Connect Isaiah 35:6 to Jesus' healing miracles in the New Testament. Setting the Promise: Isaiah 35:6 “Then the lame will leap like a deer, and the mute tongue will shout for joy. For waters will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.” Signals the Messiah Would Display Isaiah links physical restoration to the arrival of God’s salvation. Two specific signs stand out: • Lame people suddenly leaping • Mute people suddenly speaking with joy These miracles are not random; they identify the One who brings God’s kingdom. Jesus Fulfills the Sign: The Lame Leap • Matthew 11:4-5 — Jesus tells John’s disciples, “the lame walk.” He cites Isaiah 35 to confirm His identity. • Luke 5:17-26 — A paralyzed man lowered through the roof “stood up immediately before them… glorifying God.” • John 5:1-9 — The man at Bethesda, lame thirty-eight years, “at once was healed, and he picked up his mat and walked.” • Matthew 15:30-31 — “Large crowds came… bringing the lame… and He healed them… and the lame were walking, and they glorified the God of Israel.” • Acts 3:1-8 — Through Peter and John, the risen Christ heals a man “lame from birth”; he “went walking and leaping and praising God,” echoing Isaiah’s wording. Jesus Fulfills the Sign: The Mute Speak • Matthew 9:32-33 — A mute demoniac is healed; “when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke.” • Matthew 12:22 — A blind and mute man is healed so that “he spoke and saw.” • Mark 7:31-37 — In Decapolis Jesus heals a deaf-mute; “his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly,” prompting people to recall “He has done all things well.” • Matthew 15:30-31 — The same crowd saw “the mute speaking.” Jesus’ Own Commentary on Isaiah 35 “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is preached to the poor.” (Matthew 11:4-5) By quoting these very signs, Jesus pointed to Isaiah 35 as proof that He is the promised Savior. Beyond Physical Healing: A Picture of Total Restoration • Physical miracles preview the full restoration promised in Isaiah 35:10, when “sorrow and sighing will flee.” • Romans 8:21-23 indicates creation itself will share in this liberation when Christ returns. • Revelation 21:4 completes the thread: “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” Living the Fulfillment Today • Rejoice that Jesus has already secured both spiritual and physical redemption. • Trust His power to heal today according to His will (Hebrews 13:8). • Proclaim the gospel, pointing others to the One who makes the lame leap and the mute sing for joy. |
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