Matthew 4:18-25
Jesus Calls His First Disciples
18 As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” 20 At once they left their nets and followed him.
21 Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, 22 and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.
Jesus Heals the Sick
23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. 25 Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.
When Jesus started His ministry He chose His Disciples first...And then He went out with His new Disciples and they saw His healing powers and many other things...As did those watching Him and those who were getting Healed...He healed ever disease and sickness...And He healed people humbly...
Jesus' ministry was one of helping others...So in His healing of the sick, we see Him helping others...He was a Servant on earth and He served others...But the healings were beyond simply demonstrating His miraculous powers or attracting followers and drawing large crowds...News about Him spread quickly after this...
Jesus shows a Great Forgiving Compassion for the people around Him...His Disciples and the crowds are seeing Him LOVING and serving others...He knows the pain and hardships of illness and was moved to alleviate it and show His Disciples the Authority that His Father had given Him, as well as everyone there and those who would later speak about their healings...This compassion was not simply a fleeting emotion or a one time thing, but a core aspect of His character...He never has lost this compassion toward others, and He shows that He is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow...
Jesus shows He fulfils the Old Testament prophecy of the Prophets...Jesus would open the eyes of the blind, and He helped the ears of the deaf hear again, and He helped the lame leap again...These powerful healings speak to a complete restoration of physical health and well-being, hinting at the transformative power of the Jesus coming and now His Presence on earth...
These healings were a sign of God's Kingdom was now on earth...Jesus' healings were not just acts of individual kindness, but also signs of the coming Kingdom of God on earth as it is in Heaven...This Kingdom was characterized by justice, peace, righteousness, and the restoration of all things, including healing from illness...Jesus is showing everyone, He is the Anointed One and the Kingdom of God on Earth has now arrived with His coming...
Jesus' healings were a witness to God's Authority and Power...The healings served as a powerful witness to God's authority and His LOVE...They demonstrated that God is the Living God...One who is present and active in the world, intervening in human suffering...
Some of His healings, particularly those of people considered "unclean" by society (like cleansing of lepers), served as a challenge to the prevailing religious and social norms...Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Scripture, so the new prevailing religion and social norms are what He commands and Teaches us...They demonstrated that God's LOVE, forgiveness, and mercy extend to everyone, regardless of their status in the social norm of society...
By witnessing Jesus' healings, people were invited to believe in Him and His message....Those who saw Him, those who heard about Him were invited to believe in Him...People are given hope with His healings...The healings served as a tangible demonstration of God's power and His LOVE, because God is LOVE...His Son's healings lead many to faith and conversion...His healings were a part of some of His Miracles...
It's important to remember that these reasons are not the only evidence that He is the Anointed One and Divine... Jesus likely had many motivations for healing the sick, and these motivations intertwined in complex ways with who He is and His Divinity...He shows the connection between God and man...He forever ties God with man, and man with their Father in Heaven...His healings were an expression of His compassion, a sign of forgiveness, a fulfillment of prophecy, a sign of the coming Kingdom, a witness to God's power, a call to discipleship, and an invitation to faith...These things confirmed He is our Messiah, the Christ that was to come according to the Prophets and wise men...A Savior so needed in the world both two thousand years ago and today...