Jesus' Healing of the Sick Foretold by the Prophet Isaiah
by Owen Borville
Jesus' healed many people from disease and demon-possession during his time on Earth. Jesus' healing of the sick and possessed was foretold by the prophet Isaiah some eight centuries before the birth of Jesus, as described by the Gospel of Matthew (8:17):
This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
“He took up our infirmities
and bore our diseases.” Matthew 8:17.
'Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering..." Isaiah 53:4.
This healing by Jesus attracted many followers and was instrumental in the growth of Christianity, in addition to laying the foundation for the early church. Jesus' healing of the sick was symbolic of the greater work, which was salvation from sins. Just as Jesus was the great teacher and the great example, his work of healing diseases and sicknesses of those who came to him and believed in him was part of the greater work. The message is that those who believe in Jesus will be healed, not just physically and emotionally, but spiritually and will receive eternal salvation. No one could deny the works that Jesus was doing and the people of the time realized the healing that Jesus performed was not something that an ordinary man could do, but was from God. Jesus' healing of many people is one of the greatest evidences of the Christian faith, as those that were healed bore witness of these works and caused the faith to spread.
How could anyone explain the growth of the faith in large numbers as claimed if Jesus did not do the works described in the Gospels? How could one man produce a following so large that would grow throughout Israel and the holy land despite opposition from the government and established religious leaders of the day. Christianity would transform the Roman Empire that brutally persecuted its followers and within 300 years from the Crucifixion and Resurrection, Christianity would be adopted as the official religion of the empire. Christianity would later spread from Europe to the rest of the world over two thousand years and eventually claim more than two billion followers.
The foundation of Christianity was established by the works of Jesus Christ and if the works that he did were not true, the large numbers of followers earned simply would not have happened. In addition to the many healings that he performed and the miracles that Jesus did, the great teachings that he gave, the post-Resurrection appearances by Jesus to Mary and the Disciples cemented their faith from skeptical followers to devout believers that were willing to pay the ultimate price for their faith. How can anyone explain the growth of Christianity from the first century forward if the things written about Jesus in the Gospels were not true?
by Owen Borville
Jesus' healed many people from disease and demon-possession during his time on Earth. Jesus' healing of the sick and possessed was foretold by the prophet Isaiah some eight centuries before the birth of Jesus, as described by the Gospel of Matthew (8:17):
This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:
“He took up our infirmities
and bore our diseases.” Matthew 8:17.
'Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering..." Isaiah 53:4.
This healing by Jesus attracted many followers and was instrumental in the growth of Christianity, in addition to laying the foundation for the early church. Jesus' healing of the sick was symbolic of the greater work, which was salvation from sins. Just as Jesus was the great teacher and the great example, his work of healing diseases and sicknesses of those who came to him and believed in him was part of the greater work. The message is that those who believe in Jesus will be healed, not just physically and emotionally, but spiritually and will receive eternal salvation. No one could deny the works that Jesus was doing and the people of the time realized the healing that Jesus performed was not something that an ordinary man could do, but was from God. Jesus' healing of many people is one of the greatest evidences of the Christian faith, as those that were healed bore witness of these works and caused the faith to spread.
How could anyone explain the growth of the faith in large numbers as claimed if Jesus did not do the works described in the Gospels? How could one man produce a following so large that would grow throughout Israel and the holy land despite opposition from the government and established religious leaders of the day. Christianity would transform the Roman Empire that brutally persecuted its followers and within 300 years from the Crucifixion and Resurrection, Christianity would be adopted as the official religion of the empire. Christianity would later spread from Europe to the rest of the world over two thousand years and eventually claim more than two billion followers.
The foundation of Christianity was established by the works of Jesus Christ and if the works that he did were not true, the large numbers of followers earned simply would not have happened. In addition to the many healings that he performed and the miracles that Jesus did, the great teachings that he gave, the post-Resurrection appearances by Jesus to Mary and the Disciples cemented their faith from skeptical followers to devout believers that were willing to pay the ultimate price for their faith. How can anyone explain the growth of Christianity from the first century forward if the things written about Jesus in the Gospels were not true?
