"Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know."
Acts 2:22 (NIV)
A person thinking quickly over the life of the Lord could say physical first, spiritual second. It is true that during the three years of Jesus' ministry, He healed countless numbers of people from physical ailments. He basically outlawed sickness from His presence. Many of the gospel accounts seem to indicate that this happened regardless of the level of faith in the individuals. However, the account of the healing of the paralyzed man, makes it clear that our Lord healed physical ailments as a demonstration of His authority and ability to heal spiritually, through the forgiveness of sins.
Peter declares in his sermon at Pentecost that Jesus was accredited to us by God through these acts of physical healing; accredited as the Christ - the One through whom we can be forgiven. The Lord's primary concern was that we would be able to enter His kingdom through the forgiveness of our sins. His acts of healing, including the delivery from demons and bringing dead people back to life, serve as a window or a glimpse into the blessed state of the kingdom that we will enter one day because we have found forgiveness of our sins and new life in Christ Jesus. All disease, oppression, decay and death come from sin, and will only be dealt with after sin is removed. Spiritual first. Physical second.
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