His answer was, Ought not this woman,
whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eight-
een years, to have been loosed from this
bond on the day of the Sabbath?

He made it clear that Satan was the cause
of the infirmity that had bound her body.

Jesus' position regarding disease is seen in
Luke 13:10-17
"And he was teaching in one of the synago-
gues on the sabbath.
And, behold, there was a woman which had
a spirit
of
infirmity
eighteen
years,
and was
bowed
together,
and could
in no wise
lift up
herself.








And when Jesus saw her, he called her to
him, and said unto her, Woman, thou art
loosed from thine infirmity.
And he laid his hands on her: and immed-
iately she was made straight, and glorified
God.
And the ruler of the synagogue answered
with indignation, because that Jesus had
healed on the sabbath day, and said unto
the people, There are six days in which men
ought to work: in them therefore come and
be healed, and not on the sabbath day.
The Lord then answered him, and said,
Thou hypocrite, doth not each one of you
on the sabbath loose his ox or his ass from
the stall, and lead him away to watering?
And ought not this woman, being a
daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath
bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed
from this bond on the sabbath day?
And when he had said these things, all his
adversaries were ashamed: and all the
people rejoiced for all the glorious things
that were done by him."
Luke 13:10-17

Christ's ministry proclaimed healings and
blessings to the physical part of man's nature,
as well as to the spiritual.

If sickness and disease was in God's plan,
then Jesus' ministry would have been contrary
to the Father's will.

He was the Father's will revealed to man!

He revealed that it was the Father's will to break
the power of sickness and disease over man's
body and set him free from pain and suffering.

Healing had a major place in Jesus' ministry.
Throughout His ministry He delivered all
those who were oppressed by Satan.

These deliverances included the healing of
their physical bodies.

If disease didn't come from Satan, it must
have had a place in God's plan for man.
But Matthew 8:16-17 says:
"When the even was come, they brought
unto him many that were possessed with
devils: and he cast out the spirits with his
word, and healed all that were sick:
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken
by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took
our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses."

And Mark 1:32-34:
"And at even, when the sun did set, they
brought unto him all that were diseased,
and them that were possessed with devils.
And all the city was gathered together at
the door.
And he healed many that were sick of
divers diseases, and cast out many devils;
and suffered not the devils to speak,
because they knew him. "

God looks upon disease as He looks upon sin.

Christ came to reveal the Father/God, to make
known His attitude toward man. By following
the life of Jesus Christ we learn God's attitude
towards sickness and disease.

Jesus went about doing good and healing all
who were oppression of the Devil. It was God's
will because Jesus came to do the will of the
Father!

Healing is a part of man's Atonement (his
Redemption) in Christ.

Healing belongs to every child of God.

There is no need to question if it God's will
to be healed. It is in the Atonement!

It is God's will.

When we ask God to save our souls, it is
no greater a miracle than when we ask Him
to heal our bodies, or to answer any request,
no matter how big or small it might be.

An act of healing where God comes into
immediate contact with man's physical
body is just as much a miracle as the New
Birth, where God comes into immediate
contact with the spirit of man, giving to
him His own nature.

Whenever God comes into immediate
contact with men a miracle takes place.

Every answer to prayer, regardless of its
importance, and every New Birth is a
miracle!

A miracle, according to Webster, is an act
or happening in the material or physical
sphere that apparently departs from the laws
of nature or goes beyond what is known
concerning these laws.

It is really an intervention of God into the
realm of natural laws, or the realm of human
activity. It is God coming upon the scene.

Healing for the body is a legal right of every
child of God, and he receives healing for his
physical body on the same grounds that he
receives forgiveness of sin for his spirit!

More words of healing . . . .

In Mark 11:24, Jesus tells us exactly what
He requires for us to receive any of His
blessings and promises. "What things
soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe
that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.

We are to believe we receive when we pray,
then we shall have them!

God's word, to each of us, concerning our
healing is just as clear and definite as it was
to each of those He healed in the Bible.

"For we are made partakers. . . .if we hold
the beginning of our confidence steadfast
to the end" Hebrews 3:14

Hebrews 10:35-36, God says to all whose
faith is based on His Word, "Cast not
therefore away your confidence, which
hath great recompense of reward, for ye
have need of patience that, after ye have
done the will of God, ye might receive the
promise."

"Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but
the LORD delivers him out of them all."
Psalm 34:19

Not just some but all!

If we put our faith in how we feel or how we
are getting better rather than on the Word
of God, then as our faith is, it will be unto us.