Mari Ikeda

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What About Jesus Makes Him So Wonderful?
(Mark 1:40-45)

40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.” 41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed. 43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

A. The power of healing (40-42)

1. The miraculous power of healing of body

41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.

2. The power of healing of humanity and mind

(Leviticus13:45,46)45 Anyone with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 As long as they have the disease they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.

B. But that is not His center (43-45)

1. Why “you don’t tell this to anyone”?

43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.” 45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.

2. We make Jesus go outside of the town

3. Yet Jesus continued to heal

Summary

Jesus heals our sickness, restores our relationships with others and answers our prayer. However, the most wonderful thing that Jesus ever did for us is that He died on the Cross for us. If we forget about it and only seek Jesus to solve our various problems, we will only kick Jesus out from our life. We never be able to understand how deep God’s love is for us without knowing the Cross of Jesus.”

For Discussion

1) What makes Jesus so wonderful for you?
2) Why did Jesus continue to heal people?