“Does Jesus Care?”
Intro
A. An often asked question?
B. Especially to those that have been afflicted or deeply
hurt in some way.
C. We might not appreciate this question unless we have “walked in his/her
shoes.”
D. But we can confidently affirm - “YES, Jesus does care!”
Lesson
I. First, we
should note that it is true that sometimes, maybe even oftentimes, we reap
physical
and mental afflictions and hurt because of our own stupid and sinful
ways.
1. Alcohol and drugs are the main
source of suffering and tragedies (MADD, etc.)
2. Improper health habits of our body
can result in certain diseases.
3. Lack of proper exercise and eating
habits can bring on unwanted problems.
II. But now, let us be aware that it is not always our personal transgressions or
wrong habits
that brings on our afflictions and
hurts.
1. Jesus’ own disciples apparently had such an idea.
A. “Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from
birth. And His disciples
asked Him, saying, "Rabbi,
who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born
blind?" (John
9:1-2).
B.
Notice Jesus’ answer: “Jesus
answered, "Neither this man nor his
parents sinned,”
(9:3a).
2. Because the man was blind, even born
blind, was not the result of any sin on his part or
on the part of his parents.
A. Note that it was in this case that this was so.
B. And in many cases such is so -
that the affliction had nothing to do with the sins of
one’s self or of the parents.
3. Jesus went on to say that such cases
of blindness or other diseases afforded Him the
opportunity to perform His great works of miraculous healing: Said He, “but that the
works of God should be revealed in him. I must
work the works of Him who sent Me while it is
day;”
A. The “works of Jesus”
testified to His Deity (Jn.20:30-31) – “And
truly Jesus did
many other signs in the
presence of His disciples, which are not written in this
book; but these are
written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God, and that believing
you may have life in His name.”
B. Such miracles (1) confirmed His Deity and (2) testified to
Him being, as Jesus
Himself stated next, “I am the light of the world” (9:6; and
also in 8:12: "I
am the
light of the world. He who follows Me shall not
walk in darkness, but have the
light of life”).
a. That is, He is the
spiritual Saviour of humankind: “I
have come that they may
have
life, and
that they may have it more
abundantly” (Jn.10:10b).
b. John writes: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (Jn. 1:4).
4.
The statement “the night is coming when no one can work”
(9:3b-4) is likely a reference to
the cessation of miraculous
divine healing that He, His apostles and the church
possessed in the first
century (Acts 10:38; Mk.16:20; 1 Cor. 12:4-11); and which ceased
when “that which is perfect/complete
has come” (that is, the finished New Testament
Scriptures, 1 Cor. 13:9-10; Jams
1:25).
II. Jesus Cares Because He is innately
Compassionate.
1. The following passages ascribe to Jesus
as being compassion:
A. Matthew 9:36: “But
when He saw the multitudes, He was moved
with compassion for
them, because they were
weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd” (and Vs. 35).
B. Matthew 14:14: “And when Jesus went out He saw a great
multitude; and He was
moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.”
C. Other references to Jesus having compassion
are: Matthew 15:32; 18:33; 20:34; Mark
1:41; Luke 7:13.
D. Near the tomb or Lazarus “Jesus
wept” (Jn.11:35); Also Mt. 23:37).
III. Since
Jesus is Compassionate, Why then is there any Suffering and Sorrow for the Children of God?
1. This question must take into consideration the following.
A. Since humankind,
because of rebellion toward God, was no longer allowed to live in the
Paradise of Eden, disease, decay
and death followed:
“To the woman He said: "I will greatly
multiply your sorrow and your conception; In
pain you shall bring forth
children; Your desire shall be for your husband, And he shall
rule over you." Then to Adam He said, "Because you have
heeded the voice of your
wife, and have eaten from the tree of
which I commanded you, saying, 'You shall not
eat of it': "Cursed is
the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of
your life. Both thorns and
thistles it shall bring forth for you, And you shall
eat the
herb of the field. In the
sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the
ground, For out of it you were
taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return"
(Genesis 3:16-19).
B. Since humankind left the Garden
of Eden, the unalterable fact is “it is appointed unto
men once to die” (Hebrews
9:27).
C. Disease, decay and death is the
common lot of all humankind.
D. Though sin is not inherited from
our forefathers, the consequences of their sins can
affect the lives of their
posterity.
a. This is what Exodus 20:5 is teaching.
b. A drunken father puts his
family at a great disadvantage.
c. The children of a lazy, no good man or
mother often reap trouble.
E. It is known today that our genes play a
large role in some contracting certain diseases
or conditions; that is just the
way it is.
a. By the way,
the gene pool is not getting better/advancing!
b. As evolution must have it.
F. Finally, the great character Job
seems to help us in this matter.
a. His horrible
afflictions, apparently due to no real fault of his own, shows us that,
among other things, that
the person of true faith will serve God
in spite of his or her
situation or surrounding.
b. Certainly Job did – and he
came through it all triumphantly.
c. Dear friends, we will too –
with a heavenly home awaiting us and Jesus welcoming
us with open arms.
IV. We have shown that Yes,
Jesus Cares.
1. To borrow from the
Hallmark catch phrase, God “cared enough to give the very best.”
2. Now the question is, “Do We Care That Jesus Cares?”
3. Again, Do we care that
Jesus cares?
Conclusion
Song: “Does Jesus Care” No. 485