“Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them” (Matthew 4:23-24).
The world had never seen anything like this. The religion of Israel had become rules and regulations that produced heavy burdens for the people and had led to self-righteousness. The ones regarded as “righteous” were the ones who kept the religious rules. They also looked down on the ordinary people. Consequently, many who couldn’t keep up gave up.
Jesus came with the plan God had always intended for us. He came with good news. Not only does God love us, but He has authority. His presence was the presence of a Kingdom. There have been countless religions and philosophies developed through the years but there is only one Kingdom with authority.
Only one brings good news and backs it up with power. Jesus not only preached; He healed. No wonder the crowds flocked to Him. This wasn’t the religion to which they were accustomed. This was good news and it brought miraculous results.
That’s what we still cling to two thousand years later. Jesus brought us good news. He not only proclaims it; He demonstrates its power and authority. That’s what draws us to Him. He not only talks about forgiveness, He forgives.
He not only announces that God has come to us; He heals us. It’s easy for us to pray “Thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory” because we’ve experienced His power and His glory. In Jesus we find the message we’ve longed for and the power to heal our brokenness. God loves us and He is willing to meet our needs. I read these verses and can just say, “What a Savior!”
