Jesus – The Great Physician

By Pastor Jeff Dutra

Family Life Center Foursquare Church

     All of us at some point are touched by the pain that sickness and/or disease can cause in our lives. Whether it’s something that we go through personally or something that a close friend or relative is going through, the pain of sickness and/or disease is very real and can be extremely difficult to deal with.

While there are amazing advances in science and technology today, too often they still fall short of providing the healing and comfort that someone who is suffering from things like cancer, aids, etc. so desperately needs. This can leave a person with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness.

What do you do in those moments? What do you do when the doctor’s have no answer for what you’re dealing with and there seems to be no hope? I believe that’s when God wants to show you how real He is and how much He really loves you. Through Jesus there is always hope no matter what difficulties you may be facing.

 If you study the life of Jesus Christ you’ll find that His life and ministry were characterized by healing. He regularly went around from town to town and place to place healing the sick, the blind, the deaf, the mute, those suffering from leprosy, epilepsy, etc.

Why did He do this? Simply because He loves people and has great compassion for them. Jesus is no different today than He was then. He still has the same love and compassion for people that He’s always had, and He wants to demonstrate it to all who turn to Him in hope and faith.

 When Jesus went to the cross He not only provided the way for us to be forgiven of our sins, but He provided the way for us to be healed physically as well.

Isaiah 53:5 says this concerning what Jesus accomplished through His death on the cross: But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.

That healing has two aspects to it: spiritual healing and physical healing. The greatest need that all of us have is to be healed spiritually; to be forgiven of our sins (moral mistakes and failures) and be made spiritually alive in Christ.

Let’s face it, none of us are perfect and we’ve all sinned, and when Jesus was crucified on the cross He took the punishment for our sins upon Himself and reconciled us to God. Now, those who turn to Him as their Savior are forgiven; they are healed spiritually and become spiritually alive. However, Jesus not only provided spiritual healing for us, He also provided physical healing. This verse in Isaiah also says that with his stripes we are healed. That word “healed” includes physical healing in addition to spiritual healing. The price Jesus paid on the cross was great, and the benefits of His sacrifice on our behalf are great as well.

Psalm 103:2-3 says, Praise the Lord, O my soul; and forget not all his benefits-who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.

     Maybe you or someone you know is suffering from some form of sickness or disease. If so, I want you to know that God deeply loves you and has compassion for you, and He cares about what you’re going through. At Family Life Center we care as well and would love to have the opportunity to pray for you. We are regularly seeing people who need healing come and ask to be prayed for, and as we pray in the name of Jesus we are seeing many results. It’s not that there’s anything great about us, it’s just that we know and serve a God who is great, and when we pray in His name great things happen! We’ve seen people healed from things as small as headaches and backaches, to things as big as hepatitis C.

I know there are some (even churches) who don’t believe that God still heals today, but at Family Life Center we believe what Hebrews 13:8 says: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. If Jesus healed 2,000 years ago, He still heals today. If He had compassion for people 2,000 years ago, He still has compassion for people today. If He responded to people who turned to Him in faith 2,000 years ago, He still responds to people who turn to Him in faith today. If you need healing, turn to Jesus in faith and look to Him.

That’s not to say that you shouldn’t see a doctor, because you should. However, when doctors don’t have the answers for what’s ailing you, Jesus is the answer. He’s the Great Physician and He loves you like a father loves his child.