Objection: Christ’s Command to HEAL THE SICK Stopped Before the Cross and Has Never Been Repeated Since Then, Even in Other New Testament Writings

First, I wouldn’t expect Jesus to appear in the Epistles and command the believers in person to heal the sick because He had already ascended to His Father.

Second, the objection is an inaccurate statement because AFTER the cross, Jesus told His followers that they would receive power after the Holy Spirit came on them (Acts 1:8).  This is the same power (and the same Greek word for it) that Jesus had in His earthly ministry in the four gospels.  What do you suppose this power was for?  We’d have to check the Book of Acts to see what kind of power was in manifestation.  How about healing of ALL sick people in Jerusalem in Acts 5:12-16 and the healing of ALL sick people on the island of Melita in Acts 28:8-9?  What about Philip’s miracles (Acts 8:6), Stephen’s wonders and miracles (Acts 6:8), and the “acts of an apostle” (signs, wonders and mighty deeds) that Paul did at Corinth (2 Corinthians 12:12)?  We must conclude that Jesus’ reference to Holy Spirit power (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:8) – which He made AFTER the cross – involved the healing of the sick.

Third, Jesus said that the person who believes on Him would do the works that He did and greater because He went to His Father (John 14:12).  Thus, believers doing His works and greater works was explicitly to be done AFTER the cross, as the cross was obviously before Jesus went to His Father.

Fourth, Paul prayed for regular believers, not fellow apostles, that they would fulfill the good pleasure of God’s goodness and the work of faith with power (2 Thessalonians 1:11).  Paul’s prayer was after the cross.

Fifth, it was AFTER the cross that Jesus commissioned His disciples to preach to everyone, adding that the ones who heard them and believed would lay hands on the sick and they would recover (Mark 16:18).  So it is CLEARLY Jesus’ intent that healing the sick would continue after the cross.

Sixth, the last verse in Mark’s gospel testifies that the LORD worked with the believers as they went and preached everywhere, confirming the Word with the accompanying SIGNS (Mark 16:20).  So Jesus definitely isn’t done doing healing miracles and other signs and wonders!  He is working through “those who believe” to continue those works today!