Christ the healer

Introduction

In the first verse of this Gospel, Mark the author, begins with the declaration that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. After making such a bold statement he then aims to prove it by recording the life, death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

One of the ways that Mark proves Christ to be God’s Son is by recording some of the many miracles the Lord Jesus Christ did, both in public and in private.

In our text we have the first healing of the Lord Jesus Christ that was recorded by Mark. In this account we learn a few important truths about the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Gospel of Mark sets forth the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God who is mighty to save all who come to him. Here in this account we see that this is true.

In this account of Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law we have three main points that stand out.

I have titled each point with a single word so that they are easy to remember.

Firstly, We learn that Jesus Christ is to be supplicated. Request

Secondly, We learn that Jesus Christ saves. Restoration

Thirdly, We learn that Jesus Christ is to be served. Response

Request, Restoration, Response.

I.Request

Firstly then we learn that Jesus Christ is to be supplicated. Request.

The Lord Jesus Christ is in Capernaum with his disciples and has been teaching in the synagogue on the Sabbath day. Whilst teaching in the synagogue a demon possessed man cries out in fear of the Lord Jesus and so the Lord commands the evil spirit to come out of the man, which it does and all of the people are amazed. News spreads about him quickly over the whole region of Galilee.

The Lord Jesus and his disciples then leave the synagogue and go to the house of Simon (Peter) and Andrew.

Verses 29-30 say;  “As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her”

When the Lord Jesus enters their home they tell him that Peter’s Mother-in-law is sick.

The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

The verse tells us that they told the Lord Jesus Christ “Immediately” this shows that they had an urgency and an eagerness to tell the Lord. Its as though he has just stepped through the door, he has barely sat down and they make him aware of Peter’s mother-in-law.

This shows that they had a great care for her and also that they believed that Jesus Christ could and would heal her.

Remember they have just seen the power and authority of the Lord to cast out demons, while they were in the synagogue.

Matthew’s Gospel records this same account after other miracles of healing have already taken place but that have not been recorded by Mark.

The people in the house had seen the power of the Lord Jesus Christ and they wanted him to heal Peter’s wife’s mother.

There was a need and they knew that the Lord could meet that need.

They had a problem and they knew that Christ was the solution.

So they made supplication for the one who was sick.

They asked the Lord to heal her.

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Here we learn what we also should do.

What an example this is for us.

Those of us who are Christians we have a reminder here of what we must do for those whom we love who are still in need of what Christ offers. We must pray for those in our families who are yet with out grace and with out God.

We must bring our loved ones before Christ in prayer.

We must do this urgently and eagerly.

Those in the house told the Lord about her immediately. They were not lax about it, they were not laid back about it.

If they had great a concern and an urgency about a ladies fever how much more should we have a great concern and urgency about our loved ones salvation.

The Apostle Paul had the same attitude, he had a great concern for his loved ones and the Jewish people in general.

In he says “I tell the truth in Christ, I am not lying, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, 2 that I have great sorrow and continual grief in my heart. 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my countrymen according to the flesh”

Paul said if me going to hell would save my brethren, my own countrymen then I would go, he said he had great sorrow and continual grief in his heart for those who were lost.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

This is how we ought to be as believers.

I’m sure we do pray for the salvation of our loved ones but here we have a gentle reminder from the example those in our passage that we must bring the needs of our loved ones to the Lord Jesus Christ.

But of course before a person can pray for the needs of others they must have their own need met. Before you can pray for the souls of loved ones you must pray for the salvation of your own soul. If you haven’t done so already, You must ask for the forgiveness of your own sin.

Just like in our passage you must do it immediately. Commit your life to Christ, put your trust in him for the forgiveness of your sin to the saving of your soul.

So they told the Lord Jesus about Peter’s mother-in-law immediately. And their asking was not in vain.

They made their request. This resulted in Peter’s mother-in-law’s restoration.

Next we learn that Jesus Christ saves.

This point is called restoration

II.Restoration

Restoration

So they tell the Lord Jesus about Peter’s wife’s mother, in verse 31 we see what the Lord Jesus does in response.

Look with me at v.31 “they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. “

The Lord Jesus went to her and took her by the hand, stood her on her feet and the moment he did that the fever was gone.

The Lord Jesus completely healed her.

Here we see the power of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The disciples believed that he could heal Peter’s mother in law and they were right.

Here we learn a few truths about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Firstly, we learn that he is quick to heal.

They told the Lord about her and he immediately went and healed her.

Its obvious that Mark does not record every minute detail of what happened but it appears that the Lord went as soon as he was told of the sickness.

This shows us the Lord Jesus is loving and compassionate. He restored her straight away.

What this means is not that everyone who prays for physical healing receives it. But what we do learn is that the Lord is loving and kind.

Today Christ does not offer physical healing to all who ask, but what he does give is forgiveness of sin and peace with God for all who believe in him.

Secondly, we learn that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

When Christ was on earth the miracles he performed were out of compassion for suffering people, but they were also a sign that pointed people to who he really was. He was the eternal Son of God who came to earth to save people from their sin.

The miracles pointed to this truth.

This miracle points to that truth, it shows us that Jesus Christ is who he claimed to be. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is the Saviour of the world, He is God’s Son.

Thirdly, we learn that Jesus Christ saves.

In the next chapter of Mark he is again in Capernaum and a paralyzed man is brought to him and the Lord says your sins be forgiven you. At this people are offended because only God has authority to forgive sin and at this point they did not believe that Jesus Christ was the divine Son of God, God manifest in the flesh and so they were offended. Jesus then heals the paralyzed man and says that the healing was proof that he had power to forgive sins also.

This miracle that we have recorded in our passage reminds us of the same truth. The physical healings that Christ did, point us to the fact that he is the all sufficient Saviour. He lived a special life and he died a special death.

Through his death upon the cross in the place of sinners, people who put their trust in him as their Lord and Saviour can be freely forgiven by God almighty. When the Lord Jesus died upon the cross he died to pay for our sin he then rose again from the dead to prove that he died to pay for sin and that God accepted the price he paid.

The

The Bible says that Jesus Christ saves to the uttermost all that come to God through him.

We know that this is true because of the miracles that he performed.

The Lord Jesus healed Peter’s mother in law.

If your turn to him and believe in him, trusting in his death and resurrection to take away your sin and make you right with God then Jesus Christ will save you.

He saved Peter’s mother in law from her fever, if you believe in him he will save you from your sin.

Have you done that? Is Jesus Christ your Lord and Saviour? Have you personally put your trust in him to take away the wrong things you have done?

The miracles of Jesus Christ remind us not only that he had authority to heal but also that he had authority to forgive sin.

Is your sin forgiven? If not then the Bible says “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.”

So they told the Lord about her. Request. The Lord went and healed her. Restoration.

Finally we see how the lady responded. Response. In this final point we learn that Jesus Christ is the be served. He is to be supplicated, he saves and finally he is to be served.

III. Response

Look with me again at verse 31.

“So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.”

The New International Version. (2011). (). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.

The Lord Jesus Christ healed Peter’s Mother in law and he immediate response was to serve him.

It says that she began to wait on them.

Firstly this shows the completeness of the healing that Christ performed. Usually after a fever there is a weakness that the person experiences for a few days. But the moment she was healed she had full strength and she started to cook for and serve the Lord Jesus and those in the home.

Here we have a picture of the salvation that is found in Christ. Jesus Christ offers full salvation. The Bible says he saves to the uttermost. He completely forgives all sin.

This ladies healing was complete, those who believe in Christ receive a complete salvation.

Secondly what we learn from this final part of our passage is how a person ought to respond to the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The moment she was healed she began to serve the Lord.

Application-

If you haven’t yet put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin, when you do, you must count the cost.

The Lord Jesus Christ himself taught that those who come to him must take up their cross and follow him. That means that they must be willing to die to their own desires and ambitions and they must live for Christ.

Paul also echoed this truth in when he says “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service”

Those who Christ saves are expected to present their bodies as living sacrifices, in other words they are expected to serve the Lord Jesus Christ where ever he will place them. That could be in the work place or it could be on the mission field.

The New King James Version. (1982). (). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

If you will come to Christ then after he has saved your soul and forgiven your sin you must live for him and serve him. This is the example set by Peter’s Mother in law.

If you are a believer this morning then does this describe you?

Do you serve the Lord Jesus Christ? Look at your day to day life, how many hours are given to the Lord’s work? How much of your resources are spent for the cause of the Gospel? How much time do you give to Christ each week?

Our right response to the grace of God in Christ Jesus should be that we give him everything.

Peter’s Mother in Law was obviously grateful and she served the Lord straight away. She was healed of a fever.

We who believe have been saved from hell, we have been forgiven for every sin, all because Christ died in our place on the cross and rose again, how much more grateful we should be.

Our cry should be as the hymn goes

“All for Jesus, All for Jesus, All my beings ransomed powers, all my thoughts and words and doings, all my days and all my hours. Let my hands perform his bidding, let my feet run in his ways, let my eyes see Jesus only, let my lips speak forth his praise.”

Conclusion

In conclusion...

In our passage we read of the Lord Jesus healing Peter’s mother in law, we read of the family telling the Lord about her sickness, we see the Lord completely restoring her and we see the Lady serving the Lord the moment she is healed.

We see the request, the restoration and the response.

Just as we finish I would like to remind you of the applications of this verse;

Request-

They told the Lord about her sickness.

If you are a believer do you pray for the salvation of your loved ones?

If you are not a believer, will you pray for your own salvation? will you ask the Lord to forgive your sin and to be your Saviour?

Restoration-

The Lord completely healed her.

The Lord is the all sufficient Saviour and just as he completely healed this lady, he will completely forgive all your sin and make you right before God if you out your trust in him.

The Bible says believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.

Response-

The lady served the Lord.

If you are not yet a Christian, then when you become on remember that your are called to serve the Lord Jesus Christ where ever he places you.

If you are a Christian then the question is are you serving the Lord? Do you live for his glory? Do you give your all to him out of gratitude for all he has done for you?

From this short passage we learn that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, he is the all sufficient Saviour, he saves and he is to be served.

If you are a believer then give yourself completely to him, hold nothing back, live your lives to serve the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you are not a believer then believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved. Turn from your sin and believe in him.