https://odb.org/MY/2023/04/09/deeper-healing
In yesterday’s ODB post, they wrote about the empty tomb and how John outran Peter to reach the tomb first, only to discover Jesus’s body was missing after His death. See the link below:
https://odb.org/MY/2023/04/08/running-to-jesus
The empty tomb is, of course, significant in establishing the resurrection of Jesus Christ as it would be impossible for Jesus to be resurrected if His dead body was still in His tomb. Jesus later appeared to the 11 disciples (sans Judas Iscariot since he would have already been dead by then and his replacement only appointed much later), and many others and, ascended to heaven 40 days later. In fact, in some countries like Indonesia, they celebrate the Ascension of Christ with a public holiday! Later in Acts 9, the risen Christ also appeared to Paul.
For today, we would like to focus on Isaiah 53:5, where Isaiah spoke about the death of Christ many, many years before the event. The verse reads – But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was on Him. By His wounds (stripes), we are healed. Peter repeated this in 1 Peter 22:4 where he wrote, “Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we having died to sin, might live for righteousness – by whose stripes you were healed”.
In the context of Isaiah 53, verse 5 and the verses around it were speaking about the spiritual healing that comes to our spirit by the death of Christ, meaning to say, He had bore our iniquities, and thus, we are now reconciled to God the Father through faith in Jesus Christ. Some charismatic Christians have, however, taken this verse one step further, claiming it from God that as He has healed us of our physical illnesses, we are free from sicknesses that may afflict us. We can claim healing by calling healing from heaven to heal us.
We are all afflicted by viruses and bacteria and a neglect of our bodies or just old age may lead to high cholesterol, hyper tension, diabetes, kidney and heart diseases, and for unexplained reasons, also various potentially deadly cancerous growths. That is why there is a whole profession and industry dedicated to healing us. In fact, the pandemic laid bare the vulnerabilities of the human race.
While I agree that contextually, Isaiah 53:55 speaks more of our spiritual healing, we also know that Jesus healed and the Apostles also exercised healing as a ministry tool. Many Christians have prayed, and many have been healed throughout the ages through divine healing. We also see that in ancient times during the time of Elijah and Elisha.
Pray for healing when we are unwell or afflicted by serious illnesses. God in His grace and compassion will heal us in His time. In the meantime, rely on our health professionals, for the advances in medical science are able to do much to our imperfect and decaying bodies.
Blessed Easter and Resurrection Sunday, everyone! The crucifixion and death of Christ has delivered us from sin to freedom, has reconciled us to God, and the resurrection of Christ has defeated the sting of sin. In His glorious resurrected body, Christ was at first unrecognisable, and yet the disciples and His followers later knew it was Him when He appeared to them. The resurrected Christ gives us that tangible eternal hope that one day we will get to be resurrected with all our loved ones who were in Christ when Christ returns as King! Thus, as Paul has so beautifully pointed out before, all our sufferings here pales in comparison to the glory that awaits us on the day of Jesus Christ!
Ronnie's Thoughts 