JESUS CHRIST IS THE HEALER!
ALL GLORY & PRAISE TO JESUS CHRIST!
THE KEY TO ANSWERED PRAYER
CHAPTER 7
by Pastor Max Solbrekken, D.D.
THE SECOND REASON JESUS WILL HEAL US IS BECAUSE HE HAS ALREADY PAID FOR OUR HEALING! HE WAS SCOURGED, CRUCIFIED, AND NALED TO THE CROSS FOR US!
Yes, my friend - Jesus has provided for the forgiveness of our sins and the healing of our sicknesses! The Bible says, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and with His stripes we are healed". (Is. 53:5)
Jesus was scourged by cruel Roman soldiers, with the vicious cat-o-nine-tails (a
whip with 9 pieces of leather on the end, to which were tied sharp pieces of
bone or small metal balls with nails protruding from them).
HIS BACK BECAME LIKE A PLOWED FIELD AS HE PAID FOR OUR
SICKNESSES!
“The plowers plowed upon my back; they made long their furrows.” (Ps. 29:3). Apparently, Medical Science claims there are 39 major deadly diseases in the world from which stem other sicknesses and diseases. Jesus took at least 39 stripes on His back to pay for every sickness and disease.
Each time the whip fell on His back, He received 9 wounds instead of one because of the nine pieces of leather and the pieces of metal on the end of the lash...Therefore He received at least 351 wounds on His back to pay for our healing!
Some church fathers and historians state that the Romans, who were not bound by Jewish law, could have whipped Jesus many more than 39 times!
The Romans who had their own code of justice and method of punishment often scourged prisoners who were to be crucified, until they fainted. Since Jewish leaders were pushing for Jesus' death, the Romans had no reason to "go easy" on Him!
The more the victim was beaten during the scourging, the weaker he became - thereby cutting down on the guard duty at the cross, for the Roman soldiers! Either way, Jesus suffered enormous pains for us as He paid for our sins, fears, sicknesses and diseases!
There is a possibility that Jesus received far more
than 39 stripes on His precious back. He
may have been beaten 50 or 60 times, as the only pre-requisite for the Roman
soldiers was to keep a condemned man from dying on the whipping pole, so that he
could be crucified!
WHEN JESUS TOOK OUR PLACE AS OUR RIGHTEOUS SUBSTITUTE, HE PAID FOR ALL OUR SINS, SICKNESSES, DISEASES, PAINS, GRIEFS AND SORROWS!
St. Paul emphasized, "Of the Jews received I forty stripes, save one". (2 Cor. 11:24) Jesus was striped by the Romans, whereas Paul was striped by the Jews! Historians declare that Jesus’ body was like a bloody pulp - Not only His back, but legs, ribs, neck and back! The original Hebrew states, "Surely He hath borne our sicknesses, and carried our pains: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted". (Is. 53:4)
The Norwegian Bible translates the above scripture properly, as does some of the great Hebrew scholars of the English Bible! Unfortunately the King James Version and a number of other translations have greatly erred in their rendering of the Hebrew words choli and makob, erroneously translating them "griefs" and "sorrows"!
When people are sick however, they do have a lot of grief, misery and death to
deal with. And pain is usually
accompanied by trials and sorrows. The
correct translation however, is "sicknesses" and "pains"! Jesus bore or carried them away like the
scape goat carried or bore away the sins of Israel on the Day of Atonement.
Ignorant of the scriptures, some well-meaning
Christians in North America have said that Isaiah 53:4-5, does not refer to
physical healing, but only to spiritual healing. GOD'S
WORD HAS THE ANSWER, AS THE SCRIPTURES ARE THEIR OWN BEST COMMENTARY! St.
Matthew quotes Prophet Isaiah when he gives the prophetic significance of the
great miracles and healings which Jesus performed upon the sick.
"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, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES, AND BARE OUR SICKNESSES". (Matt.8:16-17)
Due to the fact that a lot of non-Pentecostal, Evangelical preachers and J.W.'s - who are biased against divine healing and the full gospel message in general - have done damage to the Kingdom of God by their stubborn and often ignorant approach to this subject, we at this point interject the following documentation from the book "Christ the Healer" by Rev. F.F. Bosworth.
HE CARRIED OUR PAINS
Before quoting from this chapter, may I state that the Hebrew words
"choli" and "makob" have been incorrectly translated griefs
and sorrows.
All who have taken the time to examine the original text have found, what is everywhere acknowledged, that these two words mean, respectively, "sickness" and "pains", everywhere else throughout the Old Testament.
This word, choli, is interpreted disease and sickness in Deut. 7:15; 28:61; 1 Kings 17:17; 2 Kings 1:2; 8:8; 2 Chron. 16:12; 21:15; and other texts. The word makob is rendered "pain" in Job 14:22; 33:19, etc. Therefore the prophet is saying, in this 4th verse, "Surely He hath borne our sicknesses and carried our pains". The reader is referred to any standard Commentary for additional testimony on this point; but there is no better commentary than Matt. 8:16-17.
AN INSPIRED COMMENTARY
That Isaiah 53:4 cannot refer to disease of the soul, and that neither of the words translated "sickness" and "pain" have any reference to spiritual matters but to bodily sickness alone, is proven by Matt. 8:16-17 - "...and He cast out the spirits with His word, and healed all that were sick; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias, the Prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses". This is an inspired commentary on this 4th verse of Isaiah 53, plainly declaring that the prophet refers to bodily ailments, and therefore the word "sickness", choli, must be read literally in Isaiah.
The same Holy Spirit who inspired this verse quotes it in Matthew as the explanation of the universal application by Christ of His power to heal the body. To take any other view is equal to accusing the Holy Spirit of making a mistake in quoting His own prediction.
I will here quote the learned translator, Dr. Young, in his version of the
Bible:
3. He
is despised, and left of men,
A
man of pains (Heb. makob), and
acquainted with sickness (choli)
And
as one hiding the face from us,
He
is despised and we esteemed him not.
4. Surely
our sicknesses (choli) he hath
borne,
And
our pains (makob) he hath carried
them,
And
we - we have esteemed him plagued,
Smitten
of God and afflicted.
5. And
he is pierced for our transgressions,
Bruised
for our iniquities,
The
chastisement of our peace is on him,
And by his bruise there is healing to us.
6. All
of us like sheep have wandered,
Each
to his own way we have turned,
And
Jehovah hath caused to meet on him
The
punishment of us all.
10 And Jehovah hath delighted to bruise him;
He hath made him sick (choli);
If
his soul doth make an offering for guilt,
He
seeth seed - he prolongeth days.
12. ...With
transgressors he was numbered,
And
he the sin of many hath borne,
And
for transgressors he intercedeth.
Dr.
Isaac Leeser, the able
translator of the Hebrew English Bible, renders these verses as follows:
3. "He
was despised and shunned of men:
A
man of pains and acquainted with disease.
4. "But only our diseases did he bear
himself,
And our pains he carried.
5. "And through his bruises was healing
granted to us.
10. "But the Lord was
pleased to crush him through disease."
Rotherham's translation of the 10th verse is "He hath laid on Him sickness".
FROM YOU AND ME TO CALVARY
In the 4th verse, the word "borne" (nasa) means to lift up, to bear away, to convey, or to remove to a distance. It is a Levitical word, and is applied to the scapegoat, that bare away the sins of the people. "The goat shall bear (nasa) upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited; and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness". (Lev. 16:22) So Jesus bore my sins and sicknesses away "without the camp" to the cross. Sin and sickness have passed from me to Calvary - salvation and health have passed from Calvary to me.
Again, in this 4th verse of the Redemption Chapter the Hebrew verbs for "borne" and "carried" (NASA AND SABAL) ARE BOTH THE SAME AS ARE USED IN THE 11TH AND 12TH VERSES FOR THE SUBSTITUTIONARY BEARING OF SIN, "HE SHALL BEAR (CARRY) THEIR INIQUITIES", AND "HE SHALL BEAR THE SIN OF MANY". BOTH WORDS SIGNIFY TO ASSUME AS A HEAVY BURDEN, AND DENOTE ACTUAL SUBSTITUTION, AND A COMPLETE REMOVAL OF THE THING BORNE. WHEN JESUS BORE OUR SINS, OUR SICKNESSES AND OUR PAINS, HE BORE THEM AWAY, OR REMOVED THEM. BOTH THESE WORDS MEAN SUBSTITUTION, ONE BEARING ANOTHER'S LOAD.
On this point, permit me to quote from 'JESUS OUR HEALER', a splendid tract written by the Rev. W.C. Stevens, published and sold by the Biola Book Store of the Torrey Bible Institute, Los Angeles, California. He says, "This prophecy presents healing as an integral part of the vicarious Atonement...Now, whatever be the sense of these two Hebrew verbs (nasa and sabal), the same sense must be appliedin both cases, namely, of sin-bearing and sickness-bearing. To pervert the sense in one case would give liberty to pervert it in the other. And that the sense of the verbs as relating to sin, not only here in this prophecy, but everywhere else in the Old Testament, is strictly vicarious and expiatory, no evangelical student disputes. This prophecy, therefore, gives the same substitutionary and expiatory character to Christ's connection with sickness that is everywhere given to His assumption of our sins.
AN
INSPIRED TRANSLATION
We are accordingly shut up by the Spirit to the redemptive sense of Christ's bearing of sickness. This interpretation is fully sustained by Prof. Delitzsch's exposition of Isaiah 53:4.
“Freely
but faithfully does the Gospel of Matthew translate this text, ‘Himself took
our infirmities and bare our sicknesses’.
The help which Jesus rendered in all kinds of bodily sickness is taken
in Matthew to be a fulfilment of what in Isaiah is prophesied of the Servant of
Jehovah. The Hebrew verbs of the text,
when used of sin, signify to assume as a heavy burden and bare away the guilt
of sin as one's own; that is, to bear sin mediatorially in order to atone for
it. But here, where, not sins, but our
sicknesses and our pains are the object, the mediatorial sense remains the
same. It is not meant that the Servant
of Jehovah merely entered into fellowship of our sufferings, but that He took
upon Himself the sufferings which we had to bear and deserved to bear; and
therefore He not only bore them away, but also in His own Person endured them
in order to discharge us from them. Now, when one takes sufferings
upon himself which another had to bear, and does this not merely in fellowship
with him but in his stead, we call it substitution. Here, then, the best results of rigid
exegesis show that the bearing and
removal of human disease is an integral part of redeeming work, a provision of
the Atonement, a part of the doctrine of Christ Crucified; that Jesus is the
Saviour of the body as well as the spirit, and that: He comes to make His blessings flow Far as
the curse is found!”
Aren't you glad we don't have to listen to biased, prejudiced and unlearned preachers, but we can listen to the words of Jesus (the Holy Bible) and be led by the Blessed Holy Spirit? (John 16:13)
Jesus answered those who did not believe in the
supernatural manifestations of God, thusly: "Do ye not therefore greatly err, because ye know not the
scriptures, neither the power of God". (Matt. 22:29)
The reason unbelieving, skeptical preachers do not believe in divine healing through faith in Jesus Christ is:
#1 - THEY DO NOT KNOW THE SCRIPTURES AND #2 - THEY HAVE
UNDERESTIMATED OR DO NOT KNOW THE POWER OF ALMIGHTY GOD!
Anyone who has had vital contact with the Lord Jesus Christ's saving power through His precious blood and who knows what the Bible teaches, should have no difficulty believing in Christ's ability or willingness to perform miracles today!
The scripture says, "Himself (Jesus
Christ) took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses". Here is another confirmation: "Who
His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to
sins, should live unto righteousness, By Whose stripes ye were
healed". (1 Pet. 2:24)
Prophet Isaiah, speaking 750 years before the cross said, "By Whose stripes ye are healed". St. Peter, speaking many years after our Lord’s crucifixion and resurrection made the positive statement, "By Whose stripes ye were healed".
WE HAVE BEEN HEALED! THE PRICE HAS BEEN PAID! ALL WE NEED TO DO IS BELIEVE IT AND WE CAN GO FREE!
A threefold healing through Christ's substitutionary
death on the cross and atoning work on Golgotha is revealed by Prophet Isaiah.
The scripture says, "He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities (to bring healing to our spirit), the chastisement of our peace was upon Him (to bring healing to our soul or mind), and with His stripes we are healed (to bring healing to our body)." (Is. 53:5)
When they platted the crown of Jerusalem thorns (the Arabian Nebulae), with more than 100 spicules (4 inches long and sharp as a needle) and placed it on our Saviour's head, He was paying for our peace!
When the soldiers beat that crown of thorns into His head until the blood came pouring out, and His head swelled to twice its normal size, they were trying to drive Him insane.
He did not lose His sanity however, but rather paid
for our total peace and mental health!
No wonder Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto
you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,
neither let it be afraid". (John 14:27)
Jesus bore the curse for us, since "the thorns" were a symbol of the curse! (Gen. 3:17-18)
In praying for our sicknesses, Jesus bore them upon
Himself so that we wouldn’t have to bare them or be sick with them. As He paid the price for our total salvation
by taking our sins upon Himself to free us from the mastery of sin, so He also
identified with our sickness and disease in order to pay for our physical
healing as well!
TETELESTAI – IT IS FINISHED!
"When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and He bowed His head and gave up the ghost." (John 19:30)
When Jesus cried "IT IS FINISHED", He was declaring our Liberty. He had purchased our complete salvation by His suffering and death on Calvary! Jesus spoke in Greek when He made that statement.
The words "It is finished" in the Greek is "tetelestai", taken from the verb "teleo", having 3 essential meanings:
1. "To
bring to an end, finish or complete something." Jesus had finished His work, having met the
demands of divine justice. He had
completed His mission! Redemption was
now a reality! He had also brought to an
end the ‘devil's dynasty of terror’. He had shed His precious blood for the sins
of the world. A fountain of blood had
been opened “for sin and uncleanness”. (Zach. 13:1)
Jesus had broken Satan's strangle-hold upon mankind! St. John wrote, "For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)
The Bible declares, "Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage." (Heb. 2:14-15)
Through His vicarious death on the cross, Jesus destroyed Satan and his evil power over humanity. That spells, CHRIST'S VICTORY, SATAN'S DEFEAT AND OUR LIBERTY!
2. "To
carry out, accomplish, perform, fulfill." Salvation is
now complete; nothing needs to be added: "For by grace are ye saved
through faith." (Eph. 2:8-10)
He was saying, "My blood is
flowing, sins can now be washed away and sicknesses healed...because God's
great salvation is now operational!"
Jesus fulfilled 332 prophetic scriptures referring to the ‘Coming Messiah’. Among these were 61 major prophecies and Jesus fulfilled them all!
According to the scientific - Law of Probabilities – Dr. Peter Stoner has proven conclusively that, for any other man to fulfill just 8 of the major prophecies which Jesus fulfilled, he would have only 1 chance out of 10 to the 17th power. THAT IS 10 WITH 18 ZEROS AFTER: (10,000,000,000,000,000,000).
In order for us to understand the magnitude of that figure, Dr. Stoner calculated that it would be necessary to cover the face of Texas with American silver dollars two feet deep! Out of those millions of septillions of silver dollars, only one would be marked with an X. All would then be vigorously stirred together.
A man would be blind-folded and told, "You may walk across the State
and dig as much as you like, but the first silver dollar you pick up must have
the X on it!"
Jesus performed and executed to the letter every demand of the law! He
fulfilled every Messianic prophecy!
No other person could come close to doing that! He stated, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I
am not come to destroy, but to fulfill". (Matt. 5:17)
3. "To pay
what is owed." We were guilty of sin. Our future was doomed for "the scripture hath concluded all under sin". (Gal.
3:22) The Bible says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God".
(Rom. 3:23)
God's Word declared, "FOR
THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH; BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS
CHRIST OUR LORD". (Rom. 6:23) No
wonder the apostle states, "Thanks
be unto God for His unspeakable gift". (2 Cor. 9:15)
JESUS PAID THE AWFUL COST OF REDEMPTION!
The Bible says, "How much more shall the blood of Christ, Who through the Eternal Spirit offered Himself to God, purge your conscience from dead works." (Heb. 9:14)
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:" (1 Peter 1: 18-19)
St. Paul declared, "For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's". (1 Cor. 6:20)
The Bible says, "The Blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanseth us from all sin". (1 John 1:7) "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
"That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith." (Gal. 3:13-14)
“And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses. Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross.” (Col. 2:13-14)
The statement of guilt, shame and debt has been removed by the victorious death and resurrection of Jesus Christ! The Norwegian Bible states, The letter of debt…was nailed to His cross!
THE STATEMENT THAT DECLARED ME BANKRUPT, GUILTY, DOOMED TO SINFUL BEHAVIOUR, SICKNESS, FEAR, DEATH AND ETERNAL DAMNATION HAS BEEN LAID ON JESUS CHRIST AND NAILED TO THE STATEMENT THAT DECLARED ME BANKRUPT, GUILTY, DOOMED TO SINFUL BEHAVIOUR, SICKNESS, FEAR, DEATH AND ETERNAL DAMNATION HAS BEEN LAID ON JESUS CHRIST AND NAILED TO HIS CROSS! I AM NOW FREE. HALLELUJAH!HIS CROSS! I AM NOW FREE. HALLELUJAH!
An old hymn says:
"Jesus
paid it all, All to Him I owe.
Sin
had left a crimson stain, but He washed it white as snow".
"It is finished" and we are recipients of His finished work on Calvary. And the blood is still flowing today! THERE IS COMPLETE HEALING FOR THE COMPLETE PERSON, THROUGH THE ATONING WORK OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST!
NO. 3 - THAT GOD MAY RECEIVE GLORY!
The third reason God will heal you, is so that He may receive glory for Himself through the miracle! Jesus said, "And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do that the Father may be glorified in the Son". (John 14:13)
If we make no requests to God, He receives no glory "because of answered prayer"! JESUS SAID THAT IF WE PETITION THE FATHER IN HIS NAME, HE WILL DO IT - "That My Father may be glorified in the Son".
When a miracle is performed by our Lord, many people rejoice and give glory to God for the miracle. If no miracle is done, there is no thanks or glory given to God for the miracle, since there was no prayer made and therefore no miracle!
However, if you pray to the Father in Jesus' Name and He answers your prayer, you will glorify God for His goodness and mercy toward you! Amen.
Max Solbrekken World Mission Box 44220 RPO Garside Edmonton, AB T5V 1N6; Email: [email protected]; comehometojesus.ca; Blog: MSWM; Facebook; Youtube; Donations can be made by e-Transfer; Make your donation to [email protected]; Thank you very much and may the Lord bless you! Amen.