The Great Physician

The Great Physician is Jesus Christ.

Part One: A Done Deal

Healing is part of Christ’ Atonement. If He suffered and took stripes on His back for our physical healing, then it is not insignificant. If He thought enough of healing to purchase it for us, then we ought to think enough of it to receive it.

God the Father caused His Son to bear all of our sins and all of our sickness on the cross. Jesus took our disease just as much as He took our sins. The Lord used healing like a bell to get people’s attention and to prove that He did have power on earth to forgive sins.

“ ⁵ When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. ⁶ But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, ⁷ Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? ⁸ And immediately when Jesus perceived in his spirit that they so reasoned within themselves, he said unto them, Why reason ye these things in your hearts? ⁹ Whether is it easier to say to the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and take up thy bed, and walk?” - Mark 2:5, 6, 7, 8, 9

Jesus was saying that it is easier to say, “Your sins are forgiven” than to say, “Rise up and walk” because they would immediately be able to tell if He had the power or not by whether this man rose up and walked. If you can do the greater work, then certainly you can do the lesser work. If you can jump 4 meters, then you can certainly jump one meter.

“ ¹⁰ But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,). ¹¹ I say unto thee, Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house. ⁷ Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only? ¹² And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.” - Mark 2:10, 11, 12

Jesus made it very clear that the reason He healed this man was so people would know He also had power on earth to forgive sins. Jesus also said that the miracles He did authenticated who He was and confirmed what He said.

“ ⁵But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. - John 5:36

If Jesus needed the witness of the miracles, He performed to validate His authority, then how can we possibly do less? It is the height of arrogance to think that we can use words alone to persuade people when Jesus had to have signs and miracles to confirm His words. Some people say, “We don't need miracles today; we have the Word of God.” Yet that is not what the Bible teaches.

“ ¹⁷And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; ¹⁸They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. ¹⁹So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen. - Mark 16:17, 18, 19, 20

Part Four: Jesus hasn't Changed

When Jesus was here on this earth, every person who would allow Him to minister to them was healed. And He did not do that just once; He did it on a number of occasions. Christ is not the one who has changed (Hebrews 13:8); His followers have.

“ ⁸ Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever. - Hebrews 13:8

It’s not God who isn’t healing the sick today; it’s His followers. People with all kinds of sicknesses, diseases, and torments were brought to Jesus and He healed them. He didn’t just heal some; He healed them all.

“ ²³ And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. ²⁴ And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. - Matthew 4:23, 24

“ ²³ 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: ²⁴ That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses. - Matthew 8:16, 17

“ ³⁵ And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people. - Matthew 9:35

“ ¹⁵ But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew himself from thence: and great multitudes followed him, and he healed them all; - Matthew 12:15

“ ¹⁴ And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick. - Matthew 11:14

“ ³⁰ And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them: - Matthew 15:30

“ ³⁴ And when they were gone over, they came into the land of Gennesaret. ³⁵ And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased; ³⁶ And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole - Matthew 14:34, 36, 36

“ ² And great multitudes followed him; and he healed them there. - Matthew 19:2

“ ¹⁴ And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple; and he healed them. - Matthew 21:14