JESUS THE FULFILMENT OF OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY THAT GOD HIMSELF WOULD BRING HEALING AND SEND THE HOLY SPIRIT
“Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, With the recompense of God; HE WILL COME AND SAVE YOU.” [5] Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. [6] Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. FOR WATERS SHALL BURST FORTH IN THE WILDERNESS, AND STREAMS IN THE DESERT.” (Isaiah 35:4‭-‬6)
Isaiah 35:4-5 LXX “Behold our God renders judgement and will render it. HE WILL COME AND SAVE US. Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened and the ears of the deaf shall hear.”
“The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners” (Isaiah 61:1)
□ JESUS BRINGS HEALING
There is only one person in history whom these verses describe. The Messiah, Jesus Christ is God who became man for our salvation. He also gave sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and cured the speech impaired. He brought with Him and in His wake sent the Holy Spirit, pictorially likened to a spring of living water (see John 7:37-39 below).
Not only are such things Messianic attributed miracles, but they are also proof that Jesus is God in the context and fulfillment of Scripture. Think about it. The OT doesn’t just attribute these things to a mere man, but to God! Jesus also appealed to His miracles as proof for His claims. He did not demand blind faith, but an enlightened seeing faith, literally, spiritually and metaphorically.
“He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. As usual, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up to read. [17] The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to Him, and unrolling the scroll, He found the place where it was written: [18] THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS ON ME, BECAUSE HE HAS ANOINTED ME TO PREACH GOOD NEWS TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM FREEDOM TO THE CAPTIVES AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, to set free the oppressed, [19] to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. [20] He then rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. And the eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on Him. [21] He began by saying to them, “TODAY AS YOU LISTEN, THIS SCRIPTURE HAS BEEN FULFILLED.” (Luke 4:16‭-‬21)
“Jesus replied to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: [5] THE BLIND SEE, THE LAME WALK, THOSE WITH SKIN DISEASES ARE HEALED, THE DEAF HEAR, THE DEAD ARE RAISED, AND THE POOR ARE TOLD THE GOOD NEWS” (Matthew 11:4‭-‬5).
Jesus opened the eyes of the blind (John 9:1-41) and healed the deaf/mute (Mark 7:31-37) both physically and spiritually. He brought physical healing as a proof of His power and authority to bring spiritual healing (Luke 5:24).
“Jesus said, “I came into this world for judgment, in order that those who do not see will see and those who do see will become blind” (John 9:39).
□ JESUS WORKS ARE A TESTIMONY TO HIS IDENTITY
” … do you say, ‘You are blaspheming’ to the One the Father set apart and sent into the world, because I said: I am the Son of God? [37] If I am not doing My Father’s works, don’t believe Me. [38] BUT IF I AM DOING THEM AND YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME, BELIEVE THE WORKS. THIS WAY YOU WILL KNOW AND UNDERSTAND THAT THE FATHER IS IN ME AND I IN THE FATHER” (John 10:36‭-‬38).
“Don’t you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me? The words I speak to you I do not speak on My own. The Father who lives in Me does His works. [11] Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me. Otherwise, BELIEVE BECAUSE OF THE WORKS THEMSELVES” (John 14:10‭-‬11).
(See John 5:31-49 for the full four fold range of testimony to Jesus)
□ THE PROMISE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT FULFILLED IN JESUS FOR THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN HIM
“The Lord will always lead you, satisfy you in a parched land, and strengthen your bones. You will be like a watered garden and LIKE A SPRING WHOSE WATERS NEVER RUN DRY” (Isaiah 58:11). (See also Isaiah 35:6 quoted above and Zechariah 14:8)
“On the last and most important day of the festival, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone is thirsty, he should come to Me and drink! [38] THE ONE WHO BELIEVES IN ME, AS THE SCRIPTURE HAS SAID, WILL HAVE STREAMS OF LIVING WATER FLOW FROM DEEP WITHIN HIM” (John 7:37‭-‬38).
And we know from the very verse that this describes the work of the Holy Spirit, the Comforter whom Jesus later promised to the disciples:
“He said this about the Spirit. Those who believed in Jesus were going to receive the Spirit, for the Spirit had not yet been received because Jesus had not yet been glorified” (John 7:39).
MAKE NO MISTAKE: Jesus is the Promised Messiah who is God with us for our salvation.