These healings reveal Jesus’ compassion for suffering mankind. Matthew 14:14 “…He saw a large crowd, and felt compassion for them and healed their sick.” Again, when Jesus healed two blind men, He was “moved with compassion. Jesus touched their eyes and immediately they regained their sight and followed him.” Jesus was moved by man’s suffering.
Yet, there is a deeper purpose to these healings. Jesus’ miracles fulfilled Old Testament prophecies regarding the Messiah, thus proving who He was. Matthew 8:16-17, “When evening came they brought to him many who were demon-possessed and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, ‘He himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.’” (Isaiah 53:4.) In addition, these healings attracted attention to Jesus’ message of “good news”. As He traveled from town to town, word of the miracles spread, and more and more people came to hear Him speak.
Perhaps most exciting of all, these healings pointed to a greater future work, that could not be accomplished until the Father’s due time. Jesus said in John 14:12, “Truly, truly, 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 the Father.”
These works will take place during the time when God establishes His kingdom on earth. This is the kingdom that Jesus taught us to pray for “thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. At that time “all that are in their graves will hear his (Christ’s) voice and will come forth…” John 5:28 Then, these “greater works” will take place.
Christ’s healing of mankind will be complete. The physical body will be restored to perfection as well as man’s mental and moral blindness. Isaiah 35:5,6 describes this as a time “when the eyes of the blind will be opened and the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy”. Further on in the 10th verse, we are told, “and the ransomed of the Lord will return and come with joyful shouting to Zion with everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.” This is the will of God.
