Topical Bible: Sickness: Christ Healed by Imposition of Hands

◄ Sickness: Christ Healed by Imposition of Hands ►

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In the New Testament, the healing ministry of Jesus Christ is a profound testament to His divine authority and compassion. One of the methods by which Jesus healed the sick was through the imposition of hands, a practice that underscores His personal and direct engagement with those in need of healing.

Biblical Accounts

1. Healing of Peter's Mother-in-Law: One of the earliest accounts of Jesus healing by the laying on of hands is found in the synoptic Gospels. In the Gospel of Mark, it is recorded: "So He went to her, took her by the hand, and helped her up. The fever left her, and she began to serve them" (Mark 1:31). This act not only demonstrates Jesus' power over physical ailments but also His willingness to restore individuals to their roles and responsibilities within their communities.

2. Healing of the Leper: In another instance, a leper approached Jesus, beseeching Him for healing. Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched the man, saying, "I am willing. Be clean!" Immediately, the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed (Mark 1:41-42). This act of touching a leper, who was considered unclean, highlights Jesus' authority over ceremonial laws and His mission to bring holistic healing.

3. Raising of Jairus' Daughter: In the account of Jairus' daughter, Jesus' touch is again a conduit of life and restoration. Upon arriving at Jairus' house, Jesus took the girl by the hand and said, "Talitha koum!" (which means, "Little girl, I say to you, get up!"). Immediately, the girl stood up and began to walk around (Mark 5:41-42). This miracle underscores Jesus' power over death and His role as the giver of life.

4. Healing of the Deaf and Mute Man: In the region of Decapolis, people brought to Jesus a man who was deaf and could hardly talk. Jesus took him aside, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man's ears. Then He spit and touched the man's tongue. Looking up to heaven, He sighed and said, "Ephphatha!" (which means "Be opened!"). At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak plainly (Mark 7:33-35). This healing illustrates Jesus' intimate involvement in the healing process and His authority over physical impairments.

Theological Significance

The act of healing through the imposition of hands is rich with theological significance. It signifies the incarnational aspect of Jesus' ministry, where the divine touches the human condition, bringing restoration and wholeness. This method of healing also reflects the personal nature of Jesus' ministry, where He engages with individuals on a deeply personal level, addressing not only their physical needs but also their spiritual and emotional well-being.

Furthermore, the laying on of hands by Jesus serves as a precursor to the practices of the early Church, where the apostles and disciples continued this tradition as a means of imparting healing and blessing, as seen in the Acts of the Apostles.

Conclusion

The accounts of Jesus healing by the imposition of hands are a powerful testament to His divine authority and compassion. Through these acts, Jesus not only demonstrated His power over sickness and death but also revealed the heart of God towards humanity—a heart that desires to heal, restore, and bring life in abundance.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Mark 6:5
And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands on a few sick folk, and healed them.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 13:13
And he laid his hands on her: and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Novatus, his Manner of Life and his Heresy.
... And when he was healed of his sickness he did not ... had been affused on his bed on
account of sickness as he ... the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ that you ...
/.../pamphilius/church history/chapter xliii novatus his manner of.htm

Come and Welcome to Jesus Christ;
... even as at an hour before his death; yea, he stayed from Jesus Christ as long ... Lord
Jesus, when this wicked one, even now, desireth mercy at his hands, tells him ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/come and welcome to jesus.htm

The Romance of M. Renan. By Napoleon Roussel.
... heaven, earth, the whole of nature, madness, sickness, and death ... that he does not
believe in Jesus Christ; but we ... upon him, and with his stripes we are healed. ...
/.../the romance of m renan and the christ of the gospels/the romance of m renan.htm

Demonstration xxi. --Of Persecution.
... [1133] Hezekiah prayed, and was healed of his ... Hezekiah after he arose from his sickness
added to his ... and John walked in the footsteps of their Master Christ. ...
/.../aphrahat/aphrahat select demonstrations/demonstration xxi of persecution.htm

Extracts No. vii.
... bled profusely; the boy was miraculously healed in a ... substance of which is, that
Jesus Christ is a ... his indescribable horrors and painful sickness compelled him ...
/.../ballou/a series of letters in defence of divine revelation/extracts no vii.htm

Answer to Eunomius' Second Book .
... heard, that the lame walked, and that He healed all manner of sickness and all ... the
world itself could not contain the fulness of Christ's teaching about ...
/.../gregory of nyssa dogmatic treatises etc/answer to eunomius second book.htm

Memoir of John Bunyan
... my practice proved me so: wherefore, Christ Jesus took ... upon his knees, and, with
uplifted hands towards heaven ... for having been preserved in sickness; and also ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/memoir of john bunyan.htm