Jesus Coming as Spiritual Doctor
2000 years ago when Jesus came to this earth, he healed the diseases of people of the time as part of the fulfillment of the prophecies of the bible.
Matthew 4:23 Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.
Jesus, however, was not just healing the physical diseases, but according to the prophecies of Isaiah he was to “come to save his people”. (Isa 35:4) According to this prophecy, Jesus was to appear for the salvation of the people of God. While healing the diseases of people, actually he was healing the spiritual diseases of the people, that is, their sins and iniquities to make them clean and holy again so that they can become the holy people of God again. (Lk5:21, Lk7:47) In this respect, we can say that mainly Jesus came to this earth as spiritual doctor to save his people from the terminal disease that is “sin” and “death”.
Matthew 9:12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. 13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Spiritual Diseases and Patients
Spiritual Disease: Sins and Death
Then what is the spiritual diseases Jesus wanted to heal? Physically, diseases cause illness and weakness, and they lead people to death in the end. Spiritually, it is the same. The spiritual disease is the one that leads people to death. Then spiritually what is the disease that leads us to death? What is the disease that Jesus wanted to heal to save us from death and destruction?
Ezekiel 18:4 For everyone belongs to me, the parent as well as the child—both alike belong to me. The one who sins is the one who will die.
James 1:15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Spiritual Patients: All Minkind
Throughout the bible, it testifies that the cause of death is the sin; and thus we can conclude that sin is the main diseases that leads us to death. Then who are the patients who have this disease on this earth? Is there anyone who is free from sins and death? Is there anyone who is righteous on this earth?
Psalm 14:1 The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. 2 The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. 3 All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.
And Apostle Paul also testifies that we who are living on this earth are all sinners:
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—
Nobody lives forever on this earth. Just as the writer of Psalms says our life on this earth 70 or-if in good condition-80 years. And the span of life is fed up with agonies and sorrows and ends up with death. Everyone on this earth is under this destiny and therefore we can say that spiritually we are all sinners destined to die.
How to Cure the Disease?
Freed from the Death Penalty through Christ’s Sacrifice
Now the question is “how can we cure the disease of sins and live?” Even though we are sinners who are destined to die, the bible says that Jesus Christ came to save us.
Hebrews 2:14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— 15 and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.
Because of our sins, we all are under the slavery of death. However, Jesus came and through his sacrifice on the cross he cancelled our sins and gave us the forgiveness of sins. And through the forgiveness of sins, he set us free from the death and gave us the blessings of eternal life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Even though once we were destined to die because of our sins, by the grace of God we can have eternal life or “life without death” by having faith in Jesus Christ.
Spiritual Panacea: Passover
True Faith That Give Us Salvation
To the wretched sinners who are crying out in agony as Paul said, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?”, Jesus came down to this earth in the flesh to give us forgiveness of sins. If we believe in the words of God in the bible, anybody would agree with what I have said up until now.
Now we have to ask the biggest question of all. That is, how can we receive the blessings of forgiveness and eternal life promised in Jesus Christ? Many will say that by simply having the faith in Jesus we can receive those blessings? But the problem is that the faith is not that easy to define. The bible says that there are different faiths: good and bad. James says, “In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead”. (Jas2:14) Jesus also taught that there are people who are not to be saved even though they have faith in him.
Matthew 7:21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
Both of the verses clearly says that we should “DO” something to show our faith and “action” is the most important thing in the true faith. Then what is “action” or “the will of God” that we should do to show our faith in God and in Jesus?
The Will of God for the Forgiveness of Sins
Then what is the will of God that we should “do” through our action or deed to receive the forgiveness for our sins?
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.
The bible teaches that we can receive the forgiveness of sins through the blood of Christ. And also the bible teaches us that we should participate in the blood of Christ.
1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Forgiveness through the Passover
Paul teaches that we have to participate in the blood of Christ through our action. Then what is the cup that we must drink to participate in the blood of Christ? That is the Passover.
Luke 22:14 When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. 15 And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. …. 19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.
Through the Passover we can participate in the blood of Christ and by participating in the blood of Christ we can receive the promise of God the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.
Matthew 26:26 While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” 27 Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
Also Apostle John teaches that we can receive the promise of eternal life through the Passover.
John 6:53 Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
Conclusion
Jesus who came to this earth as spiritual doctor taught that we have to do the will of God by keeping the Passover to receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Now we have to know what the truth faith in Christ as believers of God and Jesus is. Do we have faith in God by claiming that we do or if we do have faith in God isn’t it right thing to show our faith through our action?
In our time, the Church of God keeps the Passover of the new covenant according to the will of God. We as believers of God and the bible should join the Church of God and keep the Passover. And then we can receive the promise of God the forgiveness of sins and eternal life.