Tag Archives: Healing Miracles in the Bible

The Healing Miracles of Jesus Recorded in Luke

Healing Peter's mother-in-law by John Bridges, 19th century. Mark 1:29-31, Luke 4:38-41 and Matthew 8:14-15.
Healing Peter’s mother-in-law by John Bridges, 19th century. Mark 1:29-31, Luke 4:38-41 and Matthew 8:14-15.

The following are notes and Materials we used when teaching a class on January 7th, 2015 at Good Samaritan Ministries in Beaverton.  The class was on the Healing Miracles of Jesus Recorded in Luke.

For setting, we set the class up with a row of seats back to back in the middle, with a perimeter of seats in the shape of a U around this row.  It gave the class a feel that they were in a doctor’s waiting room and served to drive interaction.

We began the class by recounting a recent medical incident that involved a bit of drama.  You can use a similar story of your own or borrow ours:  Narrative of Medical Incident – Intro

We then handed out the following medical questionaire to the class.  As you will see, it was a bit daunting (the attendees did come under the impression that they were attending a Bible class, after all):  In Depth Medical History Form

If you prefer, start with something lighter such as:  Medical History Form

In both cases, it is important to get the class thinking about their family as well, so a Family Medical History Questionnaire is in order:  Family Medical History Form

As the class is filling these out, move through the outline, asking questions about recent experiences at the doctor, etc.  Try to get people focused on the concept of healing.  Key questions:  What does healing look like?  What form does it take?  How do you know when you are healed or have healed someone?

Refer to the class outline “When the Silence Comes, the Healing Takes Place” for a full narrative where the facilitator plays the role of Luke for the audience, telling them about Jesus, the doctor.  This outline also contains the key questions to the class for this teaching.

About halfway through this narrative, where Luke refers to the “Last Page” of the forms, direct them to this surprisingly simple and profound “Healing Eligibility Questionnaire.

You can either have this form at the back of the other questionnaires you have handed them or pretend that you forgot to give it to them, and that it is really the only form that is required.  In the class we taught, we pretended to forget it and people were as relieved to see it as they were shocked to recieve the first, exhaustive round of forms.

Raising of Jairus' Daughter by Paolo Veronese, 1546. Mark 5:21–43, Matthew 9:18–26, Luke 8:40–56
Raising of Jairus’ Daughter by Paolo Veronese, 1546. Mark 5:21–43, Matthew 9:18–26, Luke 8:40–56

You then will hand out a “Frequently Asked Questions” sheet to the class which will cause them to think deeply about healing in the Biblical context.

Now that the introduction to the material has taken place, the class is prepared to hear the miracles.  We have identified the following passages in Luke as containing references to a healing miracle.  The teacher is to read them, one by one aloud and allow the Lord to guide them in their teaching one another:

Luke 4:23-27, 31-37, 38-39, 40-41

Luke 5:12-16, 17-26

Luke 6:6-11, 17-19

Luke 7:1-10, 11-17, 21-30

Luke 8:26-39, 40-56

As you ask around the room, you will be astonished at how many people have witnessed a healing miracle.  In our class, one women shared that she had seen her daughter raised from the dead in the 1980’s, and that her son, who had a severe developmental disorder, had been dead twice and both times was resuscitated.

Resurrection of the Widow's son from Nain, altar panel by Lucas Cranach the Younger, c. 1569, in the Stadtkirche Wittenberg. Luke 7:11-17
Resurrection of the Widow’s son from Nain, altar panel by Lucas Cranach the Younger, c. 1569, in the Stadtkirche Wittenberg. Luke 7:11-17

Luke 9:1-6, 10-11, 37-43

Luke 10:1-12

Luke 13:10-17, 32-33

Luke 14:1-6

Luke 17:11-19

Luke 18:35-43

Luke 19:1-10

Luke 22:50-51

It is astonishing that Jesus healed even as he was being betrayed on the Mount of Olives.

In reviewing these miracles, you can see Luke, as a physician, gave a great deal of importance to the Healings Jesus performed.

Two key insights that were gained when we gave the class on the 7th were, first, that healing can be defined as the continuity/alignment of the spirit, mind, and body.  Second, that physical death is a form of healing.

At the end of the class, return to the questions on the Healing Eligibility questionnaire.  Ask them again.

To close, we prepared a PowerPoint presentation of artist’s depictions of the Healing Miracles found in Luke.  The PowerPoint can be downloaded here: Healing Miracles of Jesus in Luke PowerPoint

You can see the PowerPoint put to music below:

Close the class in prayer.

We pray that this teaching will heal all those who teach and hear it, for it is the power of the Living God within us all to heal, if only we believe.

You can see how the teaching went on January 7th, 2015 at GSM in Beaverton in the video below.  We didn’t get to the slideshow, but somehow it did not matter.  The healing came to us.