erebus-cross “Christ suffered and died so that disease would one day be utterly destroyed. Disease and death were not part of God’s original way with the world. They came in with sin as part of God’s judgment on creation. The Bible says, “The creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope” (Romans 8:20). God  subjected the world to the futility of physical pain to show the horror of moral evil.   This futility included death. “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin” (Romans 5:12). It included all the groaning of disease. And Christians are not excluded: “Not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit [that is, those who trust Christ], groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Romans 8:23). When Christ came into the world, he was on a mission to accomplish this global redemption. He signaled his purposes by healing many people during his lifetime. There were occasions when the crowds gathered and he “healed all who were sick” (Matthew 8:16; Luke 6:19). This was a preview of what was coming at the end of history when “he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore” (Revelation 21:4). The way Christ defeated death and disease was by taking them on himself and carrying them with him to the grave. God’s judgment on the sin that brought disease was endured by Jesus when he suffered and died.”

Reflecting on this statement reminds me there is not only a reason for sickness, but a purpose.  The reason, as Piper affirms from the Bible, is sin.  Sin’s effect caused not only a spiritual fall but a physical one as well.   Many people just stop at the spiritual and never think beyond that point.  I have come to realize that if Jesus died for sinners, he died for not only sin’s affect on my eternal soul but also it’s effect on my body.  I missed this and I think many other’s do too.   As for sickness’ purpose, as with all things it is God’s glory.  While God does not take pleasure in our physical illness, he does highlight his glory through the healing of illness or, as some forget, through those who are not healed.  Our healing brings God glory and our suffering in illness can also bring him glory. 

Questions:  Have you ever considered that sins effects are more than spiritual?   If you do now recognize that sin is the source of illness and its associated suffering, do you now see that the solution for your illness is not entirely an earthly physician?  

Quote from “The 50 Reasons Jesus Came to Die”.

Questions and reflections by me.

Picture – The cross at Mount Erebus, Antarctica, commemorating the 1979 Air New Zealand Crash near Mount Erebus.

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