I. Introduction
A. Here after having taught the disciples the sermon on the mount, Jesus pays a visit to Peter’s home
1. And as He entered the house He saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying sick
a. Now the Bible says sick with a fever.
b. Where she had a fever or not is not that important
c. The fact the Jesus noticed her on the bed sick shows that He noticed such things
2. Now every one of us has been sick with a fever
a. And we know just how miserable it can be
(1) We are often terribly thirsty
(2) Often some what dizzy
(3) Hot at times and freezing at other times
(4) And every muscle and joint hurts
(5) And we are probably communicable
b. Fevers are the result of some viral or bacterial infection
(1) A cold or the flu
(2) In Jesus time perhaps something even more serious
(a) Well Jesus noticed and did something about it
i) Lets turn to Matthew 8:14 and 15
(b) Jesus came to earth to do three things
i) To heal individuals
ii) To meet the needs of people
iii) And to prove His Messiahship
II. Body
A. Jesus came to earth to heal individuals
Matthew 8:14-15 NKJV
Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever. {15} So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.
1. In this little story Jesus ministered to one individual
a. He healed Peter’s mother-in-law
b. There was no crowd, no multitude
c. Just Peter’s family
(1) Possibly Andrew
(2) Possibly the sons of Zebedee, James and John
(a) Turn to Mark 10:45
d. But it would not have mattered if there were only Jesus and the mother-in-law, Jesus still would have healed her
(1) Now Matthew notes that she got up and began to serve them
(2) But this was never Jesus motive
Mark 10:45 NKJV
"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
(3) Jesus did not come to be served
(4) Jesus came to serve, to minister to mankind
2. In healing the mother-in-law Jesus also served all those in Peter’s house
a. As I mentioned before, a fever is a symptom and not the cause
(1) Even if the problem was a simple cold, every one exposed to her cold would have gotten it
(2) And so, in healing her, Jesus had to have eliminated the cause of the fever and so prevented the other in the house from getting the disease
b. But He also freed the family from having to minister to the mother-in-law
(1) More hands lighten the load for every one
(2) Along with the fact that the two hands added to the load were part of the load before Jesus healed them
(a) Turn to Matthew 14:14
c. Why did Jesus heal the mother-in-law?
(1) We have already said that it was not so she could serve Him
(2) Even though the passage dose not says so, it was because Jesus had compassion on her
Matthew 14:14 NKJV
And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.
(3) Turn to Matthew 20:33-34
d. Two blind men cried out to Jesus, and Jesus called them to Himself and asked said, "What do you want Me to do for you?"
Matthew 20:33-34 NKJV
They said to Him, "Lord, that our eyes may be opened." {34} So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.
(1) Notice Jesus had compassion on the sick and the blind, the leper, the cripple, and the demon possessed
(a) The word compassion is used 21 times in your King James Bible and only 6 times outside the Gospels
(b) 15 times in Matthew, Mark and Luke
(c) Compassion is a loving, caring, feeling for some one who is hurting
3. Now I want you to notice something in these two verses in Matthew 8, verses 14 and 15
Matthew 8:14-15 NKJV
Now when Jesus had come into Peter's house, He saw his wife's mother lying sick with a fever. {15} So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.
a. First of all, Jesus saw the woman’s condition, she was sick
(1) Jesus knows our condition, He knew our condition before we were born
(2) We were sick, sin sick, lets face it we were sicker spiritually than Peter’s Mother-in-law was physically
b. Jesus had compassion on the Mother-in-law
(1) Jesus has compassion on us
c. Then Jesus healed her
(1) There is a little difference here in that we must ask to be healed
(2) We have to believe several things
(a) First we need to believe that we need to be healed
(b) Then we need to believe that Jesus can heal us
i) We need to believe that Jesus is the one and only Son of God
ii) And that He has the power to heal us of our sin sickness
(3) We have to confess several things
(a) First we need to confess that we are sin sick
(b) Then we need to confess our belief that Jesus can heal us of our sin sickness
d. Then, after being healed Peter’s Mother-in-law got up and served them
(1) We have asked to be healed
(a) We believed that Jesus, the Son of God, can and did have compassion and that He heal us of our sin sickness
(b) We confessed Jesus
(c) Today, we have the opportunity to serve Jesus
(2) The Mother-in-law served Jesus and the others
(a) Probably food and drink
(b) A small thing we might say
(c) But she served the Son of God
(3) Today, we have the opportunity to serve Jesus
(a) I don’t know to what service He has called you
(b) I know the service He has called me to
(c) And I believe that I am where He wants me to be
(4) Some are called to great ministries
(5) Some are called to small ministries
(6) The idea is to be faithful to what and where He has called you and serve the Son of God
(a) Well lets go on to Matthew 8:16
B. Jesus came to meet the needs of people
Matthew 8:16 NKJV
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick
1. Think about Jesus day
a. He had gone up a mountain until only the most loyal, most devoted disciples were with Him
(1) And He taught them
(a) The sermon on the mount
(2) Then coming down he was confronted with a leper and Jesus healed the leper
(3) Then He was confronted with the centurion on behalf of his servant and Jesus healed the servant
(4) Then Jesus went into Peter’s house and healed the Mother-in-law
b. Now it is evening
(1) Was Jesus tired? Well, it was a long day, hiking, walking, healing, yes He was very probably tired, after all He was human
(a) But people heard that He was in town and they believed that He could heal sick and tortured people in the area
(b) If you will remember Jesus was in a house and people were trying to get to Him, but there was no way for the people outside to get inside because the house where He was, was packed
2. Interestingly verse 16 says they brought to Jesus many who were demon-possessed
a. It is as if this was the main thrust of the verse, many who were demon-possessed
(1) In our time we call those people insane
(2) How many in mental institutions today are not insane but demon possessed
(a) Turn to Mark 5:2-5
(3) Demon possession seems to be the very worst torment a person can have
(a) Just look what the demon possessed man did in Jesus time
Mark 5:2-5 NKJV
And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, {3} who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind him, not even with chains, {4} because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. {5} And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones.
(b) The torment must be terrible
i) This poor man was possessed by many demons
ii) Their name was legion because they were many
a) A Roman legion was a thousand soldiers
b) Imagine not being able to control your own body as you watch the demons mutilate it over and over again
c) Able to feel every insult to you body
3. Verse 16 then says Jesus healed all their sick
a. Tired Himself, still Jesus had compassion on all who came to Him
(1) No longer in His mortal body, Jesus still knows our infirmities
(2) In a glorified body, Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father to intercede for us
b. Jesus will respond to every one who comes to Him
(1) Jesus will respond
(2) But He may not respond the way we want
(a) He may respond positively
(b) He may respond negatively
(c) He may just say, “Not now”
(d) But we are guaranteed a response
i) Now lets look at verses 16 & 17
C. Jesus came to prove His Messiahship
Matthew 8:16-17 NKJV
When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, {17} that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: "He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses."
1. Turn to Luke 7:19-22
2. John the Baptist was in prison and heard what Jesus was doing
a. He doubted
b. So he sent two disciples to ask Jesus if He was the Messiah
Luke 7:19-22 NKJV
And John, calling two of his disciples to him, sent them to Jesus, saying, "Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?" {20} When the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Coming One, or do we look for another?'" {21} And that very hour He cured many of infirmities, afflictions, and evil spirits; and to many blind He gave sight. {22} Jesus answered and said to them, "Go and tell John the things you have seen and heard: that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, the poor have the gospel preached to them.
c. What was Jesus answer to John the Baptist?
(1) The same as we see in Matthew 8:16 & 17
(2) The healing of the who came to Him
(3) In both instances Jesus points to the prophecies of Isaiah concerning the Messiah
(a) Turn to John 14:10-11
d. When confronted with the unbelief of the Jewish leadership Jesus replied in
John 14:10-11 NKJV
"Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. {11} "Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
(1) Jesus power and authority as demonstrated in Matthew 8:17 and the other passage we have read prove His Messiahship
(a) But as Jesus quote Isaiah concerning the works of the Messiah
(b) He must be aware of Isaiah’s prophecy concerning His end on the cross
(2) All that so that in His love and compassion He is able to heal us of our sin sickness and give us a place with Him in heaven
III. Conclusion
A. Jesus came to
1. To heal individuals
a. Many He healed of physical sickness
b. Many He healed of spiritual oppression
c. Many He healed of sin sickness
d. We are also able to be healed of our sin sickness
2. To meet the needs of people
a. Two thousand years ago
b. And today, you and I
3. And He came to prove His Messiahship
a. By power and authority Jesus has proven His Messiahship
b. By faith in the person and work of Jesus we can be healed
B. Turn to Ephesians 2:8-9
1. We are healed because of the love and compassion of the Savior
Ephesians 2:8-9 NKJV
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, {9} not of works, lest anyone should boast.
