Jesus paid the price for us as believers to have our sins forgiven and removed (Hebrews 9:26). He has allowed us to have eternal life (John 3:16), a deep relationship with Himself and God the Father (John 17:3). This text does not seek to minimise the supreme importance of these aspects of Jesus’ sacrifice. The information below focusses on how Redemption relates to healing and health for believers.

According to the Bible, by the “stripes” that Jesus sustained, He paid the price for us to receive divine healing and walk in health.

Isaiah 53:4-5

(4) Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
(5) But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.

Firstly, notice how these verses repeatedly emphasise that Jesus endured everything for us, for our benefit and on our behalf.

In verse 4 the Hebrew word used for “borne” is נָשָׂא (nāśā'). It means to lift, bear, carry, or take away. It conveys the idea of taking on a burden or responsibility for someone else. In this context, it signifies Christ bearing the “griefs” of others, taking them upon himself.

The Hebrew word for “carried" is סָבַל (sāḇal). It means to bear or carry a load. It emphasises the act of bearing or carrying something heavy or burdensome. In this verse, it indicates Christ carrying the “sorrows” of others, enduring them on their behalf.

The Hebrew word behind "griefs" is חֳלִי (ḥŏlî), which typically means sickness or disease. It can also refer to grief or anxiety, thereby encompassing both physical and emotional suffering.

The Hebrew word used for "sorrows" is מַכְאֹב (maḵ'ōḇ), which means pain or sorrow. It can refer to physical pain as well as emotional or mental anguish.

The truth that the meaning of these words (“griefs” and “sorrows”) includes physical suffering is made clear in the following verses:

Matthew 8:16-17

(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, (17) that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“He Himself took our infirmities
And bore our sicknesses.”

Matthew, under the inspiration of God (2 Timothy 3:16), clarified beyond any doubt that Jesus did indeed bear our sicknesses and infirmities, and carried our physical pains. (Matthew 8:16-17 is like God providing commentary and extra clarity on His own Word: Isaiah 53:4-5.)

Jesus did not merely experience our infirmities, sicknesses, and pains; He bore them and took them upon Himself so that we don’t have to. As a result, He “healed all who were sick” in fulfilling Isaiah 53:4.

Investigating the original Greek in Matthew 8:17, the word behind “infirmities” is ἀσθένεια (astheneia), and it essentially means “infirmities” as we define the word today: conditions of physical or mental weakness that impair health or functionality, including those from diseases, injuries, or other factors.

The Greek word behind “sicknesses” is νόσος (nosos), and it refers to sickness and disease as we commonly understand these words today.

Looking at Isaiah 53:5 (“And by His stripes we are healed”), the Hebrew word behind "stripes" is חַבּוּרָה (ḥabûrâ). It specifically refers to the bruises, wounds, stripes, and blows Jesus sustained.

The Hebrew word behind “healed” in Isaiah 53:5 is רָפָא (rāp̄ā'), which means to heal or to make whole. If the intention was to emphasise spiritual healing while excluding physical healing, other Hebrew words could have been used instead. Examples include כָּפַר (kāp̄ar) in Leviticus 16:30, סָלַח (sālaḥ) in Psalm 103:3, or טָהֵר (ṭāhēr) in Psalm 51:7. These alternatives would have focused specifically on spiritual restoration or forgiveness.

Some claim that because Matthew 8:17 states Jesus “fulfilled” the prophecy of Isaiah 53:4-5, physical healing no longer applies today. However, this objection does not hold up to Biblical scrutiny and is not supported by the context of Scripture.

1 Peter 2:24

(24) who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

Well after the events of Matthew 8:16-17, Peter quoted Isaiah 53:5, stating that by the stripes of Jesus they were healed. If healing through Jesus’ redemptive work were no longer relevant or already an accomplished truth, Peter would not have included this in his letter.

The original Greek word behind “healed” in 1 Peter 2:24 is ἰάομαι (iaomai), which means to cure, heal, or make whole. Just like the word “healed” in Isaiah 53:5, its meaning certainly includes physical healing and health.

In Matthew 8:16-17, Jesus did not bring an end to the relevance of Isaiah 53:4-5 in terms of healing. The original Greek word behind “fulfilled” here is πληρόω (plēroō). In this context, it means to “to carry into effect, bring to realisation, realise”. This shows that Jesus’ healing ministry demonstrated and manifested the prophecy of Isaiah, rather than concluding it.

There is a clear connection between Isaiah 53:4-5, Matthew 8:16-17, and 1 Peter 2:24. These Scriptures reveal that through His redemptive work, Jesus paid the price for believers to experience divine healing and health. This truth is further supported by many other Scriptures that highlight the comprehensive nature of Jesus’ sacrifice. Examples include:

Psalm 103:1-5

(1) Bless the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
(2) Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
(3) Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who heals all your diseases,
(4) Who redeems your life from destruction,
Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
(5) Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Luke 4:17-21

(17) And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:

(18) “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed;
(19) To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

(20) Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. (21) And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

James 5:14-16

(14) Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (15) And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (16) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

The Prayer of Faith

The promise of divine healing (and the need for relevant faith) is clearly stated in James 5:14-16. If Jesus did not pay the price for us to be healed and healthy, then God would not have promised that the prayer of faith would heal the sick.

James 5:14-16

(14) Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (15) And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (16) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

In verse 15, the original Greek word translated as “save” is σῴζω (sōzō), which encompasses both physical healing and restoration, as well as spiritual salvation and deliverance. The NIV, a thought-for-thought (as opposed to word-for-word) translation, begins verse 15 with, “And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well…”

Notice the wording of these verses: “Is anyone among you sick?” and “the prayer of faith will save the sick”. Healing and health is a promise of God for all believers.

Conclusion

Jesus suffered greatly in order for us to be saved and have eternal life.

Mark 15:16-20

(16) Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. (17) And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, (18) and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (19) Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. (20) 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

(63) Now the men who held Jesus mocked Him and beat Him. (64) And having blindfolded Him, they struck Him on the face and asked Him, saying, “Prophesy! Who is the one who struck You?” (65) And many other things they blasphemously spoke against Him.

John 19:1

(1) So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him.

Isaiah 52:14 (NLT)

(14) 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.

As has been made clear, Salvation also includes physical healing and health. Many Christians do not believe in and experience this truth. What is even more tragic, is that many actually blame Jesus (or at least hold Him responsible) for sickness, disease, infirmities, and the associated suffering and oppression.

The Word of God is truth. If God’s promises don’t manifest in our lives, instead of questioning God or His Word, we should look at ourselves and earnestly seek to understand what we are missing: What are we doing to cause a disconnect between what we read in the Word and what we experience.

Romans 3:4 (ESV)

(4) By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar…

Scripture is the ultimate authority, and no person’s experience is sufficient to refute what is written in the Word. Let us approach God’s Word with childlike faith, remain humble, and forever seek to deepen our understanding.