INTRODUCTION

Jesus performed a lot of miracles, the majority of them related to healing physical diseases. Only one of the Gospel writers had any medical training, Luke, “the beloved physician” (Col 4:14), but all of them included descriptions of the infections and infirmities in their respective Gospels that were cured by Jesus. 

Before our modern understanding of disease processes, many conditions were attributed to spiritual causes. “Evil spirits” or “demons” were blamed for many debilitating conditions. Thus, when Jesus healed some diseases, demons were assumed to be cast out. In fact, in many cases this is what the Bible explicitly states. Whether evil spirits were actually involved in the disease is up for debate. Certainly, our modern understanding of medicine often fails to consider how spiritual afflictions contribute to disease. 

Either way, there were many sick and crippled people that encountered Jesus during his time on earth. The following are ten of the most common and notable conditions healed.

1. BLINDNESS

Blindness was arguably the condition most frequently healed by Jesus. Sometimes the Gospel writers mention it in passing (“on many who were blind he bestowed sight,” Lk 7:21), other times there’s a lengthy narrative. 

When “a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw” (Mt 12:22), the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the prince of demons. A long discussion ensued (Mt 12:22-45; Mk 3:20-30; Lk 11:14-28). Another time, two blind men followed along behind Jesus, crying out, “Have mercy on us, Son of David!” He healed them and warned them to tell no one, but they “went away and spread his fame through all that district” (Mt 9:27-31). In the town of Bethsaida, Jesus healed a blind man twice. The first time, Jesus spat on his eyes, after which the blind man man saw “people, but they look like trees, walking” (Mk 8:24). The second time, Jesus laid his hands on his eyes and his sight was fully restored. Perhaps the longest narrative of any healing occurs when Jesus heals a blind man who is later questioned incessantly by the Pharisees. Even his frightened parents are interrogated. In this occurrence, Jesus spat on the ground and made mud with his spit, then wiped it on the man’s eyes (Jn 9). The only named blind man was Bartimaeus, who was healed after unabashedly badgering Jesus by the roadside (Mt 20:29-34; Mk 10:46-52; Lk 18:35-43). He touched his eyes and his sight was immediately restored. In all these cases, it seems none of them were healed the same way, at least according to the details we have recorded in the Gospels.

In keeping with the high frequency of blindness recorded in the Gospels, there are various medical reasons why someone might be blind in ancient Palestine. Even from birth, blindness affected a significant portion of the population. 

The Pharisees may have been onto something when they said, “Who sinned that this man was born blind?” Gonorrhea is a sexually transmitted disease caused by a nasty bacteria called Neisseria gonorrhoeae. In adults, it causes pelvic discharge, pain, and, in severe cases, death. However, many cases have no symptoms at all, so patients don’t know they’re carriers. When babies pass through the birth canal, then come into contact with the bacteria, infecting their eyes.  If untreated, the cornea (outer layer of the eye) develops ulcers and scars over. For this reason, newborns nowadays routinely get a dose of antibiotic ointment in their eyes immediately after birth to prevent infection with Neisseria. Gonorrhea has been the leading cause of “blindness since birth” for centuries, and most certainly would have affected those in Judea during the first century. Because it's sexually transmitted, those who contracted it (or their partners) were usually guilty of adultery. It was virtually impossible to get gonorrhea any other way. Thus, it’s not unreasonable to assume that parent(s) would have slept around in order to contract the disease that blinded their child from birth.

Another infection that caused blindness was trachoma, caused by another nasty bacteria, Chlamydia trachomatis. It spreads via contact with fluids from another’s infected eye. If an infected person touches their eyes then touches a surface or clothing, the bacteria could spread when a healthy person touches the same item and rubs their eyes. Even flies darting from person to person can spread the infection, particularly in areas of poor sanitation or overcrowding. Children are especially prone to it. Once the infection takes hold, the eyes become inflamed, swollen, goopy, and hypersensitive. Like gonorrhea infections, inflammation causes ulcers, which can scar the cornea to cause blindness. Trachoma still occurs today in parts of Africa and Asia.

Eye trauma was another common cause of blindness in childhood or adulthood. Accidents, war injuries, or deliberate torture (see Judges 16:21; 1 Sam 10:27; 1 Sam 11:2; 2 Kings 25:7) could all be the cause or eyes losing their ability to see.

Later in life, cataracts occur with age. The lens (focusing portion inside the eye) becomes clouded and prevents light from getting through to the retina. The current treatment - surgical replacement with a prosthetic lens - wasn’t developed until the 20th century, so cataracts in ancient times permanently blinded the elderly. Notably, the Old Testament patriarch Isaac was so blind in his old age that he couldn’t tell his sons apart and subsequently blessed his younger son before his firstborn (Gen 27).

All in all, blindness was way more common in ages past than it is today, but no less debilitating. Whatever the cause, Jesus restored the sight of countless blind people.

2. LEPROSY

Another common condition in ancient times was leprosy. It’s mentioned multiple times in the Old Testament (Num 12, 2 Ki 5). Similarly, Jesus encountered and healed leprosy regularly.

Behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. (Matthew 8:2-3)

As [Jesus] entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. (Luke 17:11-19)

Infection with Mycobacterium leprae causes a chronic, disfiguring skin disease called leprosy. It’s characterized by progressively worsening skin lesions that cause nerve and tissue destruction. The bacteria grow best on cooler areas of the body, so lesions (called granulomas) tend to develop on the limbs and face. Leprosy is spread by prolonged contact with someone infected, and also by nasal droplet (from breathing, sneezing, coughing).

Before antibiotics, there was no cure for leprosy, although many remedies were attempted, including bathing in blood, applying snake venom, repeated bee stings, castration, and oil from chaulmoogra trees. Because it was contagious and relatively untreatable, lepers were usually quarantined and segregated from the general population.

The Hebrew word for leprosy (tsara’ath) was a nonspecific term for any skin condition, which could also refer to mildew and mold on clothes or houses. Moses’ Law included extensive regulations for leprosy on people or their possessions (Lev 13-14). In general, anyone with an open skin lesion was considered unclean, whether it was true leprosy or something else. 

Lepers (those with skin lesions) had to live in isolation and alert other people of their condition, crying out “Unclean! Unclean!” whenever others came near. If a skin disorder resolved, the person had to be examined by a priest and be ceremonially cleaned. After bathing, shaving, washing one’s clothes, and offering sacrifices, the person could then officially rejoin the community. However, unlike other skin conditions, leprosy rarely self-resolved, so true lepers were typically outcasts for life. The act of touching a person suffering from leprosy was unheard of in Jewish culture, but that didn’t stop Jesus from doing so, and healing one in the process.

3. SEPSIS

Before modern medicine, everyone was susceptible to sudden, life-threatening infections. An otherwise healthy person could be dead within a week from appendicitis or gallbladder infection, or a host of other infections. Peter’s mother-in-law was sick and fevered, likely at the point of death, until Jesus healed her (Mt 8:14-15; Mk 1:30-31; Lk 4:38-40). Lazarus also suddenly became severely sick (Jn 11). Due to Jesus’ delay in arriving, Lazarus succumbed to his illness and died before being brought back to life and walking out of his tomb.

For most of human history, severe bacterial infection was the most common cause of death in children. The infection could have started virtually anywhere in the body, but the lungs, abdomen, brain, and open wounds were most common. The child’s condition would have progressively worsened over the course of just a few days, with high fevers and decreasing responsiveness. Bacteria would eventually spread through the bloodstream to infect the rest of the body. We see this very thing in the case of Jairus’ twelve-year-old daughter. 

Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Jairus by name, and seeing him, he fell at his feet and implored him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well and live.” …. There came from the ruler's house some who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” (Mark 5:22-24, 35)

A septic child on her deathbed would have been pale, dehydrated, and unconscious as the infection caused her organ systems to shut down. Death soon followed. Sadly, this was all too common before the use of vaccinations and antibiotics. Prior to the 1800s up to a third of children died before adulthood. It’s unknown what sort of infection Jairus’ twelve-year-old daughter died from, but such an occurrence happened with alarming regularity in ancient times. Jesus, however, had other plans and brought her back to life, hungry but otherwise completely well (Mk 5:41-43).

4. SCHIZOPHRENIA

The case of the man who called himself Legion is fascinating. His story is recorded by three of the Gospel writers (Mt 8:28-34; Mk 5:1-20; Lk 8:26-39). 

When Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. (Mk 5:2-5)

His condition sounds remarkably similar to schizophrenia. 

Those who suffer from schizophrenia and other psychotic illnesses hear voices that others cannot. These voices can be foreign or familiar, often coming from multiple “entities” within the sufferer, typically causing great distress and dysfunction. 

The Bible seems to make it clear that the man called Legion was terribly demonized by multiple unclean spirits (a full Roman legion consisted of about 5000 soldiers). Upon being removed from the man, the spirits immediately entered a herd of pigs, who promptly rushed headlong down a cliff and drowned in the Sea of Galilee. Whether cases of demon possession in ancient times had underlying medical causes, or whether modern medical disorders actually have spiritual connections, is up for debate. Only God himself can know what happens so deep inside a troubled individual.

5. EPILEPSY

Matthew is the only Gospel writer to use the Greek verb seleniazomai. 

A man came up to him and, kneeling before him, said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he has seizures (seleniazomai) and he suffers terribly. For often he falls into the fire, and often into the water. And I brought him to your disciples, and they could not heal him.” … Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him, and the boy was healed instantly. (Mt 17:14-18)

It translates literally to “moonstruck”, derived from selene (“moon”). Today, it’s the Greek word for seizure. Lunaticus is the Latin equivalent, which is where the English “lunatic” comes from. The meaning of seleniazomai in this context is unclear, but it was probably related to seizure-like activity, since the Greeks suspected that seizures and epilepsy were related to the moon’s cycle.

The description of the boy’s behavior would certainly fit with epilepsy. Seizures, particularly in childhood, are dangerous. If the boy was near water or fire, the uncontrolled shaking could very well cause serious injury or death. 

Like many other conditions, ancient societies had minimal understanding of disease processes, so evil spirits were often blamed. Whether the symptoms were caused by a medical condition or evil spirits (or both) is unknown.

6. EDEMA

The physician Luke uses the Greek word hydropikos to describe the condition of a particular man who came to Jesus for healing.

There was a man before him who had dropsy (hydropikos)… He took him and healed him and sent him away. (Lk 14:2-4)

This the only occurrence in the Bible of this medical term. Hydropikos is a combination of hydor (“water”) and a derivative of optanomai (“look at”). A literal translation might read “looked watery” or “appeared swollen”. Many Bibles translate it as “suffering from dropsy,” which is an old term for hydropsy. Today, doctors call this edema. 

Edema is excessive fluid in the tissues. The man described here likely had peripheral edema, that is, swelling of his extremities. The legs are often the worst affected, since the lymphatic system must work against gravity to remove excess water. 

Leg swelling could be caused by any number of diseases, including failure of the heart, liver, or kidneys. In these conditions, excess body water or abnormal blood chemistry causes fluid to collect in gravity-dependent areas. 

Conversely, instead of a problem with his internal organs, the swollen man may have been suffering from a parasitic infection. When filarial worms invade the lymphatic system, they clog the vessels and prevent excess fluid from being removed from the tissues. The limbs gradually swell up, causing disfigurement. Legs and arms can get so disfigured, with thickened skin, that they look like elephant limbs. Thus, the disease elephantiasis was (and still is) a prevalent cause of edema in Africa and parts of Asia.

It’s unclear exactly what the man’s diagnosis was, given that edema can be caused by many different medical conditions. However, his swollen appearance was significant enough to warrant the unusual description and consideration for healing.

7. LIMB DYSFUNCTION

The Gospels record a number of instances of people with limbs that didn’t work correctly. Matthew, Mark, and Luke all record virtually identical accounts of a man with a “withered” hand. They all describe the hand as xeros, the Greek word for “dry”. Just like dried fruit is shriveled up to a fraction of its original size, the man’s hand was likely small, thin, and severely deformed. This description strongly suggests a birth defect. 

Congenital limb deformities are caused by a band of connective tissue that restricts growth early in fetal development. The arm would be very small, with fingers tiny or nonexistent. Depending on the severity, the limb could be completely nonfunctional. Interestingly, the Gospels record he was healed by extending his affected limb. 

[Jesus] said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other. (Mt 12:13)

If he stretched it out to be healed, the hand was presumably compact and much smaller beforehand, which supports the diagnosis of a birth defect.

Conversely, people could be born completely healthy but suffer irreparable damage later in life. At a time without safety belts, harnesses, hard hats, or other personal protective equipment - and where battles were fought by hand - such devastating injuries were relatively common. The cripple at the pool of Bethesda (Jn 5) had been unable to walk for 38 years; it’s unlikely this was a problem since birth, or John would likely have recorded it as such (like he did with the man born blind, Jn 9). Same goes for the paralytic who was lowered through the roof (Lk 5:17-39). Some sort of trauma probably caused their lameness, whether it was a spinal cord injury or extensive fractures of their legs that never healed properly. 

In all these cases - a hand deformity from birth or nonfunctional legs due to trauma - Jesus supernaturally fixed the bones and restored the limbs. 

8. UTERINE BLEEDING

The Bible records a striking narrative about the healing of a woman who had been suffering from uterine bleeding for over a decade. Here’s Luke’s version:

There was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. (Lk 8:43-44)

Matthew and Mark also record her story (Mt 9:18-26; Mk 5:21-43). According to the religious laws at the time, any bloody discharge rendered a woman unclean and therefore excluded from contact with other Jews (Lev 15:25-33). Anyone who touched her would also become unclean. Thus, without the ability to be touched or live in close proximity to others, the bleeding woman was likely a social outcast.

Various medical conditions can cause abnormal bleeding in women, such as endometriosis and polycystic ovarian syndrome, which often begin in the late teenage years, after the onset of a woman’s monthly period. Bleeding that begins later in life is often due to fibroids, which are slow-growing tumors within the wall of the uterus. The bleeding woman in the Gospels likely did not have cancer, since such a deadly disease would have ended her life far sooner than twelve years. 

Long term bleeding of any kind saps a person’s energy. Old blood cells in the body normally get broken down and recycled, so blood loss leads to nutrient deficiency, especially iron. Iron deficiency anemia makes any task requiring exertion that much more difficult. Anemic patients are constantly weak and tired.

Overall, a woman who had been bleeding for twelve years was likely in around 30 years old, unmarried, living with chronic pain and low energy, and likely hadn’t been significantly touched by anyone since childhood. It’s surprising that she reached out to touch Jesus, since such contact was socially prohibited. It’s equally surprising striking that, instead of rebuking her, Jesus praised her faith. 

“Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” (Lk 8:48)

The woman’s audacious action led to her miraculous healing, right then and there.

9. KYPHOSIS

Doctor Luke again uses a medical term to describe another woman’s medical condition, this time someone who had a spine disorder. 

There was a woman who had had a disabling spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over (sygkypto) and could not fully straighten herself. When Jesus saw her, he called her over and said to her, “Woman, you are freed from your disability.” And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and she glorified God. (Luke 13:11-13)

Sygkypto is a Greek verb from syn (“with”) and kypto (“stoop” or “bend forward”). It has been translated many ways: “hunched over,” “bent over,” or “bent double.” However it’s worded, the woman couldn’t stand up straight. 

Luke’s description suggests some form of spinal arthritis, possibly involving fusion of her vertebrae. Rounding of the upper spine is called kyphosis.  In extreme cases (“hyperkyphosis”), sufferers are perpetually bent over. In everyday language, a hyperkyphotic spine is a “hunchback”. 

There are many causes of hyperkyphosis (developmental disorders, injury, low bone density) and can affect people at any time in their lives (childhood through late adulthood). One of the most common causes is Scheuermann’s disease, which affects teenagers while the bones in their spines are still growing. The posterior (back) portion of the vertebrae grows more than the anterior (front) portion, causing the whole spine to curve forward. Unsurprisingly, people with a severely deformed spine live in constant pain. 

A woman with hyperkyphosis for eighteen years was probably in her early 30s, having developed the deformity in her teen years. Chronic back pain would have made everyday activities unbearable. Today, spine surgeons would have major difficulty fixing such a deformity. Jesus did it with a word.

10. PLEURAL EFFUSION

Unlike the many diseases that Jesus healed, the Gospels record very few that he suffered from. However, crucifixion involves a number of medical conditions that caused extreme pain and gradual death. One vivid description of Jesus suggests a condition he would have experienced while hanging from the cross in his last hours: pleural effusion. 

One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. (Jn 19:34)

Being suspended from outstretched arms would have over-expanded the chest cavity, thereby creating a partial vacuum within the pleural space between the lungs and chest wall. Over time, clear fluid would have accumulated, creating a pleural effusion. It probably occurred around both lungs. The same process may also have caused fluid to accumulate around the heart, causing a pericardial effusion, but this volume would have been much less than around the lungs.

Over time, the expanding pleural effusions would have reduced the space for the lungs to expand with each breath. Unable to take large enough breaths, oxygen levels in the blood would have slowly fallen. The sensation of being unable to breath would have been one of the last things Jesus experienced before he died.

Pleural effusions can be liberated with a puncture through the chest wall. In fact, this is exactly how modern physicians treat this condition - a chest tube is carefully inserted between the ribs to drain the fluid, allowing the lungs to reinflate. John’s graphic description of “blood and water” flowing out of Jesus’ punctured side is a clear indicator of the disease process that led to his death. It would have been a horrible way to die, and yet Christ allowed himself to be killed in this way so those who believe in him could live.

SUMMARY

The Bible is not a medical textbook. Although one of the Gospel writers was a physician, the purpose of his writing was to tell Jesus’ story (Lk 1:1-4), not describe the pathophysiology of the diseases he encountered. Thus, we need to be careful about interpreting Scripture with a specific medical diagnosis. Clues within the text exist, but the understanding of disease and suffering in the first century was quite different from how it is today.

The main point here is that there were many sick people who met Jesus. They suffered from real conditions - physical, mental, spiritual - that debilitated their lives. Some, like Lazarus and Jairus’ daughter, even died from them. However, Jesus is Lord over all things. The Bible doesn’t record a single sick person he couldn’t cure. Whether the disease was caused by organic (physical) ailments or demonic (spiritual) forces, or both, all Gospel writers record that he healed them all supernaturally. These were undeniable miracles, witnessed by the innumerable crowds that flocked to him. Such miracles were continued by his apostles during the days of the early church, and they still happen today. No matter the disease or infirmity, Jesus is Lord over them all, and his sovereignty continues right up till today.

© D. B. Ryen Incorporated, May 2025.

All Scripture quotations are from The English Standard Bible (ESV). Crossway, 2001.