Jesus and Sinners
Matt. 9:1-13
Intro: Some
things just go together. We say and hear things every day that just go
together. For example:
·
Socks and shoes
·
Ham and eggs
·
Mustard and ketchup
·
Salt and pepper
·
Cream and sugar
·
Corn on the cob and Old Bay Seasoning!
If there were ever two more opposite words, it is the word
“Jesus” and the word “sinners”.
When we hear the name Jesus, our minds go to a wide variety
of adjectives.
·
Isaiah
9:6 said he would be called, “Wonderful”.
·
1 Peter
2:22 described Him as “Who did no
sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:”
Yet – here in just 13 verses, we find the word “sins” and
“sinners” found no less than 6 times.
I. Jesus Came for
Sinners
·
vs. 1 “he came into his own city”
·
vs. 13 “…for
I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
It is important to realize that sinners were the reason that
Jesus came.
·
Luke
19:10 For the Son of man is come to
seek and to save that which was lost.
The reason that the precious Son of God left His ivory
palaces in Heaven was sinful man.
The reason that the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us
was sinners.
The reason that Jesus was born of a virgin and laid in a
manger was sinners.
·
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world;
but that the world through him might be saved.
From the richest politician in Congress to the homeless drug
addict living under the bridge – Jesus came for sinners.
From the drug lords of South America to the Jr high school
boy selling pot out of his lunch box – Jesus came for sinners.
From the high society madam to the teenage unwed mother –
Jesus came for sinners.
From the Mafia kingpin to the Sunday School kid – Jesus came
for sinners.
From the religious cult leaders to the atheist college
student – Jesus came for sinners.
From the convicted inmate down at the jail to the white
haired little old lady in the nursing home – Jesus came…
From the Pope to the pimp – from the White House to the
whore house – Jesus came for sinners.
Jesus came to save Peter, and he came to save Pilate.
He came to save John the Beloved, and he came to save Judas.
·
1 Timothy
1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners; of whom I am chief.
You know that prostitute walking down Dundalk Avenue? Jesus
came for her!
You know that man running the liquor store on Eastern
Avenue? Jesus came for him!
You know that gang crawling the streets of West Baltimore?
Jesus came for them!
You know that homeless man at the top of the I-95 exit ramp?
Jesus came for him.
You know that group lined up at the methadone clinic? Jesus
came for them!
There’s not a man, or woman, or boy or girl alive today that
Jesus didn’t come for.
It is just as natural to find Jesus with the sinners as it
is to find an ambulance at a car wreck.
It’s just as natural to find Jesus with sinners as it is to
find a bail bondsman next to the county jail.
II. Jesus Cares
for Sinners – vs. 10, 11 “Why
eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?”
Jesus didn’t just come for sinners, but He genuinely cares
for sinners.
It would have been enough if He had come and died because
His Father asked Him to.
But He did it willingly!
·
John
10:18 No man taketh it from me, but I
lay it down of myself.
As repulsive and disgusting as we were, Jesus still cared!
His love for sinners far surpasses even our own ability to
comprehend.
His attitude toward sinners was so that they came to him.
(see verse 10)
·
Luke 15:2
And the Pharisees and scribes murmured,
saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
·
John 6:37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to
me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.
Examples:
·
Luke
7:37-48 – the sinful woman that washed Jesus’ feet with her tears
·
Matthew
9:36 But when he saw the multitudes,
he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered
abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
III. Jesus’ Cure
for Sinners – vs. 12 – “They that
be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.”
His description of sinful man was likened to that of a man
that was diseased and sick.
The prophet Isaiah preached the same message in Isaiah
chapter 1.
·
Isaiah 1:4 Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers,
children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked
the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward.
·
5 Why
should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is
sick, and the whole heart faint.
·
6 From the
sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds,
and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up,
neither mollified with ointment.
Isaiah 52 says “by his stripes, we are healed.”
This is not physical healing as some TV evangelists will try
to tell you.
Jesus didn’t die on the cross to cure you of cancer.
He wasn’t scourged and beaten with a cat-of-nine tails to
heal your failing kidneys or your tumor.
You could be cured of your cancer, and still die and go to
Hell.
You could be healed of all your physical sicknesses and
still go to a Christ-less eternity.
This healing was a much more significant healing.
This was a cure for man’s hereditary sickness – the sin
problem. (we got it from our father, Adam)
This was a cure for man’s ultimate sickness – the sin
problem. (it doesn’t get any worse than this!)
This was a cure for man’s fatal sickness – the sin problem.
(the wages of sin is death)
·
James
1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and
enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it
is finished, bringeth forth death.
John the Baptist didn’t say “Behold the Lamb of God which
taketh away the cancers of the world”
John the Baptist didn’t say “Behold the Lamb of God which
taketh away the tumors of the world”
John the Baptist didn’t say “Behold the Lamb of God which
taketh away the diseases of the world”
John the Baptist didn’t say “Behold the Lamb of God which
taketh away the headaches, the ear aches, the backaches, the stomachaches of
the world”
He said – “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away THE SIN
OF THE WORLD!”
·
Malachi
4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise
with healing in his wings;
A. His
Cure is Repentance – vs. 13 “…for I
am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
·
Romans 2:4 Or
despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering;
not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
B. His Cure is Forgiveness –
vs. 2, 5, 6
This man that was brought to Jesus was in more desperate
need of forgiveness than he was physical health and healing.
People saw a crippled man; Jesus saw a sinful man.
C. His Cure is Salvation
·
I Tim.
1:15 This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners; of whom I am chief.
