The Healing Power of the Cross
Aaron Barker
The Answer of the Cross • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 23:32
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Thirteen years ago, God miraculously healed my husband Bill.
Our whole church prayed that night. Truth be told, many had been asking God to heal Bill for a couple of years. But on October 27, 2000, everyone in the sanctuary was on their knees, crying and begging God to heal him.
He went home that night, still sick, still using a cane to climb up the stairs to our front door.
Bill had been diagnosed with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, an atypical Parkinson’s. People often die of it five to seven years after diagnosis, usually from complications of immobility. There is no cure, only ways to treat the loss of balance, and problems with vision, gait, speech and swallowing. It’s a debilitating disease. And Bill was going down fast.
Yet while he slept that night, God knit his brain back together. And when Bill opened his eyes the next morning, he immediately noticed he could breathe again. He sat up in bed–all the pain and weakness on his left side was gone. Then he stood up–tall again!–and wasn’t dizzy anymore.
God had mercy on us, and healed Bill overnight. On October 28th, 2000, Bill was given a second chance. I was given back my tall, witty husband. Our six children got their dad back. We could plan for the future again, because we had a future.
Personal Story
Bill was the executive pastor at our church in Tacoma and we watched this amazing scene first hand. A father of six children it was heartbreaking to see him become debilitated by this disease. Like his wife wrote, our church was praying and praying for him. We had so many prayer meetings believing for his healing and there was such hope and confidence that we would see a miracle. I remember the Friday night at church crying out for Bill’s healing. He went home and his family was so full of faith and the children all stood at the top of the stairs expecting to see their dad walk in healed, but he came in the house and struggled up the stairs as had become accustomed.
I heard stories of him waking up Saturday morning going to his son’s soccer game running across the field to celebrate with close friends. Sunday morning was the first time I got to see Bill as he walked in at full stature as a 6’ 4” something man now walking with full height and health to share with the church God’s miraculous healing. It was pandemonium. And I personally have been marked by that testimony ever since. Only Jesus. He visited his family physician to confirm what God had done and the doctor who was a believer just wept and said he’s prayed for his office to be a place of healing his whole career and he’d never seen anything like this.
Jesus, the great physician.
Today we are looking at the healing power of the cross. Let’s pray together and ask the Lord to open our hearts to his word.
Our series is The Answer of the Cross. The premise of this series is meant to look at the completeness of the work on the cross. As believers we often have a very limited view of what was accomplished on the cross. To the broadest audience the cross is the answer to save us from hell. Believers and many unbelievers a like would understand that Jesus died on the cross to save us from hell. And while that is true, it is a very limited understanding of the work of the cross. We have seven weeks to look at different aspects of what was accomplished on the cross. Two weeks ago we looked at the cross - The Answer for Reconciliation. Last week we looked at the cross - The Answer for Sin and Death. We will spend the next month looking at different aspects of the work on the cross. Today we are focused on The Healing Power of the Cross.
“For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
The word save in this passage is translated from the greek word sōzō. Strongs lexicon states,
“translates as “save” 93 times, “make whole” nine times, “heal” three times, “be whole” twice, and translated miscellaneously three times. 1 to save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction. 1a one (from injury or peril). 1a1 to save a suffering one (from perishing), i.e. one suffering from disease, to make well, heal, restore to health. 1b1 to preserve one who is in danger of destruction, to save or rescue. 1b to save in the technical biblical sense. 1b1 negatively. 1b1a to deliver from the penalties of the Messianic judgment. 1b1b to save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance.”
Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship.
When Jesus is looking to save the lost, he is looking to save completely, not just keep us from hell.
Sōzō encompasses many different aspects of our salvation.
Deliverance
Restoration
Protection
Preservation
Healing
Making Whole
Doesn’t this give a much clearer understanding of our own salvation. I have been saved to live life abundantly…not just survive until I am rescued from hell. Our salvation is such an amazing gift. I can not imagine living life without the joy of my salvation. Everyday I live with this undeserved gift that impacts every aspect of my life. Our salvation is not something that just impacts our Sunday mornings. Our salvation impacts our work week, our friendships, our hobbies, our marriages, our parenting, and every other aspect of our lives.
However, this gift was not a free gift. Free to us? Yes, but the enormous sacrifice of our Savior is beyond comprehension.
Isaiah 53 is such a beautiful description of the fullness of Jesus’ sacrifice for our salvation.
He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
It is echoed again in 1 Peter 2:24
He personally carried our sins in his body on the cross so that we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. By his wounds you are healed.
By His Stripes we are Healed
By His Stripes we are Healed
He was scourged by the Romans to the point of being unrecognizable. He didn’t even look human. The level of pain he underwent for the salvation of our souls is unfathomable.
The reality is if we don’t understand the severity of our lostness we don’t appreciate the fulness of our salvation.
Be Comforted 3. Expiation: The Smitten Servant (Isa. 53:4–6)
He was “chastised” and given many “stripes,” and yet that punishment brought us peace and healing. The only way a lawbreaker can be at peace with the law is to suffer the punishment that the law demands. Jesus kept the Law perfectly, yet He suffered the whipping that belonged to us. Because He took our place, we now have peace with God and cannot be condemned by God’s law (Rom. 5:1; 8:1).
This passage is such a foundational truth to our faith. When we look at the cost paid, the pain endured, the severity of the punishment Jesus received for our sins how can we ever take our sins lightly?
How can we ever take our salvation for granted?
In our daily life think about things we take for granted. When do we take things for granted? Typically we take things for granted when we don’t understand the value and the sacrifice.
I clearly remember how frustrated my dad would get with us four boys about the way we would treat or lose his tools. He would go to work on a project around the house and couldn’t find what was needed because one of us four boys…I’m sure not me…had taken a screwdriver and not replaced it, or a wrench, or some other essential tool for the job. I never understood why he would get so frustrated.
Now I understand. I love my kids, but we have three teenagers who take tools to fix something in their room or on their car or bike. I mean, why in the world can’t they...
I suppose I’m suffering the punishment for my own sins against my father. They didn’t pay for the tools, they don’t realize the sweat and tears and sacrifice I paid for that phillips screwdriver. So the amount of value they place on the tools is less and they don’t care to return them because of it. I should move on before I start to take out my frustrations on you.
But on a serious note, Lord give us a deeper revelation of the sacrifice you paid on the cross and increase our depth of gratitude for the fulness of our salvation.
Logos Digital Hymnal Jesus Paid It All
Jesus paid it all,
All to Him I owe;
Sin had left a crimson stain,
He washed it white as snow.
Whole, complete, full, totally, all. We were dead in our sin and Jesus paid it all.
He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
Be Comforted 3. Expiation: The Smitten Servant (Isa. 53:4–6)
Sin is not only like a burden, but it is also like a sickness that only God can cure
God is our healer. He heals the effects of our sins and the effects of sins committed against us. What an amazing gift giver Jesus is.
In order for a gift to be enjoyed it has to be opened. No one leaves a gift boxed up on Christmas or their birthday. And the same is true of the gift Jesus has given to us.
We Must Look to the Cross
We Must Look to the Cross
Then the people of Israel set out from Mount Hor, taking the road to the Red Sea to go around the land of Edom. But the people grew impatient with the long journey,
and they began to speak against God and Moses. “Why have you brought us out of Egypt to die here in the wilderness?” they complained. “There is nothing to eat here and nothing to drink. And we hate this horrible manna!”
So the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, and many were bitten and died.
Then the people came to Moses and cried out, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take away the snakes.” So Moses prayed for the people.
Then the Lord told him, “Make a replica of a poisonous snake and attach it to a pole. All who are bitten will live if they simply look at it!”
So Moses made a snake out of bronze and attached it to a pole. Then anyone who was bitten by a snake could look at the bronze snake and be healed!
And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.
The ways of God are so different than the ways of man. If we insist on trying to accomplish our salvation on our own we will utterly fail. It is impossible to solve a God sized task with a man sized solution.
I believe this is true both in spiritually and physically. We need to look to the Lord for help for our spiritual salvation, but we also need to look to the Lord for our physical health.
Don’t only take up the Lord on his offer for spiritual healing. Take him up on his offer for full and complete healing in your body, mind, and spirit.
Let’s take a look at different categories we see in scripture that the Lord brought healing.
Ways of God in Healing
Ways of God in Healing
Sickness and Infirmity Psalm 41:3
The Lord nurses them when they are sick and restores them to health.
Healing from Mental Affliction Luke 8:35
and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid.
Spiritual Fatigue Psalm 23:3 Isaiah 40:29-31
He renews my strength. He guides me along right paths, bringing honor to his name.
He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless.
Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Emotional Suffering Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds.
Anxiety or Worry John 14:27
“I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
I believe the Lord’s healing is a guarantee to his children. You might argue me on this saying, I’m still sick from this affliction that I’ve been praying for years over. I have friends or family members I’ve prayed for their healing and they are still suffering.
And it’s true. My dad is still suffering from Parkinson’s disease even though he’s been prayed for by many for years now. And I would rejoice at his physical healing if that miracle took place. But I don’t lose heart regardless of what outcome I see with my physical eyes. Our God is far greater than what we see with our physical eyes. We can have confidence in every circumstance we are surrounded by.
I’ve been helping Darlene Cunningham record her audiobook that is set to be released on December 1st called “Values Matter.” As I was preparing to teach this week I was reminded of a story she shared and the Lord asked her if she wanted a healing or a resurrection. Her response was to choose a resurrection because she knew it would bring Jesus the most glory.
Healing or a Resurrection
Healing or a Resurrection
A man named Lazarus was sick. He lived in Bethany with his sisters, Mary and Martha.
This is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord’s feet and wiped them with her hair. Her brother, Lazarus, was sick.
So the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, “Lord, your dear friend is very sick.”
But when Jesus heard about it he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.”
John 11:14, 25, 40-44
So he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.
Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.
Jesus responded, “Didn’t I tell you that you would see God’s glory if you believe?”
So they rolled the stone aside. Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me.
You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.”
Then Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!”
And the dead man came out, his hands and feet bound in graveclothes, his face wrapped in a headcloth. Jesus told them, “Unwrap him and let him go!”
I find great hope in this passage and Jesus’ statements. Whether we see the healing power of the cross through a healing today or when we see Jesus face to face we have assurance that we are going to experience the healing touch from Jesus.
I do know that we are called to pray for the sick and the healing power is in the hands of Jesus.
I know that I have seen his healing power touch many lives over the course of my walk with Him and i will see many more touched before I see Jesus face to face.
And I also know that when my prayers aren’t answered the way I hope or expect I have great confidence in the goodness of God and the physical outcome doesn’t effect the nature and character of our good and loving Savior.
Jean Sullivan’s final comments on Bill’s healing.
Don’t ask me why Jesus healed Bill. We don’t know. There is no magic formula for healing, except to ask. Asking and believing God can heal are what we need to do; He gets to choose if and when we get healed. I like to remind people just to ask.
So here we are, thirteen years later, and Bill holds his grandchildren, runs a roofing business, takes the dog on walks, and makes me laugh–usually intentionally.
You know this is my all time favorite story to tell, right? God still heals miraculously.
I want to pray for anyone who needs prayer for physical healing today. If you’re joining us online and would like us to pray for you comment in the comments section of the live feed and we will pray for you right now. You can tell us specifically what you want prayer for or just a general request and we will pray for you. And if you are here with us in person this morning raise your hand and we will pray for you as well.
And just as I shared earlier, to access the healing power of the cross, we need to look to Jesus and receive the gift of life he is offering us.
And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
To receive Him we need to accept Him as God’s son, repent from our sins and a life of selfishness, asking Him to be our Lord, and savior not that you deserve it, but is a gift from God.
If this is your desire today, please repeat this prayer after me?
Heavenly Father I’m sinner, I’m sorry for my sins, I’m willing to turn away from my sins.
I receive Christ as my savior,
I confess him as Lord
from this moment on I want to follow and serve him,
in the fellowship of his church,
In Jesus name. Amen!