People are often impressed with heroes and martyrs. – Remember Nathan Hale – who said “I only have one life to live for my country.’ We appreciate the liberty and freedom that we have because of the sacrifice of others. What about the sacrifice of Jesus? Do you appreciate His death on your behalf? Do you appreciate all that His death provided for you? We can rejoice and thank God because we were saved by His blood. But you can also rejoice that not only did Jesus save you from your sins but He also provided healing for you body at the same time.
Understanding the Sacrifice of Jesus
- The sacrifice of Jesus paved the way for our complete healing.
ILLUSTRATION: The Blood of Jesus
When a large religious service was being conducted at the Golden Gate Exposition in San Francisco, many people became quickly aware that the minister delivering the main address was not quite right in his doctrine. Most of his comments were directed against the power of the blood of Jesus. An elderly timid lady stood when this man’s speech was over and began to sing – ‘There is a Fountain Filled With Blood.’ A hush fell over the assembly and as she began the 2nd stanza approximately 100 people rose to join her. By the time she sang the 3rd stanza nearly a 1000 Christians all over the audience were singing that blessed song of faith. Many were deeply moved as that humble believer stood up for her Lord – there is power in the blood.
- As we approach any N.T. doctrine, you must always approach it knowing that every word and every syllable is inspired by His suffering and stained by His blood.
- When we think of Jesus (our hero and our martyr raised again) we can see the crucifixion – in and of itself it was a horrible thing. It was an agonizing and torturous death reserved for criminals, traitors, and enemies of the state. Usually when a man was crucified, he would writhe in agony for 2-3 days and then die of exhaustion.
- But Jesus died in only 6 hours on the cross.
- Remember that not only was He crucified but he suffered a horrible beating beforehand.
Matt 27:26 (KJV)
26 Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
- Jesus was scourged before He was crucified.
- Scourging was a Roman implement for severe bodily punishment. It consisted of a handle with about a dozen leather cords with jagged pieces of bone or metal to make the blow more painful and deadly. The victim was tied to a post and blows were applied to the back and to his loins and sometimes to his face and bowels. The flesh was cut in several places by each blow. So hideous was the punishment that the victim sometimes fainted or died. It was designed to get confessions and secrets from it’s victims. But Jesus was sinless – there was no confession to get. If the scourge used on Jesus had 12 thongs then he was hit 39 times – that would leave 468 stripes.
1 Pet 2:24 (KJV)
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
- There have been some, who in their studies of the Bible, have indicated that there are 39 diseases – one disease for every blow that Jesus received.
39 Stripes – 39 Diseases: Which Stripe Healed You?
- Whether this is entirely the way God meant it or not is not the issue.
- The issue is not whether He received 39 stripes, 40 stripes or 400 stripes.
- What’s plain is this; there is a stripe in their for me and there is a stripe in their for you and your healing.
- Your condition was not left out.
- Ask yourself this question – which stripe was it that Jesus bore that your condition might be healed?
- Which stripe was it that healed you of heart problems?
- Which stripe was it that healed me you of cancer, TB, diabetes….?
- The stripes of Jesus insure that healing is for you.
- What else does 39 disease and 39 stripes mean?
- It means that God has covered it all!
- God does things in totality. – a complete job – a complete work. No disease was left off – there is no pain where there wasn’t a stripe.
- It was a total work!
- If you read these next verses, you will see that healing is a total work.
Bible Verses that Show Healing is a Total Work
Ps 105:37 (KJV)
37 He brought them forth also with silver and gold: and there was NOT ONE feeble person among their tribes.
Num 21:9 (KJV)
9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.
James 5:14 (KJV)
14 Is ANY sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:
Matt 12:15 (KJV)
15 But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and HE HEALED THEM ALL;
Matt 14:36 (KJV)
36 And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and AS MANY AS TOUCHED were made perfectly whole.
Matt 8:16-17 (KJV)
16 When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and HEALED ALL THAT WERE SICK:
17 That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.
Luke 6:19 (KJV)
19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and HEALED THEM ALL.
Luke 4:40 (KJV)
40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on EVERY ONE OF THEM, and healed them.
What Healing Is
- We can often understand what something is by looking at what it isn’t.
- Healing is not health gained by natural remedies, imagination or willpower, presumption, personal magnetism, mind over matter, denial, or any aid given to the physical body by human medicines or hands.
- Healing is a definitive act of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God, and the precious blood of Jesus, whereby the human body is cured, healed, repaired, delivered from sickness, and it’s power, and made as sound and whole and healthy as it was before the attack.
Healing is God’s Divine Intrusion
- Healing is God’s divine intrusion into suffering humanity.
- It is God saying in effect, “Yes, I understand the hurt, I understand the pain, I understand the money that you have spent trying to get well. I understand that there are many things that you would like to do for me, but yet are unable. I’m touched by the feeling of it all – but not only am I touched by it – I’m going to do something about it. I’m going to extend my healing power and I’m going to undo what Satan has done. I’m going to reverse this curse. And when I do you’ll know that the kingdom of God has come unto you. Because in that kingdom, there is joy and peace and it is hard to be at peace when your body is hurting. Hard to have fullness of joy in the midst of an oppression that has come on your body not allowing you to do what you choose to do.”
What Started This Whole Sickness Mess in the First Place?
Genesis 2:17 (KJV)
17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.
- A simple one sentence command – Adam had no idea what the repercussions were for disobeying that one commandment.
- He had no idea of the wars, the rampant disease, the greed, the abuse of sin and the degradation that would sweep this planet like a flood.
- Adam had no idea of the curse that would fall upon the animal and kingdoms.
- Here is a side note while we are at; It is better to watch those simple things that God tells you to do because it’s always the little fox’s that spoil the vine (Song 2:15).
- The Lord told Adam, in the day that you eat, you will surely die. Literally, what God said is, “If You eat, you will die twice, spiritually and physically.”
- Sickness is a phase of death.
- If sickness is unchecked in a human body either by the bodies own healing mechanism or by medical aid or by the power of God, a person will die.
- Sickness has in it all of the trappings of death.
- Remember that it was sin that allowed sickness to come in.
- Satan intruded into man’s dominion. He trespassed in the garden
- The second Adam (1Cor. 15:45), The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Man or literally in the Hebrew BEN ADAM, turned the tables.
- Sickness is death. Jesus I am come that you might have life.
- Jesus is all out against death.
- It is the last enemy that shall be destroyed (1Cor. 15:26).
Healing Is A Universal Legal Matter
- Healing is a forever settled fact.
- It is an ordinance and a statute.
Exodus 15:25–26 (KJV)
25 And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them, 26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.
- Look, closely, at the types found in this verse.
- Waters symbolize people.
- Waters were bitter, stale and of no value.
- The waters needed help, they could not alter their state on their own.
- What kind of help was available? A tree!
- A tree healed the waters.
- We must then ask this question, “Is there a tree that will make the bitter waters of life sweet?”
- Isn’t it interesting that after the waters are cured, that is when God talks about healing.
Definition: statute – a written law or regulation
Definition: ordinance – is a legal term, it is a law or a legal decision relating to justice.
- And so we can see by these two definitions that healing is an statute and an ordinance. It is completely a legal thing.
Healing Is Made Legal Under The New Covenant
Luke 22:20 (KJV)
20 Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.
- The New Testament is a legal document sealed in the Blood of Jesus.
DEFINITION: testament/covenant – a legal document forged between two parties and sealed by blood.
- A testament or covenant is the strongest possible agreement that could ever be forged.
- Breaking a covenant was unthinkable and punishable by death.
- A covenant was binding on every member of the family.
- There were blessings and curses associated with it.
- God cut a covenant with the Lord Jesus Christ and via the new birth man had the ability to become a part of the family. The covenant passes to us.
- One of the terms of that covenant found in Heb. 8:10-12, took care of the sin issue.
- Remember that it was sin that let sickness in.
Hebrews 8:10–12 (KJV)
10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Sin And Sickness are Bible Twins
- Notice how sin and sickness are connected together in scripture.
Psalm 103:3 (KJV)
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases;
1 Peter 2:24 (KJV)
24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Isaiah 53:4–5 (KJV)
4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.
If You Can Have Faith for One, You Can Have Faith for the Other
- Do you have enough faith to believe that you are saved?
- If you can believe for one part of Calvary, you can believe for the other!
- It’s a Law!
- If it’s legal and you understand that God does not discriminate, then salvation and healing are both available for you.
Call to Action:
You can be healed. It is a Bible fact. God wants you to be well, to be whole, to be free to do His will and fulfill your purpose on planet earth. The testimonies of God’s healing power are flowing throughout the world today. Get in on the flow. Study the Word until you are convinced it is God’s will for your life. Then with the same simple faith that you used to receive your salvation, step out and appropriate your physical freedom.
Question: What has the Lord healed you of? Would you please share your testimony in the comments section below so that other people might be encouraged?
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