jesus sending out His disciples with this instruction: “Heal the sick who are there and tell them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’” Healing and the message of God’s Kingdom went hand in hand. Every miracle pointed beyond itself to the God who loves people and desires to restore what has been broken

The salvation that Jesus offers today still includes complete restoration - spiritually, physically, emotionally, relationally and in every other way. The same compassionate Saviour who walked the roads of Galilee still invites us to bring our burdens of sickness, disease and despair to Him today.

That does not mean every question about healing is easy to answer. Many faithful believers wrestle with unanswered prayers and difficult circumstances. Yet, before we ask why healing sometimes seems delayed, we must first understand God’s heart.

Jesus showed us that God’s heart is always moved by compassion towards the broken.

Next week, we’ll look at what Scripture teaches about our own role in praying for healing, and why Jesus commissioned ordinary believers, not just church leaders, to minister to those who are sick.