The Desire of the Savior

Introduction

Last week we looked at the authority of Jesus as it was displayed in his casting out of a demon and especially in his teaching. Jesus was teaching in the synagogue when all of that happened and tonight we see them leave the synagogue and go to Peters house to get some food. In this series of events we will see the desire of the savior and it will come to full realization as Jesus rises before the sun the next day to pray.

We see in Matthew 11 that Jesus is gentle and lowly in heart. This is his very nature, this is who he is in his heart, this is the heart of the savior. Through tonight we will be looking at the desires of Jesus and see how they stem from the nature of his heart. Through the gospel of Mark we have seen how Jesus is the savior that was predicted by the prophets from the Old Testament but tonight we get to see a little bit more, we get to see who he really is.

As we come to this story let me set the stage for you. After Jesus came out of the wilderness in the beginning of the book he went to the sea of Galilee and called his first disciples; Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, and John. Then this group went into the town of Capernaum to the synagogue and that is what we saw last week, Jesus taught in the synagogue and cast out a demon there demonstration his authority. Tonight what we see is the group, Jesus and his disciples, leave the synagogue and go to the house of Peter and Andrew. This is still on the Sabbath day. This is where we pick up in Mark 1.29.

Through this story I want you to put yourself there, imagine you are with the disciples and seeing all of this take place. The book of Mark was written from the accounts of Peter so we know that what we are reading comes from his perspective but I want you to put it into you perspective. Knowing all that we know now about the story of Jesus are the truths that I am talking about evident? My desire with you doing this is that you will begin to see the heart of the savior and see his deepest desires.

Pray

Healing in Peter’s House

Mark 1:29–31 ESV

And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.

After leaving the synagogue they entered Peter’s house. This is the equivalent we have of going home for lunch after church. They went to the house and there was an issue, the cook was sick. This cook was the mother-in-law to Peter, this drew my attention because I had never had thought about Peter having a wife. Jesus goes right in and took her by the hand and healed her of the fever. He goes right in and starts serving in the way that he can. She responds to this by going right to serving them.

In this time a fever could be a pretty dangerous thing and there would have been the added stress of guest coming and not being in a place to show them hospitality which was a big thing in this day. There was probably a tension there for everyone as they entered but Jesus doesn’t let that affect him, he desires to bring healing.

Jesus showed mercy and compassion to Peter’s mother-in-law and her response was to serve them. This is just the beginning of Jesus bringing healing of illnesses and Mark is going to show us a lot of them, Jesus has trouble seeing someone that is in a bad situation and not helping them. He desires healing. The thing is though that it is not the healing of illnesses that he is most concerned about, he does this and it demonstrates his internal desires but that just isn’t the type of healing that is his main priority.

Healing for the Town

Mark 1:32–34 ESV

That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.

Moving from the healing of the mother-in -law and her service to them we see the day turn to evening as the sun went down marking the end of the sabbath day and all the laws that hold restriction on it. They are still in the house and the people around have heard all that Jesus has done, eventually the whole city was bringing all of the sick and demon oppressed to him and he was bringing them the same healing.

These people did not grasp who Jesus was at this point, they did not know who Jesus was. The demons knew though but Jesus did not let them speak. This calls back to the authority of Jesus that we saw before but it also shows one very interesting thing. Jesus did not need the demons to proclaim his name. He does not need anybody to proclaim his name in fact. Today he calls us to proclaim his name but he would rather have someone proclaiming his name out of true faith than out of bad intentions like the demons.

Here in this scene of the story the desire of Jesus’s heart begins to grow in it’s image. It is not just one person or a select group, he desires to bring healing to all who would come to him. Jesus has this deep care and desire for all people and wants to heal their hurts but this isn’t the main type of healing that he is concerned with.

Spiritual Healing for All Who Come to Him

Mark 1:35–39 ESV

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

The following day after Jesus called the first disciples and brought healing and cast out demons throughout the whole town Jesus woke up early before the sun had come up and went to a desolate place. This desolate place would have had the same purpose as the wilderness did at the first of the book, it is where the personal spiritual growth and battles would take place. While there he prayed. When everyone else had woke up they wondered where he was and went looking for him and they eventually found him and he wanted to go to the next town to preach.

While Jesus did care deeply about their physical well being his deepest desires were not that they would be physically well. His deepest desire was that they be spiritually well. That is what he shows us here, he wanted to go to the next place so that he could preach to them the message that he had been preaching of faith and repentance. His deepest desire is that they would come to him so that he could give you rest for he is gentle and lowly at heart as we mentioned earlier.

This is the one thing that the story from the day before up to this early morning was leading to, the revealing of Jesus’s deepest desire and his true care and concern. At the very heart of the savior is the constant desire that all would come to him. He has a heart for the spiritually sick, the sinners, the lost. Now even though Jesus desires that all come to him we know that through the Bible not all will come to him. He still gives everyone what we call the general call to salvation. That is what he is giving as he goes and preaches, he is calling to all to turn from their sinful ways and turn to him.

Imagine

Now I want you to sit there and imagine you are in the room as Jesus heals the mother-in-law and she begins to serve him, can you see the expression on Jesus’s face as he brings her to her feet. Then imagine you are standing there as the whole town brings the sick and afflicted to Jesus, he is healing them physically but they still don’t get it and their spiritual side still needs healed. What would be the expression on the face of Jesus? Now you are with the disciples after they found Jesus and he had been pouring his heart out to the father and is now ready to continue on in the mission to fulfill his deepest desire. put yourself there for just a second.

Healing for Us Today

Today Jesus has the same desire for us. Nothing has changed. He desires for us to have spiritual healing through the forgiveness that only he offers. There are also some other things that we can glean from this story to help us have the proper response to the healing that he offers.

Service

In the beginning of the story Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law and her immediate response is to serve him. In our own lives when he brings spiritual healing to us through salvation do we begin to serve him? I didn’t and there isn’t much more I wish I would have done during that time of my life looking back. I would have dedicated myself to one thing, serving Christ.

We often neglect serving and think I don’t know what to do or I will wait and do that later in my life. There is no reason to wait and there is every reason to start serving.

I have two friends that went through some serious physical healing. They were both in serious wrecks and went to church regularly. Both of them barely survived and it was a miracle that they even functioned again but are both highly functional now. One of them began serving Jesus like he never had before as soon as he was able, the other was quite the opposite and last I checked he was just a bum. The one that serves Jesus you can tell has true faith and it is evident through his life and he has more joy than anyone else I know. The other it seems only had physical healing and lacks the joy and peace that Christ offers.

The proper response for the Christian to the work God has done in us is to serve him.

Prayer

We also see in this story that Jesus went out to pray. I have tried and continue to put an emphasis on Bible reading and prayer this year. Prayer is a crucial part of the Christian life and I advise you all to spend time in prayer even if you have to wake up before everyone else. In this time of prayer Jesus is undoubtedly praying for the people.

how often do you pray? Do you ever pray for the lost around you? Praying for these people will change your life and change your outlook on them. Prayer allows us to take our petitions to God but it also allows him to conform his will to ours. Jesus prayed and so should we.

Jesus’s Desire for Us Today

Through this story we see the deep desire of Jesus, the desire for spiritual healing. This healing that we hear through the word of God is the forgiveness that Jesus offers us. We are fallen sinful people that are completely separated from God but he offers us forgiveness. This comes through faith and repentance, the message that Jesus is preaching. Jesus still has the same heart for us today as he did for those people then.

This sin is our spiritual sickness. It is what separates us from God and at the core of Jesus’s desires is that we would be healed of it. Earlier I mentioned the general call of God, that is what I am giving each and every one of you right now. God is using me to call you all to faith in him. There is also the specific call, that is where God is specifically calling you to salvation. Maybe tonight God is giving you that call and you feel him drawing you to him. Accept that call and be saved. Put your faith and Jesus and turn from your sin. If this is happening to you come talk to me because I would love to talk to you about it and celebrate it with you.

Conclusion

Through this passage we begin to see the real desire of the savior. He wants to get rid of pain and sickness but most of all he wants to bring healing to our souls, after all the rest of the healing does not matter if you are going to hell anyway. This spiritual healing that Christ offers comes through putting faith in him and repenting of your sins. My prayer is that Jesus would bring this spiritual healing to someone tonight, that he would call you to himself and show you the seriousness of your sin and the great need you have for a savior. After all nothing else really matters.

Tonight if this is happening to you I am just asking you to respond. Turn to Christ and tell the world. There is no other way to salvation but through him. This is his deepest desire, this is at the core of his heart. How will you respond?