I want to recommend a paperback volume of only 130 page, but a book I gleaned a lot of understanding from. And that word, "understanding," is part of its title.
Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus: New Insights From a Hebraic Perspective by David Bivin and Roy Blizzard, Jr. is the book.
Their theses include:
1. Hebrew, not Aramaic, was the common language in Judea and Galilee in Jesus' day.
2. Not only Matthew, but all the synoptic gospels were originally written in Hebrew and not Greek.
3. The Hebrew of the day was highly idiomatic. Literal translation into Greek is often without meaning. From Greek, then, into English can be even worse.
Read it. It cleared up a lot of things for me before. I'm beginning now to read it again.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Important for Me
A couple of short scriptures I like to look at often. They help me keep my head on straight.
Micah 6:8
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
KJV
James 1:27
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
KJV
Micah 6:8
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
KJV
James 1:27
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.
KJV
Monday, July 13, 2009
"The Party Spirit" by W. Carl Ketcherside
(A friend sent me this article which I found very interesting. I had never heard of Dr. Ketcherside before this, but he nakes some very good points. He was a Church of Christ minister.)
"Now the works of the flesh are plain....strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit....I warn you, as I warned you before that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:19-21).
The party spirit is a work of the flesh. It is here listed with other things which will debar from heaven. This alone should cause us to examine ourselves to see if we are free from its blight. We earnestly desire an entrance into the everlasting kingdom. We must be willing to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. But the party spirit is very deceptive. Those who boast the loudest about their freedom from it are often the tragic victims of its poison. How can we know if we are beset by it? We suggest a few indications of its presence.
Symptoms of Party Spirit
1. A reluctance to admit the truths held by others. Truth is truth, regardless of who holds it. The partisan is afraid to acknowledge truth held by those outside of his group for fear it will reflect favorably upon them. If he does admit truth on the part of another, he must hasten to speak deprecatingly of the person or some other position he holds. If someone remarks that Billy Graham certainly spoke the truth in his fight against evil in a radio address, the partisan replies, "Yes, but look at all the money he gets for doing it." If questioned as to how much Graham gets for his radio service, the partisan cannot tell you. He does not know, but he seeks to offset the fact that truth was spoken by creating suspicion against the man and his motives. No one in the group to which the partisan belongs ever preaches for money, but every person who is a member of another religious party and who speaks any truth, does so insincerely, because he knows better, and his sole object is to inflate his pride and secure filthy lucre.
2. Inability to rejoice over the good done by others. It seems that some would rather see men left to wallow in misery than to see others credited with helping them. They "pass by on the other side" and then revile the "Samaritans" who stop and relieve the wounded and desolate. Recently I was in a town where the local Christian Church preacher had made numerous trips to the home of a drunkard to read the scriptures and talk to the man about his soul. Eventually he had immersed that man who straightened up his life and gave evidence of making a good husband and father. I took occasion to express my gratitude for such an accomplishment in the home of one of the brethren. He scoffingly said, "They cross land and sea to make one proselyte, and then make him twice as much a child of hell as themselves." I am opposed to instrumental music in the public praise service of the congregation, but I trust I never get so little that I would rather a man would stay in a drunken stupor, or kick and beat his wife and children, than to be led to faith in the Christ by someone who differs with me on instrumental music. I'm oppose to Roman Catholicism but I rejoice at every leper whose path on earth is made freer from pain by the ministrations of the Catholic nurses in a leper colony.
3. Unwillingness to hear both sides of an issue. The Catholic sect seeks to maintain its narrow exclusiveness by refusing to permit its members to read anything which conflicts with its tradition. The clergy can read what they please, but laymen are not allowed to do so. Yet, at Paragould, Arkansas, a clergyman in "The Church of Christ" stood in the pulpit and advised his parishioners to mail back copies of "Bible Talk" and MISSION MESSENGER without reading them, although he reads them all the time. I know a preacher who cancelled his subscription to one of these journals with a letter consisting of a tirade against the publisher, yet he can hardly wait until he gets his hands on the paper when it comes to a home where he is staying. He just wants to be "in the clear" when he is questioned, so he can say, "I do not subscribe for his paper." Free men in Christ are not afraid to read anything, go anywhere, or hear anyone. Party men must stay in good with the party or be given a Russian purge.
4. A tendency to abandon the search for truth and rest satisfied. I asked a brother how the cause of restoration was progressing in a certain area, and he told me it was not progressing-they had already arrived! All of the debris of sixteen hundred years of the dark ages had been fully swept away. There was nothing left to learn, no new discoveries to be made. All that was necessary was to parrot the same sermon outlines, misapply the scriptures in the same fashion, defend the same fallacies in reasoning; mistake the same customs and traditions for God's word, and stir up the same false emotions in the congregation toward others. Every reformation in history ended in another sect; every such sect proclaims that it has arrived in Jerusalem and persecutes those who call upon it to rouse up and keep marching onward and upward. There is nothing which bothers a sect more than to be around one who refuses to be made a sectarian. No partisan is ever at ease in the presence of one who is unwilling to allow the God of the universe to become a tribal deity or local divinity. A real partisan does not seek for new truths. He does not need to do so. His party has ascended to the highest peak of spiritual attainment. There is nothing beyond to challenge his thinking or stimulate his intellect. There is nothing ahead but stagnation and decay!
Effects of Party Spirit
1. It breeds inconsistency. There is not a congregation existing in which all of the members are agreed. In many, the arguments are frequent over marriage and divorce, relation to civil government, our obligation to nonmembers, etc. In all of these, despite these differences, the members recognize and call upon each other for prayer. Sometimes one is called upon to participate whose moral life has been a disgrace and whose conduct has been a constant source of trouble. He is a member of the party. But let one come in who has been a shining light in the community who has lived a life of consecration, and he is given the deep freeze treatment, because he does not share with those present in their view upon some point of doctrine. He may be mild, inoffensive, and possessed of a sincere desire to know the truth, and may be doing the best he can in the light of his present knowledge, but he does not yet know the party pass word, so he is a pagan.
2. It shrivels the souls of men. The humanitarian love of God which should expand our souls and cause us to grow in grace withers under the chilling frost of the party spirit. In a certain community a prominent citizen died, and the griefstricken members of his family asked the local Church of Christ for permission to conduct the funeral service in their meetinghouse. They were refused on the ground that they were not using one of "our preachers" and the brethren were afraid of "bidding Godspeed" to one who brought not this doctrine.
In another place the Red Cross asked permission to set up an emergency food kitchen in a meetinghouse to serve disaster victims. They were turned down because the brethren did not endorse the Red Cross and did not believe in having a kitchen in the church building. When the Methodist people offered their building, the members of the Church of Christ got in line and marched in to get their plates filled. Their bellies were not partisan; it was just their hearts.
3. It destroys the sense of proper spiritual values. The party spirit, in opposition to the Spirit of Christ, always demands "sacrifice instead of mercy." In many places a man will be tolerated regardless of his life if he is sound on the party test. In one of the most intolerant and bitter factions of the disciple brotherhood, a number of the preachers have been loose in morals, but their straying from the path of virtue is whitewashed because they are adept at defending the party line. Some of the most bigoted, haughty attackers of "the sects" have personal records which will not bear too close inspection. Some are careful and scrupulous about the Lord's Supper. The bread has to be prepared a certain way, it has to be broken just so, and passed to the audience in a certain manner. But some who are so zealous about these things often indulge in profanity and other wickedness. The murderers of Jesus would not enter the judgment hall "lest they be defiled and not be fit to eat the passover." They did not scruple to kill the Son of God, but they must be careful not to be ceremonially defiled.
4. It produces legalistic extremes. The members of each party regard that party as the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church of God upon earth. In some cities there are six different "Churches of Christ" each claiming to be the "only faithful church." The members of one hardly dare speak to the members of another. If one rises above the narrow confines of his unwritten creed and visits another to discuss with him points of difference, he at once becomes a subject of comment and censure. "When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, 'Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?'" If the apostle Paul were here today, he would not long be allowed to remain in a single faction of the disciple brotherhood. He would be talked about, criticized, and soon excluded from any of them now existing. Paul spent his life in opposing the attempt to bind anything upon men as a basis of fellowship except faith in God's Son, as the Messiah. He was under constant fire from the circumcision party in the church, whose members insisted upon laying another foundation. Recently a preacher announced as his sermon topic, "Where Would Paul Attend Church in This City?" I told him it would not make much difference, because they would soon withdraw from him, wherever he went.
The party spirit will keep us out of heaven. All of us have been tinctured with it. It is a passion of the flesh. We should try to overcome it. We need elders today who will cultivate in their flock a breadth of vision, a charitable spirit, a love for fallen humanity, and a sense of the need of reformation. It is with the bishops that the future of the church of God actually rests. We must all revere God's revelation, refuse to compromise truth, and cling to the word of God as the sheet anchor of our liberty. But we do not need to be dogmatic, arbitrary and hateful. It requires no sacrifice of principle to make allowance for honest mistakes, early religious environment, or lack of proper education. We do not forfeit truth when we make a distinction between those who knowingly and deliberately disobey Christ, and those who obey him to the best of their present knowledge, even though it is faulty and imperfect.
Just here a word of caution may be necessary. We should guard against unwise generalizations. It is easy to say there is no excuse for a person not seeing all of the truth since he has access to the Bible. But more is required than mere possession of the Book. A man who inherits a rich farm which was long since cleared from the wilderness may conclude that the poor man across the road with a hundred acres ought to be as well off as himself. But he may overlook the fact that the other has to dig sprouts, cut down timber and clear away undergrowth before he can plant his grain. Let those who have been more fortunate in inheriting truth discovered by others, exercise charity toward those who are still laboring to discover what we have. Let us not try to bind God with the law which He gave to bind us. It is better to use the truth we have in charitably helping those who struggle upwards than to use it to repel and drive them away.
(Mission Messenger; March 1958; Book: Thoughts on Fellowship)
"Now the works of the flesh are plain....strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, dissension, party spirit....I warn you, as I warned you before that those who do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God" (Gal. 5:19-21).
The party spirit is a work of the flesh. It is here listed with other things which will debar from heaven. This alone should cause us to examine ourselves to see if we are free from its blight. We earnestly desire an entrance into the everlasting kingdom. We must be willing to crucify the flesh with its passions and desires. But the party spirit is very deceptive. Those who boast the loudest about their freedom from it are often the tragic victims of its poison. How can we know if we are beset by it? We suggest a few indications of its presence.
Symptoms of Party Spirit
1. A reluctance to admit the truths held by others. Truth is truth, regardless of who holds it. The partisan is afraid to acknowledge truth held by those outside of his group for fear it will reflect favorably upon them. If he does admit truth on the part of another, he must hasten to speak deprecatingly of the person or some other position he holds. If someone remarks that Billy Graham certainly spoke the truth in his fight against evil in a radio address, the partisan replies, "Yes, but look at all the money he gets for doing it." If questioned as to how much Graham gets for his radio service, the partisan cannot tell you. He does not know, but he seeks to offset the fact that truth was spoken by creating suspicion against the man and his motives. No one in the group to which the partisan belongs ever preaches for money, but every person who is a member of another religious party and who speaks any truth, does so insincerely, because he knows better, and his sole object is to inflate his pride and secure filthy lucre.
2. Inability to rejoice over the good done by others. It seems that some would rather see men left to wallow in misery than to see others credited with helping them. They "pass by on the other side" and then revile the "Samaritans" who stop and relieve the wounded and desolate. Recently I was in a town where the local Christian Church preacher had made numerous trips to the home of a drunkard to read the scriptures and talk to the man about his soul. Eventually he had immersed that man who straightened up his life and gave evidence of making a good husband and father. I took occasion to express my gratitude for such an accomplishment in the home of one of the brethren. He scoffingly said, "They cross land and sea to make one proselyte, and then make him twice as much a child of hell as themselves." I am opposed to instrumental music in the public praise service of the congregation, but I trust I never get so little that I would rather a man would stay in a drunken stupor, or kick and beat his wife and children, than to be led to faith in the Christ by someone who differs with me on instrumental music. I'm oppose to Roman Catholicism but I rejoice at every leper whose path on earth is made freer from pain by the ministrations of the Catholic nurses in a leper colony.
3. Unwillingness to hear both sides of an issue. The Catholic sect seeks to maintain its narrow exclusiveness by refusing to permit its members to read anything which conflicts with its tradition. The clergy can read what they please, but laymen are not allowed to do so. Yet, at Paragould, Arkansas, a clergyman in "The Church of Christ" stood in the pulpit and advised his parishioners to mail back copies of "Bible Talk" and MISSION MESSENGER without reading them, although he reads them all the time. I know a preacher who cancelled his subscription to one of these journals with a letter consisting of a tirade against the publisher, yet he can hardly wait until he gets his hands on the paper when it comes to a home where he is staying. He just wants to be "in the clear" when he is questioned, so he can say, "I do not subscribe for his paper." Free men in Christ are not afraid to read anything, go anywhere, or hear anyone. Party men must stay in good with the party or be given a Russian purge.
4. A tendency to abandon the search for truth and rest satisfied. I asked a brother how the cause of restoration was progressing in a certain area, and he told me it was not progressing-they had already arrived! All of the debris of sixteen hundred years of the dark ages had been fully swept away. There was nothing left to learn, no new discoveries to be made. All that was necessary was to parrot the same sermon outlines, misapply the scriptures in the same fashion, defend the same fallacies in reasoning; mistake the same customs and traditions for God's word, and stir up the same false emotions in the congregation toward others. Every reformation in history ended in another sect; every such sect proclaims that it has arrived in Jerusalem and persecutes those who call upon it to rouse up and keep marching onward and upward. There is nothing which bothers a sect more than to be around one who refuses to be made a sectarian. No partisan is ever at ease in the presence of one who is unwilling to allow the God of the universe to become a tribal deity or local divinity. A real partisan does not seek for new truths. He does not need to do so. His party has ascended to the highest peak of spiritual attainment. There is nothing beyond to challenge his thinking or stimulate his intellect. There is nothing ahead but stagnation and decay!
Effects of Party Spirit
1. It breeds inconsistency. There is not a congregation existing in which all of the members are agreed. In many, the arguments are frequent over marriage and divorce, relation to civil government, our obligation to nonmembers, etc. In all of these, despite these differences, the members recognize and call upon each other for prayer. Sometimes one is called upon to participate whose moral life has been a disgrace and whose conduct has been a constant source of trouble. He is a member of the party. But let one come in who has been a shining light in the community who has lived a life of consecration, and he is given the deep freeze treatment, because he does not share with those present in their view upon some point of doctrine. He may be mild, inoffensive, and possessed of a sincere desire to know the truth, and may be doing the best he can in the light of his present knowledge, but he does not yet know the party pass word, so he is a pagan.
2. It shrivels the souls of men. The humanitarian love of God which should expand our souls and cause us to grow in grace withers under the chilling frost of the party spirit. In a certain community a prominent citizen died, and the griefstricken members of his family asked the local Church of Christ for permission to conduct the funeral service in their meetinghouse. They were refused on the ground that they were not using one of "our preachers" and the brethren were afraid of "bidding Godspeed" to one who brought not this doctrine.
In another place the Red Cross asked permission to set up an emergency food kitchen in a meetinghouse to serve disaster victims. They were turned down because the brethren did not endorse the Red Cross and did not believe in having a kitchen in the church building. When the Methodist people offered their building, the members of the Church of Christ got in line and marched in to get their plates filled. Their bellies were not partisan; it was just their hearts.
3. It destroys the sense of proper spiritual values. The party spirit, in opposition to the Spirit of Christ, always demands "sacrifice instead of mercy." In many places a man will be tolerated regardless of his life if he is sound on the party test. In one of the most intolerant and bitter factions of the disciple brotherhood, a number of the preachers have been loose in morals, but their straying from the path of virtue is whitewashed because they are adept at defending the party line. Some of the most bigoted, haughty attackers of "the sects" have personal records which will not bear too close inspection. Some are careful and scrupulous about the Lord's Supper. The bread has to be prepared a certain way, it has to be broken just so, and passed to the audience in a certain manner. But some who are so zealous about these things often indulge in profanity and other wickedness. The murderers of Jesus would not enter the judgment hall "lest they be defiled and not be fit to eat the passover." They did not scruple to kill the Son of God, but they must be careful not to be ceremonially defiled.
4. It produces legalistic extremes. The members of each party regard that party as the one holy, catholic, and apostolic church of God upon earth. In some cities there are six different "Churches of Christ" each claiming to be the "only faithful church." The members of one hardly dare speak to the members of another. If one rises above the narrow confines of his unwritten creed and visits another to discuss with him points of difference, he at once becomes a subject of comment and censure. "When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, 'Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?'" If the apostle Paul were here today, he would not long be allowed to remain in a single faction of the disciple brotherhood. He would be talked about, criticized, and soon excluded from any of them now existing. Paul spent his life in opposing the attempt to bind anything upon men as a basis of fellowship except faith in God's Son, as the Messiah. He was under constant fire from the circumcision party in the church, whose members insisted upon laying another foundation. Recently a preacher announced as his sermon topic, "Where Would Paul Attend Church in This City?" I told him it would not make much difference, because they would soon withdraw from him, wherever he went.
The party spirit will keep us out of heaven. All of us have been tinctured with it. It is a passion of the flesh. We should try to overcome it. We need elders today who will cultivate in their flock a breadth of vision, a charitable spirit, a love for fallen humanity, and a sense of the need of reformation. It is with the bishops that the future of the church of God actually rests. We must all revere God's revelation, refuse to compromise truth, and cling to the word of God as the sheet anchor of our liberty. But we do not need to be dogmatic, arbitrary and hateful. It requires no sacrifice of principle to make allowance for honest mistakes, early religious environment, or lack of proper education. We do not forfeit truth when we make a distinction between those who knowingly and deliberately disobey Christ, and those who obey him to the best of their present knowledge, even though it is faulty and imperfect.
Just here a word of caution may be necessary. We should guard against unwise generalizations. It is easy to say there is no excuse for a person not seeing all of the truth since he has access to the Bible. But more is required than mere possession of the Book. A man who inherits a rich farm which was long since cleared from the wilderness may conclude that the poor man across the road with a hundred acres ought to be as well off as himself. But he may overlook the fact that the other has to dig sprouts, cut down timber and clear away undergrowth before he can plant his grain. Let those who have been more fortunate in inheriting truth discovered by others, exercise charity toward those who are still laboring to discover what we have. Let us not try to bind God with the law which He gave to bind us. It is better to use the truth we have in charitably helping those who struggle upwards than to use it to repel and drive them away.
(Mission Messenger; March 1958; Book: Thoughts on Fellowship)
Sunday, July 5, 2009
"Your Faith Has Made You Whole"
As the apostles Paul and Barnabus were preaching the gospel in Macedonia, they noticed a man… but, let’s read the text…
Acts 14:8-10
8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:
9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
KJV
This man, then, had done nothing to demonstrate his faith. But Paul perceived that he had it, faith sufficient to be healed. And he was. In the Gospels are a number of passages telling of people healed by Jesus, who afterward were told, "Your faith has made you whole," or something similar. These people had obviously done something to show their faith. Some were Jews; a few were Gentiles. I want us to look at each of these instances in order to learn what each one did to demonstrate his or her faith, a faith that, in Jesus’ own words, was a necessary part of their healing. Let’s begin with some blind men. And, if the same healing is described in two gospels, I‘ll show both.
The Blind Men following the Healing of Jarius’ Daughter
Jesus was called on by the ruler of a synagogue, one named Jarius, to heal his daughter who was near death. This he did.
Matt 9:27-32
27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that
country.
KJV
How did these two men exhibit faith. Well, of course, when asked if they believed that Jesus was able to heal them, they replied that they did. However, this wasn’t all. First, they had followed him, crying, "Son of David, have mercy on us." The men weren’t saying that he was just a son of David, but the Son of David. "Son of David" was a term used by the Jews to refer to the Messiah, the Anointed. People of the day were well aware of Daniel’s seventy week prophecy, where he referred to this person to come as the "Messiah, the Prince", and they knew that it was about time. Two blind men on the streets of Capernaum believed that Jesus was the Messiah and said so, loudly.
The Blind Man at Jericho
Mark 10:46-52
46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
KJV
Luke 18:35-43
35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.
37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,
41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.
43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
KJV
So, blind Bartimaeus, begging by the road, asked what the commotion was and was told that "Jesus of Nazareth" was passing by. He began crying out, "Son of David, have mercy on me," and when others tried to hush him up, he only cried the more. "Son of David" again. Bartimaeus showed he believed Jesus was the Promised one. And he received sight.
The Woman Who Touched His Garment
Matt 9:20-22
20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
KJV
A woman who had been ill twelve years believed that if she could only touch his garment, she would be healed. She did and she was. Let’s read it again in Mark.
Mark 5:24-35
24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
30 And Jeus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
KJV
And, a few more details we’ll find in Luke.
Luke 8:43-49
43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately.
48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
KJV
Now, let’s consider a prophecy of the Messiah that’s at the beginning of Malachi 4:2.
Mal 4:2
2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; …
The term "wings" used here refers to the corners or "borders" of his garment, the garment of "the Sun of righteousness", the Messiah. Thus, the faith demonstrated by this woman, that faith that had made her whole, was to act upon her belief that this Jesus was indeed the Messiah and that by touching his wings could bring healing. And, of course, it did.
Suppose she had been wrong. If Jesus weren’t the Messiah, she would not have been healed, of course, but she likely would have been in more trouble. How would the crowd have treated a diseased person such as she who clutched the clothing of a healthy, respected rabbi? I doubt this possibility even crossed her mind.
The Ten Lepers
Luke 17:11-19
11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
KJV
Jesus healed ten lepers, at least one of whom was a Samaritan. The location is not given beyond Samaria or Galilee. These men loudly proclaimed Jesus "Master" and all were cleansed. One, a Samaritan, returned to glorify God at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. But where were the nine? Did they go to the priests? Did they, too, glorify God, but elsewhere? The text doesn’t say. But the stranger who did is told that "your faith has made you whole."
The Centurion’s Servant
Matt 8:5-13
5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
KJV
The centurion, here, demonstrates his faith, first, by referring to Jesus as "Lord", but primarily by showing that he believed Jesus could heal his servant merely by saying the words. Note that the impressed Jesus states that many Gentiles, no doubt exhibiting this depth of faith also, will be joining the patriarchs--who were all great in faith--in the Kingdom. To me, this indicates that the rules have not changed. Faith has always been the criterion for salvation.
Without altering the point of the story at all, Matthew has apparently shortened it a bit by having this centurion approach Jesus directly. Luke goes into more detail, and, likely, this is the way it happened.
Luke 7:1-10
1 Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.
2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.
3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.
4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:
5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.
6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.
KJV
Likely the centurion was what the Jews referred to as a "God fearer." Cornelius, the first Gentile converted, was one. In Acts 10:2 we’re told that he "feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway." God fearers were non-Jews who accepted the God of Israel as the true God, forsook paganism and its idolatry totally, kept those of the Ten Commandments that were generally referred to at the Noachide laws, i.e., they did not murder, steal, lie, or commit sexual sin. They stopped short of becoming a true Jewish proselyte, though. God fearers were welcome at synagogue. Probably the great majority of Gentiles converted early in church history were from this group.
Healing the Gentile Woman’s Daughter
Matt 15:21-28
21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
KJV
What do we know of this woman? Racially she was a Canaanite woman, living in a Gentile area, around Tyre and Sidon. However, she knows of Jesus, calling him "Lord" and, also, "Son of David." Another God fearer? The text doesn’t say. But she acknowledges him as the Messiah, the "Son of David," and begs his mercy for her daughter. The other thing we notice is her humility. Canaanites were strangers to any covenants God had made. That was okay. She had no call on Jesus at all, but was completely willing to accept whatever he would provide her and her daughter.
We have looked at a number of instances of persons being healed who demonstrated strong faith, faith that played a part in their healing. In most of these cases the people healed showed that they believed Jesus to be the promised Messiah. This was their faith. This was where they showed they "had faith to be healed."
Matt 16:13-16
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
NIV
The word "Christ" is the English translation of the Greek word Christos which means "the Anointed One," or another term the Jews used referring to the Messiah.
When Jesus had arrived in Bethany four days after the death of Lazarus, Martha proclaimed her faith in words very similar to Peter’s.
John 11:20-27
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
KJV
In both these passages above note that the phrase "Son of God" is used along with "Christ." This is the case in a number of passages.
Matt 26:62-63
62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
KJV
Luke 4:40-41
40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.
KJV
John 6:66-69
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
KJV
John 20:30-31
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
KJV
Often in the past when I referred to Jesus Christ, I would use "Christ" almost as if it were a last name, kind of like, "Mr. Christ, or may I call you Jesus?" Now when I use it, I always try to remember always to consider what it really means.
Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the longed for Messiah, who came with "healing in his wings" and who will return to fulfill the rest of his mission as "Lord of lords, and King of kings." As we,ve seen, there was power in that belief in the days when he walked this earth, and there still is today.
Acts 14:8-10
8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple from his mother's womb, who never had walked:
9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly beholding him, and perceiving that he had faith to be healed,
10 Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped and walked.
KJV
This man, then, had done nothing to demonstrate his faith. But Paul perceived that he had it, faith sufficient to be healed. And he was. In the Gospels are a number of passages telling of people healed by Jesus, who afterward were told, "Your faith has made you whole," or something similar. These people had obviously done something to show their faith. Some were Jews; a few were Gentiles. I want us to look at each of these instances in order to learn what each one did to demonstrate his or her faith, a faith that, in Jesus’ own words, was a necessary part of their healing. Let’s begin with some blind men. And, if the same healing is described in two gospels, I‘ll show both.
The Blind Men following the Healing of Jarius’ Daughter
Jesus was called on by the ruler of a synagogue, one named Jarius, to heal his daughter who was near death. This he did.
Matt 9:27-32
27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, Thou Son of David, have mercy on us.
28 And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.
29 Then touched he their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.
30 And their eyes were opened; and Jesus straitly charged them, saying, See that no man know it.
31 But they, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that
country.
KJV
How did these two men exhibit faith. Well, of course, when asked if they believed that Jesus was able to heal them, they replied that they did. However, this wasn’t all. First, they had followed him, crying, "Son of David, have mercy on us." The men weren’t saying that he was just a son of David, but the Son of David. "Son of David" was a term used by the Jews to refer to the Messiah, the Anointed. People of the day were well aware of Daniel’s seventy week prophecy, where he referred to this person to come as the "Messiah, the Prince", and they knew that it was about time. Two blind men on the streets of Capernaum believed that Jesus was the Messiah and said so, loudly.
The Blind Man at Jericho
Mark 10:46-52
46 And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.
47 And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
48 And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
49 And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.
50 And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.
51 And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.
52 And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.
KJV
Luke 18:35-43
35 And it came to pass, that as he was come nigh unto Jericho, a certain blind man sat by the way side begging:
36 And hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant.
37 And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by.
38 And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me.
40 And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him: and when he was come near, he asked him,
41 Saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight.
42 And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight: thy faith hath saved thee.
43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God: and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God.
KJV
So, blind Bartimaeus, begging by the road, asked what the commotion was and was told that "Jesus of Nazareth" was passing by. He began crying out, "Son of David, have mercy on me," and when others tried to hush him up, he only cried the more. "Son of David" again. Bartimaeus showed he believed Jesus was the Promised one. And he received sight.
The Woman Who Touched His Garment
Matt 9:20-22
20 And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:
21 For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.
22 But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.
KJV
A woman who had been ill twelve years believed that if she could only touch his garment, she would be healed. She did and she was. Let’s read it again in Mark.
Mark 5:24-35
24 And Jesus went with him; and much people followed him, and thronged him.
25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,
26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,
27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.
28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.
29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
30 And Jeus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?
31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.
33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.
34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.
KJV
And, a few more details we’ll find in Luke.
Luke 8:43-49
43 And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,
44 Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.
45 And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?
46 And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.
47 And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him and how she was healed immediately.
48 And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.
KJV
Now, let’s consider a prophecy of the Messiah that’s at the beginning of Malachi 4:2.
Mal 4:2
2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; …
The term "wings" used here refers to the corners or "borders" of his garment, the garment of "the Sun of righteousness", the Messiah. Thus, the faith demonstrated by this woman, that faith that had made her whole, was to act upon her belief that this Jesus was indeed the Messiah and that by touching his wings could bring healing. And, of course, it did.
Suppose she had been wrong. If Jesus weren’t the Messiah, she would not have been healed, of course, but she likely would have been in more trouble. How would the crowd have treated a diseased person such as she who clutched the clothing of a healthy, respected rabbi? I doubt this possibility even crossed her mind.
The Ten Lepers
Luke 17:11-19
11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
KJV
Jesus healed ten lepers, at least one of whom was a Samaritan. The location is not given beyond Samaria or Galilee. These men loudly proclaimed Jesus "Master" and all were cleansed. One, a Samaritan, returned to glorify God at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. But where were the nine? Did they go to the priests? Did they, too, glorify God, but elsewhere? The text doesn’t say. But the stranger who did is told that "your faith has made you whole."
The Centurion’s Servant
Matt 8:5-13
5 And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,
6 And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
7 And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.
8 The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
9 For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
10 When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
11 And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.
12 But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
13 And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
KJV
The centurion, here, demonstrates his faith, first, by referring to Jesus as "Lord", but primarily by showing that he believed Jesus could heal his servant merely by saying the words. Note that the impressed Jesus states that many Gentiles, no doubt exhibiting this depth of faith also, will be joining the patriarchs--who were all great in faith--in the Kingdom. To me, this indicates that the rules have not changed. Faith has always been the criterion for salvation.
Without altering the point of the story at all, Matthew has apparently shortened it a bit by having this centurion approach Jesus directly. Luke goes into more detail, and, likely, this is the way it happened.
Luke 7:1-10
1 Now when he had ended all his sayings in the audience of the people, he entered into Capernaum.
2 And a certain centurion's servant, who was dear unto him, was sick, and ready to die.
3 And when he heard of Jesus, he sent unto him the elders of the Jews, beseeching him that he would come and heal his servant.
4 And when they came to Jesus, they besought him instantly, saying, That he was worthy for whom he should do this:
5 For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue.
6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof:
7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed.
8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it.
9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
10 And they that were sent, returning to the house, found the servant whole that had been sick.
KJV
Likely the centurion was what the Jews referred to as a "God fearer." Cornelius, the first Gentile converted, was one. In Acts 10:2 we’re told that he "feared God with all his house, which gave much alms to the people, and prayed to God alway." God fearers were non-Jews who accepted the God of Israel as the true God, forsook paganism and its idolatry totally, kept those of the Ten Commandments that were generally referred to at the Noachide laws, i.e., they did not murder, steal, lie, or commit sexual sin. They stopped short of becoming a true Jewish proselyte, though. God fearers were welcome at synagogue. Probably the great majority of Gentiles converted early in church history were from this group.
Healing the Gentile Woman’s Daughter
Matt 15:21-28
21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.
23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.
24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.
26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.
27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.
28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.
KJV
What do we know of this woman? Racially she was a Canaanite woman, living in a Gentile area, around Tyre and Sidon. However, she knows of Jesus, calling him "Lord" and, also, "Son of David." Another God fearer? The text doesn’t say. But she acknowledges him as the Messiah, the "Son of David," and begs his mercy for her daughter. The other thing we notice is her humility. Canaanites were strangers to any covenants God had made. That was okay. She had no call on Jesus at all, but was completely willing to accept whatever he would provide her and her daughter.
We have looked at a number of instances of persons being healed who demonstrated strong faith, faith that played a part in their healing. In most of these cases the people healed showed that they believed Jesus to be the promised Messiah. This was their faith. This was where they showed they "had faith to be healed."
Matt 16:13-16
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"
14 They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets."
15 "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
NIV
The word "Christ" is the English translation of the Greek word Christos which means "the Anointed One," or another term the Jews used referring to the Messiah.
When Jesus had arrived in Bethany four days after the death of Lazarus, Martha proclaimed her faith in words very similar to Peter’s.
John 11:20-27
20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.
21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.
23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.
24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.
25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
KJV
In both these passages above note that the phrase "Son of God" is used along with "Christ." This is the case in a number of passages.
Matt 26:62-63
62 And the high priest arose, and said unto him, Answerest thou nothing? what is it which these witness against thee?
63 But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.
KJV
Luke 4:40-41
40 Now when the sun was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
41 And devils also came out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he was Christ.
KJV
John 6:66-69
66 From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.
KJV
John 20:30-31
30 And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book:
31 But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.
KJV
Often in the past when I referred to Jesus Christ, I would use "Christ" almost as if it were a last name, kind of like, "Mr. Christ, or may I call you Jesus?" Now when I use it, I always try to remember always to consider what it really means.
Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the longed for Messiah, who came with "healing in his wings" and who will return to fulfill the rest of his mission as "Lord of lords, and King of kings." As we,ve seen, there was power in that belief in the days when he walked this earth, and there still is today.
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