The Compassion Of Christ | The Book of Matthew: The King and His Kingdom | Matthew 9:35-36 | Pastor J. M. Lee

Good morning! Welcome to Mission Church. Please go ahead and grab your Bible and turn to Matthew 9. We are in the midst of a sermon series through Matthew’s firsthand account of Jesus’s life and ministry —a series that we have entitled The King and His Kingdom. So far — we have established the truth that Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords—Jesus is the Messiah, the long-awaited Son of David who came to establish His Kingdom and to reconcile and redeem sinners.

This morning I was planning an d preparing to preach on verse 35-38…. but God has other plans for us today…and we are going to look at just two verse…verses 35-36…. Matthew 9:35-36 — When you find it, and if you are able, please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Matthew 9:35–36 (CSB)

35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness. 36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.

This is the Word of The Lord.

Let’s Pray

We live in a culture that promises us everything. From an early age, we’re told that happiness, success, and satisfaction are just within reach—all we need to do is follow the right path — go to the right school, get the right grades, land the perfect job, buy the right things, and achieve a certain status. And yet — despite these promises — many of us find ourselves still feeling empty, dissatisfied, and hopeless.

And that emptiness doesn’t just exist because we haven’t “made it” yet. There are plenty of people who have spent years building what looks like the perfect life. They have good jobs, nice houses, strong relationships, and yet, when they’re alone with their thoughts, there’s this gnawing feeling inside—an unsettling sense that something is still missing. Despite all of their success, all of their stuff, or all their accolades, the void remains. It seems like—no matter what we do, how hard we strive, or how much we achieve—satisfaction is fleeting.

The Rolling Stones said it well when they sang,

I can't get no satisfaction 'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try I can't get no satisfaction

Now— it’s true — there may have been times in your life when you experienced some level of contentment …but ….it didn’t last. It might of lasted for a moment or a season, but it was always temporary. Why? Well — it’s because— the satisfaction that our world offers will always let us down —for it never truly silences that gnawing feeling inside. Even after checking all the boxes — emptiness still lingers. Hopelessness continues to grow. And we’re left moving from one thing to the next—the next job, the next vacation, the next adventure, the next relationship, the next degree, the next addiction—grasping for anything that might truly satisfy our souls or at least numb our longing.

But what if we got it wrong? What if true satisfaction and true fulfilment — what if our hope and our joy are not found in a job, a house, a social status, or in another person? What if the hope we long for is not found in ourselves at all? What if the void in our souls will never be filled by anything in this world? What if the more we chase and the more we strive the more lost we actually become? And……What if there was another way? A better way?

Well — our text this morning points us to a better way. It directs us to the only One who can truly and fully satisfy our souls—and His name is Jesus. And the good news is — Jesus doesn’t just see our need or merely observe our longing from a distance. No!

Jesus is deeply moved with compassion— offering salvation to the lost, rest to the weary, and comfort to the hurting. For those who feel unsteady, He is a firm foundation. And for all of us sinners who recognize our need for a Savior — He invites us to come to Him and drink deeply from the only source that can eternally satisfy our thirsty souls.

Now — as we investigate these two verses— we are going get a glimpse of Christ’s heart for sinners and sufferers… a compassion which ultimately motivated His Mission and should also motivate ours.

Let’s begin by first considering the expanding ministry of Jesus —

1. Jesus' Expanding Ministry

Matthew 9:35 (CSB)

35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.

This verse is a summary of Jesus’s public ministry… and notice what Jesus is doing… He's teaching in all the synagogues. He's preaching or proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom. And then he's attending to the bodily needs of the people, healing every disease and every sickness…. and this summary should sound familiar to many of us……for there is nearly an identical summary at the beginning of Jesus public ministry back in Matthew 4:23.

Matthew 4:23 (CSB)

23 Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.

Now — these summaries are almost identical…almost… and the change between chapter 4 and chapter 9 seems like a minor detail but it’s not….in fact it’s extremely important.

You see — in chapter four’s summary Jesus is specifically preaching, teaching and healing throughout the region of Galilee…but here in chapter 9 — Matthew tells us that Jesus is moving beyond the borders of Galilee and goes throughout ALL the towns and villages preaching, teaching and healing.

Now…why is this so important? It seems like such a minor detail. But in this minor detail we see the mystery of the incarnation. You see — Jesus… the eternally begotten Son of God …the second person of the Trinity…God Almighty emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, and took on the likeness of humanity. And having taken himself a single body — he was like us, limited by space and time— and so it was one thing for Jesus to travel around and minister within one single region — but —being limited by time and space would have rendered it impossible for him to reach everyone everywhere who needed His divine touch.  Not to mention… that He would soon die on the cross for our sins. So….what did Jesus do? 

Well…He handed over His ministry to His disciples — and it’s important to note that Jesus never took it back— in other words — through the Church — empowered by the Holy Spirit the mission of Jesus continues today — consider how Matthew ends his Gospel in Matthew 28:19-20.

Matthew 28:19–20 (CSB)

19 Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you…

Friends, if people want to meet Jesus, they have two options: they can either read their Bible or they can meet somebody who knows Jesus. And let's be honest—most unbelievers are not going to take the Bible seriously. So it’s often through the lives and the ministries of Christians that people come to meet Jesus. Let the weight sink in for a moment… and consider the possibility that there are some who have rejected Jesus… rejected the gospel who have never truly seen or heard a faithful representation of Christ and His message.

One of my biggest pet peeves is having a smudge on my glasses. It drives me crazy…there not much worse than having dirty glasses. You cant see clearly. And in the same way…many professing Christians function as dirty lenses through which an unbelieving world not only struggles to truly see Jesus for who he really is….but are completely turned off. What a tragedy!

Tell me…How clearly are you reflecting Jesus to the world around you? How clearly is our community seeing Jesus through Mission Church? Are you and is this church offering the unbelieving world around us a clear reflection of Jesus?

Well… I don’t think we can answer that question unless we can first answer what it means to be like Jesus. Which leads us to the second movement of our text and where we will spend the rest of our time this morning..

2. Christ’s Compassion for the Lost vv. 35-36

Look back at verse 35

Matthew 9:35 (CSB)

35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages…

Don’t miss this—Jesus didn’t wait for people to come to Him. No, He went out to them! He traveled to every town and village to reach people. I love this about Jesus. And this speaks to what makes Christianity so different from every other religion.

You see, every other religion teaches what you must do or how you must behave to reach their deity, to find peace, or to obtain enlightenment. It’s like standing before a mountain with the deity waiting at the top, accepting only those who can climb their way up to him. But the Bible tells us something radically different—that God Himself came down the mountain — God came to us.

Jesus is Immanuel, which means "God with us." Jesus left the glory of heaven, took on flesh, and came down that mountain to meet us where we are. And one day soon, He’s coming again for those who belong to Him. But — until that day — Mission Church — we are called to be a going Church for a coming Christ. In other words - as His disciples — we don’t sit back and wait—we go. Just as Jesus went to every town and village….we are called to go and make disciples of all nations. How do we do that? Well — look back at verse 35…and see what Jesus did —

Matthew 9:35 (CSB)

35 Jesus continued going around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and every sickness.

Jesus went directly to the people—to those who were hurting, broken, and lost. He taught them on hillsides, street corners, and seashores, and He preached in their synagogues about the good news of the Kingdom of God. This good news declared that God had kept His promise to send the Messiah — through whom He would redeem, reconcile, and renew His people — and ultimately restoring all that sin had destroyed.

Jesus proclaimed the eternal rule and reign of God, who has come to bring redemption, salvation, and to make the world right again. And as Jesus taught and preached — Jesus also healed every disease…He healed every sickness. And I love how Matthew tells us that Jesus healed every disease… He healed every sickness… because it speaks to the truth that there was not one person who came to Jesus in their pain, in their distress, and in their brokenness who went home unchanged. Jesus healed everyone. And this truth remains true today — ALL who recognize their need for a savior and come to Jesus for Salvation— He will heal your soul …He will not turn you away. No matter who you are…where you have been .. or what you have done… you are not too far…..you are not too broken… Jesus will not cast you out….whoever comes to Christ will forever dwell with Him.

And I can tell you this with confidence — because not only did these healings prove Jesus’ identity as the the Son of God…not only did they prove that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah — but they reveal to us the loveliness of Christ and the beauty of His heart in action — friends —do not miss Christ’s heart for sinners and suffers — a heart that Matthew beautifully describes in verse 36….which says,

Matthew 9:36 (CSB)

36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.

One of the sharp contrasts that Matthew presents to us is the difference between Jesus’ heart for people and the attitude of the Pharisees towards the people. The religious leaders wanted nothing to do with the ordinary Jews. In fact, they held the masses in contempt and did everything they could to keep their distance from the hurting. They were disgusted by the downtrodden and revolted by the weary.

And the truth is, these religious leaders should have been the shepherds the people so desperately needed, but they had no compassion for the people at all.

But Jesus—He wasn’t like the religious leaders. And Matthew tells us two things about Jesus -

First, notice that Jesus saw the crowd. He didn't just glance over them — and friends — this isn’t a minor detail. Jesus’ seeing goes far beyond mere physical sight. Understand — Jesus wasn’t simply observing… He wasn’t just people watching — No! When Jesus saw the crowd, He saw much more than their outward appearances and perceived needs. He saw their hearts. He knew exactly what they were going through and what they needed most.

And friend, I stand before you this morning to tell you that Jesus sees you too. I don’t know exactly where you are or what you are going through — and maybe on the outside, you seem to have it all together. You might be doing a pretty good job presenting yourself to the world as someone who has it all figured out, but deep down, in your heart, you may feel distressed, rejected, or broken. If that’s you — listen to me — Jesus sees you. He sees your pain. He sees your distress….and He cares for you. How amazing is it…How comforting is it to know that God not only sees you, but that He cares deeply for you?

Next — Matthew tells us that when Jesus saw the crowd, He saw that they were distressed and dejected. They had been burdened by the weight of religion…they were burdened by the Roman oppression …and they were hopeless. Ultimately, He saw that they were like sheep without a shepherd.

Now, think about sheep for a moment—sheep are domesticated animals, completely defenseless against predators. They’re not known for their intelligence, and if left alone, they will either die from starvation, die from thirst, or a predator is going get them. In other words, sheep are completely helpless….

And so when Jesus calls the crowd—sheep without a shepherd…Jesus is comparing them to a flock of sheep that had been left to fend for themselves…and they’re dying of thirst…they’re starving …and they are defenseless against any predators attack. Jesus saw that they were harassed and distressed … they were weary and confused….they were dejected… helpless, beaten down, and dispirited….they were lost.

Friends, let’s be honest—there are all kinds of problems in our society. We are facing all kind of issues today — educational issues, economic problems, social issues —the list goes on and on. But as the Church, we must never lose sight of the greatest problem — being lost without Christ. Friend — the greatest issue every person faces in their life is this: God is holy, and we are not. And one day we will all have to answer to God for how we’ve lived. Even if we think we’re good — the Bible tells us that all our best efforts have fallen short of God’s righteouss standard.

Which means — if you are without Christ, you are lost—you are without hope — for your hope is not found in your good works, your morals, or your religious works. They won’t save you. Left to yourself — you are on a collision course with God’s wrath and eternal judgment.

And friend, it doesn’t matter how successful you are, how wealthy you may be, or how healthy you are—Jesus did not come so that we might be happier …healthier …or wealthier…No!…Jesus came to make dead people alive…He came to seek and to save the lost. And friend…if you’re lost today, you are without hope.

But God! But God sent His Son into the world to live righteously, die sacrificially, and rise victoriously. He came to give hope to hopeless and salvation to sinners…Friend…Only Christ can save you, for He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And hear me….He is inviting you today to turn from the futility of trusting in yourself…. to repent of your sin, and trust in Him.

Romans 10:9–10 (CSB)

9 If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.

Now…PAUSE. ….don’t miss what Jesus is saying here. Not only is He comparing the crowd to sheep without a shepherd…. but He’s also implicitly indicting the religious leaders of the time, who were failing to care for the people. They were, in essence, worthless shepherds.

Consider what the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel said in Ezekiel 34:2-5..

Ezekiel 34:2–5 (CSB)

2 … Woe to the shepherds of Israel, who have been feeding themselves! Shouldn’t the shepherds feed their flock? 3 You eat the fat, wear the wool, and butcher the fattened animals, but you do not tend the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost. Instead, you have ruled them with violence and cruelty. 5 They were scattered for lack of a shepherd; they became food for all the wild animals when they were scattered.

And as God surveyed his scattered flock and their horrible so-called shepherds…he made a promise…look at verse 11

Ezekiel 34:11 (CSB)

11 “ ‘For this is what the Lord God says: See, I myself will search for my flock and look for them.

And that’s exactly what God did—by sending His Son, Jesus. Jesus, the eternally begotten Son of God, who—being fully God and fully man—lived among us. He faced the same limitations and challenges that we do, but He never sinned. Jesus lived in perfect obedience to God’s law, something you and I have failed to do…. and the result of our failure is death—both physical and spiritual.

However, Jesus chose to go to the cross to pay the penalty we deserve. He, the innocent One, died a sinner’s death. And in doing so — Jesus fully satisfied God's just wrath against our sin. And three days later — Jesus rose from the grave, conquering sin and death. And now, all who trust in Jesus as their Savior and submit to Him as their King will be saved.

Friends, Jesus is the Good Shepherd. He knows us, He sees us, and He came to provide the care and direction we so desperately need. And its only through Him, that we can be reconciled to God and have life.

So, first—Jesus sees. And second—Jesus is moved with compassion. Look back at verse 36

Matthew 9:36 (CSB)

36 When he saw the crowds, he felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd.

Underline or take note of the phrase "He felt compassion." This phrase is translated from an interesting Greek word …and its the same word that we get the medical term splanchnology — which is the study of the intestines and the bowels. In other words, it’s the study of the guts.

Now, have you ever experienced an emotion so strong that it caused a physical, gut-level reaction? Maybe you were so nervous about speaking in public that your stomach hurt, or you felt butterflies on a first date. Or perhaps you’ve experienced a confrontation so intense it made you nauseous. The reality is that emotions like fear, stress, or anxiety often manifest physically in our gut.

And as a result… the ancient world believed the guts—the intestines and the bowels—were the seat of emotions, not the heart. So, when Matthew uses this word that we simply translate into English as "compassion," it carried a much deeper meaning. For it speaks to the reality that when Jesus saw needy and hurting people, He was moved in His innermost being. He wasn’t just mildly concerned — No! His compassion hit Him in the gut.

And this truth highlights how profound and compelling these three words are: "He felt compassion." You see... Jesus wasn’t just emotionally stirred—He was moved to His core.

But let’s be honest—it's really easy to read over this detail without much thought. And I think that’s because we live in a world where people often claim to have compassion, but more often than not…our compassion is nothing more than just words. Think about how common it is for someone to respond to a tragedy by posting something on social media, expressing seemingly compassionate sentiments, but without any real intent to help in a tangible way. The purpose of their words is often to make themselves look virtuous. As long as we appear to be compassionate, that's considered enough.

But Jesus is not like us. His compassion wasn’t just words. His compassion led Him to the cross. You see — Jesus didn’t merely feel pity—He took action. He sacrificed Himself to meet the deepest need of His people. And, brothers and sisters, as we follow Jesus, our compassion for others should reflect Christ's compassion. It’s not enough to say we care; our compassion should move us to act, just as His did.

There’s an old saying that goes, “Preach the gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words.” And while that might sound good, it’s actually a flawed statement because the only way to truly preach the gospel is with words. But friends, our words will carry no weight if our witness doesn’t match them. If the culture of our church doesn’t align with what we teach, at best, we’ll confuse the world around us…and at worst, we’ll push people away from Jesus.

Think about who Jesus is—think about how perfect and how holy He is—yet He did not hesitate to humble Himself by taking on human flesh, a humility that led Him to be born in a manger of all places! Neither did Jesus hesitate to reach out and touch dirty, hopeless sinners. Oh, how amazing is our Savior!?!?! Embracing messy people like us is what He loves to do—so much so that He cannot bear to hold back.

Friends, it’s hard for us to grasp the depths of Christ’s love and compassion for us because our natural inclination is to look at God as though He is like us. But Scripture reveals the true character of God: He is unmatched in His perfection. He is majestic and perfectly holy. And get this—the limitlessness of His perfection matches the limitlessness of His compassion.

You see, Christ’s perfection includes His perfect compassion. It’s who He is! In fact, Jesus Himself said so. Consider what Jesus says in Matthew 11:28-30:

Matthew 11:28–30 (CSB)

28 “Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

And friends, what Jesus claims with His words, He proves with His actions. Think back to Matthew 8, where Jesus encounters the man with leprosy. The leper cries out, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." And what did Jesus do? He was immediately moved with compassion and reached out to touch the man.

We see this compassion repeated throughout the Gospels. Jesus shows compassion to the woman with the issue of blood, to the paralyzed man, and to the two blind beggars we discussed last week. These individuals were outcasts— marginalized by society. No one would go near them for fear of disease or spiritual contamination. Yet Jesus’ compassion compelled Him to see, touch, heal, and restore. Why? Because….…Jesus felt the darkness of the blind. Jesus felt the pain of the sick. He felt the isolation of the leper. He felt the sorrow of the grieving… and He felt this in his innermost being and was moved with compassion.

The deepest anguish of Jesus is the anguish of others. It was their tears that moved Him to weep. We see this over and over in Matthew’s Gospel, we find that it is the morally despised, the socially reviled, and the undeserving who not only receive Christ’s mercy but to whom He naturally gravitates. In other words, Jesus is a friend of sinners.

And I don’t know about you, but I am incredibly grateful. For I know that I too am morally disgusting… I know that there is nothing good in me that deserves God’s grace. Yet, thanks be to Christ, who saved me, loved me, and showered me with His kindness…..thanks be to Christ who …by grace alone chose me, saved me, justified me, adopted me, is now sanctifying me, and will one day He will glorify me….… Now I can stand before God, not in shame…. or in fear…. but with confidence…. because Jesus accomplished everything necessary for my reconciliation and redemption. Praise God that He sees us, moves towards us, touches, heals, embraces, and forgives those who, although undeserving, truly desire a relationship with Him.

Brothers and sisters, I pray that you would taste and see that the Lord is good! I pray that you would keep your eyes fixed on Christ… I pray that you would find your satisfaction, your hope, and your rest in the beauty and excellencies of Christ Jesus.

The Old Scottish Pastor, Samuel Rutherford, made the point that….Even if there were millions of worlds, and countless heavens full of people and angels, Christ wouldn’t be stretched thin. He’d still have more than enough to meet all our needs and fill every one of us. For — Christ is like a deep well of life—so deep, we can’t even begin to see the bottom.

Brothers and sister — Our souls are wired to love, and they’ll always look for something beautiful to love. And tell me — what could possibly be more beautiful, more captivating, more perfect than Jesus? Imagine this for a second: take all the beauty of the world—every paradise, every garden, every flower, every color, every fragrance, every joy, and every bit of sweetness—and combine it into one. Even then, that wouldn’t come close to the beauty of Christ. It would be like comparing a single raindrop to all the oceans, rivers, and lakes across a thousand worlds.

Christ is the wonder of heaven and earth! It’s no wonder the Bible says, ‘He is altogether lovely’. (Song of Solomon 5:16)

Friend….if you are lost this morning —if you have been dejected and despised, if you have been wandering like a sheep without a shepherd—if you have been plumbing the depths of broken wells — Jesus sees you and He is moved with compassion for you. He lived for you, He died for you, and He rose from the grave for you.

Perhaps it’s time to stop trusting in yourself and start trusting in Jesus. He is the Good Shepherd, and He is ready to lead you, care for you, and bring you home.

Lets Pray