Anybody knows how many diseases are out there in our world??
According to the World Health Organization, there are over 20000 diagnoses of diseases.
Have you ever heard this statement? 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 basic cause of a disease??
The first man and woman God created were to live forever without disease and death! But because Adam and Eve sinned against God, disease and death came to this world. Does God care about diseases? God responds to this question through Jesus Christ.
Please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Luke Chapter 4…
Jesus Christ read from the Book of Isaiah the prophecy about the Savior Messiah God; and look at what Jesus said at the end of v21………
Jesus proclaimed to be God the Savior Messiah.
Read along with me now Luke 4:28-44……
Jesus proclaimed in His hometown Nazareth that He is God the Savior Messiah. The people have been waiting for the Messiah and they were initially thrilled to hear from Jesus. But when Jesus spoke of salvation to Gentiles, not Jews, the people, especially the Jewish Leaders, were infuriated and threw Jesus out of town; as a matter of fact, they wanted to throw Jesus Christ over a cliff!
But it wasn’t time yet for Jesus to die so He just walked away and went to the next town of Capernaum. Isn’t it interesting that people would be amazed and would follow escape artists like Houdini or David Copperfield. Jesus escaped a mob effortlessly but did you notice, we don’t read anyone following Jesus! Are you following Jesus today or someone or something else?
Now after Nazareth, Jesus again went to a synagogue to speak about God; in the synagogue (in church) there was a man possessed by a demon. Look again at what the demon said to Jesus in v34.
And so, we can note the following from v33-34:
• People can be possessed by a demon!
• Demons know who Jesus is, The Holy One of God!
• Demons know that Jesus can destroy them!
Jesus Christ is God and can destroy evil! Jesus has power over evil! Jesus is Lord of all!
We read in v35 that Jesus told the demon to be silent and come out of the man, and the demon obeyed.
V35: Jesus has control over demons! And we can also note that It is not God’s desire for people to be demon possessed
In v38-40 we read Jesus healing many people with illnesses. Jesus healed Simon’s mother of a fever as well many others who had illnesses.
In v 41, many other people were healed from their demon possessions.
Jesus Christ is God and healed many people of their physical and spiritual illnesses! Jesus had power over any illness!
Now look again at v42. Why do you think people looked for Jesus and tried to keep Him from leaving town?? - they wanted more from Jesus!
You see, Jesus likely did not heal everyone in Capernaum! Everyone was looking for a miracle from Jesus!
Did Jesus have the power to heal every person in Galilee including Capernaum and Nazareth? Jesus Christ is God and could have healed every person He met! While here on earth, Jesus could have healed every person of their physical and spiritual illness, but He didn’t, why not??
Look again at v43…..
While on earth, Jesus healed many people but not everyone, of their physical and spiritual illnesses, because His main purpose was to bring the Good News of the eternal Kingdom of God!
Why did Jesus heal people then??
What was the result of the healings of Jesus?
V36-37 tells us that the news about Jesus spread throughout the area!
V42 tells us that the people sought after Jesus!
Jesus healed people to get people’s attention to hear the Good News of the Kingdom of God! (v36-37 & 42)
Jesus did not just come to earth to heal people but to seek and save the lost! Jesus used healing to evangelize! The most important thing to Jesus Christ are saved souls!
What Biblical principles can we note and apply to our lives?
First of all, we need to note that people can be possessed by evil spirits and only Jesus Christ can heal them! And so,
1. If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your only personal Savior and God, you are a candidate for demon possession! Confess that you are a sinner in need of Jesus Christ; Believe and receive Jesus Christ in your heart and turn away from your sins. Be in Christ right now and forever more!
2. Jesus Christ is God and can heal any physical or spiritual disease but His main purpose is to save souls. And since Jesus is our Lord, our main purpose as Christians is to lead people to salvation!
3. Jesus will only heal all illnesses when people get to heaven. What does this mean to people today with illnesses?
a. Illnesses are a way for God to get the attention of those who do not believe in Jesus Christ. What good is it to be perfectly healthy when a person can die at any moment and face eternal judgment without Christ?
What about for those of us who already believe in Jesus Christ?
b. Just because a person is a Believer of Jesus Christ and can call on the power of the Holy Spirit, does not mean that person can be completely healed from any illness while here on earth!
Thursday night as I took daughter Manika to her work, my wife Elsa’s heart started racing to over 200 beats per minute. She went to a neighbor friend, tried to calm down, prayed but Elsa’s heart rate did not slow down and she had to go to the Emergency Room of Froedtert Hospital! Elsa was able to go home after care, tests, and treatment for about 5 hours!
Elsa needed her rest after a full day of work; I had to take Manika to Waukesha for her work; while waiting for Manika I was still working on the message for today, why in the world would God allow Elsa to be sick?
The answer of course is that first of all, God allowed Elsa to be sick! But, Why does a loving God allow His children to be sick?? There here are many reasons!!
I’d like you to quietly think about this question for a moment and write down in your bulletin what God’s reasons may be; then I will share with you my thoughts.....
The Apostle Paul was not only a Believer of Jesus Christ, he was filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. But yet we read about Paul’s troubles in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9, "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me."
From the Apostle Paul, we can note a few important reasons why God allows illnesses even to Christians, His children:
- to be convicted of sins
- to be humbled
- to pray more
- to be content with God
