Why Was Oil Still Used for Healing Even After Jesus Came?

Understanding the Role of Anointing Oil in New Testament Healing Ministry

In Mark 6:12–13 (NIV), we read:

“They went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.”

This passage raises an important theological question:
Why did Jesus’ disciples use oil for healing when the Son of God Himself was already on earth with divine power?

1. Jesus Used Various Methods to Heal

Jesus, in His divine wisdom and power, healed in many different ways not bound to a single method. This shows that healing is not about the method but about divine authority and faith.

By word alone:

“He said to the paralyzed man, ‘I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.’”
— Mark 2:10–12

By physical touch:

“Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’”
— Mark 1:41

By action-based obedience:

“As they went, they were cleansed.”
Luke 17:14 (ten lepers)

Using physical elements as symbolic acts:

“He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.”
John 9:6

None of these were rigid formulas. Jesus healed in ways that stirred faith, met people at their point of need, and glorified God.

2. Anointing Oil: A Symbol, Not a Sacrament

When Jesus sent His disciples out in Mark 6, He empowered them with authority over evil spirits and the sick. Anointing oil was used as a symbolic act of consecration and healing, rooted in Old Testament tradition.

• Oil in the Old Testament was often used for:
  • Consecration (Exodus 30:30)
  • Sanctification (Leviticus 8:10–12)
  • Symbolizing the Holy Spirit (1 Samuel 16:13)

In the New Testament, oil is not discarded but it’s never seen as the power source itself. The power is always from God through faith, not the substance used.

3. The Early Church Practice (James 5)

Many also refer to James 5:14–15 (NIV) to justify modern use of oil:

“Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord.
And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven.”

This passage emphasizes prayer and repentance first. The oil is used in the name of the Lord under His authority, not apart from it. It is faith and God’s mercy that brings healing.

4. Avoiding the Danger of Ritualism and Idolatry

God sometimes instructed the use of specific items (e.g., Moses’ bronze serpent in Numbers 21:8–9), but later, the people turned it into an idol. Eventually, King Hezekiah destroyed it:

“He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it.”
— 2 Kings 18:4 (NIV)

Similarly, if oil or any other object becomes central instead of Christ, it becomes idolatry. We must never rely on external symbols at the expense of repentance, faith, and obedience.

5. The Name of Jesus: Our Ultimate Authority

Scripture makes it clear: it is the name of Jesus that brings healing and salvation:

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
— Acts 4:12 (NIV)

“And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons… they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”
— Mark 16:17–18 (NIV)

Our faith must rest not in oil, water, or ritual but in Jesus Christ, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Final Word

God may still, on occasion, lead someone to use oil, salt, or water as a symbolic act but this must come through clear spiritual guidance, not as a default practice or commercialized “formula.” When healing practices are disconnected from true repentance and the gospel message, they lose their power and risk becoming religious showmanship.

Let’s return to the true gospel:
Repentance, faith in Jesus, the power of His name, and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

May the Lord bless you with discernment and a renewed focus on Christ alone.

Print this post