We live in a world full of pain.

Some people hurt in their bodies, some hurt in their minds, and some hurt deeply in their souls. Hurt shows up in hospital waiting rooms, counseling offices, and in the silent tears we try to hide from others.

The good news of the gospel is that God has not left us alone in our pain. From the Old Testament to the New, Scripture reveals a God who heals. He is still Jehovah Rapha, “the Lord who heals.” He heals in ways that are physical, emotional, and spiritual. And He often meets us in the middle of our brokenness, leading us on a journey of healing that unfolds as we trust Him step by step.

This message, Healing on the Way Home, explores how God reveals Himself as our healer, how Jesus unites salvation and healing, and what it looks like to walk in expectant faith. The journey isn’t always instant. Sometimes, healing is experienced as we go, on the way home.

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God Reveals Himself as Healer

The first time God revealed Himself as healer was in the book of Exodus. The Israelites had just crossed the Red Sea in a miraculous display of God’s power. Their enemies were defeated, their freedom secured, and their joy overflowing. But only three days later, they faced a new crisis: no water to drink. When they finally found water at Marah, it was bitter and undrinkable. Their joy turned to despair.

It was in that moment that God told Moses to throw a piece of wood into the waters, and the waters became sweet. Right there, God declared to His people, “I am the Lord, your healer” (Exodus 15:26). Jehovah Rapha wasn’t just giving them water; He was revealing His character. He wanted them to know that He wasn’t just a deliverer who could part seas; He was also a healer who could mend bodies, minds, and souls.

This is an important foundation. Healing is not just something God does; it is who He is. His nature is to restore, renew, and make whole. He revealed this truth early in Israel’s journey so that His people would never forget: their healing rests in Him.

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Salvation and Healing Belong Together

As the story of redemption unfolds, we see that God’s healing is inseparable from His saving work. In fact, the New Testament word for salvation, sozo, carries both meanings: to save and to heal. In Jesus Christ, God brings forgiveness for sins and healing for our brokenness.

Isaiah 53:5 says, “By His stripes we are healed.” At the cross, Jesus bore the penalty for our sin and the brokenness of our lives. Peter echoes this truth in the New Testament: “By His wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). Healing is not a side benefit of salvation; it is part of the full Gospel.

This doesn’t mean every sickness is instantly removed the moment someone trusts Christ. However, it does mean that in Jesus, the decisive work for healing body, mind, and spirit has already been accomplished. Salvation and healing belong together because they both flow from the same source: the Cross of Jesus Christ.

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Modern Witness to God’s Healing Work

Even in our day, God is still healing. One modern example comes from the Asbury outpouring of 2023. Thousands of students gathered for prayer and worship, and what began as a regular chapel service extended into 16 days of continuous worship. What marked those days wasn’t a focus on hype or personalities, but on the tangible presence of God.

Those who were there testify that people experienced deep healing: some were set free from addictions, others were delivered from long-standing bitterness, and many found the peace of God that had eluded them for years. The most striking part was that it all happened quietly, without spectacle. Healing flowed simply because Jesus was present. His presence still changes lives.

This modern witness reminds us that healing is not a relic of the past. God still heals, sometimes instantly and dramatically, but often quietly and deeply, in ways that shape the rest of a person’s journey.

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A Gospel Story of Healing: The Paralytic in Mark 2

One of the clearest pictures of Jesus’ healing work is found in Mark 2. A paralyzed man was carried by four friends to a house where Jesus was teaching. The house was so crowded they couldn’t get in through the door, so they climbed onto the roof, broke it open, and lowered their friend down to Jesus.

This story gives us several lessons about healing and faith.

Faith Working Through Love

The paralyzed man couldn’t get to Jesus on his own. He needed others to carry him. That’s the beauty of Christian community. Healing often happens when others believe for us and with us. The faith of the four friends moved them to act with love. They didn’t just wish their friend well; they carried his burden, literally. Their determination shows that faith is not just belief in the heart but action in love. Real faith is willing to climb roofs, tear through obstacles, and do whatever it takes to bring someone to Jesus.

Healing from the Inside Out

When the man was lowered before Jesus, everyone expected Jesus to say, “Be healed.” But instead, Jesus said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Before addressing the man’s body, Jesus addressed his soul. He knew the man needed healing from the inside out. Forgiveness is the deepest healing of all. Our physical bodies may fail, but forgiveness brings eternal life.

Only after forgiving his sins did Jesus say, “Rise, take up your mat, and walk.” The order is significant. Healing begins in the heart. Jesus heals from the inside out because the greatest miracle is reconciliation with God.

Healing Involves a Plan of Action

Jesus told the man not just to rise, but also to take up his mat and go home. Healing was not a passive experience; it required obedience. The man had to stand, carry his mat, and walk. Healing is a gift of grace, but it often comes with a call to action. God may call us to forgive, to change habits, to walk in new patterns of obedience. Healing is not the end of the story; it is the beginning of a new journey.

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Practical Applications for Us Today

What does all this mean for us in our everyday lives? How do we live as people who believe in Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our healer?

1. Healing Involves Unconditional Love

The friends in Mark 2 loved the paralyzed man unconditionally. They didn’t abandon him because he was inconvenient. Healing often begins when someone experiences the love of Christ through His people. We are called to carry one another’s burdens, even when it costs us time, energy, or reputation. Love makes room for healing.

2. Healing Involves Compassionate Involvement

Faith is not passive. The four friends didn’t just pray from a distance; they got involved. Healing comes when we move from sympathy to compassion, from watching to participating. Whether it’s praying with someone, visiting the sick, or offering practical help, our involvement can be the channel through which God’s healing flows.

3. Healing Involves Expectant Faith

The friends expected Jesus to do something. They didn’t know exactly how, but they believed He could heal. Expectant faith doesn’t demand a specific outcome, but it does trust that Jesus is able. When we pray for healing — physical, emotional, or spiritual — we do so with expectation, knowing God is good and powerful.

4. Healing Involves Honesty

Jesus began by addressing sin because honesty about our condition is essential for healing. We cannot be healed from what we refuse to admit. Whether it is sin, brokenness, or wounds from the past, healing begins with honesty. Confession opens the door for God’s grace to work deeply.

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Healing Is the Children’s Bread

In another Gospel story, a Canaanite woman asked Jesus to heal her daughter. At first, Jesus replied that healing was “the children’s bread” — belonging to Israel. But she persisted, saying even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table. Moved by her faith, Jesus granted her request and healed her daughter (Matthew 15:21-28).

This story reminds us that healing is not something rare or exotic; it is bread, the everyday food of God’s children. Because of Christ, healing belongs to all who come to Him in faith. It is not earned or deserved. It is given because we are His.

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Healing on the Way Home

Sometimes healing is immediate, but often it happens on the way home. In Luke 17, ten lepers were healed “as they went.” In other words, their healing unfolded in motion, as they walked in obedience. The same is true for us. Healing may come gradually, step by step, as we trust Jesus along the way.

This truth gives us hope when the process feels slow. Healing is not just about the destination; it is about the journey of trusting Jesus. Every step toward Him is a step toward wholeness.

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The Source of Our Healing

Ultimately, our healing is rooted in three unshakable realities:

1. The Cross: Jesus bore our sins and sicknesses. Healing flows from His atoning work.
2. The Resurrection: Jesus conquered death, the ultimate enemy. Because He lives, we live.
3. The Holy Spirit’s Presence: Jesus is with us through the Spirit, applying His healing power in our lives today.

Because of these truths, we can say with confidence: healing is ours in Christ. Sometimes it is immediate, sometimes gradual, and sometimes complete only in eternity. But the promise is sure. Jehovah Rapha is still the Lord who heals.

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Come to the Healer

Where do you need healing today? Is it in your body, your emotions, or your soul?

Bring it all to Jesus. Healing may happen instantly, or it may unfold “on the way home.” But either way, the Healer has already secured what you need.

Our role is to come in faith, to walk in obedience, and to love others enough to carry them to Jesus when they cannot come on their own. Healing is not a rare exception; it is the children’s bread, available because of who Jesus is.

Trust Him with your pain. And take hope: healing is on the way home.