Christmas Advent Bible Reading Plan: Jesus Is BornSample

To Be the Lamb of God

In Luke 5:17–25, we see some men lowering a paralysed friend into the room where Jesus was teaching because they couldn’t get to Him through the crowds. They carried their friend to Jesus because they knew Jesus could heal him. And He did heal the man’s body. But first, He did an even greater miracle and forgave the man’s sins, proving He wasn’t just a powerful healer, but God Himself. Jesus can heal our hurt because Jesus is God. Jesus can restore our souls because He is God.

Sometimes we are the sick man on the mat. Sometimes we’re one of the helpful friends on the roof. But at all times, we are the needy and the broken—and Jesus is always the answer. We are broken people helping broken people to the feet of the Healer. And as the prophet Isaiah said, “We are healed by His wounds” (Isaiah 53:5).

We have hope for healing because Jesus, God in the flesh, allowed Himself to be wounded. While we are still limping through this life, we’ve also been made new by His Spirit. This means we can help others with their limp and wounds find the only one who can truly help them. Isn’t that beautiful?

Also beautiful is the truth that one day, our souls will be safe, and our bodies will be healed forever—God is that powerful, gracious, and loving. We have, in our future, a day that will rival the first Christmas morning itself, when we will be completely healed, both physically and emotionally. Eden will be restored. Hurting, helping, and hoping will end because God’s family will be healed and whole—” healed by His wounds.” Let heaven and nature sing.

Prayer

God, thank You for being my Healer in every circumstance. I bring the areas where I need Your restoration to Your feet and pray that You would continue to use me to bring healing to those in my world. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.