Christus Victor: Faith in the Fringes/ Healing in the Wings
Christus Victor: Faith in the Fringes/ Healing in the Wings
Malachi 4 & Matthew 9
March 23rd, 2025
Christus Victor. “An element of the atoning work of Christ that emphasizes the triumph of Christ over the evil powers of the world, through which he rescues his people and establishes a new relationship between God and the world.
The evil powers of this world are real and active but not victorious.
We were once slaves to sin but now we are free from sin.
Sin once separated us from God but the victorious Christ has satisfied our sin and restored our relationship with our Father.
A.W. Tozer “What you believe about God is the most important thing about you.”
“What God did, God still does.”
Malachi 4:1-6 (AMP) “For behold, the day is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant (proud, self-righteous, haughty), and every evildoer shall be stubble; and the day that is coming shall set them on fire,” says the Lord of hosts, “so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But for you who fear My name [with awe-filled reverence] the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go forward and leap [joyfully] like calves [released] from the stall. 3 You will trample the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this,” says the Lord of hosts. 4 “Remember [with thoughtful concern] the Law of Moses My servant, the statutes and the ordinances which I commanded him on [Mount] Horeb [to give] to all Israel. 5 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers [a reconciliation produced by repentance], so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse [of complete destruction].”
Matthew 9:18-21 (AMP) 18 While He was saying these things to them, a ruler (synagogue official) entered [the house] and kneeled down and worshiped Him, saying, “My daughter has just now died; but come and lay Your hand on her, and she will live.” 19 Jesus got up and began to accompany the ruler, with His disciples. 20 Then a woman who had suffered from a hemorrhage for twelve years came up behind Him and touched the [tassel] fringe of His outer robe; 21 for she had been saying to herself, “If I only touch His outer robe, I will be healed.”
Matthew 8 & 9 records…
The healing of a Roman soldier’s servant, highlighting the faith of the soldier
The healing of Peter’s mother in law
The healing of a lame man
The resurrection of a Jewish ruler’s daughter
The healing of a woman who was bold enough to push through a crowd to get to Jesus.
The healing of two blind men
In the broadest of brush strokes, Jesus paints a few pictures in these 2 chapters:
Access to Jesus has nothing to do with pedigree or prior Jesus knowledge or experience.
Wherever Jesus is, His healing power is.
Our faith gets us to Jesus but He is the healer.
Tallit - Jewish Prayer Shawl
Tzitzits - Tassels woven into each corner of the Tallit
Kanafayim – The 4 corners of the Tallit are called “wings.”
The woman knew who she is reaching to and what she was reaching for “the sun of righteousness who will rise with healing in His wings.”
Mark 5:29-34 (NIV)…29 Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering. 30 At once Jesus realized that power had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?” 31 “You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”32 But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. 33 Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. 34 He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Jesus’ brief address added more healing.
“Daughter” – Relationship Affirmed.
“Your faith has healed you.” The amplified reads [your trust and confidence in My power and My ability to heal]. Our faith moves us. Jesus heals us.
“Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.” Go forward free!
Isaiah 53:4-5 (NIV). Surely, he (Jesus) took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But 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.
Why is it so hard for people today to believe that Jesus still divinely, miraculously heals people? Here are a few reasons…
We are stuck in Saturday living with Sunday power available.
Because not all healing prayers are met with divine healing but all are met with God’s compassion.
A Healing Prayer
God, I believe you can.
I trust you if you don’t.
Here I come.
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 (AMP) 8 Concerning this I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might leave me; 9 but He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you [My lovingkindness and My mercy are more than enough—always available—regardless of the situation]; for [My] power is being perfected [and is completed and shows itself most effectively] in [your] weakness.” Therefore, I will all the more gladly boast in my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ [may completely enfold me and] may dwell in me. 10 So I am well pleased with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, and with difficulties, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak [in human strength], then I am strong [truly able, truly powerful, truly drawing from God’s strength].
Psalm 57:1 (NIV) Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed.
Psalm 61:1-4 (NIV) Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. 2 From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. 3 For you have been my refuge, a strong tower against the foe. 4 I long to dwell in your tent forever and take refuge in the shelter of your wings.