See Jesus—Powerful in Deed and Word!

5th Sunday after Epiphany, 2/4/18
Mark 1:29-39


See Jesus—Powerful in Deed and Word!
I. His miracles changed lives.
II. His word gave eternal life.


We just don’t know what to think anymore. That statement is true for a plethora of situations in our lives. One of them is what we think about people. Maybe I’m just nostalgic, but it seems to me that you used to be able to know what to think about someone else by the things that they told you. But the older I get, the more I realize that the people I’m listening to are trying to create their own reality and they want me to believe what they are telling me about themselves to be true, although that simply isn’t the case. You see, for them, it’s not important who you really are; what’s important is what people think about you.

All too often that’s true as well with what people do. Let me be clear. All people are not this way. I trust that what I’m about to say isn’t true about you. But all too often what we see someone doing publicly is not all at who they are privately. Their private lives are scandalous and when the details of their private lives are exposed and reported, we don’t know what to think. How could they do such a thing? What were they thinking? They presented such a praiseworthy persona, but that’s not at all who they are.

Bottom line, we just can’t trust what people say and do to be the truth.

I hope I’m not telling you anything you didn’t already know when I state that this is the season of Epiphany in the Christian church year. During Epiphany Jesus reveals himself as the Savior of the world. He tells and shows us that he is truly the Son of God who came to this world to be our Savior from sin.

So as Jesus reveals himself to us, what do you hear? What do you see? What’s more, can you be sure of what you see and hear? Or, is this just another deplorable act on Jesus’ part to get us to believe something about him that isn’t at all true?

Not at all! Not a chance! Take another listen and another look at Jesus as he reveals himself this morning in this event before us from Mark 1. In it, Jesus reveals just who he is and what he does. See Jesus—powerful in deed and word! Will you take a look at that very thing with me this morning?

Part I.

Speaking of what you already know, here’s something else: it’s the height of the flu and cold season. Once again this morning after worship I don’t plan on shaking hands with you as you exit this sanctuary. You don’t need my germs or the germs of the person who shook my hand before you. And while it’s only the cold and flu, they’re still something we want to avoid. But if we do get sick with the cold or flu, we’ll probably be OK. Almost everyone recovers from the cold or flu. Almost everyone… Some don’t.

Jesus was with his disciples in the city of Capernaum. He had been teaching in the synagogue there. When he was finished, Mark informs us, “[He] went to the home of Simon and Andrew. Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her.” The Gospel of Luke informs us that the fever was severe. Obviously, she was suffering from an infection, but was it serious? Was it potentially deadly? Might she have recovered on her own had Jesus done nothing? Perhaps. We don’t know. But all of those questions are beside the point.

The point is that Jesus had spent the day revealing to his fellow Jews in that area that he was the promised Messiah, the Savior of the world. Even though Jesus had just begun his ministry here on this earth, he had already performed miracles, each of which pointed to the fact that Jesus was who he said he was. As he entered Peter’s home, it was only natural that the people gathered there told him about Peter’s mother-in-law and the fever which afflicted her. These people knew that Jesus had the power to help this woman. And that’s exactly what Jesus did. Mark informs us, “So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.” Jesus didn’t simply remove her fever; he removed whatever ailment she was facing and completely restored her health to the point that she insisted on serving Jesus and the other guests in her home. Amazing! He let her and all who were in her home see him for who he was—their Savior!

And the effect of this miracle rippled throughout the city. Mark reports, “That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door, and Jesus healed many who had various diseases.” Can you imagine the scene? A line of sick people stretching back from Peter’s front door as far as the eye can see in what was left of the evening light. Mark tells us that Jesus healed “many.” That’s not to say he turned some away. Instead, that’s the Greek way of saying, “As many sick people as there were, he healed them.” Amazing!

But there’s more. “He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.” Sickness is one of the effects of sin. Jesus used his almighty power to remove and reverse sin’s effects. But demon possession, that’s a far deeper level of evil. But it didn’t matter. Satan and his demons were no match for the Son of God. Here was Satan throwing everything he had at Jesus in order to derail and defeat Jesus on his divine mission to accomplish the salvation of every sinner. But for Jesus it was like shooting fish in a barrel. Satan was powerless to defy him. See what Jesus does!

See Jesus as he uses his almighty power to change lives!

It must have been something to be a part of that crowd in Peter’s house that day, wouldn’t you agree? Jesus is Peter’s guest that day. He was likely there to enjoy a meal and the rest of the day became this awesome display of his power. Wouldn’t that be something if Jesus would do that today? Imagine that you are going to have lunch with Jesus right after worship today. You have his undivided attention for an hour or more. You have the opportunity to ask him to do something for you. With a word, he can change your life. So, what do you ask for? A little healing? A little relief from pain? A nip here and a tuck there? A sudden healthy balance in your bank account? A better relationship with one of your loved ones? What would you ask Jesus to do to change your life? Well, he already has. He did it when he brought you to faith in him as your Savior. He literally changed everything for you. Gone are your sins and their guilt. Ended is Satan’s power over you. Even death can’t separate you from him. Without a doubt, he has already changed your life. But that’s not good enough for us, is it? We want him to do something else. We think we need him to do something more. But realize that, even if Jesus uses his power to remove whatever is irritating you today, tomorrow it will be something else. So don’t look for your joy and contentment in what Jesus can use his power to do for your earthly life now. Instead, find your peace and your joy in the fact that his past miracles—his death on the cross and his resurrection—have already changed your life. See Jesus—powerful in deed and word! His miracles changed your life!

Part II.

No matter which team wins the Super Bowl tonight, there will be some huge victory parties that will go well into Monday morning. And that’s expected. After all, the winning team and its fans have put a lot into this season. They accomplished the ultimate football goal—the Lombardi Trophy.

Mark doesn’t write a single word about a victory party for Jesus here in this morning’s text. There wasn’t any. As far as we know, there were no parties celebrating Jesus’ victory over sickness and Satan. I imagine the people whom Jesus healed thanked him and then returned home to live their lives and to go about their business.

And so did Jesus. Listen how he quietly goes about his business. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” Like so often in his ministry, Jesus went away by himself to pray to his heavenly Father. Pray about what? We’re not sure, but I’d say a good guess is that he prayed about the work that he still had to do. As great as his victories were the previous day, there was still much work to be done.

And that work centered in this—proclaiming his saving word. Jesus told his disciples, “‘Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.’ So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.” He sets out to proclaim his saving word. He wanted to share with the people the same message he shares with us every time we meet as a congregation of Christians. His intent was not to invent something new to declare to the people. His intent was to share with them the message that he had been sharing all along, the very same message we still share with our children and with adults who don’t know Jesus. That message is simply this: Jesus is the Son of God and the Savior from sin. So simple, yet so powerful. So powerful, because that’s the only message that gives sinners eternal life.

See Jesus—powerful in deed and word. His word gives eternal life.

The past two Sundays we began our worship with a hymn which asked Jesus to speak his word to us. And he did. And even though we didn’t sing one of those same hymns this morning, that’s still our desire. As Christians, we know that the word of Jesus is the one thing we need most, because through his word Jesus brings us forgiveness and eternal life. That’s the word Jesus shares again with us this morning. Through his life and death and resurrection we have eternal life. So, will you be content this week, having heard the word of your Savior? Will you live confidently knowing that Jesus has given you eternal life through his word? Or, will you allow life’s distractions to sap the joy and confidence from you? Don’t let it happen! Instead, see Jesus, my fellow Christians! See Jesus throughout the week as your Lord and Savior, powerful in deed and word. Amen.