That evening they brought to him many who were oppressed by demons, and he cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah: “He took our illnesses and bore our diseases.” (Mathew 8: 16-17)

What does it mean when the Bible says,“He took our illnesses and bore our diseases”? Does it mean that we will be free from our sicknesses the moment we decide to follow Jesus?  

Obviously not, because that would mean that we wouldn’t be able to find a single Christian affected by sickness, and we know that’s not true.  Or even worse, it would mean that if we are sick it is because we have not been truly saved.  Besides, we would be a group of people with a supernatural capacity for health, immune to all diseases, and by treating us differently, God would cease to be impartial. 

What these words mean is that Jesus did what he was supposed to do– heal people from physical and spiritual diseases, as a sign of what He will finally do for us–free us from sin, pain, and death through His sacrifice.  

How do I know this? The Hebrew words for “illnesses” and “diseases” in Matthew, as well as the correspondent Greek words in Isaiah, all signify not only physical diseases but spiritual ones as well, which indicates that God had in mind more than our physical well-being when He inspired these words.

By healing the people of Israel Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy, demonstrating that He is the Messiah sent by God, but that doesn’t mean that if we follow Him He promises us perfect health.  

“He took our illnesses and bore our diseases” is not a warranty of good health, but rather a powerful proof that the One in whom we have believed is indeed the True God and the eternal life…

I am a Christian. My passion is to know the Lord, and help others to understand His character and will. Read one of my blogs at: onetruthonegod.wordpress.com