Have you ever been told that God promises physical healing for all Christians because of Jesus’ atonement?

Some use verses like Isaiah 53:5, 1 Peter 2:24, and Matthew 8:17 to make this claim, but what if that’s not what these passages actually mean?

Stick around as we dive into the real meaning behind these verses and why the Bible doesn’t guarantee freedom from sickness in this life, but rather points us to a far greater hope.

UNTWISTING ISAIAH 53v5

First, let’s look at Isaiah 53:5, the preferred and most often quoted verse to argue that healing is included in the atonement.

“But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

The context of Isaiah 53 is about the Suffering Servant, Jesus, bearing the sins of His people. The phrase “by His stripes we are healed” must be understood in the broader context of spiritual healing from the devastating effects of sin. Isaiah 53 doesn’t focus on physical ailments but on Christ’s atoning work for the root cause of all brokenness, namely SIN.

Thus, the main emphasis of Isaiah 53 revolves around the sin problem and how God Himself would address it through His Servant, Jesus Christ, by His suffering and death, but also by His resurrection and glorification. Here are a few direct or indirect references to the sin dilemma as described in Isaiah 53.

“Transgressions” which refers to rebellion or intentional disobedience against God’s law.

Isaiah 53:5 – “But He was wounded for our transgressions…”

Isaiah 53:8 – “For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.”

“Iniquities” which refers to moral evil or perversity, including the guilt and consequences of sin.

Isaiah 53:5 – “He was bruised for our iniquities…”

Isaiah 53:6 – “The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

“Sin” which refers to missing the mark or falling short of God’s standard, which encompasses all wrongdoing.

Isaiah 53:12 – “…and He was numbered with the transgressors, and He bore the sin of many…”

“Guilt offering” which refers to a sacrifice for sin to atone for the guilt of transgressions.

Isaiah 53:10 – “When You make His soul an offering for sin…”

“Chastisement” which refers to the punishment or correction for sin.

Isaiah 53:5 – “The chastisement for our peace was upon Him…”

“Griefs” and ”Sorrows” which are often thought of in terms of suffering and sickness, are used here in a broader context to describe the pain and suffering caused by sin.

Isaiah 53:4 – “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…”

Together, these words describe the complete weight of sin—rebellion, guilt, moral failure, and its consequences—and show that the Suffering Servant (Jesus Christ) took on this burden to bring spiritual healing and reconciliation with God. The passage is clear that Christ’s suffering and death primarily addressed the problem of human sin through His atonement. Nowhere in Isaiah 53 are our sicknesses or ailments etc. mentioned – only our sin, and thus the healing spoken of here is about reconciliation with God and deliverance from sin and spiritual death.

UNTWISTING 1 PETER 2v24

Now, let’s turn to 1 Peter 2:24, which echoes Isaiah’s words.

“Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.”

In this passage, Peter explicitly connects the healing to sin: “He bore our sins in His own body.” This reinforces that the healing in question is spiritual. It is about being set free from the power of sin, enabling us to live righteously before God. In chapter 2, and this verse specifically, Peter is not speaking about physical healing, but the deeper reality of what Christ’s death accomplished, namely, our restoration to spiritual wholeness and reconciliation with God.

Thus, for teachers and preachers to refer to this passage as if our healing has already been accomplished by the suffering and death of Christ, and that we only need to “lay hold of it” by faith is a massive blunder and falsehood.

UNTWISTING MATTHEW 8v17

Matthew 8:17 is also often cited as evidence that physical healing is guaranteed in this life because it reads:

“He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.”

While it’s true that Matthew says Jesus fulfilled Isaiah 53:4 by healing the sick during His ministry, it’s important to note the context. Matthew is describing how Jesus’ healings were a sign of His messianic role and the arrival of God’s Kingdom. However, these healings pointed to a greater reality: the final redemption, when all sickness and pain will be removed forever. Matthew is not promising physical healing for everyone in this age, but shows that Jesus, as Messiah, had the power to heal, pointing toward the complete healing we will experience in the resurrection.

What Christ has done was to bear both the guilt and the curse of sin as Galatians 3:13 states:

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, ‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE’)…”

Both physical healing and ultimate victory over death are guaranteed by Christ’s atoning work, but these will not be fully realized until the very end, as described in 1 Corinthians 15:26, “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death.”

THE PURPOSE OF THE ATONEMENT

Jesus’ atonement on the cross dealt with the root problem of sin.

The suffering, sickness, and death we experience in this life are all consequences of living in a fallen world which are still under the curse of sin.

Jesus came to break the power of sin and death through His sacrificial death and resurrection, but physical healing is not guaranteed in this life because we still live in a world marred by the effects of sin.

However, the Bible promises that when Jesus returns, those who have trusted in Him will receive resurrection bodies, free from sickness, pain, and suffering.

Revelation 21:4 – “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

1 Corinthians 15:42-44 – “So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.”

GUARANTEED HEALING…

So, while physical healing can and does happen in this life according to God’s sovereignty and His choosing, it is not a guaranteed part of the atonement in this life, this side of eternity. Our hope does not lie in the absence of sickness today, but in the certainty that when Christ returns, He will fully and finally heal us from every ailment, and we will live with Him in perfect health for all eternity. Our greatest need—freedom from sin—has already been met in Jesus. And one day, the fullness of that redemption will be seen when we stand before Him, whole and healed forever.

This is our true hope, and it’s far better than any temporary healing we could receive now.

OTHER “HEALING” PASSAGES

Here are some more Scripture references to healing with a spiritual connotation:

Psalm 41:4; Psalm 147:3; Jeremiah 3:22; Hosea 14:4; Matthew 13:14-15; Luke 4:18; John 12:37-40; Acts 28:26-27; Hebrews 12:11-13; James 5:15; Revelation 22:1-4