The four Gospels record about 37 specific miracles that Jesus performed during His three-year ministry on earth. Most of those miracles were healings. Jesus cured blindness, leprosy, paralysis, deafness, and every kind of sickness people brought to Him. He cast out demons. He raised the dead. And these weren't just spectacular displays of power - each healing revealed something essential about who Jesus is and why He came.
John, one of Jesus's closest disciples, wrote that Jesus did far more than what's recorded: "Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written" (John 21:25).
The Gospels give us a representative sample, not an exhaustive catalog. But what we have is enough to see a clear pattern: Jesus cared deeply about human suffering and had complete authority over every form of sickness and disability.
If you're searching for Jesus's healing miracles because you or someone you love is sick, or because you want to understand what these miracles mean for your faith today, this guide walks through the major healing accounts in Scripture and explains what they reveal about Christ's heart toward those who suffer.
How Many Healing Miracles Did Jesus Perform?
The four Gospel writers - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John - recorded specific details about approximately 37 individual healing miracles. Mark's Gospel contains the most miracle accounts overall, while each Gospel writer selected miracles that fit their particular purpose in writing.
But Jesus healed far more people than these 37 recorded accounts. The Gospels frequently mention Jesus healing entire crowds:
"Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people" (Matthew 4:23).
"At sunset, the people brought to Jesus all who had various kinds of sickness, and laying his hands on each one, he healed them" (Luke 4:40).
The Gospel writers make it clear that what they recorded represents only a fraction of Jesus's healing work. Luke writes that after one particular healing, "the power of the Lord was with Jesus to heal the sick" and "crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses" (Luke 5:15-17). Matthew records that after Jesus healed a demon-possessed man, "great crowds came to him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute and many others, and laid them at his feet; and he healed them" (Matthew 15:30).
John explains his selective approach: "Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:30-31). The miracles we have were chosen to help people believe in Jesus, not to provide a complete medical record of His ministry.
Jesus Healed Every Kind of Sickness and Disease
The range of conditions Jesus healed was comprehensive. No disease was too difficult. No disability was beyond His power. The Gospels show Him healing problems that were:
- Present from birth (the man born blind in John 9)
- Long-term chronic conditions (the woman bleeding for 12 years in Luke 8, the woman crippled for 18 years in Luke 13, the invalid at Bethesda who had been sick for 38 years in John 5)
- Sudden and life-threatening (Jairus's daughter dying in Mark 5, the centurion's servant near death in Matthew 8)
- Spiritually-caused (demon possession and oppression)
- Terminal cases (Lazarus dead for four days in John 11)
Healing the Blind
Jesus healed blind people multiple times. The Gospels record at least seven separate accounts of Christ restoring sight:
Two blind men following Jesus - They cried out, "Have mercy on us, Son of David!" Jesus touched their eyes and said, "According to your faith let it be done to you," and their sight was restored (Matthew 9:27-31).
A blind man at Bethsaida - Jesus led the man outside the village, spit on his eyes, and put His hands on him. The man's sight was restored in two stages - first seeing people "like trees walking around," then seeing everything clearly after Jesus put His hands on him again (Mark 8:22-26).
A man born blind - Jesus spit on the ground, made mud, put it on the man's eyes, and told him to wash in the Pool of Siloam. When he washed, he could see. This miracle sparked a major confrontation with the Pharisees because Jesus healed on the Sabbath (John 9:1-41).
Blind Bartimaeus - Sitting by the roadside begging in Jericho, Bartimaeus shouted, "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!" When Jesus called him, Bartimaeus threw off his cloak, jumped to his feet, and came to Jesus. "What do you want me to do for you?" Jesus asked. "Rabbi, I want to see." Jesus said, "Go, your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road (Mark 10:46-52).
Two blind men near Jericho - Matthew's account mentions two blind men sitting by the roadside who cried out for mercy. Jesus touched their eyes, they received their sight, and followed Him (Matthew 20:29-34).
The blind appealing to Jesus as "Son of David" is significant. Old Testament prophecy connected the Messiah with giving sight to the blind: "In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see" (Isaiah 29:18). When blind people called Jesus "Son of David," they were recognizing Him as the promised Messiah.
Healing the Paralyzed
Several accounts describe Jesus healing people who couldn't walk:
The paralytic lowered through the roof - Four men brought their paralyzed friend to Jesus. When they couldn't get through the crowd, they made an opening in the roof and lowered the man on his mat right in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven." This statement offended the religious teachers present because only God can forgive sins. To prove He had authority to forgive sins, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, "I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home." Immediately the man stood up, took his mat, and walked out in full view of them all (Mark 2:1-12).
This healing shows that Jesus cared about both spiritual and physical restoration. He addressed the man's sin before healing his body.
The invalid at the Pool of Bethesda - Jesus found a man who had been an invalid for 38 years, lying by a pool where sick people gathered. Jesus asked him, "Do you want to get well?" The man explained that he had no one to help him into the pool when the water was stirred. Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." At once the man was cured, picked up his mat, and walked (John 5:1-9).
Jesus later found the man at the temple and told him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you" (John 5:14). Again Jesus connected physical healing with spiritual wholeness.
The man with the withered hand - In the synagogue on the Sabbath, Jesus saw a man with a shriveled hand. The Pharisees watched closely to see if He would heal on the Sabbath so they could accuse Him. Jesus knew what they were thinking. He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." The man stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored (Mark 3:1-5). Jesus valued healing people over keeping legalistic Sabbath rules.
Healing Leprosy
Leprosy was one of the most feared diseases in the ancient world. It was highly contagious, incurable, and physically devastating. Jewish law required lepers to live outside the community, away from family and friends. When anyone approached, lepers had to cry out, "Unclean! Unclean!" to warn them away.
Most people in Jesus's time believed leprosy was punishment from God for serious sin. The only cures mentioned in the Old Testament were miraculous (Miriam and Naaman), and no cure was expected until the Messiah came.
Healing a leper - A man with leprosy came, knelt before Jesus, and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." What Jesus did next was shocking: "Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man." No one touched lepers. But Jesus touched him and said, "I am willing. Be clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed (Matthew 8:1-4).
Jesus's touch mattered. He could have healed with a word from a distance. Instead, He touched someone who probably hadn't felt human touch in years. That touch communicated value, acceptance, and compassion along with physical healing.
Healing ten lepers - Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem when ten men with leprosy stood at a distance and called out, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" Jesus told them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." As they went to obey, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back praising God and threw himself at Jesus's feet to thank Him - and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then He said to the man, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well" (Luke 17:11-19).
Nine were healed but only one was grateful. Jesus noticed.
Healing Deafness and Muteness
The deaf and mute man - People brought to Jesus a man who was deaf and could hardly talk. They begged Jesus to place His hand on him. Jesus took him aside, away from the crowd, put His fingers into the man's ears, spit, and touched the man's tongue. Looking up to heaven, Jesus sighed and said, "Ephphatha!" (which means "Be opened!"). At this, the man's ears were opened, his tongue was loosened, and he began to speak plainly (Mark 7:31-37).
The mute man with a demon - A demon-possessed man who couldn't talk was brought to Jesus. When Jesus drove out the demon, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, "Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel" (Matthew 9:32-33).
Other Physical Conditions
Jesus healed many other ailments:
Peter's mother-in-law - She was in bed with a fever. Jesus went to her, took her hand, and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them (Mark 1:30-31).
The woman with an issue of blood - She had been bleeding for twelve years and had spent all her money on doctors who couldn't help her. In a crowd, she came up behind Jesus and touched the edge of His cloak, thinking, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." Immediately her bleeding stopped. Jesus turned and asked, "Who touched me?" The woman came forward trembling and told Him the whole truth. Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering" (Mark 5:25-34).
The woman crippled for eighteen years - Jesus was teaching in a synagogue on the Sabbath when He saw a woman who had been bent over for eighteen years and couldn't straighten up. When Jesus saw her, He called her forward and said, "Woman, you are set free from your infirmity." He put His hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God (Luke 13:10-13).
The man with dropsy - At a Pharisee's house on the Sabbath, Jesus saw a man suffering from abnormal swelling. Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?" They remained silent. Jesus took hold of the man, healed him, and sent him on his way (Luke 14:1-4).
The high priest's servant's ear - When Jesus was being arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. Jesus said, "No more of this!" and touched the man's ear and healed him (Luke 22:50-51). Even in His darkest hour, facing arrest and crucifixion, Jesus healed.
Jesus Cast Out Demons and Healed Spiritual Oppression
Demon possession was a real problem in Jesus's day. The Gospels describe multiple occasions when Jesus freed people from demonic control:
The demon-possessed man in the synagogue - In Capernaum, a man possessed by an impure spirit cried out, "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are - the Holy One of God!" Jesus said sternly, "Be quiet! Come out of him!" The demon shook the man violently and came out with a shriek (Mark 1:23-26).
The Gadarene demoniac - When Jesus crossed the lake to the region of the Gadarenes, a demon-possessed man came from the tombs to meet Him. This man lived among the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with chains. Night and day he cried out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus, he ran and fell on his knees before Him. He shouted, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?" For Jesus had said to him, "Come out of this man, you impure spirit!" Jesus asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "My name is Legion, for we are many." The demons begged Jesus not to send them out of the area. A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, "Send us among the pigs." Jesus gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned (Mark 5:1-13).
The man who had been possessed was found sitting at Jesus's feet, dressed and in his right mind. Jesus told him, "Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you." The man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him (Mark 5:15-20).
The Syrophoenician woman's daughter - A Greek woman whose daughter was demon-possessed begged Jesus to drive out the demon. Jesus initially said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." But the woman persisted. She said, "Yes it is, Lord. Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master's table." Jesus replied, "Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted." Her daughter was healed at that moment (Matthew 15:21-28).
The boy with seizures caused by a demon - A father brought his son to Jesus. The boy had seizures and often fell into fire or water. The father said, "I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him." Jesus said, "Bring the boy here to me." He rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment. Later the disciples asked privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" Jesus replied, "Because you have so little faith" (Matthew 17:14-21).
In every case of demon possession, Jesus had complete authority. Demons recognized Him and obeyed His commands immediately.
Jesus Raised the Dead
Three times during His ministry, Jesus brought dead people back to life:
Jairus's daughter - Jairus, a synagogue leader, fell at Jesus's feet and pleaded with Him to come to his house because his twelve-year-old daughter was dying. While Jesus was on the way, someone came from Jairus's house and said, "Your daughter is dead. Don't bother the teacher anymore." Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed." When He arrived at the house, He didn't let anyone go in with Him except Peter, John, James, and the child's parents. People were wailing and mourning for her. Jesus said, "Stop wailing. She is not dead but asleep." They laughed at Him, knowing she was dead. But He took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up (Luke 8:40-55).
The widow's son at Nain - As Jesus approached the town gate of Nain, a dead person was being carried out - the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. A large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and He said, "Don't cry." Then He went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother (Luke 7:11-15).
Luke notes that Jesus's heart went out to the widow. He didn't wait to be asked. He saw her pain and acted.
Lazarus - This is the most detailed resurrection account. Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, had died. By the time Jesus arrived in Bethany, Lazarus had been in the tomb four days. Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." Martha thought He meant the resurrection at the end of time. But Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
Jesus came to the tomb deeply moved. It was a cave with a stone across the entrance. Jesus said, "Take away the stone." Martha objected: "But, Lord, by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days." Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" They took away the stone. Jesus looked up and said, "Father, I thank you that you have heard me." Then He called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face (John 11:1-44).
Lazarus walking out of that tomb after four days of death proved Jesus had authority over death itself.
Faith and Healing in Jesus's Ministry
Faith played a role in many healings, but not always in the way we might expect.
Jesus Healed Those With Great Fait
Sometimes Jesus specifically commended someone's faith:
The centurion's servant - A Roman centurion came to Jesus asking Him to heal his servant who was paralyzed and suffering terribly. Jesus said, "I will go and heal him." The centurion replied, "Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I myself am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, 'Go,' and he goes." When Jesus heard this, He was amazed and said, "Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith." Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that moment (Matthew 8:5-13).
The woman with the issue of blood - She told herself, "If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed." After she was healed, Jesus said to her, "Daughter, your faith has healed you" (Mark 5:34).
Blind Bartimaeus - After Jesus healed him, He said, "Go, your faith has healed you" (Mark 10:52).
Jesus Healed Those Without Faith
Other times, Jesus healed people who showed no evidence of personal faith:
The invalid at Bethesda - The man had been sick for 38 years. He didn't ask Jesus to heal him. He didn't even know who Jesus was at first. Jesus simply saw him lying there and healed him (John 5:1-13).
The man born blind - Before his healing, this man didn't know Jesus. Jesus saw him and healed him without being asked (John 9:1-7).
The ten lepers - Jesus healed all ten, even though only one came back to thank Him (Luke 17:11-19).
Malchus's ear - Jesus healed the ear of someone who had come to arrest Him - hardly an act of faith on Malchus's part (Luke 22:50-51).
The pattern seems to be that faith opened the door for people to come to Jesus and ask for healing, but Jesus sometimes healed people who hadn't asked and didn't yet believe. His compassion motivated Him as much as people's faith.
Why Did Jesus Heal People?
Jesus didn't heal people randomly or to show off. Every healing served a purpose:
Compassion for Human Suffering
Multiple times the Gospels say Jesus was moved with compassion:
When He saw the widow of Nain grieving her dead son, "his heart went out to her" (Luke 7:13).
When crowds followed Him, "he had compassion on them and healed their sick" (Matthew 14:14).
When two blind men cried out for mercy, "Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes" (Matthew 20:34).
Jesus genuinely cared about people's pain. He wasn't indifferent to physical suffering. He didn't see sickness as something people just had to accept. When He saw people hurting, He acted to relieve that hurt.
Demonstrating His Identity as Messiah
Jesus's healings proved He was who He claimed to be. When John the Baptist sent messengers asking, "Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?" Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor" (Matthew 11:2-5).
Jesus was quoting prophecies about the Messiah from Isaiah 35:5-6 and Isaiah 61:1. His healings fulfilled those prophecies and proved His identity.
The Gospels frequently note that people were amazed at Jesus's authority. After He healed the paralytic, the crowd "were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man" (Matthew 9:8). When He healed the deaf and mute man, people said, "He has done everything well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak" (Mark 7:37).
Revealing the Father's Heart
Jesus said, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). Everything Jesus did revealed what God is like. When Jesus healed lepers, cast out demons, restored sight to the blind, and raised the dead, He showed that God is not distant or uncaring. God sees human suffering and responds with power and compassion.
The healings also demonstrated that God's kingdom breaks into this broken world. Jesus announced, "The kingdom of God has come near" (Mark 1:15). His healings were signs that God's reign was advancing, pushing back the effects of sin, sickness, and death.
Fulfilling Prophecy
Isaiah prophesied that the Messiah would "take up our infirmities and bear our diseases" (Isaiah 53:4). Matthew directly connects Jesus's healing ministry to this prophecy: "When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 'He took up our infirmities and bore our diseases'" (Matthew 8:16-17).
Every healing was another piece of evidence that Jesus was exactly who the prophets said would come.
What Jesus's Healing Miracles Teach Us Today
Understanding Jesus's healing ministry matters for more than historical knowledge. These accounts speak to real questions believers face:
God Cares About Physical Suffering
Jesus never dismissed physical pain as unimportant compared to spiritual needs. He addressed both. When He saw people suffering, He acted to relieve that suffering. This tells us that God is not indifferent to our physical bodies. He created us as whole persons - body and soul - and He cares about both.
The Psalms repeatedly show God as attentive to human suffering: "The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit" (Psalm 34:18). Jesus's healings demonstrated this truth in action.
Jesus Has Authority Over All Sickness
No disease defeated Jesus. Blindness, leprosy, paralysis, chronic conditions, sudden illness, demon possession - He healed them all. Even death couldn't stand before His command.
This authority matters because it shows that sickness is not stronger than God. Death is not the final word. Jesus proved He has power over every force that brings suffering to human beings.
Healing Points to Spiritual Restoration
While Jesus healed many physical ailments, His ultimate mission was spiritual. He said He came "to seek and to save the lost" (Luke 19:10). The physical healings pointed to a deeper healing He came to provide.
When Jesus healed the paralytic, He said, "Son, your sins are forgiven" before He said, "Get up and walk" (Mark 2:5-11). The physical healing demonstrated His authority to provide the spiritual healing everyone needs.
Everyone who Jesus healed physically eventually died. But those who believed in Him received eternal life. The temporal healings were signs pointing to the permanent spiritual restoration He offers.
Application for Believers Today
Does God still heal today? Scripture teaches that God can and does heal. James instructs believers: "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up" (James 5:14-15).
At the same time, God doesn't promise to heal every sickness immediately in this life. Paul had a "thorn in the flesh" that God chose not to remove despite Paul's repeated prayers (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Timothy dealt with stomach problems (1 Timothy 5:23). Trophimus was left sick at Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20). Faithful believers sometimes remain sick.
The difference between now and Jesus's earthly ministry is timing. Jesus's healings were a foretaste of the complete restoration that will come when He returns and makes all things new. Revelation 21:4 promises that in the new creation, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."
Until then, we pray for healing, trusting God's character and power. Sometimes He heals immediately. Sometimes He heals gradually through medical treatment. Sometimes He chooses not to heal in this life, and we trust that His grace is sufficient and His power is made perfect in weakness.
What we know for certain from Jesus's healing ministry is that God sees our suffering, cares deeply about our pain, and has the power to heal. We can come to Him with confidence, knowing He is compassionate and able.
The Greater Healing Jesus Provides
Jesus's most important healing wasn't physical - it was spiritual. He came to heal the broken relationship between God and humanity caused by sin.
Isaiah prophesied about the suffering servant: "He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed" (Isaiah 53:5). Peter applied this prophecy directly to Jesus: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24).
The ultimate healing Jesus provides is forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. Everyone who trusts in Him receives this healing - not just temporary relief from physical symptoms, but permanent restoration of the relationship with God that sin destroyed.
Jesus's physical healings were powerful demonstrations of His compassion and authority. But they were also signs pointing to the greater healing He accomplished through His death and resurrection. The blind man who received sight eventually died. But those who receive spiritual sight through faith in Christ receive eternal life.
This doesn't minimize the importance of physical healing. It puts it in perspective. Jesus cared enough about physical suffering to heal thousands of sick people during His earthly ministry. But He cared even more about the spiritual sickness that separates people from God forever.
When you read about Jesus healing the sick, let it strengthen your faith that He sees your suffering and has the power to help. Bring your physical needs to Him in prayer. Ask Him for healing. Trust His compassion and His sovereignty.
And remember that the greatest healing anyone can receive is the spiritual healing Jesus offers freely to everyone who believes in Him - forgiveness of sins, new life, and the promise that one day, in His presence, there will be no more sickness, no more pain, and no more tears.
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