Jesus goes into a high mountain near the sea of Galilee. Great multitudes follow Him on the mountain slopes.
Remember that the multitudes that followed Jesus were not just Jews, but also gentiles from several nations
(Matt. 4: 25). Among the multitudes, were the lame, blind, dumb and the maimed brought to Jesus for healing.
Jesus healed them with such great power and perfection that the multitudes glorified the God of Israel. If only
the Jews or the Israel of God glorified God, then the God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
would have been glorified. But the God of Israel was praised even by non-Jews. Even this day, there are thousands
that glorify the God of the Christians, the Lord Jesus Christ. Many such will enter into the Kingdom of God as it
was when the Church was born.
Mathew records the commission of Jesus to His 12 disciples in Math. 10:1 and Luke records the commission
to the 70 disciples in Luke 10:1. Jesus sends the 12 disciples to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Math.10: 5, 6).
They were to preach the Kingdom of God and heal the sick. As the ministry expands, Jesus sends out 70 others in
two's to every city and place where He would go (Luke 10:1). In v.9, Jesus tells the 70 to heal the sick and say 'The
Kingdom of Heaven is come near to you'. Jesus tells the 12 to preach and heal but tells the 70 to heal and preach!
Why did Jesus reverse the order?
The 70 however, are commissioned to heal the sick and then preach. The Kingdom of God reaches the non-Jews
or the non-christians with tremendous impact, when sickness is healed and devils cast out (read Math. 12: 22-29).
The goodness of God leads men to repentance!
Peter and John go to ether at prayer time in the temple At the gate called Beautiful sat a 40 year old crippled beggar,
lame from birth, asking alms. He asks for alms from the two disciples of Jesus as they approach the entrance to the
temple. Then Peter commands the man in the Name of Jesus to rise up and walk. Peter takes him by the hand and
lifts him up. Immediately the lame man's feet and bones receive strength and he goes into the temple walking and
leaping and praising God, Bless the Lord for the authorization to do such works! Of course, everybody in the temple
knew who this man was and they were awestruck at that mighty demonstration of power. What a service in the temple!
Peter then, preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ to the very people responsible for the Saviour's death.
The gospel is a gospel of practical power: It is not a form of godliness that denies the power of God. Power is not passive,
but an active, vibrant; dynamic, electrifying energy. This mighty healing uproots the vain traditions of bondage and
unleashes the glorious liberty of God s Kingdom.
The elders of the temple could say nothing against the words and works of the two disciples for they beheld the
healed man standing with them (v:14), and all men glorified God (v.21).
After this mighty healing that infuriated the Jewish council, the two disciples are interrogated, threatened and let go.
The disciples report all that happened to their own company (v.23). All those assembled unite their voice in praise
and prayer by beseeching the Lord to grant them "all boldness to speak the word by stretching forrth thine hand to
heal and that signs and wonders may be done…” (v. 29, 30).
The Jewish clergy and their followers to whom all the promises of the Messiah was given had backslid to such a
state of unbelief and hypocrisy that they needed to see mighty healings. The church of Jesus Christ was born with a
burst of miracles and healings. The church needs miracles for its growth and the church bursts into maturity with
miracles. Words and works go together, sometimes one preceding the other.
Philip preaches Christ to the Samaritans (v.5). The people with one accord accept Philip's words, hearing and
seeing the miracles he did (v.6).
The demon-possessed were set free, paralytics healed and the lame walked. (v.7). Earlier, the Samaritans seeing
power through sorcery believed on one named Simon. All are gloriously baptized (v.12) and receive the Holy Ghost
when Peter and John lay their hands on them (v.17). This was one year after the day of Pentecost. Almost 2000
years later the pattern is still the same. The disciples of Jesus are still this day sharing the words and works of God.
Stephen was a man chosen to administer the feeding of the great company of saints. He was a man full of faith
and of the Holy Ghost (Acts 6: 5). This humble man, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles
among the people (v.8). Further, the liberals and disputers were unable to withstand the wisdom and the spirit
by which he spoke (v.9, 10). False charges with false witness were brought against Stephen. In his defense,
Stephen preaches the word of God in the power of the spirit: The fiery, burning words of Stephen cut to the heart
of his accusers and they gnashed on him with their teeth(v.54).
The stiff-necked, unregenerated hierarchy of priests resisting the Holy Ghost as did their fathers, have Stephen
stoned to death. This great man of God who was the first to lay down his life for Jesus Christ had a humble
position in the church - serving tables. However being full of faith and the Holy Ghost such miracles were done
by him that caused him to become the first martyr of Jesus Christ.
Listen, people of God, the Almighty God resists and hates pride but gives grace and power to the humble.
Stephen was empowered to rebuke the hypocritical high priests with a blazing spirit of authority and fluency
of scriptures that cut and exposed the guile of the high priests of the council.
Paul is shipwrecked on the isle of Malta. He gathers sticks for the fire, watched by the simple people of the island.
Suddenly a viper stings Paul on the hand. The islanders discuss among themselves that this must be an inescapable
form of judgement on a murderer. But Paul shakes of the beast into the fire and was not at all hurt. The islanders
seeing this miracle change their minds and now decide that Paul must be a god! Strange but true, how close these
simple-minded people were to knowing the truth (See Jn. 10: 34-38). Many humble, lowly and simple are closer to
the Kingdom of God than the carnally wise.
The village chieftain Publius receives Paul and his friends courteously. Paul has an opportunity to pray for Publius’
father, an invalid with a blood disease. The healing of this sick man brings all the other sick in the island and all who
came were healed.
Though the scriptures do not record any preaching on the island, is it possible that the Apostle Paul stayed on that
island for three months without talking about the gospel? Is this possible for the man who said "Woe unto me if I do
not preach the gospel?" Would the man, chosen to be a light to the Gentiles, not have preached in Melita?
Miracles and healings open the door in difficult areas. A pastor from Madras was in a village in North India preaching
the gospel with his friends: Suddenly they were surrounded by hostile tribals with deadly weapons. Their chief brought
his blind son before the Pastor and said that if the boy was not healed the team would not leave the village alive. The
pastor who narrated this in a small assembly later, confessed that they were hit by fear. But remembering their
commission and authority he prayed for the lad and then put his hand before the boy and asked him to count the
number of fingers. To the joy and amazement of all, the boy correctly counted the fingers from a distance. The
chief and the whole tribe accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and a church was soon established A miracle
is worth a thousand words. Words and works go together.
We have seen the connection between healings, deliverance and salvation of the soul. The example of Jesus in
the gospels and the apostles in Acts is a worthy pattern for the church of Jesus Christ.
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