Christians often speak about the healing power of Jesus. Certainly, it is a matter broached by examples and statements throughout the Bible. Evangelists and street preacher sometimes substitute the term “be healed” where others would say, “be saved”.
What are they talking about when they discuss the healing power of Jesus? Where does it come from? As it turns out, there are many levels of discussion about this topic. Let’s review a few of them here.
Literally talking about Jesus
Jesus never dismissed an opportunity to heal anyone who came to Him. There is not one mention of Him sending away one who sought the answer to leprosy, blindness, seizures, possession. You name it, Jesus fixed it without hesitation.
Besides exhibiting Jesus’ kindness, it serves to validate who Jesus was. The people who witnessed his acts are occasionally quoted as asking, “Who is this man who can heal like this?” But after Jesus returned to His rightful place, miraculous healing continued.
The Apostles
Before he died, Jesus explained to the Apostles that they would have the power to heal. Throughout Acts, we find examples of Peter, John, and Paul fixing deformities and healing illness. We can reason that divine grace was given to the ones who were to continue Jesus’ work in his absence.
How did they receive this healing power? Was it simply Jesus’ directive or something more? Was it in the laying His hands on the apostles or was raising His hands in prayer part of the procedure? Did Jesus have to appeal to His Father to share his healing power? If so, how did healing continue after the apostles?
Finding a Healer today
Tele-evangelists loving lining up people with afflictions and healing them in front of their followers. Some find it hard to trust these made-for-TV moments, but they cannot argue that there are people with the power to heal. Most are regarded as people who are stronger in their faith than others. Since Christ told everyone he touched that it was faith that healed them, more faith must be good
A friend was convinced a woman in our town had healing power. This woman claimed to have spoken to angels and painted drawings of her encounters. When my friend was diagnosed with cervical cancer, she sought the woman out. They prayed together and the other woman put her hands on my friend, who described it as “painful”, but her doctor was shocked to find my friend’s cancer had disappeared.
Did the angels give this woman such power? Was it her faith that gave her the healing power of Jesus?
The Healer in Us
Jesus never told the lepers it was His faith that cured them. He always said it was their faith. It was not just Jesus’ power that healed the woman crawling through the crowd to touch His robe (Mark 5:34). It was not the faith of Peter that had people waiting on the side of roads hoping his shadow would fall on them. (Acts 28). It was their own faith that healed them.
We have that same faith. We must trust that touching Jesus or walking in His shadow is enough. We need to go to Him, get closer to Him, and then ask to be healed. We have the healing power of Jesus. Where does it come from? From believing in Jesus and all that He is.
