Jesus' Authority Over Sickness

Introduction

According to the World Health Organization, there are over 20,000 diagnoses of diseases. Someone may ask, if God exists and He is a loving God, why allow all these diseases? A Christian’s response is the answer to this question: What is the root cause of these diseases? (Credit: Paul Clemente). There are false teachers and healers everywhere who attempt to exploit people’s need for relief from pain and sickness.

I’ve heard a couple of people this year recount Benny Hinn telling his followers not to bury a loved one that dies, but to drape the body over the TV and leave them there for 24 hours so Jesus would raise them from the dead through Hinn. It’s almost laughable if it weren’t so horrible and there was likely at least one desperate person who probably tried it. I’m looking for the audio myself and I probably wouldn’t even mention it, if it wasn’t that my source is so reliable (MacArthur).

Every single one of us has a problem and that is our human body. Our birth is the first step to our death. The moment we are born, we start the dying process. Even in utero we fight sickness, disease, and death and there is nothing we can do to stop it. We can treat disease and we can treat sickness, but ultimately there is no cure this side of heaven.

I’ve been around quite a bit of sickness and death over the years. I’ve been with families as their loved ones took their final breath. I’ve held parents in my arms as we grieved over the affects of sickness in a child’s body and I’ve prayed countless times for God to heal people. Of the thousands of prayers I’ve prayed, I could count on one hand how many miraculous healings have taken place. I want you to know that doesn’t shake my faith. Jesus didn’t bring the gospel to cure diseases, he came to save sinners and that is the greatest hope we can give someone. In fact, as we will see in a few weeks, the forgiveness of sins is greater than physical healing

Luke 5:23–24 ESV

23 Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? 24 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, pick up your bed and go home.”

Over the last several weeks, we’ve coved the transition from demonstrating who Jesus was as a person to Luke demonstrating Jesus’ power and authority over all things. He starts in a synagogue in Nazareth telling the congregation that he has come to bring good news to the poor, give sight to the blind, set prisoners free, and liberty to the oppressed. They turn him out of town for these claims and he goes down to Capernaum and as he preaches, a demonic screams at him and Jesus delivers this man from the bondages of Satan.

Now we are at the conclusion of this service and Jesus is heading to Peter’s mother-in-law’s house where they’re likely getting ready for dinner after synagogue:

Luke 4:38–44 ESV

38 And he arose and left the synagogue and entered Simon’s house. Now Simon’s mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they appealed to him on her behalf. 39 And he stood over her and rebuked the fever, and it left her, and immediately she rose and began to serve them. 40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them. 41 And demons also came out of many, crying, “You are the Son of God!” But he rebuked them and would not allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ. 42 And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, 43 but he said to them, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.” 44 And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.

This passage we have is a closely knit collection of the purpose of Jesus’ ministry. In this we have 3 things that Jesus healed while he was on earth. He healed the body, he healed the mind, and he heal the soul.

Jesus Has Physical Authority

Jesus is heading to Peter’s house. We know that Peter was married.  1 Corinthians 9:5 refers to Peter's wife.  His wife is not mentioned here, but his mother-in-law was here. So we can construct a little bit about the family. This was Peter's house.  Peter was married. Tradition tells us Peter had children, though the Scripture doesn't refer to them. and when he gets there he finds her with a high fever; she has some kind of infection. It was tradition after synagogue to share in a sabbath meal and so this is what is happening here. When Jesus arrives, they find that she has a high temperature and so Jesus goes in and rebukes the fever. Immediately it leaves here. There is no progressive healing. Just as the demon immediately leaves the man at the synagogue, so the fever leaves the woman.

Notice, there is no lingering weakness.  Usually when someone has had a high fever over a prolonged period of time, there is going to be a lingering, malaise. There is no recovery period here.  There are no remaining residual symptoms. He rebuked the fever, it left her. She immediately rose up and waited on them. 

I want to share something with you that may be a bit shocking to your faith. The bodily healings we find in the ministry of Jesus is generally limited to that time. I had to chew on this a little as I studied this passage, but when Jesus was here on earth, there was an explosion of healings that take place. This stands in contrast to people like Benny Hinn. Think about this. Prior to the gospels, the Old Testament records about 20 healings that take place between the time of Abraham and 750 BC. That’s about 1500 years. From 750 BC to the coming of Jesus, there are none. In the gospels we have accounts of 90 healings. After the apostles, just a few. Does that mean they do not happen, of course not. Does that mean that God is not intervene or answer prayer? Of course not. I think the reason it is rare is because man is inherently corrupt and it would be quickly used as a show.

Jesus was the exception because he alone has the authority and power to heal. We do not. You can no ability outside of the natural realm to heal anyone. You aren’t divine. People like Benny Hinn are charlatans. Two of the leaders of the Vineyard Movement, John Wimber and David Watson, not only believed they could heal, but believed they could teach people to heal and both of them died of cancer. If these people were able to do these things, why do people leave these events disillusioned after waiting in line all day in wheel chairs? Why not take these people to the hospitals or to Africa where people are dying by the drouths of disease? The reason is they can’t. When you track back to these events, you can't find any legitimate healings.  You can sure find some tragic people left without hope. What these guys do is they blame the person because you just don't believe strong enough to be healed. 

So the question is, does Jesus still heal today? Yes he does. The Bible tells us to pray for our sick, but we also understand this is not the usual way of his working. So why? To better understand this you have to ask why did Jesus heal so many people when he was here on earth. Jesus performed so many miracles, not as a means to provide medical care, but to affirm his power over all creation as the Christ. Every time, Jesus healed with a touch or a word. I would say also that it was probably impossible for sickness to be in his divine presence. One thing we do not see are the lines of people left disillusioned and questioning their faith. In fact, Jesus didn’t require faith. When Jesus healed, he healed instantly, completely, universally, verifiably, and he raised the dead. It’s one thing for one of these faith healers to conjure up some dud in a wheelchair or something psychosomatic. What Jesus did was not anything short of creative.  He replaced crippled legs.  He replaced blind eyes with seeing eyes.  He replaced deaf ears. Look at verse 40:

Luke 4:40 ESV

40 Now when the sun was setting, all those who had any who were sick with various diseases brought them to him, and he laid his hands on every one of them and healed them.

All of this has a critical purpose

John 20:31 ESV

31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Only one person can heal and that is Jesus the Son of the Living God.

Jesus Has Authority Over Demonic Influence

This is so important. Maybe more important than Jesus healing our body is Jesus healing our mind.

Well look at verse 41, "And demons also were coming out of many crying out and saying, 'You are the Son of God.'" As Jesus went and preached He literally shattered the demonic world. When Jesus showed up they were screaming is what that word is, kraugazō. It means to scream, involuntary shrieks of terror like the demon in chapter 4 verses 31 to 37.  They are unmasked.  They scream, "You are the Son of God." 

"And rebuking them, He would not allow them to speak because they knew Him to be the Messiah."  Now listen, can Jesus exercise power over demons?  He has power not only over the natural, but over the supernatural.  Whenever they speak the truth, Jesus would want them silenced.  Why?  It just confuses the issue.  I don't think anything is more confusing than to have a demon-possessed person affirming Christ.  Jesus doesn't want that publicity.

This is the testimony that Jesus has the power over the natural world, the effects of sin on our bodies, and the effects of sin on our minds in the supernatural world. It is critical not only that we have our bodies delivered from the curse of sin, but that our minds be free.  We want to have our minds purged and purified.  We want to think the way God thinks. Every sin starts with a thought; a temptation. If you have a sin problem, you have a mind problem.

Romans 12:2 ESV

2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Jesus Has Authority Over Eternity

Our first priority is always to preach the gospel. Look, as I mentioned before, the day we are born, we start the dying process.

Romans 3:23 ESV

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Romans 6:23 ESV

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The only thing that can alter that destination is Jesus Christ. God does His work by the preaching of the gospel. The healing of our bodies happens at the rapture of the church. The healing of the mind is a continual renewal as we battle this earth awaiting our homecoming. The healing of the soul happens the moment you receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and reject the systems of this world. Someday we will have a body free from the effects of sin. Someday we will have a mind free from demonic deception. Someday our eternal destination will finally be complete in heaven. Why? Because Jesus has full authority over the eternal realm.

Philippians 3:20–21 ESV

20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.