JESUS OUR HEALER TODAY
SESSION 1: God’s Will and Healing
INTRODUCTION
Is it the will of God for all who are sick to be healed? Understanding the mind of God concerning healing is foundational to the doctrine of healing.
LESSON OUTLINE
I.	WHY MANY ARE NOT HEALED (MATTHEW 8:1-3)
A.	Questioning the will of God
1.	“If it be thy will.”
2.	The number one reason why people don’t get healed is that they question God’s will.
B.	Misunderstanding the Bible on the will of God
1.	Some say that because Jesus prayed, “If it be thy will,” we should pray the same thing for the sick (Matthew 26:39).
•	Jesus’ prayer before going to the cross in this verse has nothing to do with 		healing.
2.	James 4:13-16 is another misquoted Scripture on the will of God concerning healing.
a.	This passage refers to consulting God concerning decisions that we make. 
b.	We need to pray the prayer of dedication and consecration and be willing to 		conform to God’s plans for our life.
II.	PRAYER OF FAITH AND GOD’S WILLINGNESS TO HEAL
A.	Prayer of faith for the sick
1.	James 5:14-15 teaches us to pray for the sick.
•	The prayer of faith will save the sick, not the prayer of dedication and 		consecration.
2.	You must be convinced of God’s will before you start, or else you will waver. (James 1:6-7; Mark 11:23-24)
B.	God’s willingness to heal
1.	Jesus teaches us to pray: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” 
(Matthew 6:9-10)
•	Is there sickness in heaven? No. Therefore it is not God’s will for there to be 		any sickness on earth.

2.	Faith is believing that God is not only able, but that He is also willing to heal.
a.	The centurion’s faith (Matthew 8:5-13; Luke 7:1-10)
b.	Jesus took more effort to show God’s willingness to heal than God’s ability to 	heal.
c.	Jesus walked 20 miles to show God’s willingness to heal. How much more will 	your Heavenly Father give good things to them that ask Him?
GROUP DISCUSSION
1.	If it is God’s will for all who are sick to be healed, then why are some people healed after prayer has been offered for them, and yet others are not? (You may also refer to session 5.)
2.	Who is the author of sickness? How does this source’s nature compare with God’s nature? (Read John 10:10 to compare the two.)
3.	Pray for one another, especially those who are sick among you.
SELF-STUDY
1.	Memorize Mark 11:23-24.
2.	Why do you think God is always willing to heal the sick?
a.	Luke 4:18
b.	1 John 3:8
3.	The Bible is full of God’s promises concerning healing. It will be a profitable exercise for you to discover some of these passages. With the aid of a Bible Concordance, list some of these passages below.
JESUS OUR HEALER TODAY
SESSION 2: Healing in the Atonement
INTRODUCTION
Sickness and death entered the world as a result of the fall. With the fall of mankind into sin, all good things that God created were distorted. If we believe that Jesus Christ came to the world to redeem mankind from sin, then it follows that His redemption also removed the curse of sin. 
“Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).
LESSON OUTLINE
I.	THE CAUSE OF SICKNESS
A.	Entrance of sickness into the world
1.	How did sickness enter the world? Through the sin of Adam.
2.	Sin, sickness, and death came into the world through Adam’s transgression.
3.	Sickness causes death.
4.	The devil tempted Adam, and the devil was the author of sickness and death.
B.	The remedy for sickness
1.	When Jesus made atonement for human sins, He made salvation available to all.
2.	In the same way, when He atoned for man’s sickness, He made healing available to all.
C.	Receiving healing
1.	You cannot have faith beyond the known will of God.
2.	We must be convinced that it is God’s will to heal us.
3.	God’s Word reveals God’s will.
4.	Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
II.	THE OLD TESTAMENT TYPES AND SHADOWS THAT POINT TO JESUS
A.	The Passover in Exodus
1.	After eating the Passover meal, 2-3 million Jews left Egypt completely healthy.
2.	The Lord healed the people 765 years later when Hezekiah kept the Passover.
B.	The serpent in the wilderness	
1.	The Children of Israel had been disobedient to God, and many were dying because they were being bit by serpents.
2.	When Moses lifted up the serpent on a pole in the wilderness, everyone who looked at the serpent was healed and forgiven of rebellion.
3.	That serpent on a pole is a type of Jesus Christ on the cross.
C.	The seven redemptive names in which God revealed Himself
1.	All these names point to Calvary and His sacrifice.
2.	After the Red Sea, the first name by which God revealed Himself to the Israelites was “Jehovah Raphah”: the Lord your healer.
3.	All seven names reveal the nature and character of God, and they all point to Jesus’ sacrifice. See also Psalm 103:3.
III.	THE KEY SCRIPTURAL BASIS FOR JESUS AS OUR HEALER TODAY (ISAIAH 53:3-5)
A.	At Calvary
1.	These verses tell us what Jesus Christ has done for us through His sacrifice.
a.	“He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with 		grief” (Isaiah 53:3).
b.	“Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4).
c.	“. . . and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).
2.	The word “griefs” in Isaiah 53:4 is translated as sickness and disease from the Hebrew word “choli”.
a.	12 times translated “sickness”
b.	7 times translated “disease”
c.	4 times translated “grief”
3.	“Sorrows” means physical pains and is from the Hebrew word “makob”.
4.	“Surely” means absolutely, beyond the shadow of a doubt. (God emphasized this.)
5.	“Borne”: Surely He has “borne” our sicknesses (Isaiah 53:4). 
a.	Borne in Hebrew is “nasa”, meaning to bear in the sense of suffering or 		punishment for something. 
b.	“Nasa” is also used in Isaiah 43:12: “. . . He bore the sin of many . . . .” This 		shows that Jesus’ atonement provided for both sickness and sins.
6.	“Carried”: The Hebrew word “sabal” means to bear something as a penalty.
a.	In Isaiah 53:4, “sabal” refers to pains or sorrows. 
b.	In Isaiah 53:11, “sabal” is also used to refer to iniquities.
B.	Confirmation in Jesus’ ministry and application today (Matthew 8:16-17)
•	Jesus forgave sins and healed sicknesses on the grounds of what He was going to do in the future.
1.	Jesus provided healing for everyone. No one is excluded.
•	You would have to misquote this verse (Matthew 8:16-17) to leave yourself out.
2.	Bought with a price (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
•	Both our bodies and our spirits belong to God. We were bought with the 		precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19).
3.	By His stripes (1 Peter 2:24)
•	On the cross, both sin and sickness were taken care of. 
CONCLUSION
The same power that forgives sins, heals diseases (Matthew 9:6-7). Jesus first forgave the person’s sins, then He healed the man. Sin and sickness both came through Adam and the fall. But they were both taken care of by Jesus Christ, the second Adam, through the atonement on the cross.
GROUP DISCUSSION
1.	Read the account of the man healed by Jesus at the pool of Bethesda in John 5:1-15.
a.	For how long did the man have his infirmity? (John 5:5)
b.	What was Jesus’ question to him? (John 5:6)
c.	What did this question reveal about Jesus? 
d.	What command did Jesus give to the man? (John 5:8)
e.	What action took place? (John 5:9)
f.	What was the cause of this man’s infirmity? (John 5:14)
2.	It is impossible to think about sickness without considering sin as the initial cause. If sin had not entered the world, there wouldn’t have been sickness (this is confirmed by the life of our Lord on earth). 
a.	Did you ever read that He felt sick anytime? 
b.	Why not?
SELF-STUDY
1.	Search the Scriptures and find the following Old Testament events that were referred to in this lesson. Write out the Scriptural references below.
a.	The Passover lamb in Egypt
b.	Hezekiah keeping the Passover 
c.	The brazen serpent in the wilderness 
d.	The revelation of the redemptive name of the Lord: “Jehovah Raphah”, the Lord our Healer
2.	Memorize 1 Peter 2:24.
JESUS OUR HEALER TODAY
SESSION 3: Full Salvation
INTRODUCTION
Refer back to Isaiah 53:4-10.
Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. In this session, we are going to be talking about God’s idea of salvation. This can transform your life.
LESSON OUTLINE
TEXT: Romans 10:8-13
I.	GOD’S IDEA OF SALVATION: WHAT IS INCLUDED IN SALVATION
A.	The meaning of the Greek word “sozo”
1.	“Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
2.	The Greek word for “saved” here is “sozo”, which means more than just salvation from sin.
a.	It means saved, healed, delivered; to preserve or to make whole.
b.	“Sozo” is the all-inclusive word of salvation.
3.	In the mind of God, salvation is much broader than just the deliverance from sin.
•	God has redeemed man from more than just sin.
B.	The woman who anointed Jesus’ feet (Luke 7:48-50)
1.	Jesus said, “Thy sins are forgiven thee.”
2.	Jesus said, “Thy faith has saved (sozo) thee.”
C.	The woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48)
•	“And He said to her, ‘Daughter, be of good cheer; your faith made you well (sozo). Go in peace’” (Luke 8:48).
D.	The body and spirit are involved in salvation.
•	Healing is what salvation has done for the body. Forgiveness of sins is what salvation has done for the spirit.
E.	Jairus’ daughter (Luke 8:49-50)
F.	Deliverance from the evil spirits (Luke 8:35-36)
1.	“They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been 
demon-possessed was healed (sozo)” (Luke 8:36).
2.	God’s idea of salvation includes freedom from evil spirits.
G.	Healing from leprosy (Luke 17:11-19)
•	“And He said to him, ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.’”
(Luke 17:19)
1.	The same word: “sozo”, refers to healing from leprosy. 
2.	Salvation includes healing.
3.	God is glorified when people are healed.
II.	FAITH FOR HEALING COMES FROM THE WORD OF GOD.
•	Other examples of “sozo”: Mark 6:54-56; James 5:14-15; Isaiah 53; Acts 4:9-12; Acts 14:6-10
A.	Healing must be preached as a part of salvation, and people must believe in order for healing to be received (Acts 4:9, 12). 
•	You cannot believe what you have not heard preached. Unless we hear it preached, we will never reach out and receive it.
B.	The Gospel is the power of God unto salvation and healing for everyone that believes. (Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 1:21)
1.	Healing belongs to you.
2.	The Scriptures reveal a complete redemption.
C.	Faith comes by hearing the Word of God.
•	After Paul preached, he saw that the man had faith to be healed (Acts 14:6-10). 
D.	Our physical bodies belong to Christ (1 Corinthians 6:13-19).
1.	Our body is for the Lord and the Lord for the body.
2.	The Lord is the Savior of the body (Ephesians 5).
CONCLUSION
Let us share this message with confidence and tell people all that God has for them. Let us search the Scriptures along this important subject. Let’s bring a Jesus that forgives and a Jesus that heals to a lost and dying world.
GROUP DISCUSSION
1.	Reflect on the four broader meanings in the word “sozo”.
2.	Pray for one another that:
a.	The Holy Spirit will open your eyes of understanding to clearly grasp the truth in this lesson.
b.	Nothing will stop you from enjoying all the benefits that are included in the salvation Jesus purchased for you.
SELF-STUDY
1.	Read Romans 10:8-13 carefully and memorize verse 13 in particular.
2.	Write a brief testimony on what salvation means to you personally and how you have experienced its benefits in your life.
JESUS OUR HEALER TODAY
SESSION 4: Moses, the Serpent, and Healing
INTRODUCTION
In the last session, we studied the full salvation that Christ made available to us, which includes healing. The salvation of Christ affects every area of our life, both now and in all eternity. In this lesson, we will see how this salvation applies to every believer and how we can enjoy the benefit of healing in salvation.
LESSON OUTLINE
TEXT: John 3:14-17
I.	GOD’S GIFT OF LIFE TO US INCLUDES SPIRITUAL FORGIVENESS AND PHYSICAL HEALING.
A.	The meaning of eternal life
1.	The word for “eternal life” (John 3:15-16) is the Greek word “zoe”.
a.	It literally means “the life of God”: life as God has it.
b.	When a person believes in Jesus Christ, they receive the life of God.
2.	The same life of God that makes me a new creation in Christ, is the same life that can flow into my body and bring healing.
B.	The life of God drives out death.
1.	“He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also give ‘life’ to your mortal body.” (Romans 8:11)
2.	“. . . that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” 
(2 Corinthians 4:11)
3.	The life of God does not only affect my spirit, but it can potentially affect my body as well.
•	God’s life in our mortal bodies can bring healing.
4.	“Sozo” is used in John 3:17:  “. . . but that through Him the world might be saved (sozo).”
C.	Savior from sickness
1.   Jesus’ sacrifice did not just purchase forgiveness; it also purchased healing.
2.   “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up” (John 3:14).
D.	The serpent on the pole
1.	When the Children of Israel complained, many died because serpents were sent among them and bit them.
2.	“. . . Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live” (Numbers 21:8).
3.	There is an emphasis on the fact that whoever “looks at it” (the brass serpent) will be healed.
•	What you are looking at, what you see, has everything to do with you being healed.
4.	The word for “looked” in Numbers 21:9 means to look with all of your attention; to look at with expectation; to look with a steady gaze.
5.	Just because Moses put the serpent on the pole didn’t mean forgiveness and healing were automatic.
•	Each person had to look individually for themselves.
6.	This is what Jesus was referring to when He said that “whoever” believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).
•	They not only received forgiveness, they also received healing.
E.	Healing in the type
1.	When a person beheld the serpent of brass, he was healed.
2.	If physical healing is available in the type of Christ crucified, and not through the sacrifice of Jesus, then the type becomes a false prophecy.
F.	Looking at the serpent
1.	It is important what you look at; what you focus on.
2.	The Children of Israel could not be healed when they looked at all of their  symptoms, only when they looked at the bronze serpent.
•	With physical healing, we must look at Jesus rather than at the circumstances and symptoms.
II.	WE NEED TO FOCUS ON JESUS AS THE FULFILLMENT.
A.	We need to see Christ suspended between heaven and earth.
1.	Everything the devil brought upon the human race has been atoned for on the cross.
2.	Jesus was identifying with the entire curse that came upon the human race when He died on the cross.
•	He atoned for it all.
B.	Why a serpent?
1.	In the Bible, a serpent was a type of the devil: a type of the works of the devil. And the crucifixion was so awful that only a serpent could typify it.
2.	By Jesus dying on a cross and saying it is like Moses’ serpent on a pole, it is symbolically showing that everything that Satan brought upon the human race, Jesus is paying the price to set us free from.
3.	Jesus took it all for us, but you have to see it.
•	When you see it, the “zoe” of God will be released into your spirit and your mortal body.
C.	The prophecy of the rod (Isaiah 11:1)
1.	Like the serpent Moses threw at the feet of Pharaoh, which gobbled up all the serpents of Satan, Christ devoured all the power of Satan. 
2.	When Jesus died on the cross, He became identified with the serpent and He swallowed up everything that Satan had thrown on the human race.
•	He ate up sin, sickness, and oppression.
D.	Christ crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2; Galatians 3:1, 13)
1.	Paul painted a picture of Christ becoming a curse for us and taking on Himself the full curse of the law. 
a.	All sickness and all disease is under the curse of the law (Deuteronomy 28). 
b.	Paul preached the complete redemption of Jesus Christ.
2.	Jesus paralyzed the forces of darkness. 
a.	He defeated the devil through His death on the cross. 
b.	The serpent has been defeated; it is nailed to the pole.
3.	We need to take our eyes off everything else and see Jesus hanging on the cross for us, taking the curse.
CONCLUSION
We need to preach Christ and Him crucified, and God will use our words to help the world see what Jesus has done: He took their place; He took their curse, and He identified with sin and sickness so that they could go free.
GROUP DISCUSSION
1.	Discuss the effect of Christ’s crucifixion on the cross as it relates to the curse of the law.
2.	What are some of the curses that we have been redeemed from?
3.	Evaluate in which areas of your life the curse is still active. Then pray specifically for one another regarding these remaining effects.
SELF-STUDY
1.	Read Galatians 3:1-14. What are the two forces that could have permanent effects in one’s life?
2.	Compare Galatians 3:1-14 with Deuteronomy 28. Then list some of the curses and some of the blessings that are mentioned in Deuteronomy 28.
3.	Take time to thank God for the blessings which Christ’s death on the cross made available to you.
4.	How can you make these blessings your own? 
JESUS OUR HEALER TODAY
SESSION 5: The Mercy of Healing
INTRODUCTION
In this session, we are going to be talking about the mercy of God. I believe this message has the ability to cause people’s faith to rise up. We are going to be looking at the character and nature of God.
When we come to God for healing, we should take time to search our hearts. We need to take time to prepare to receive what God has for us. God is the healer, but we have a part to play.
LESSON OUTLINE
“The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and His tender mercies are over all His works” (Psalms 145:8-9).
I.	GOD’S MERCY
A.	Mercy and compassion
1.	God is good to all.
•	God is love.
2.	Mercy and compassion express our Heavenly Father’s character.
3.	Nothing else will inspire faith as much as understanding God’s compassion.
4.	When people get a revelation of the mercy and compassion of God, faith will rise mountain--high.
•	God is not just able to heal, God is willing to heal.
B.	Mercy expressed (Psalms 103:1-4, 8)
1.	“Mercy” means to love tenderly; to be full of eager yearning.
2.	Forgiveness and healing are mercies of God.
3.	Healing is as much a mercy as forgiveness.
4.	God wants to pour out His blessings.
a.	His eyes are looking across the earth for an opportunity to display His love.
b.	God’s heart is filled with mercy and compassion.
c.	God’s mercy is like an ocean suspended above us.
C.	His mercy must be received.
1.	God’s love must be received (John 3:16).
2.	The same is true of healing; we must receive the love and compassion of God.
D.	Jesus shows God’s love, attitude, and compassion (John 14:8-9).
1.	To see Jesus is to see the Father; Jesus never changes and God never changes.
2.	Jesus displayed the Father’s heart toward hurting people.
E.	God’s motivation brings healing.
1.	The multitudes (Matthew 14:13-14): compassion
2.	Two blind men (Matthew 20:29-34): compassion
3.	The man with leprosy (Mark 1:40-42): compassion
4.	The demon-possessed man (Mark 5:18-20): compassion
5.	Raising the dead (Luke 7:11-15): compassion
F.	Compassion for others (Philippians 2:25-27)
1.	Epaphroditus
2.	Paul
3.	Job (James 5:11)
a.	Job is one of the greatest books to inspire healing.
i.	The Job ordeal lasted, at the longest (according to most scholars), nine months.
ii.	Job’s final ending is that God was full of tender mercies.
iii.	God healed Job and that is what is most important.
b.	God’s mercy will be extended to all believers as it was to Job (James 5:14-15).
II.	KEY TO RECEIVING GOD’S MERCY
A.	Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52)
1.	He cried out to Jesus, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark 10:47)
2.	Though the crowd told him to be quiet, he kept crying out to Jesus.
3.	This man had faith in the mercy of Jesus.
4.	God’s mercy is received by faith.
B.	Believing in God’s love (1 John 4:16-18)
•	We need to have faith in God’s love.
C.	Merciful high priest (Hebrews 2:17)
•	Jesus is the merciful high priest.
D.	Come boldly to the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:14-16).
•	We must come to Jesus boldly, in faith, like Bartimaeus.
GROUP DISCUSSION
1.	What prompts God in healing people? 
2.	Has God’s attitude changed today? 
3.	What must we do to receive God’s mercy today? 
4.	Pray that everyone in your group would understand and remember God’s mercy in healing and would receive it into their lives daily.
SELF-STUDY
1.	Read Psalms 103:3-4 and list the four benefits that we should praise the Lord for in our lives.
2.	Why did Jesus heal the following people in the Gospels?
a.	Matthew 14:13-14
b.	Matthew 20:29-34
c.	Mark 1:40-42
d.	Mark 5:15-20
e.	Luke 7:11-13
3.	Do you know anyone who is sick and needs healing? Pray for God’s mercy and apply this lesson to the person’s situation.