When Pigs Fly - Week 2: Miracles of Healing

When God Heals—and When He Doesn’t

Scripture References

Primary text

• John 14:12
• Mark 2

Other references

• Mark 8
• 2 Timothy 4:20

Overview

God still performs miracles of healing, yet Scripture and everyday experience show that He does not heal everyone every time. In this message—part three of the “When Pigs Fly” series—Pastor Craig challenges us to hold two truths together: Jesus truly heals, and sometimes He withholds healing for purposes we cannot see. Our faith, even when it is only mustard-seed size, moves the heart of God, but our confidence rests ultimately in who Jesus is and what He accomplished on the cross, not merely in the outcome of a single prayer.

Context

• Mother’s Day weekend; series exploring four kinds of miracles (darkness, protection, provision, healing).
• Personal backdrop: first healing Craig ever witnessed (a dead bird that flew away) and the heartbreak of baby Lucas, a staff member’s infant son who died despite worldwide prayer.

Main Points

God still heals today

• Old Testament and New Testament overflow with healings; Jesus performed at least 30 specific healings and “hundreds” more implied.
• Acts example: Paul raises Eutychus after the young man falls from a window.

• Illustration: Dead bird on a walk with Amy; Craig poked it with a “prayer stick,” prayed, and the bird flew away.
• Story: Staff family (Brian & Jamie) lost baby Lucas after fervent prayer—reminder that not every story ends with an earthly miracle.

Foundational truth

“Our God heals, but He doesn’t heal everyone all the time.”

• Biblical examples:
  • Trophimus left sick in Miletus (2 Timothy 4:20).
  • Timothy’s ongoing stomach issues.
  • Paul’s “thorn” that God refused to remove.
• Well-meaning believers can wound others by blaming their lack of healing on sin or weak prayer.

Three situations where Jesus withheld miracles

1. To prove nothing to skeptics – Pharisees demanded a sign (Mark 8); Jesus refused.
2. When a miracle would derail God’s larger plan – He healed Malchus’s ear but would not summon angels to avoid the cross.
3. Where there was no faith – In His hometown Jesus “did not do many miracles” because of unbelief.

Faith that moves God’s heart

• Repeated pattern: “Your faith has healed you” (bleeding woman, leprous man, blind beggar).
• Jesus is amazed only by faith—great faith (centurion) or lack of it (Nazareth).
• Honest confession of the desperate father: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief.”

• Application: God honors imperfect, mustard-seed faith; pray the “prayer before the prayer” when confidence is low.

Jesus’ highest purpose

• Physical healing is significant but secondary; Jesus came primarily to save souls.

• Mark 2 story: Friends lower the paralyzed man through the roof; Jesus first forgives sins, then heals his body.

• Even those whom Jesus healed (e.g., Lazarus) eventually died; eternal redemption outlasts every bodily miracle.

Anchoring our prayers

• “I believe God can, and I believe He will, and even if He doesn’t do what I think He should—I still believe.”
• Faith is built on the character of God and the cross of Christ, not on guaranteed outcomes.

Key Truths

• God’s power to heal has not diminished since Bible times.
• Scripture plainly shows faithful followers who remained sick—lack of healing is not lack of love.
• Jesus’ miracles serve God’s purposes; He never does “party tricks” or shortcuts around the Father’s plan.
• Our faith—big or small—truly matters; it can amaze Jesus and invite His action.
• The ultimate miracle is forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection.

Response

• Pray boldly for healing, bringing whatever faith you have.
• Confess honestly when doubt surfaces: “Help my unbelief.”
• Refuse to shame others for unanswered prayers; offer compassion instead.
• Celebrate every healing, yet anchor your hope in Christ’s finished work, not in temporary outcomes.
• Keep interceding for the sick, trusting God’s wisdom whether He says “now,” “later,” or “not this way.”

Closing

Pastor Craig invited everyone needing healing—or standing in for a loved one—to rise while the church surrounded them in prayer. Together they acknowledged a God who “can do exceedingly and abundantly more,” believed for present-day miracles, and surrendered every outcome to His higher purpose.

“I believe God can and I believe He will, and even if He doesn’t do what I think He should, I still believe.”