The following “Question” was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and “Answered” by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by Anjela Paje of Spokane, WA, from the tape, GC 70-24, titled “Questions and Answers Part 52.” A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE. ©2003. All Rights Reserved.
Questioner
In Matthew 8:17, in the context of Jesus’ healing ministry, it says, “In order
that what was spoken through Isaiah, the prophet, might be fulfilled, saying, He
Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.” Now, I understand
that’s supposed to be a quotation of Isaiah 53, like around 4, 5, and 6, if I’m
correct. But, when I read that, it says, “ He was pierced through for our
transgressions and He was crushed for our iniquities.” Now, when I read it in
the context of His healing ministry, I think, it’s talking about physical
sickness and disease. When I read the Isaiah 53 passage, it seems to be
spiritual sin. That seems to be the context. And, usually, when I find the Old
Testament quoted in the New Testament, it’s usually dead-on. It doesn’t seem to
be the case in this situation.
John MacArthur's Answer
Well, let me just put a little corrective in there. When you do find New
Testament writers quoting the Old Testament, there often is a significant
variation. Very often, there is a significant variation. For example, “Out of
Egypt have I called my son.” It says that when Jesus came out of Egypt after
having been taken there to avoid death from Herod. The prophecy was, “This is
that which was written by the prophet, “Out of Egypt, how I called my son.”
Well, there’s no way, in reading the prophecy in the Old Testament you would
ever conclude that the comment there, referring to the exodus of Israel out of
Egypt, had anything to do with a Messiah coming hundreds of years later who
would be taken out of Egypt and brought back to the land of Israel. So, the New
Testament writers do exercise inspired authority over the interpretation and
application. I think the truth was inherent in the Old Testament text. I think
the intention of God was there, but I don’t think there would be any way to
understand the fullness of that intention without what the New Testament says.
You would never know, “Out of Egypt have I called my Son,” was a reference to
the Messiah, until that’s what happened, and then, you say, “wow, there it was!”
But, the Old Testament writer might be looking at that in the terms of 1 Peter
searching to see what it was really meaning because he had no way to understand
that.
So, when you come to Isaiah 53, and you read, “He took our infirmities, and He bore our sicknesses,” we understand that the context of Isaiah 53 is talking about our sins, our iniquities because the rest of the verses all refer to that. But, when you get to the New Testament, and Jesus begins to do His healing ministry, you have previews of coming attractions in that, because now the text and all the while was intended to mean that, but now the text is expanded in its interpretation to cover not only our sins, but our physical healing.
I hasten to add, you believe that in the atonement you receive physical
healing. We all do. It’s not now that we receive that. It’s at our
glorification. And, what Jesus was demonstrating in His miracle power was that
He not only had power over the souls of men, He had power over the bodies of
men. And, that He is the one who can not only give eternal life to the soul, but
He can give eternal life to the body, as demonstrated by His power over all that
deforms and debilitates and destroys the physical.
Questioner
So, you would disagree with the claims of some in the faith healing
movement that when Jesus died on the cross, it was for our sickness in this
life?
John MacArthur's Answer
That’s obviously not true. That’s obviously not true because all those people
who believe that die. All of them. Unless they live to the rapture, they all
die. So, if there was physical healing in the atonement, then it was an
incomplete atonement. And, they’ve got a problem. If you tell me there was
physical healing in the atonement, and that the atonement was designed to heal
my diseases, I’m having a hard time with that one because I’m not, I’m not
getting the healing. And, I’m getting older. And, I’m going to die. Now, if
that’s how it is with the promise of my physical healing, where is my hope for
the promise of my spiritual healing? Is that the same thing? Once you start
defining the work of the atonement in temporal terms, you have a problem,
because, even now, I am saved, I am righteous by virtue of the imputed
righteousness of Jesus Christ, but I’m certainly not what I’m going to be. This
isn’t it. I am not now what He died to make me. Is that right? Either
spiritually or physically. And, we all stumble through life and, as we heard in
the testimonies, battling with the flesh, and battling with illness, and
disease, and all those kinds of things. And the atonement was designed for our
ultimate glory, and our souls’ ultimate glorification as well as a glorified
body like the resurrection body of Jesus Christ. In that sense, our ultimate,
final healing is in the atonement, and Jesus was giving it, you know, widespread
demonstration of the fact that He had the power over that realm just as He had
power over the spiritual realm and the souls of men.
Questioner
Right. So one of their favorites is, "By His stripes, you are healed." That’s
ultimately sin.
John MacArthur's Answer
Yes. You’ll never be healed physically by being given the glorified body of
Christ, like Christ unless you’ve been healed of your sin. Right? I mean, you’re
not going to enter into the glories of heavenly perfection unless your sins have
been dealt with. So, you are, first of all, healed from the disease of sin, but,
you also understand, we’ve been healed of sin, but we’re all dying from it. Is
that not true? I have been forgiven all my sin and I know that. I have been
delivered from the power of sin, from it’s ability, I’ve been delivered from the
penalty of sin, its ability to control my life, and, yet, I’m dying from the
effect of sin. I could say it the same in the physical. I have been given a
healing. Physically, I will, one day, be perfect in a glorified body, and yet my
body is still dying, until I get to that other world and realize the full
significance of His atoning work.
Added to Bible Bulletin Board's “MacArthur's Questions and
Answers” by:
Tony Capoccia
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