"Take Courage" Meaning

by Mr. Whitney V. Myers

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"Take courage, your faith has made you well" - Matthew 9:22 - FreeBibleImages.org image - Used under license

"But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, 'Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.'  And at once the woman was made well."  (Matthew 9:22)

This lesson discusses the meaning of Jesus' words, "Take courage."  This lesson presents five examples where Jesus spoke the words, "Take courage," to his disciples and others.

     Consider.  What did Jesus mean when he said to his disciples and others, "Take courage"?

"Take Courage" Meaning

     Jesus often spoke the words, "Take courage," to his disciples and others to instill confidence and dispel fear (Ref. 1).  "Take courage" means to be strengthened from God, and to be confident and assured from God in the face of adversity or uncertainty.  "Taking courage" in the scriptural sense comes from God and is not merely human bravery that we muster on our own strength without God.  Instead, "Taking courage" points to divine assurance and peace that comes from faith in God (Ref. 1).

Bible translations frequently translate the Greek word for "take courage" [tharseó, pronounced thar-SEH-o] as "take heart," or "be of good cheer" (Ref. 1, Ref. 2 - John 16:33 example).

Jesus' Examples of Speaking "Take Courage" to People

     Next, let's look at five examples where Jesus spoke the words, "Take courage," to encourage his disciples and others. 

1. "Take courage, son, your sins are forgiven"

Matthew 9:2 - "And they brought to Him a paralyzed man lying on a stretcher. And seeing their faith, Jesus said to the man who was paralyzed, 'Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.'"

Note that Jesus first forgave the paralytic's sins before Jesus healed the man physically (Matthew 9:2-8).  The minds of Jesus' Jewish listeners  connected sins being forgiven and physical diseases being healed as both being done by God (Psalm 103:2-3).  Being forgiven by God for his sins was the first and main reason for the man to be encouraged.

Before Jesus healed the paralytic, he forgave the man's sins.  If you are in Christ, take courage, Jesus has forgiven your sins (Ephesians 1:7 KJV, 1 John 1:9).

2. "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well (literally, 'saved you')"

Matthew 9:22 - "But Jesus, turning and seeing her, said, 'Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well.' And at once the woman was made well."

The woman who came to Jesus had suffered 12 years from a hemorrhage (Matthew 9:20).  She had said to herself, "If I only touch His cloak, I will get well" (Matthew 9:21).  Mark tells us that as soon as she touched Jesus' garment, the flow of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed (Mark 5:28-29).  Jesus then kindly addressed her, not as a man to a woman, but as a father to a child.  "Daughter, take courage; your faith has made you well" (Matthew 9:22).  The woman's faith, which was a gift from God, was the channel by which she received healing and was made well by the Lord Jesus.

Note the word that Jesus used for "made well."  In Matthew 9:22 (and Mark 5:34) the word for "made well" is sózó (pronounced so'-zo).  In the New Testament sózó means to save, to rescue, to deliver, to heal, and to preserve (Strong's Lexicon - Ref. 3).  In Matthew 9:22, Jesus meant that she, who had been diseased for 12 years, was healed by her faith in him and made whole (Strong's Exhaustive Concordance - Ref. 3).  

We, too, can take courage.  Through faith in Christ, which is God's gift to us (Ephesians 2:8), Jesus saves us, heals us, restores us, and makes us whole.

3. "Take courage, it is I"

Mark 6:49-50 - "But when they saw Him walking on the sea, they thought that it was a ghost, and they cried out; for they all saw Him and were terrified. But immediately He spoke with them and said to them, 'Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid.'”  

Jesus' disciples were in a boat crossing the Sea of Galilee at night (Mark 6:45-51).  The windstorm was against them.  Jesus came to them walking on the water.  Jesus' disciples were terrified, thinking that it was a ghost.  Jesus said his famous, calming words to them, "Take courage; it is I, do not be afraid" (Mark 6:50).  Jesus then got into the boat with them.  The wind stopped, and the disciples were astonished.

For the believer in Jesus Christ, we have nothing to fear.  We can take courage -- be encouraged -- because Jesus comes to be with us, to assure us in our storms, and to deliver us. 

4. "Take courage, I have overcome the world"

John 16:33 - "These things I have spoken to you so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world."

Note as Christians we simultaneously live "in Jesus" and also live "in the world."  Jesus said that in him we have peace, and in the world, we have tribulation.  The peace that Jesus gives us is complete peace of mind, welfare, and safety (Ref. 4, John 14:27).  The world cannot take away this inner peace.  However, because we also live in the not-so-peaceful world, many of our brothers and sisters in Christ today experience tribulation -- severe stress, suffering, and persecution (Ref. 5) -- because of their faith in Christ. 

Into the world in which we live, Jesus steps in and says, "Take courage, I have overcome the world."  Through Jesus' sacrificial death and resurrection from the dead, Jesus has won the victory over death and power of evil.  Through faith in Jesus Christ, we too, overcome the world.  "For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world -- our faith" (1 John 5:4).

5. "Take courage, ... you must witness at Rome also"

Acts 23:11 - "But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, 'Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.'"

The Lord Jesus Christ appeared to the Apostle Paul and stood at his side when Paul was in "protective custody" in Jerusalem (Acts 23:1-10).  The Lord commended Paul for how he had witnessed for the Lord in Jerusalem (Acts 23:11).  Then the Lord encouraged Paul.  Jesus encouraged Paul by telling Paul the next phase of his mission assignment - to witness for Christ in Rome.

When the Lord gives us a fresh update on our life's mission assignment, that gives us courage.  It encourages us because we know, like Paul, that the Lord will help us live that long so we can complete what he has assigned us to do.  And, we know that the Lord will be with us to help us when we encounter obstacles.

Summary - Principles in this Lesson

1.  Courage comes from God.  "Taking courage" means to be divinely assured and strengthened from God in the face of adversity or uncertainty (Ref. 1).
2.  As believers in Jesus Christ, we can take courage because:
a.  Jesus has forgiven our sins (Matthew 9:2, Ephesians 1:7 KJV, 1 John 1:9)
b.  Jesus saves, heals, and restores us (Matthew 9:22)
c.  Jesus is with us in the midst of our storms (Mark 6:49-50)
d.  Jesus has overcome the world (John 16:33, 1 John 5:4)
e.  Jesus stands next to us to help us accomplish the mission he assigns us to do and to help us overcome obstacles (Acts 23:11)

     Apply.  Go in the peace of Christ.  Go, knowing that Jesus is with you. Jesus will give you the courage and strength to face adversity and obstacles as you trust him and serve him in the world.

Related Lessons
"The Authority of Jesus" - Matthew 28:18
"The Peace of Christ - Colossians 3:15 Meaning"

References
1.  https://biblehub.com/greek/2293.htm
2.  https://biblehub.com/john/16-33.htm
3.  https://biblehub.com/greek/4982.htm
4.  https://biblehub.com/greek/1515.htm
5.  https://biblehub.com/greek/2347.htm