Do you think Jesus ever had a cold or was ill?
Although sin brings death and gave birth to sickness, did Jesus get sick, even though He was sinless? After all, He lived in a cursed environment? In addition, He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin. It is not a sin to be sick, so was He tempted by sickness? Was that part of the kenosis? He not only took on the appearance of flesh, but “sinful flesh” (meaning He had no sin predisposition toward sin, but was vulunerable to all the human experiences that sinful people suffered) — Romans 8:3
Jesus only worked miracles, I believe, with the permission of the Father in the power of the Spirit.
Was the criticism, “Physician, heal yourself” a jab taken at Jesus because He was sick in some way at the time?
Then again, sickness is the result of sin. So if His body did not suffer any of the effects of the curse becasue He did not sin, this would preclude the possibility of Him ever being ill.
Please share your thoughts.
Poll Results
Do you think Jesus ever had a cold or was ill?
Yes, I think He probably did get sick in some way. Votes: 16
Perhaps He became ill at times, but I think more likely not. Votes: 0
No, He never became ill, not so much as a cold. Votes: 6
I am not willing to postulate either way. Votes: 6
Other Votes: 0
I can’t think of any reason why He would not experience sickness.
Then again, sickness is the result of sin. So if His body did not suffer any of the effects of the curse becasue He did not sin, this would preclude the possibility of Him ever being ill.
There’s a bit of category confusion here. Sickness and death came into the world as the result of the Fall—not as as result of personal sin. Of course, personal folly can add suffering to the default level that goes with human experience in this world, but that’s something else, not “effects of the curse.”
Jesus suffered the effects of the curse more than anyone. In ordinary daily experience, He would have suffered them as much as any human. On the cross, He took the curse for all who believe.
That raises the question, Then why are believers still experiencing the curse? (This is a bigger topic than I realized when I dove in!). There are two (or more?) senses of “curse of sin” in the NT. One refers to the curse on the planet and all life on it (Gen.3, Rom. 8:20), and the other refers to the curse of sin’s penalty (which, I think, is the point of “cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” — Gal. 3:13).
Jesus died to remove both of these forms of “curse.” The penalty of sin is removed immediately for those who believe. The lifting of the curse from the world awaits the eschaton (the End)… Romans 8:20-21.
Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.
Jesus willingly allowed himself to be taken, scourged, and crucified. He submitted to it (Matt 26:56; cp. with Luke 4:30 where he did not submit). It seems to me if he ever did get sick it was because he willingly allowed it. I lean towards to him never having been ill.
Well, we do know He didn’t cry as a baby.
When he was working in Joseph’s carpentry shop did he ever cut his finger, was everything he made perfect, did he sweat?
"Some things are of that nature as to make one's fancy chuckle, while his heart doth ache." John Bunyan
Discussion