Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Matthew 8:17

"that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases." — Matthew 8:17 (ASV)

Matthew goes on to say that Isa 53:4 is being fulfilled in Jesus’ healing ministry. What is the connection between these two? It is generally understood that when the NT quotes a brief OT passage, it often refers implicitly to the entire context of the quotation (which in this case is the entire “Servant Song” of Isa 52:13–53:12). Both Scripture and Jewish tradition understand that all sickness is caused, directly or indirectly, by sin . But one main emphasis in the Servant Song is substitutionary atonement, whereby the servant bears the sicknesses of others through his suffering and death. Thus, Matthew suggests that Jesus’ healing ministry is itself a function of his substitutionary death, by which he lays the foundation for destroying sickness.

That connection is supported by various collateral arguments. The prologue insists Jesus came to save his people from their sin, and this within the context of the coming of the kingdom. When Jesus began his ministry, he not only proclaimed the kingdom but healed the sick . Healing and forgiveness are tied together, not only in a pericope like 9:1–8, but by the fact that the consummated kingdom, in which there is no sickness, is made possible by Jesus’ death and the new covenant that his death enacted (26:27–29). Thus the healings during Jesus’ ministry can be understood not only as the foretaste of the kingdom but also as the fruit of Jesus’ death. In other words, for Matthew, Jesus’ healing miracles pointed beyond themselves to the Cross.

Furthermore, the miracles in this chapter have been framed to emphasize Jesus’ authority (see comment on vv.8–9). This authority was never used to satisfy himself (cf. 4:1–10). He healed a despised leper (vv.1–4), a Gentile centurion’s servant who was hopelessly ill (vv.5–13), and other sick people (vv.14–15), no matter how many (vv.16–17). Thus when he gave his life a ransom for many (20:28), it was nothing less than an extension of the same authority directed toward the good of others. Jesus’ death reflected the intermingling of authority and servanthood already noted (e.g., 3:17) and now progressively developed.

It should be stated that this discussion cannot be used to justify healing on demand. This text and others clearly teach that there is healing in the Atonement; but there is also the promise of a resurrection body in the Atonement, even though believers do not inherit it until the Parousia. From the perspective of the NT writers, the Cross is the basis for all the benefits that accrue to believers; but this does not mean that all such benefits can be secured at the present time on demand, any more than we have the right and power to demand our resurrection bodies.