A lot of people wonder about this question, especially in relation to terminal diseases like cancer. “Cure” is one of the most important words in medicine, because it means a disease is gone and unlikely to return. That is why doctors are often reluctant to use the word in this context, because it carries so much weight and emotion.
Jesus did many miracles during his ministry, including healing the blind, mute and deaf. He also raised the dead. His miracles were not always what people wanted though. For example when a woman brought her daughter with epilepsy to Jesus for healing He waited three days before He healed her. The reason was that He didn’t want her to be cured without evidence of her faith. He wanted her to plead her case and show how strong her faith was.
Another example of this was when Herod came to see Jesus. He hoped that Jesus would give him a sign because of what he had heard about Him. But Jesus refused to perform a miracle just for Herod because He had other things to do; to preach the message that God’s kingdom has arrived.
It’s interesting to note that the same thing happened at Jesus’ hometown. He did a few healings but was unable to perform great miracles because of the lack of faith of the people there (Mark 6:5). This was not a failure on Jesus’ part, because it is clear that God had him preach the gospel to an unreceptive audience to make sure that they understood who He really was.
Who Did Jesus Pray For That His Faith Fail Not?
The Bible teaches us that Jesus was a man of prayer. He spent time every day in prayer, and He also prayed before important events. His prayers were filled with praise, thanksgiving, and submission to His heavenly Father.
He also prayed when He faced difficult trials, such as the denial of Peter (Luke 22:32). And He prayed on the night He was arrested, anticipating His death and resurrection. Jesus’s prayers were a constant companion as He lived and worked among His disciples.
In the garden where He was about to be betrayed, Jesus knew His time on earth was close to an end. He was about to face a severe trial that would result in His death. He was about to be separated from the Father forever. So He prayed for Himself, His disciples, and all believers who would ever believe. This prayer, known as the high priestly prayer in John 17, is one of the most profound in all the Bible.
The most significant part of this prayer is that Jesus prayed for Peter’s faith not to fail. Some have assumed that Christ prayed for all of His disciples’ faiths not to fail, including those who would come after them in the future church age. However, this is not supported by the text. The verb used is in the aorist tense, meaning that Christ had already interceded for Peter in this matter and was not still praying on his behalf.
Did Jesus Fail?
For most people of Jesus’ day, His ministry looked like a failure. He had only 12 disciples in His primary congregation. They’d lived with him constantly for three years, yet not one had really grasped what He was trying to teach them. And when His message was eventually put to the test, it was met with rejection and ultimately death on the cross.
What’s more, He was also a political revolutionary who opposed the Roman occupation of Israel and spoke out against their treatment of the Jewish people. And because of this, He was viewed as a threat to their power and wealth. They didn’t want to be caught with their hands in the cookie jar and were looking for a way to get rid of Him, even if it meant that they’d have to kill him.
It’s important to understand that although the Jews and their leaders saw Jesus as a failure, this was never God’s plan for His life. In fact, He was never meant to lead a political revolution against the Romans. He was actually meant to be the sacrificial Lamb that was sacrificed for the sins of the world.
This is why Peter was so adamant in rebuking Jesus when He told him that the Messiah had to suffer and die. To Peter, that was a failure of the highest order. But to God, it was the fulfillment of the whole Scripture.
What Was the Penalty For Failing to Register for the Roman Census in Jesus Time?
In Roman law, when residents were required to list themselves for a census, they had to go to their own present homes so that their people and possessions could be assessed. This was a way for Rome to know how many residents it had available to tax, and also a way to make sure that everyone was paying their taxes. Joseph and Mary were required to go to Bethlehem because this was the home of David.
The family of King David was known to be careful about preserving the history and traditions of their ancestors. Certainly they would have been aware of the story of King David’s sinful census, which was a very important lesson to them about the morality of censuses. But they likely also understood that Caesar’s census was entirely different than David’s.
It was not for personal gain, nor even for the purposes of taxation. It was, in fact, a political calculation by Caesar to show off his control over a conquered people group.
Josephus is a little unclear about this, but the best solution seems to be that Josephus simply confused dates and that he was mistaken about when the census was held. The edict that required all to be listed should have been dated somewhere in the spring or summer of 3 BC. This is consistent with the evidence that Quirinius arrived in Judea around this time to initiate the census that triggered Judas’ rebellion.
Did Pope Francis Say Jesus Fail on the Cross?
While many have taken the pope’s Palm Sunday homily to mean that Jesus was a failure, he wasn’t. He used the qualifier “humanly speaking” to clarify that from a human perspective, it might look like He failed, but from God’s, He fulfilled His destiny.
He also pointed out that “failure” was woven throughout the history of salvation, from Abel’s death to the crucifixion, as God tried to bring people into his love and truth. This was because God’s plan of salvation was bigger than any one human being could understand, and therefore it had to be tested and enlarged in order to succeed.
In the case of Jesus, He had to die in order to open up a new path of grace for all humanity. This is why he said, “He broke himself, his own life, his own flesh, so that we might have life.”
He went on to explain that the Eucharist reveals to us that God wants us not just to take in what He has given us, but to give ourselves in return, so that His gifts might multiply. He also emphasized that this is why it’s so important for Christians to spend time in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
During his sermon, the pope also talked about how reading the Bible with prisoners or a rehabilitation group can be powerful experiences because it allows those people to realize that they are still blessed, even if they’ve committed serious mistakes. This is because their heavenly Father continues to desire their good, and they are always children in His sight.
Who Did Jesus Pray For That His Faith Fail Not?
Jesus prayed frequently and at important moments. He prayed before feeding the multitudes; He prayed at the baptism of John and before choosing His twelve disciples; and He prayed on the mountain before His transfiguration. He even fasted for 40 days, and as anyone who has ever missed a meal can tell you, hunger makes you vulnerable to temptation. But Jesus stood firm on Scripture to remind Satan that “man does not live by bread alone,” and Satan left him (Matthew 4:1-4).
It was during this time of fasting and vulnerability that the Lord prayed for Peter. He knew that Peter was in danger of losing his faith, and he wanted to keep him from doing so. Earlier in the Gospels, we have seen that Jesus praised Peter for his faith and encouraged him to lead the church after He was gone (Luke 10:21). It is this sense of responsibility for the church that caused Jesus to pray that Peter’s faith would not fail.
Jesus also prayed for all of His followers in the prayer recorded in John 17. He pleaded with God to protect them, to keep them from the evil one, and to be united as believers. This is a beautiful example of the love that the Father has for His children, and it helps us to understand why we should pray in similar ways for our own followers today.
Miracles of the Apostles
After Christ rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, His apostles traveled around preaching the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. Along the way they performed numerous renowned miracles of healing to bolster faith and demonstrate God’s power. We have collected many of these accounts from the Book of Acts to use for Bible study and as inspiration for our own faith.
The apostles were granted the authority to heal people by Jesus, a command that would have them “rebuke and command diseases and infirmities to cease in the name of Jesus, and to heal every kind of sickness and all kinds of afflictions” (Matthew 10:1). We see these miracles acted out throughout the book of Acts as the disciples preach their message and seek to establish the church.
We are also told that the Spirit bestowed gifts of healing upon certain members of the early church community, including the 12 Disciples and Paul. In fact, Acts describes the new Christian community that was emerging after the descent of the Holy Spirit as one of “awe, because great signs and wonders were being done by the apostles” (2:43).
Apparently some people misinterpreted these passages, however, and came to believe that only apostles could cure or work miracles. This led to a distorted understanding of the Bible and even of God’s nature. As we have discussed previously on this website, it is very important for Christians to understand that just because the apostles had miraculous powers does not mean that they healed everyone or anything. They were given these abilities to show people that a message from Jesus had come to them and that their faith was real.
Why Did Jesus Cure People?
The Gospels are full of stories of Jesus healing people. Why did he do this? There are three main reasons.
1. He wanted to prove that he had power.
Sometimes Jesus healed through a word, and sometimes with a touch, but always He was showing that His power dwarfs any sickness we might be facing. This was a crucial part of His ministry to show that He was more than just a man, but the God-man.
2. He healed to bring them salvation.
The healing miracles were a key part of Jesus’ ministry and the Bible says that he healed them to save them. He said to the woman who was hemorrhaging, “your faith has saved you” (Luke 8:48). He also told Jairus whose daughter had just died that “he is the one who will save her” (Mark 11:25). When people saw Jesus heal they knew that if they trusted in him they would be saved.
3. He was fulfilling Old Testament prophecy.
One of the most important reasons for Jesus’ healing was to fulfill prophecies in the Old Testament about a Messiah who would bring healing, freedom from sin, and light to a dark world. Jesus was the Messiah, and when He healed people it demonstrated that He had the authority to forgive their sins and give them eternal life. This meant that He could also forgive them of any sickness they had. He also fulfilled the Messianic prophecies about bringing sight to the blind and freedom for prisoners.
Who Was the First Person That Jesus Cures?
When Jesus healed the centurion’s servant, it was his first miracle and it was very significant. He realised that, in order for people to follow him, he needed to demonstrate that he had authority over sickness and disease. He also knew that this was the way to get people talking about him.
This was a powerful and symbolic miracle, demonstrating that all people were of equal worth to Jesus. He had only just started his ministry and he knew that this would help him gather followers. It also showed that he could use his power over nature to do something that was considered unclean on the Sabbath.
The healing of the blind man was one of the most important miracles that Jesus performed. It is recorded in all of the Gospels. It was very significant because it was the first time that Jesus had shown His healing power to anyone other than his own family. It also showed that He had the power to forgive sins, which was another hugely important point for His followers.
The story of the blind beggar Bartimaeus shows that Jesus was very compassionate towards those in need. When the crowds told him to be quiet, he didn’t obey them – instead he shouted even louder! He had amazing faith and Jesus responded to his faith by healing him. This was the first time that Jesus used his powers for the benefit of another person, and it made him famous.
How Many People Did Jesus Cure?
Whether or not physical healing stopped after Jesus was crucified, it was still very much part of His ministry. The four Gospels record many instances of Jesus curing the sick. He often did so by touching the sick person, but on three occasions He healed people without even being physically present! This is a clear indication that He is Lord of both space and time.
One of these occasions is recorded in Luke when a woman who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years came to Him asking to be made straight. He did so by laying His hands on her, and she was instantly healed. She glorified God for His goodness. Another occasion is recorded in Matthew when a man whose son had died came to see Jesus. He was told by Jesus that his son would live. He believed Jesus and went home. His servants met him on the way and told him that his son had returned to life.
Throughout the Gospels, we learn that Jesus often healed people by simply touching them. On one occasion He touched Peter’s mother-in-law who had a fever and she was immediately healed (Mark 16:18). He also touched the eyes of two blind men and they were immediately healed. In addition, the four Gospels record a number of instances where people were healed by touching the outer garment which Jesus was wearing. This indicates that Jesus healed by touch on the basis of faith alone.
Did Jesus Fail to Cure Anyone?
The Bible unequivocally teaches that Jesus had the ability to perform miracles. His miraculous powers were prophesied in the Old Testament, astounded his disciples and confounded his enemies. He had divine power to heal infirmity, break laws of nature, change material objects and the demonic world. He even had the power to overcome death itself.
However, it is important to understand the biblical basis for healing and what a cure actually means. Often, doctors and nurses will hesitate to use the word cure because it implies that the disease will never come back. While a cure is a desirable outcome, it is not always possible and many people with incurable diseases lead full, happy lives without ever experiencing a full cure.
In addition, a few instances in the Gospels show that Jesus didn’t heal everyone who needed to be healed. For example, Mark tells us that Jesus was not able to do miracles in his home town because of their lack of faith (Mark 6:5). Jesus often conditions his answers to prayers with the phrase “according to your faith, be it done unto you” (Matthew 9:29; Mark 10:52).
He was not indiscriminately healing everyone all the time because He was focused on meeting the ultimate needs of mankind – forgiveness and salvation – through His preaching and teaching. He did, however, heal those who God willed to be healed. This is demonstrated at the pool of Bethsaida, where multitudes were gathered waiting to be made well by the movement of the waters when an angel stirred them. But Jesus only healed one of the sick — a blind and lame man who had been infirm for thirty-eight years.