Welcome back to the Monday Morning Prophecy. It’s been months since this series went on hiatus for a couple of other longs running series, but now it makes its triumphant return. In this series, we are working through the Old Testament prophecies of the coming Messiah and their New Testament fulfillment. This week marks the end of the prophecies related to the miracles the Messiah would perform during his earthly ministry.
In Isaiah, we read that, amongst other things, the coming Messiah would heal the lame:
Say to those who have an anxious heart, “Be strong; fear not! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God. He will come and save you.” Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy. For waters break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert; [Isaiah 35:4-6 ESV]
The New Testament records numerous instances of the fulfillment of this prophecy. In Matthew we read of the time John the Baptist’s disciples came and questioned Jesus about whether or not he was the Messiah. Jesus’ reply speaks to the miracles he performed:
Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” [Matthew 11:2-6 ESV]
Matthew records at least two other instances of Jesus healing the lame:
And great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and they put them at his feet, and he healed them, [Matthew 15:30 ESV]
And the blind and the lame came to him in the temple, and he healed them. [Matthew 21:14 ESV]
Luke shares the story of a lame woman healed by Jesus on the Sabbath:
Now he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath. And there was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. [Luke 13:10-13 ESV]
John also recounts a story of Jesus healing the lame:
One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?” The sick man answered him, “Sir, I have no one to put me into the pool when the water is stirred up, and while I am going another steps down before me.” Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” And at once the man was healed, and he took up his bed and walked. Now that day was the Sabbath. [John 5:5-9 ESV]
The Old Testament is clear that one of the signs of the coming Messiah would be the miracles he would perform including healing the lame. The New Testament is clear that Jesus fulfilled these prophecies.
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Image courtesy of Abby Reed