The Fountain of Youth ∙∙

The Fountain of Youth ∙∙

But the centurion said, Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed. I know this because I am under the authority of my superior officers, and I have authority over my soldiers. I only need to say, ‘Go,’ and they go, or ‘Come,’ and they come. And if I say to my slaves, ‘Do this,’ they do it.” – Matthew 8:8-9

Luke 8:43-48

A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of his robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped.

“Who touched me?” Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against you.” But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.”

When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched him and that she had been immediately healed.

“Daughter,” he said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

The Fountain of Youth: A Timeless Legend

The Fountain of Youth is a legendary spring or pool thought to restore youth and energy to anyone who drinks from or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a miraculous source of healing and rejuvenation have been told across cultures for thousands of years. One of the earliest mentions comes from Herodotus in the 5th century B.C.

During the Age of Exploration in the 16th century, these stories were further spread through accounts by indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. According to these tales, the mythical land of Bimini was believed to be the home of the Fountain of Youth. Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León, enchanted by the legend, is said to have searched for this legendary spring in 1513, which eventually led him to what is now Florida.

Today, the legend continues in Saint Augustine, Florida, where visitors can visit the Fountain of Youth Archaeological Park. This tourist site combines history and myth under the tagline, “Where Legend Meets History.”

The True Source of Life and Healing

Unlike the legendary Fountain of Youth, the Lord Jesus Christ was a genuine and supernatural source of health, life, and restoration. During His earthly ministry, He performed countless miracles, healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, enabling the lame to walk, and even raising the dead. Where there was sickness or death, He brought health and life.

How Did Jesus Perform His Miracles?

The Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated His power, authority, and compassion by performing miracles. He did so in a variety of ways. Often, He would perform miracles with just a few words. In Matthew 8:26, He stops a fierce storm: “Then he arose and rebuked the wind and the waves, and suddenly there was a great calm.” He healed the centurion’s servant by his spoken word without any being near him, as seen in Matthew 8:13: “Then Jesus said to the Roman officer, ‘Go back home. Because you believed, it has happened.’ And the young servant was healed that same hour.”

Jesus frequently used touch to heal and restore, emphasizing His personal connection with those in need. He healed leprosy and fever with a simple touch (Matthew 8:3, Matthew 8:15). Jesus sometimes prayed to the Father before performing miracles, demonstrating His dependence on God and setting an example of faith. For instance, in the raising of Lazarus in John 11:41-42: “Then Jesus looked up to heaven and said, ‘Father, thank you for hearing me. You always hear me, but I said it out loud for the sake of all these people standing here, so that they will believe you sent me.” 

There were times when He instructed individuals to take specific actions as part of their healing or miracle. For example, John 9:6-7 records healing the man born blind, “Then he spit on the ground, made mud with the saliva, and spread the mud over the blind man’s eyes. He told him, ‘Go wash yourself in the pool of Siloam.’ So the man went and washed and came back seeing!” John 2:7-8 recalls turning water into wine, “Jesus told the servants, ‘Fill the jars with water.’ When the jars had been filled, he said, ‘Now dip some out, and take it to the master of ceremonies.’ So the servants followed his instructions.”

Each method Jesus used to perform miracles reveals His divine authority, compassion, and ability to meet people’s needs in unique and personal ways.

The Power of Christ: A Source of Life

A remarkable story involves a woman who had suffered from constant bleeding for twelve years. Desperate for healing, she approached Jesus in a crowd, quietly touched the hem of His robe, and was instantly healed.

Luke 8:46 recalls this event, “Jesus said, ‘Someone deliberately touched me, for I felt healing power go out from me.’”

This particular miracle offers important insights. Take a moment to reflect: what truly happened? Healing energy was discharged from Him to the woman with just the touch of the edge of His garment. It flowed out of Him effortlessly, without any conscious effort. The Lord Jesus Christ was a conduit of divine life-giving power.

How can we understand this phenomenon? The analogy of a modern battery might help. Just as batteries store and release electrical energy when needed, Jesus was filled with the life-giving power of God. It simply flowed out of Him.

REFLECT & PRAY

Just as the Lord Jesus Christ relied on the Holy Spirit to perform His miraculous works, we, as children of the King, can also draw on that same divine power.

Father, thank You for providing us, Your children, with the ultimate Power Source. Help us depend on You as we face life’s challenges and strive to fulfill Your purpose.

INSIGHT

The Uniqueness of the Lord Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ is an unmatched figure in history. As the God-man, He was fully divine and fully human, a theological concept known as the Hypostatic Union. This term describes the perfect union of Christ’s deity and humanity in one person, with neither nature being diminished or compromised.

Fully Human, Yet Without Sin

As a man, Jesus experienced the full range of human needs and limitations. He grew hungry, thirsty, and tired, just like we do. However, He was without sin, living a life completely dependent on the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit. His humanity allowed Him to understand and empathize with our struggles. The author of Hebrews explains:

Hebrews 4:15: “This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin.”
Hebrews 2:17: “Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.”

The Source of Life and Power

Unlike ordinary humans, Jesus did not rely on external sources to sustain His power. When life and health flowed out of Him to heal others, He did not need to “recharge,” as we might understand it. He was, in Himself, the ultimate Power Source. His divine nature ensured that His strength and authority were limitless, flowing directly from His relationship with the Father. The Lord Jesus explained this in the Gospel of John.

John 5:19: “I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”
John 12:49: “I don’t speak on my own initiative. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it.”
John 6:38: “For I have come down from heaven to do the will of God who sent me, not to do my own will.”
John 5:26: “The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son.”

Authority and Mission

Jesus’ authority was not self-proclaimed but bestowed by the Father. His mission on earth was to accomplish the will of God, offering life, healing, and eternal salvation to humanity. His authority covers all creation, both in heaven and on earth.

The Lord Jesus declared in the Gospel of Matthew, Matthew 28:18: “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.”

Life and Restoration

The Lord Jesus Christ’s life and ministry demonstrate the perfect harmony of humanity and divinity. As fully human, He understood our weaknesses and depended on the Father. As fully God, He possessed the same divine nature as God the Father and the Holy Spirit. His unique nature as the God-man not only distinguishes Him but also makes Him the perfect mediator between God and people.

The Lord Jesus Christ’s ministry involved far more than just physical healing; it also focused on providing spiritual life and eternal hope. His power to heal and give life reminds us that true restoration does not come from legendary sources like the Fountain of Youth but from faith in the living God.

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© Dr. H 2025