The Life of Christ

Paul to model that standard?

Mk. 1:30-31 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was lying sick with a fever; and immediately they spoke to Him about her. 31 And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she waited on them.

Luke’s account (vs. 39) says that Jesus “rebuked” the fever.

• Every other time the word “rebuke” is used in the Gospels (Mt. 17:18; Mk. 1:25; Lk. 4:41; 9:42) it is always in reference to demons.

• Demons are responsible for a certain amount of human sickness; how much we don’t know.

• We remember the woman who was bent over for 18 years; all because of a demon (Lk. 13:11).

• The good news is whenever a sickness is demonically imposed, it’s an easy deliverance!

Mk. 1:32 And when evening had come, after the sun had set, they began bringing to Him all who were ill and those who were demon-possessed.

This may have been the Sabbath.

• On the Sabbath they were only allowed to walk about three quarters of a mile, which is why they waited until the sun went down (Acts 1:12).

• Their eagerness is seen in the fact that some of them set out while the sun was still setting; by the time they had walked three quarters of a mile, the Sabbath will have ended, and they could keep walking. Mk. 1:33-34 And the whole city had gathered at the door. 34 And He healed many who were ill with various diseases and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.

By now Jesus is well into the first year of ministry; during the next year and a half is when most of His miracles occurred. For example, consider what follows:

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Mk. 1:34: "He healed many."

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Mk. 3:10: “for He healed many.”

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Mt. 12:15: “and He healed them all.”

• Mk. 6:13: “many that were sick and healed them.”

• Lk. 9:11: “healed them that had need to be healed.”

F.F. Bosworth writes in his book, “Christ the Healer”:

• Scholars of the Episcopalian church were commissioned to study the subject of physical healing for the body, and after three years of study and research in both the Bible and in history, here’s what they reported back to the church:

“The healing of Jesus was done as a revelation of God’s will for humanity.”

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