Jesus is More Than a Healer based on Mark 1:29-39

I. Missing some of the action at a circus or football game.

II. Missing some details in Mark’s Gospel.

III. Read Mark 1:32-34 and comment. Mark’s Gospel (1:32-34) continues, “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.”

IV. Hunting Jesus down and Mark 1:28 Jesus told Simon and the others in Mark 1:28, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.”

V. What does Jesus’ working of miracles and preaching of the Word of God mean for us?

VI. How does the preaching of Jesus help us in our world today?

VII. Read 1 Corinthians 9:19-23. In our Epistle lesson in 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 the apostle Paul gives us good ideas to think about in getting the good news about Jesus to other people: “For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them. To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law. To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law. To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some. I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.”

VIII. Conclusion. Jesus is more than a healer. Jesus brings Gospel words of comfort to the struggling people of the world. Jesus brings Gospel words of peace to the worried people of the world. Jesus brings Gospel words of mercy to the hurting people of the world. Jesus brings Gospel words of forgiveness to the guilty people of the world. Jesus brings Gospel words of hope to the despairing people of the world. As those Gospel words of Jesus help us in life, we want others to be blessed by the Gospel words of Jesus now and forever. Amen.