Jesus, the Son of God, has power and authority over all of creation. Over both the personal (spirits/demons) and impersonal (sickness/disease/death). Our passages today give us a glimpse of Jesus’ power and authority through miracles He performed during His earthly ministry.
In Luke 4:38-41, Jesus enters Peter’s house and heals his mother-in-law who is sick with a “high” fever. Jesus uses His power and authority to miraculously heal her, “rebuking” the fever (impersonal). “Immediately” her fever vanishes and she begins to serve them. — I don’t know about you, but a normal fever usually takes me several days of recovery, and yet instantly this women is back in action. That evening Jesus begins healing all those suffering in the town, laying His hands on them, healing the sick, and drawing out demons (personal) while they proclaim His lordship.
In Luke 8:51-56, Jesus uses His power and authority to bring Jairus’ daughter back to life — Interestingly, only Peter, John, and James are allowed to experience this resurrection miracle, this select group is also singled out during the Transfiguration (Matt 17:1, Mark 9:2, Luke 9:28) and Gethsemane (Matt 26:37, Mark 14:33) — All those around Jairus’ daughter were acknowledging her death through their actions, weeping and morning, and mocking Jesus for saying she was only sleeping (8:52-53). Jesus, through His power, commands her to rise, and “her spirit returned” bringing her back to life (8:55).
And just like these sick, demon possessed, and dead, we too desperately need miraculous healing. We are sick, dead in our trespasses and sins. But Jesus, the perfect sinless one, takes our place enduring the just penalty of our sin, the wrath of God and through this substitution makes us alive, healing us from our ultimate illness, and uniting us back to God. Let us praise our Great Physician!
