Jesus Came FOR the Sick: “Bring Them to Me!” He Said

by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.

Summary:  We are surrounded by sick people. Some reading this today are themselves sick. In His earthly ministry 2,000 years ago, and from heaven today, Jesus is calling out to all the sick: “Bring them to me!” There’s no better healing place to be. The four Gospels clearly reveal that, in coming from heaven to earth, Jesus came for the sick as well as to redeem lost sinners. And Jesus is the "same today" (Hebrews 13:8). Do you have sick family or friends? "Bring them to Me," said Jesus the Healer. Our Lord is still saying that today to the sick as well as to lost sinners. Jesus came for the sick, and He came for the sinner (1 Peter 2:24, KJV). The salvation of our souls and the healing of sick bodies are both included in Christ's "great salvation" (Hebrews 2:3, KJV).

Matthew 17:14-18  When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.” “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

The dad was desperate. His son suffered severe seizures, and Jesus’ disciples were unable to heal him. Jesus then spoke words that bring healing from that day to our day: “Bring the boy here to me!” And He healed him. And He will likewise heal us, because “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). Jesus came to heal the sick 2,000 years ago, and He still heals now.

Are you desiring healing for someone in your family or among your friends? Bring them to Jesus! Not bodily, of course, because Jesus lived on earth, died for our sins, rose from the grave, and returned to heaven, where He is at God the Father’s right hand today. But we can just as certainly obey His “bring them to Me [to Jesus]” in any one of several ways:

• by telling the sick what God’s Word the Bible says about Jesus having died for both their sins and their sicknesses: “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24) … “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up (Acts 9:34).

 

• by praying the prayer of faith to the Lord on behalf of the sick: “…the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up… Pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:15-16).

 

• by encouraging the sick to come personally to Jesus in prayer for their healing: “You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it” (John 14:14). Remember what Peter wrote (1 Peter 2:24): “By [Jesus’] wounds you have been healed.” So encourage the sick to call upon Jesus to receive in their bodies the healing that He secured for us in His death and resurrection.

Matthew 4:23-24  Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom [“preaching the Gospel,” NKJV], and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 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.

Notice a truth here that recurs throughout the New Testament. That is, it is the preaching and teaching of the Word of God that builds faith to receive physical healing from Jesus. The apostle Paul tells us that “faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ” (Romans 10:17). That is a consistent pattern in the Scriptures and is the example for us today. As we tell people what God’s Word the Bible says about Jesus and about divine healing, faith will arise in them, and they will reach out to the Lord for healing.

A clear instance of this occurred in Acts 14:8-10. The apostle Paul was preaching the Gospel in Lystra. In the audience was a man lame from birth. The scripture says (9f), “He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed and called out, ‘Stand up on your feet!’ At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.” The Word of God was preached, faith to be healed grew in the man’s heart, and he was healed! That same result will occur today also, as we “bring them to Jesus” by preaching His Word. Faith will arise among the hearers. And today as then, many will be healed. Why? Because Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever! (Hebrews 13:8)

Matthew 8:16-17  When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases.”

Why is it important to bring the sick to Jesus? Because it is Jesus who took up our infirmities and bore our diseases. I don’t have to remain in a disease or infirmity. Why? Because Jesus “took” it! He “bore” it! Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ came for the sick as well as for the sinner.

To reinforce the importance of bringing the sick to Jesus, here are some more biblical instances of the sick and infirm (and even the demon-possessed) being brought to Him and receiving their healing:

• Matthew 15:30  Great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them.

 

• Matthew 9:2-7  Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat… [6] …he said to the paralyzed man, “Get up, take your mat and go home.” Then the man got up and went home.

 

• Matthew 9:32-33  While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was brought to Jesus. And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke.

 

• Matthew 12:22  Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.

 

• Matthew 14:35-36  People brought all their sick to him and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

 

• Mark 1:32-34  That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons…

The pattern is clear. Not only did Jesus our Savior die for our sins. He also fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy and “took up our infirmities and bore our diseases” (Matthew 8:16-17). As His witnesses to this world (Acts 1:8), we tell people about Jesus’ death and resurrection for us and bring them to Him for forgiveness of sins (Luke 24:47), and they are born again and become heaven-bound children of God.

We also bring the sick to Jesus as we share God’s Word about healing with them and pray for them. And they in turn receive the blessing of Jesus having carried their sicknesses and infirmities. This is in direct fulfillment of Psalm 103:2-3 — “Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases.”

Acts 5:12-16  The apostles performed many signs and wonders among the people… [14] more and more men and women believed in the Lord … [16] Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.

Jesus’ apostles followed His example. They preached and taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ, resulting in many being saved (14). And having been brought to Jesus the Savior, people began to “bring their sick” to Jesus the Healer, and “all of them were healed.”

We have this same privilege today. Tell the sick from God’s Word that Jesus died for both their sins and their sicknesses. Pray to the Lord for their healing. Teach them to pray directly to the Lord for their healing (and other needs as well). And take Jesus at His Word — “These signs will accompany those who believe… [18] they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well” (Mark 16:17-18). Lay hands on the sick, and expect them to be healed.

Do you have family or friends who are sick? “Bring them to Jesus!” Introduce them to Him from God’s Word. If they already know the Lord as Savior, encourage them with some healing Scriptures for the sick to build faith for healing. If you can leave one central thought in the sick person’s mind, let it be that Jesus’ call to all the sick is: “Bring them to me!”

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©2017, James H. Feeney.
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