The Nature, Character, and Will of God

Jesus showed us the true nature, character, and will of God. He showed us the Father perfectly. The fullness of God dwelt in Jesus.

Colossians 1:19

For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell,

Hebrews 1:3

who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, …

John 14:9

… He who has seen Me has seen the Father; …

Colossians 1:15

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

John 5:19

Then Jesus answered and said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He does, the Son also does in like manner.

John 14:10

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works.

John 6:38

For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

Jesus never put sickness on anyone. He never told someone that they needed to suffer a little longer in order to learn a lesson. He never said to anyone that they first needed to remove a sin from their life before He would heal them. In fact, Jesus first healed and only then said, “sin no more” (John 5:14, John 8:11). Jesus healed. He removed sicknesses, diseases, and infirmities.

Within the Gospel of Matthew alone, there are several accounts of Jesus healing multitudes of people.

Matthew 4:23-24

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

Matthew 8:16

When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick,

Matthew 9:35

Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matthew 12:15

But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there. And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all.

Matthew 14:14

And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.

Matthew 15:30

Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ feet, and He healed them.

Notice how in Matthew 15:30, Jesus healed the “maimed”. Even those suffering from ‘man-made’ issues received healing from Christ.

Luke 22:50-51

And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear.

But Jesus answered and said, “Permit even this.” And He touched his ear and healed him.

Typically, no one really questions God’s ability to heal. They doubt His willingness to heal. In Mark 1:40-42, when the willingness of God to heal came up specifically, Jesus replied with the words, “I am willing”:

Mark 1:40-42

Jesus Cleanses a Leper:

Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.”Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.

Matthew 8:5-8

Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant:

Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralysed, dreadfully tormented.”

And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.

Notice how Jesus said He would come heal the servant before the centurion could even really ask Jesus to do so. It seems Jesus may have even interrupted the centurion as he had clearly not finished saying what he wanted to say to Jesus. This further illustrates Jesus’ willingness, even eagerness, to heal.

Jesus shows no partiality; He is the same past, present, and forever. If He had compassion on one, He has compassion on all. If He willed to heal one person, He wills to heal everyone.

Acts 10:34

Then Peter opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.

Romans 2:11

For there is no partiality with God.

Malachi 3:6

“For I am the Lord, I do not change;
Therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.

Hebrews 13:8

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

James 1:17

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

We don’t have to beg God to heal. He wants us walking in health.

3 John 2

Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

The life of Jesus shows us that it is always God’s will for us to be healed and healthy, regardless of the cause behind the sickness, disease, or infirmity. In fact, the Bible teaches that Jesus, through His redemptive work, provided divine healing and health to all born-again believers. Scripture reveals that it is God’s will for everyone to experience and live in this truth (1 Timothy 2:3-4, Titus 2:11, 2 Peter 3:9), but not everyone does so (Matthew 7:13-14, Luke 13:23-24).

It is the goodness of God that draws men to repentance (Romans 2:4). And His love and goodness are so abundant that even those who have rejected Him have access to divine healing (Mark 16:17-18, John 14:12).

Bible Study:

Divine Healing was Provided through the Redemptive Work of Jesus Christ

The Great Commission

Matthew 28:16-20

Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Jesus told His disciples to go and “make disciples of all the nations” and that those they teach are to keep all His commandments. What were His commandments? For one, Jesus said to do to others as you want them to do to you (Luke 6:31). If you were sick, you would want to be well. Therefore, as a disciple of Christ, when you see someone sick, minister healing to them in the Name of Jesus.

When Jesus earlier sent out the twelve (Matthew 10:5-15) and then later the seventy (Luke 10:1-12), He instructed both groups to heal the sick.

Matthew 10:7-8

And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.

Luke 10:8-9

Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’

Through both word and deed (by the example He set) Jesus commanded His disciples to heal the sick. This is further clarified in Mark’s version of the Great Commission:

Mark 16:14-18

Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

Furthermore, Jesus’ words and commandments in the Great Commission align with what He said in John 14:12. Everything Jesus said was true. He would therefore only have begun this statement with the words, “Most assuredly”, if He knew that some people would struggle to believe what He was about to say.

John 14:12

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.

Jesus commanded His disciples to go out and “make disciples of all the nations”, and that these new disciples are also to keep all His commandments. Among other things, these commandments included to make new disciples and to heal the sick. Therefore, right up until this present day, these commandments are still relevant. Today, we as the disciples of Jesus, are to continue to keep His commandments, which include to make new disciples and heal the sick.

Conclusion

If it were not true that God always desires healing for His children and that Jesus has already paid the price for it, why would so many miraculous healings occur through ministries that boldly proclaim these truths? Why does God repeatedly confirm their message with signs, wonders, and miracles? Scripture makes it clear that God works through those who preach His Word in faith, validating their message with demonstrations of His power.

Mark 16:20

And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

1 Corinthians 2:4-5

And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 4:19-20

But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.

Galatians 3:5

Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?—

1 Thessalonians 1:5

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.

Hebrews 2:3-4

how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

Jesus suffered greatly in order for us to be blessed and saved.

Mark 15:16-20

Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.

Luke 22:63-65

Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?” And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

John 19:1

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.

Isaiah 52:14 (NLT)

But many were amazed when they saw him.
His face was so disfigured he seemed hardly human,
and from his appearance, one would scarcely know he was a man.

God Wants You Well

The Nature, Character, and Will of God