Jesus came to heal and to save; that was his mission and his purpose.
At that time, the people largely accepted Jesus’ healing ministry, but not so much his saving ministry.
Today, it is the opposite, with his followers accepting his saving ministry, but not so much his healing ministry.
There is a wonderful story that covers both of his ministries in one account:
A paralyzed man is carried to Jesus. His need seems self-evident — to walk. Yet, Jesus’ first response is to forgive the man of his sins. (Forgiving his sins, made him right with God, thereby saving him.)
The religious elite are aghast at Jesus’ audacity.
Then to prove his authority to forgive sins, Jesus also heals the man — who then gets up and walks home.
Yes, Jesus came to heal and to save. He did it then; he does it today.
[See Matthew 9:2-7.]
A lifelong student of the Bible, Peter DeHaan, PhD, wrote the 1,000-page website ABibleADay.com to encourage people to explore the Bible. His main blog and many books urge Christians to push past the status quo and reconsider how they practice their faith in every area of their lives.
